Surface cleaner apparatus

Abstract

A floor cleaner head comprises an axially rotatable drive member 160 having a first magnetic part 170 and a cleaning member 130 having a second magnetic part 180, wherein the second magnetic part is m

Description

BACKGROUND Appliances for cleaning or treating surfaces may comprise a cleaner head that is in contact with the surface to be cleaned or treated in use. Some appliances utilise liquids, such as water, to clean or treat a surface. Such liquids may be utilised alongside a roller, mop, wipe, or other component for applying a wiping force to the surface. SUMMARY In a first aspect, there is provided a floor cleaner head comprising: an axially rotatable drive member having a first magnetic part; and a cleaning member having a second magnetic part, wherein the second magnetic part is magnetically engageable with the first magnetic part to form a magnetic coupling between the drive member and the cleaning member, such that rotation of the drive member drives a corresponding rotation of the cleaning member via the magnetic coupling. In this way, the magnetic coupling transfers torque from the drive member to the cleaning member using a magnetic force, rather than a mechanical connection. The strength of the magnetic coupling between the drive member and the cleaning member corresponds to the torque transfer efficiency. The cleaning member may be detachable, e.g. for cleaning the floor cleaner head and / or replacing the cleaning member. With fewer mechanical connections between the cleaning member and the drive member, the cleaning member may be more easily detached from the drive member. The cleaning member and the drive member have a common rotation axis when the second magnetic part is magnetically engaged with the first magnetic part. The common rotation axis generally corresponds to the rotation axis of the drive member. Accordingly, the common rotation axis is hereinafter referred to as the rotation axis. In a second aspect, there is provided a floor cleaner comprising the floor cleaner head of the first aspect. The floor cleaner may comprise a body mechanically coupled to the floor cleaner head. The body may be an upright body comprising a handle. The floor cleaner may be a robotic floor cleaner. Generally a robotic floor cleaner would not have an upright body, but a robotic floor cleaner may or may not comprise a handle. Optional features of the first and / or second aspects will now be described. These optional features are combinable in any combination unless the context demands otherwise. The floor cleaner head may comprise a housing, the drive member being rotatably coupled to the housing. The housing may comprise a side wall at an axial end of the drive member. The housing may comprise an upper wall extended from the side wall parallel to the rotation axis. Conveniently, the upper wall extends alongside the cleaning member to guard the user from debris collected on the cleaning member. The floor cleaner head may comprise a coupler element projected from the housing for mechanical connection to the body. The coupler element may extend generally perpendicularly to the rotation axis. The cleaning member may have a floor contact portion for contacting the floor. The floor contact portion may comprise one or more of: an absorbent material, a squeegee, a plurality of bristles. The absorbent material may comprise microfibre cloth and / or foam. The floor contact portion may circumscribe the rotation axis, such that the rotation axis may be aligned parallel to the floor in use. Rotation of the cleaning member against the floor can provide improved cleaning. The cleaning member may be in the form of a roller. The cleaning member may be substantially cylindrical, e.g. having an outer circumferential surface defining the floor contact portion. The cleaning member may comprise a sleeve (e.g. a cylindrical sleeve). The sleeve may circumscribe the drive member when the second magnetic part is magnetically engaged with the first magnetic part. The sleeve may be arranged coaxially with the rotation axis, e.g. and the drive member. The second magnetic part may be completely embedded in the cleaning member. For example, the cleaning member (e.g. the sleeve) may comprise a cleaning member substrate, the second magnetic part being encapsulated by the cleaning member substrate. By encapsulating the second magnetic part in the cleaning member substrate, the second magnetic part is protected from dirt, debris and potentially corrosive substances which may otherwise cause damage to the second magnetic part. The cleaning member substrate may consist of non-magnetic material. The cleaning member substrate may comprise a polymer material. The cleaning member substrate may comprise one or more of: polylactic acid (PLA); polypropylene (PP); polycarbonate (PC); Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The cleaning member substrate may be formed by 3D printing or injection moulding. The floor cleaner head may comprise a barrier separating the cleaning member from the drive member. The barrier may be liquid impermeable. By providing the barrier between the cleaning member and the drive member, the drive member may be shielded from dirt and debris collected on the cleaning member. The barrier may also protect the drive member from corrosive substances, such as floor cleaning agents. The drive member may be at least partially enclosed by the barrier. Enclosing the drive member within the barrier may improve the shielding effect of the barrier. The barrier may be elongated having a longitudinal axis parallel to the rotation axis. The barrier may depend from the side wall of the housing. The barrier may comprise a cylindrical wall and an axial end wall together defining a substantially cylindrical cavity which houses the drive member. The cylindrical barrier may be coaxial with the rotation axis. The drive member may be sealed (e.g. hermetically sealed) within the barrier. For example, the barrier may form a sealed abutment against the side wall (e.g. opposite the axial end wall of the barrier). Sealing the drive member within the barrier prevents any liquid ingress from the cleaning member side to the drive member side to enhance the protection of the drive member. The barrier (e.g. the cylindrical wall) may comprise a flanged end which forms the sealed abutment. The flanged end improves the seal by increasing the area of contact between the barrier and the side wall. The barrier may be formed of a polymer, e.g. comprising one or more of: polylactic acid (PLA); polypropylene (PP); polycarbonate (PC); Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The barrier may be formed by 3D printing or injection moulding. The cylindrical wall of the barrier may have a thickness of not more than 3 mm, e.g. not more than 2 mm, e.g. not more than 1 mm. By reducing the thickness of the cylindrical wall, the proximity of the cleaning member and the drive member and therefore the first and second magnetic parts may be increased, which increases the strength of the magnetic coupling. The barrier may be fixed relative to the housing. In other words, the barrier may be stationary. The barrier may be fixed directly to the housing, e.g. to the side wall of the housing. The fixed barrier does not rotate with the drive member which reduces a risk of fibrous debris becoming entangled around the barrier. Where the drive member is sealed within the barrier, the rotatable coupling avoids the requirement for any rotating seals which can be vulnerable to leakage. The drive member may be rotatably coupled to the barrier. In this way, the drive member may be supported by the barrier to improve the stability of the drive member while it rotates. The floor cleaner head may comprise a rotary bearing (e.g. a rolling-element bearing), the drive member being rotatably coupled to the barrier via the rotary bearing. The rotary bearing may consist of non-magnetic material(s) including any combination of ceramic, plastic, or austenitic stainless steel. This prevents the rotary bearing interfering with the magnetic coupling and vice versa. The drive member may comprise an axle, e.g. projecting from an axle end of the drive member. The rotary bearing may be mounted to the axle. The rotary bearing may be received in the cavity of the barrier. The rotary bearing may be disposed at an axial end of the cavity, e.g. proximal the axial end wall. Alternatively, the rotary bearing may be disposed proximal the side wall of the housing. The drive member may be substantially cylindrical. Therefore, the cavity may conform to an outer circumferential surface of the drive member. The cylindrical wall of the barrier and the outer circumferential surface of the drive member may define an annular gap therebetween. The annular gap may be at least 0.25 mm, e.g. at least 0.4 mm. Providing the annular gap may reduce friction between the barrier and the drive member when the drive member rotates. The annular gap may be not more than 2 mm, e.g. not more than 1.5 mm, e.g. not more than 1 mm. By reducing the annular gap, a stronger magnetic coupling may be formed by increasing the proximity of the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part. The annular gap may be approximately 0.5 mm. The floor cleaner head may comprise a motor operatively coupled to the drive member and operable to cause axial rotation of the drive member. The motor may be fixed relative to the housing. For example, the motor may be fixed to the barrier or the side wall of the housing. The motor may comprise an output shaft connected to the drive member for rotating the drive member. The output shaft be coupled to the axial end of the drive member proximal the side wall of the housing. Alternatively, the motor may be disposed within the drive member. The floor cleaner head may comprise a gear mechanism, the output shaft being operatively coupled to the drive member via the gear mechanism. The first magnetic part may be completely embedded in the drive member. For example, the drive member may comprise a drive member substrate, the first magnetic part being encapsulated by the drive member substrate. The drive member substrate may consist of non-magnetic material, e.g. a polymer. The drive member substrate may comprise one or more of: polylactic acid (PLA); polypropylene (PP); polycarbonate (PC); Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The drive member substrate may be formed by 3D printing or injection moulding. In some embodiments, the cleaning member (e.g. the sleeve) may be rotatably slidable over the barrier (e.g. the cylindrical wall of the barrier). In this way, the cleaning member may be supported by the barrier to improve the stability of the cleaning member while it rotates. An inner circumferential surface of the sleeve may conform to the cylindrical wall of the barrier. When the sleeve is mounted to the barrier, the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve may be separated from the cylindrical wall by an annular gap therebetween. The separation between the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve and the cylindrical wall may be maintained by the magnetic coupling. The annular gap may be at least 0.25 mm, e.g. at least 0.4 mm. Providing the annular gap may reduce friction between the sleeve and the barrier when the sleeve rotates. The annular gap may be not more than 2 mm, e.g. not more than 1.5 mm, e.g. not more than 1 mm. By reducing the annular gap, a stronger magnetic coupling may be formed by increasing the proximity of the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part. The annular gap may be approximately 0.5 mm. The cleaning member may be slidably mountable on the barrier. For example, the sleeve may be axially slidable along the cylindrical wall. Slidably mounting the cleaning member facilitates quick attachment and detachment of the cleaning member. The barrier (e.g. the cylindrical wall) may have a smooth outer surface. The smooth outer surface is crevice-free which avoids or reduces trapping debris between the cleaning member and the barrier. The smooth outer surface also enables closer fitting between the cleaning member and the barrier which improves the strength of the magnetic coupling. The cleaning member may be slidably mountable perpendicular to the axial end wall of the barrier. In other embodiments, the cleaning member and the drive member may be colinear. For example, the cleaning member may comprise a driven portion insertable into a corresponding recessed portion of the drive member. The driven portion may be an axial projection of the cleaning member. The first and second magnetic parts may be disposed in the recessed portion of the drive member and the driven portion of the cleaning member, respectively. The axial end wall of the barrier may be recessed into the recessed portion of the drive member such that the driven portion is receivable in the recessed axial end wall. In some embodiments, the housing may comprise a retaining element which resists axial movement of the cleaning member relative to the drive member. The retaining element may comprise an end cover opposite the side wall. The end cover may be coupled (e.g. detachably coupled) to the upper wall of the housing. The end cover may have a retaining position in which the end cover is directly opposed to the cleaning member along the rotation axis. When the end cover is detached or otherwise moved from the retaining position, the magnetic coupling may resist the axial movement of the cleaning member relative to the drive member. As such, the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part may define a pair of retaining elements magnetically engageable to resist axial movement of the cleaning member relative to the drive member. At least one of the first magnetic part and / or the second magnetic part is a magnet. For example, the first magnetic part may be a first magnet. The second magnetic part may be a second magnet. The first magnet and / or the second magnet may be a permanent magnet, e.g. a neodymium magnet, e.g. a class N38 neodymium magnet. Providing first and second magnets enables a stronger magnetic coupling to be formed. The first magnetic part or the second magnetic part may comprise a ferromagnetic material. As such, the magnetic part comprising the ferromagnetic material may be magnetically engageable with the magnet by becoming magnetised by the magnet (i.e. the magnetic part may form a temporary magnet). The second magnetic part may be magnetically engageable with the first magnetic part to define a magnetic pair in the magnetic coupling. The first magnetic part and the second magnetic part may have a common plane of rotation. The first magnetic part and the second magnetic part may be rotationally aligned with and / or radially spaced from each other when the second magnetic part is magnetically engaged with the first magnetic part. This arrangement of the magnetic pair enables efficient torque transfer from the drive member to the cleaning member. The first magnetic part and the second magnetic part (i.e. the magnetic pair) may have corresponding dimensions. For example, a length and / or width of the second magnetic part may be the same as a respective length and / or width of the first magnetic part. The first magnetic part and / or the second magnetic part may be elongated parallel to the rotation axis of the drive member. The length of the first magnetic part may be not less than 80%, e.g. not less than 85%, e.g. not less than 90%, e.g. not less than 95%, of the length of the drive member. The length of the second magnetic part may be not less than 80%, e.g. not less than 85%, e.g. not less than 90%, e.g. not less than 95% of the length of the drive member. Elongating the magnetic parts enables a stronger magnetic coupling to be formed. As used herein, a magnetic axis defines a straight line between the north pole and south pole of a magnet, and a magnetisation direction refers to a direction along the magnetic axis from the north pole to the south pole. In some embodiments, the first magnet and / or the second magnet may have a magnetic axis perpendicular to the rotation axis. For example, a magnetisation direction of the first magnet and / or the second magnet may be a radial direction or a tangential direction with respect to the rotation axis. The radial direction may be radially inwards towards the rotation axis or radially outwards away from the rotation axis. In the case of the first magnet, the tangential direction is tangential to a circular path traced by the first magnet as the drive member rotates. In the case of the second magnet, the tangential direction is tangential to a circular path traced by the second magnet as the cleaning member rotates. In other embodiments, the first magnet and / or the second magnet may have a magnetic axis parallel to the rotation axis of the drive member. In other words, the magnetisation direction of the magnet and / or the second magnet may be an axial direction. In some embodiments, the magnetic axes of the first magnet and the second magnet may be colinear when magnetically engaged. For example, the magnetisation direction of the first magnet and a corresponding magnetisation direction of the second magnet may be in the same radial direction. As such, the first magnet and the second magnet may be configured to attract each other. In other embodiments, where the magnetisation direction of the first magnet is an axial or tangential direction, the corresponding magnetisation direction of the second magnet may be an opposite axial or tangential direction, respectively. As such, the first magnet and the second magnet may be configured to attract each other when magnetically engaged. The drive member may have a plurality of first magnetic parts. Each first magnetic part of the plurality of first magnetic parts may be as described above. For example, the drive member may have a plurality of first magnets. The plurality of first magnetic parts may be not less than 4 magnetic parts, e.g. not less than 6 magnetic parts, e.g. not less than 8 magnetic parts. The plurality of first magnetic parts may consist of 8 magnetic parts. The cleaning member may have a plurality of second magnetic parts. Each second magnetic part of the plurality of second magnetic parts may be as described above. For example, the cleaning member may have a plurality of second magnets. The plurality of second magnetic parts may be not less than 4 magnetic parts, e.g. not less than 6 magnetic parts, e.g. not less than 8 magnetic parts. The plurality of second magnetic parts may consist of 8 magnetic parts. The number of second magnetic parts may be equal to the number of first magnetic parts. Increasing the number of magnetic parts increases the number of configurations in which the magnetic coupling can be formed between the cleaning member and the drive member. Each second magnetic part may be magnetically engageable with a respective first magnetic part to define a respective magnetic pair in the magnetic coupling. By providing multiples of such pairs of magnetic parts, a stronger magnetic coupling may be formed. Each magnetic pair may share a common plane of rotation (i.e. transverse to the rotation axis). In this way, the cleaning member may be aligned more easily to a particular axial position along the rotation axis by aligning the magnetic parts in the same transverse plane of rotation. The first magnetic parts may be circumferentially (e.g. equiangularly) spaced about the rotation axis. The second magnetic parts may be circumferentially (e.g. equiangularly) spaced about the rotation axis. Accordingly, the magnetic pairs may be circumferentially (e.g. equiangularly) spaced about the rotation axis. By providing the equiangular spacing, the magnetic pairs may have rotational symmetry in the plane transverse to the rotation axis, which may improve the coaxial alignment of the cleaning member and the drive member. Where the cleaning member comprises the sleeve rotatably slidable on the barrier, this improved alignment may reduce friction between the sleeve and the barrier. The drive member substrate may comprise a first plurality of dividing portions, each dividing portion defining a respective circumferential spacing between adjacent first magnetic parts. The cleaning member substrate may comprise a second plurality of dividing portions, each dividing portion defining a respective circumferential spacing between adjacent second magnetic parts. The circumferential spacing between each first magnetic part and / or second magnetic part may be not less than 5 mm, e.g. not less than 10 mm, e.g. not less than 15 mm. Increasing the circumferential spacing between respective magnetic parts may improve the structural integrity of the drive / cleaning member. Each first magnet may have an adjacent (e.g. circumferentially adjacent) first magnet in the drive member with an opposite magnetisation direction. Each second magnet may have an adjacent (e.g. circumferentially adjacent) second magnet in the cleaning member with an opposite magnetisation direction. In this way, the magnets may be easier to assemble during manufacture because the adjacent magnets will attract rather than repel each other. The plurality of first magnets may be an even number of the first magnets. The plurality of second magnets may be an even number of the second magnets. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor cleaner; Figure 2 is a simplified section view of a floor cleaner head and lower part of a body of the floor cleaner of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded view of a cleaning assembly forming part of the floor cleaner head of Figure 2; Figures 4A and 4B show perspective views of a drive member of the cleaning assembly of Figure 3; Figures 5A and 5B show perspective views of a barrier of the cleaning assembly of Figure 3; Figures 6A and 6B show perspective views of a cleaning member of the cleaning assembly of Figure 3; Figure 7 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the cleaning assembly of Figure 3; Figure 8 shows a transverse cross-section of the cleaning assembly of Figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A floor cleaner 10 is illustrated in Figure 1. The floor cleaner 10 allows a user to remove unwanted liquid and / or solid debris from the floor 48 which is to be cleaned. The floor cleaner 10 comprises a body 16 from which upper and lower support members 24 and 20 extend transversely. The upper support member 24 is configured to removably retain and interface with a clean water tank 26. The upper and lower support members 24 and 20 are configured to removably retain and interface with a dirty water or liquid collection tank 22. A handle 18 extends longitudinally from an upper portion of the body 16. A floor cleaner head 12 is rotatably coupled to the lower support member 24 of the body 16 by a coupler element 14. A simplified section of the lower part of the floor cleaner 10 is shown in Figure 2. The floor cleaner head 12 is mechanically coupled to the body 16 via the lower support member 20. The coupler element 14 is formed using a body projection 14x extending from the lower support member 20 and a head projection 14y extending from the floor cleaner head 12. These projections 14x, 14y are connected together, for example using a universal joint mechanism to allow many degrees of freedom between the body 16 and the cleaner head 12. The coupler element 14 is also configured to provide a fluid and, in some embodiments, electrical connections between the body 16 and the floor cleaner head 12. The floor cleaner head 12 comprises two counter rotating cleaning members 30a, 30b which are each rotatable about a respective axis parallel to the width of the floor cleaner head 12 - see direction W of Figure 1. The cleaning members 30a, 30b are spaced apart in the depth direction - D. The respective rotations of the cleaning members 30a, 30b is electrically driven as described in detail below, so that the cleaning members 30a, 30b collect and retain liquid and solid debris as the cleaning member 30a, 30b move across the floor 48. Each cleaning member 30a, 30b is arranged to contact a respective mangle 32a, 32b which squeezes liquid from the cleaning member 30a, 30b as it rotates past the mangle 32a, 32b. Each cleaning member 30a, 30b is also arranged to contact a respective counter rotating brush member 34a, 34b. Solid debris from the cleaning members 30a, 30b is removed as the cleaning members 30a, 30b and rotating brush members 34a, 34b contact and rotate relative to each other. A removable tray 36 is arranged to collect the liquid and debris removed from the cleaning members 30a, 30b. A sieve 38 within the tray 36 allows liquid to pass into a lower collection portion of the tray 36, with the solid debris retained within the tray 36 above the sieve 38. An ingress conduit 40 allows the liquid collected in the tray 36 to be drawn up into the body 16 of the surface cleaner, through the coupler element 14, and into the dirty water tank 22. A clean water conduit 44 supplies clean water from the clean water tank 26 to the cleaner head. The clean water may be applied to the cleaning members 30a, 30b and / or may be supplied to a spray device (not shown) to be applied directly to the floor 48. The floor cleaner head 12 includes a housing 50 comprising a side wall 52 and an upper wall 54 extended in the width direction W from the side wall 52. The upper wall 54 extends over the cleaning members 30a, 30b to guard the user from debris collected by the cleaning members 30a, 30b. The housing 50 includes an end cover (not shown) opposite the side wall 52 which provides a retaining element that resists axial movement of the cleaning members 30a, 30b. The end cover is detachably coupled to the upper wall 54 and is adjustable to a retaining position in which the end cover is directly opposed to the cleaning members 30a, 30b in the width direction W. Figure 3 is an exploded view of a cleaning assembly 100 forming part of the floor cleaner head 12 of Figure 2. The cleaning assembly including a detachable cleaning member 130, a barrier 140, a rotary bearing 150 and a drive member 160. The cleaning member 130 may correspond to each of the cleaning members 30a, 30b shown in Figure 2. Accordingly, the floor cleaner head 12 may comprise a pair of cleaning assemblies 100, each cleaning assembly 100 having a respective cleaning member 30a, 30b. The components of the cleaning assembly 100 are aligned to a rotation axis R which is a common rotation axis of the cleaning member 130 and the drive member 160. When assembled, the cleaning member 130 circumscribes the drive member 160. However, the cleaning member 130 is separated from the drive member 130 by the barrier 140 which is interposed between the cleaning member 130 and the drive member 160. Despite the cleaning member 130 not having any mechanical engagement with the drive member 160, the axial rotation of the drive member 160 drives a corresponding axial rotation of the cleaning member 130. This is achieved by transferring torque from the drive member 160 to the cleaning member 130 via a magnetic coupling. The magnetic coupling is described in detail further below with respect to Figures 7 and 8. Figures 4A and 4B show perspective views of the drive member 160 in isolation. The drive member 160 has a central axle 162 projecting from an axle end 164. The drive member 160 is configured to rotate about the axle 164, which therefore defines the rotation axis R. The drive member 160 is substantially cylindrical, having an outer circumferential surface 166 circumscribing the central axle 162. The drive member 160 is elongated such that a length dimension of the drive member 160 parallel to the axle 162 is greater than its diameter. The outer circumferential surface 166 extends from the axle end 164 to an opposite axial end 168 proximal the side wall 52 of the housing 50. The floor cleaner head 12 may comprise a motor (not shown) which is operatively coupled to the drive member 160 and operable to cause the axial rotation of the drive member 160. The motor may have an output shaft connected to the drive member 160 for rotating the drive member 160. The motor may be fixed to the side wall 52 of the housing 50 adjacent to the drive member 160 with the output shaft coupled to the opposite axial end 168 of the drive member 160. Alternatively, the motor may be disposed within the drive member 160 itself, as provided in GB2622025A. Other arrangements of the motor for rotating the drive member 160 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The drive member 160 further comprises a plurality of first magnetic parts 170 consisting of 8 neodymium (class N38) magnets which are equiangularly spaced about the rotation axis R. Each magnet 170 is elongated parallel to the rotation axis R (i.e. parallel to the central axle 162) and a length of each magnet 170 is approximately 95% of the length of the drive member 160. The drive member 160 comprises a drive member substrate 172 formed of a polymer such as polylactic acid (PLA), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The substrate 172 may be formed by 3D printing or injection moulding. The substrate 172 defines an array of elongate cavities 174 in which the magnets 170 are received, respectively. For illustrative purposes, Figure 4B depicts the arrangement of cavities 174 at the axle end 164 of the drive member 160. However, to avoid any doubt, the magnets 170 are encapsulated by the drive member substrate 172 such that each magnet 170 is completely embedded in the drive member 170. The circumferential spacings between adjacent magnets 170 are defined by dividing portions 176 of the substrate 172 which separate adjacent cavities 174. Figures 5 A and 5B show perspective views of the barrier 140 in isolation. The barrier 140 fully encloses the drive member 160 to shield the drive member 160 from dirt and debris collected on the cleaning member 130. The barrier 140 comprises a cylindrical wall 142 and an axial end wall 144, together defining a substantially cylindrical cavity housing the drive member 160. As such, the shape of the cylindrical cavity conforms to the outer circumferential surface 166 of the drive member 160. The cylindrical wall 142 includes a flanged end 146 opposite the axial end wall 144. The barrier 140 is fixed directly to the side wall 52 of the housing 50 at the flanged end 146 which forms a sealed abutment against the side wall 52. The cylindrical wall 142 thus extends from the side wall 52 coaxially with the drive member 160. The barrier 140 is liquid impermeable such that the drive member 160 is hermetically sealed within the barrier 140 to prevent liquid ingress from the cleaning member side of the barrier 140 to the drive member side of the barrier 140. The barrier 140 is formed of a polymer such as polylactic acid (PLA), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The barrier 140 may be formed by 3D printing or injection moulding. The cylindrical wall 142 of the barrier 140 has a thickness of approximately 3 mm. The rotary bearing 150 is a rolling-element bearing which rotatably couples the drive member 160 to the barrier 140 to improve the stability of the drive member 160 while it rotates. The rotary bearing 150 is received in the cylindrical cavity proximal the axial end wall 144. The bearing 150 has an outer ring 152 which is secured against the cylindrical wall 142 inside the cavity. The outer ring 152 may be fixed to the barrier 140 using an adhesive element (not shown). The bearing 150 has an inner ring 154 which is mounted to the axle 162 of the drive member 160 with the bearing 150 directly opposing the axle end 164 of the drive member 160. The inner ring 154 is freely rotatably relative to the outer ring 152 such that the drive member 160 is freely rotatable relative to the barrier 140. The diameter of the bearing 150 corresponds to the internal diameter of the cylindrical barrier wall 142. In contrast, the outer circumferential surface 166 of the drive member 160 and the cylindrical barrier wall 142 define an annular gap therebetween. The annular gap is approximately 0.5 mm. This ensures that there is sufficient clearance between the barrier 140 and the drive member 160 to avoid generating friction when the drive member 160 rotates. Figures 6A and 6B show perspective views of the cleaning member 130. The cleaning member 130 comprises cylindrical sleeve, having an outer circumferential surface 132 which defines a floor contact portion. When fully assembled, the outer circumferential surface 132 circumscribes the central axle 162 of the drive member 160 such that the rotation axis R can be aligned parallel to the floor 48. The cleaning member 130 is therefore arranged coaxially with the drive member 160 and the barrier 140. The cleaning member (sleeve) 130 has a closed end 134 and an open end 136 opposite the closed end 134. The cleaning member 130 is slidably mountable onto the cylindrical barrier wall 142 by sliding its open end 136 over the axial end wall 144 of the barrier 140 and towards the side wall 52 of the housing 50. The cleaning member 130 is easily detachable by sliding it off the barrier 140 in the reverse axial direction. Turning again to Figure 5A, the barrier 140 (i.e. the cylindrical wall 142 and the axial end wall 144) has a smooth outer surface to avoid trapping debris between the cleaning member 130 and the barrier 140. The cleaning member 130 further comprises a plurality of second magnetic parts 180 consisting of 8 neodymium (class N38) magnets corresponding to the magnets 170 in the drive member 160. The magnets 180 are equiangularly spaced about the rotation axis R and elongated parallel to the rotation axis R. The length of each magnet 180 is the same as the length of the magnets 170 in the drive member 160. The cleaning member 130 comprises a cleaning member substrate 182 similar to that of the drive member 160, the substrate 182 defining an array of elongate cavities 184 in which the magnets 180 are received, respectively. The substrate 182 is formed of a polymer such as polylactic acid (PLA), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The substrate 182 may be formed by 3D printing or injection moulding. The magnets 180 are encapsulated by the cleaning member substrate 182 such that each magnet 180 is completely embedded in the cleaning member 180. This protects the magnets 180 from corrosive substances such as those found in floor cleaning products. For illustrative purposes, Figure 6B depicts the arrangement of cavities 184 at the open end 136 of the cleaning member 130. The circumferential spacings between adjacent magnets 180 are defined by dividing portions 186 of the substrate 182 which separate adjacent cavities 184. An inner circumferential surface 138 of the cleaning member 130 conforms to the shape of the barrier 140. When the cleaning member 130 is mounted onto the cylindrical barrier wall 142, the inner circumferential surface 138 is separated from the cylindrical barrier wall 142 by an annular gap of approximately 0.5 mm. The annular gap avoids generating friction between the cleaning member 130 and the barrier 140, which reduces the required torque for rotating the cleaning member 138. Figure 7 shows a cross-section of the cleaning assembly 100 in a longitudinal plane through rotation axis. The cleaning member 130 is mounted onto the barrier 140 which houses the drive member 160. Each magnet 180 of the cleaning member 130 (second magnet 180) is magnetically engaged with a corresponding magnet 170 of the drive member 160 (first magnet 170) to define a magnetically engaged pair (magnetic pair). The magnetic coupling between the cleaning member 130 and the drive member 170 is formed by the combination of the magnetic pairs. Figure 8 shows a cross-section of the cleaning assembly 100 in a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal plane. The second magnets 180 are radially spaced from the first magnets 170 because the cleaning member 130 circumscribes the drive member 160. In this configuration, the magnets 170, 180 all share a common plane of rotation (transverse to the rotation axis R) and are rotationally aligned with each other when magnetically engaged. As a result of the equiangular spacing of the first magnets 170 and the equiangular spacing of the second magnets 180, the magnetic pairs have rotational symmetry in the plane of rotation, which improves the coaxial alignment of the cleaning member 130 with the drive member 160 and maintains the separation between the cleaning member 130 and the cylindrical wall 142 of the barrier 140. Each magnet 170, 180 has a north pole (N), a south pole (S), and a magnetisation direction from the north pole to the south pole. The magnetisation direction of each magnet is parallel to its magnetic axis. The magnetic axes of the first and second magnets 170, 180 are perpendicular to the rotation axis. Specifically, the magnetisation direction of each magnet 170, 180 is a radial direction extending towards or away from the rotation axis R, as shown in Figure 8. The magnetic axes of the first magnet 170 and second magnet 180 in each magnetic pair are colinear and the respective magnetisation directions correspond to the same radial direction. As shown in Figure 8, each first magnet 170 in the drive member 160 has an adjacent first magnet 170 with an opposite magnetisation direction. Similarly, each second magnet 180 in the cleaning member 130 has an adjacent second magnet 180 with an opposite magnetisation direction. This arrangement of magnets 170, 180 can be easily assembled because the adjacent magnets will attract rather than repel each other. As the 5 drive member 160 and the cleaning member 130 each have an even number of magnets (8 first magnets 170 and 8 second magnets 180) it is possible to arrange the magnets 170, 180 without any two adjacent magnets having the same magnetisation direction in the drive member 160 and the cleaning member 130, respectively. Additionally, by providing the same number of first magnets 170 as there are second magnets 180, each magnet 170, 180 10 contributes to the magnetic coupling thereby increasing the ratio of the strength of the magnetic coupling to the number of magnets.

Claims

1. A floor cleaner head comprising:an axially rotatable drive member having a first magnetic part; anda cleaning member having a second magnetic part,wherein the second magnetic part is magnetically engageable with the first magnetic part to form a magnetic coupling between the drive member and the cleaning member, such that rotation of the drive member drives a corresponding rotation of the cleaning member via the magnetic coupling.

2. The floor cleaner head according to claim 1, comprising a liquid impermeable barrier separating the cleaning member from the drive member.

3. The floor cleaner head according to claim 2, wherein the drive member is sealed within the barrier.

4. The floor cleaner head according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the barrier is fixed relative to a housing of the cleaner head.

5. The floor cleaner head according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the barrier comprises a cylindrical wall and an axial end wall together defining a substantially cylindrical cavity which houses the drive member.

6. The floor cleaner head according to claim 5, further comprising a rotary bearing which is received in the cavity, wherein the drive member is rotatably coupled to the barrier via the rotary bearing.

7. The floor cleaner head according to claim 6, wherein the rotary bearing is mounted to an axle of the drive member.

8. The floor cleaner head according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the rotary bearing is disposed at an axial end of the cavity proximal the axial end wall.

9. The floor cleaner head according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the barrier has a smooth outer surface.

10. The floor cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive member has a plurality of first magnetic parts and the cleaning member has a respective plurality of second magnetic parts.

11. The floor cleaner head according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second magnetic parts share a common plane of rotation.

12. The floor cleaner head according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of first magnetic parts are equiangularly spaced about the rotation axis.

13. The floor cleaner head according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein each first magnetic part is adjacent to a respective first magnetic part having an opposite magnetisation direction, and / or each second magnetic part is adjacent to a respective second magnetic part having an opposite magnetisation direction.

14. The floor cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each first magnetic part is a first magnet, and the or each second magnetic part is a second magnet.

15. The floor cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each first magnetic part and the or each second magnetic part is elongate parallel to the rotation axis.

16. The floor cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning member comprises a cleaning member substrate, wherein the or each second magnetic part is encapsulated by the cleaning member substrate.5 17. A floor cleaner comprising the floor cleaner head according to any one of thepreceding claims.Application No: GB2417112.6Examiner: Mr Rhodri EvansClaims searched: 1-17Date of search: 26 March 2025Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance X 1, 10-17 WO 2020 / 237171 Al (SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC) all figures and paragraph 0027 X 1, 14-17 JP HOI 166730 A (MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD) all figures X 1, 14-17 CN 216628399 U (PEARL HAIGE ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO LTD) figure 1 X 1, 14-17 US 4268769 A (DORNER et al.) figures 2-4 and line 59 of column 4 to line 14 of column 5 X 1, 14, 15, 17 US 2003 / 0188397 Al (SYVERSON et al.) all figures and paragraphs 0006 &0046 X 1, 14, 17 US 2006 / 0032013 Al (KIM) figures 6 &7 and paragraphs 0036-0040Categories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if combined with one or more other documents of same category. P Document published on or after the declared priority date but before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:Search of GB, EP, WO &US patent documents classified in the following areas of the UKCX :International Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From A47L 0009 / 04 01 / 01 / 2006

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