Liquid containers and surface cleaning equipment

Abstract

This disclosure provides a liquid container and a surface cleaning device, the liquid container being configured to be assembled into the surface cleaning device. The liquid container includes a container body having a containment space and configured to contain a liquid and having a discharge port; a containment bracket provided on the discharge port and configured to have a containment space; and a stopper provided on the containment bracket and configured to switch between a first working position and a second working position, wherein when the stopper is in the first working position, the stopper closes the discharge port and prevents the liquid from flowing out of the container body through the discharge port; and when the stopper is in the second working position, the stopper moves away from the discharge port and the liquid flows out of the container body through the discharge port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Related Application) This disclosure claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202321074079.3 filed on May 6, 2023, and all the contents of this Chinese patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the technical field of cleaning, specifically to liquid containers and surface cleaning devices.

Background Art

[0003] With the continuous progress of technology, surface cleaning devices such as floor washers and sweeping and mopping robots have been widely popularized in ordinary households. Compared with conventional manual cleaning, surface cleaning devices can greatly save time and labor. Surface cleaning devices usually include a liquid container such as a clean water tank for providing cleaning liquid to the surface cleaning device. During the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid flows out of the liquid container through the liquid outlet in the liquid container and is finally sprayed onto the cleaning roller and / or the surface to be cleaned.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a liquid container configured to be assembled into a surface cleaning device. The liquid container includes a container body having an accommodation space and configured to accommodate liquid, and having a liquid discharge port; a receiving bracket provided at the liquid discharge port and having an accommodation space; and a plug body provided on the receiving bracket and configured to switch between a first working position and a second working position. When the plug body is in the first working position, the plug body closes the liquid discharge port to prevent liquid from flowing out of the container body through the liquid discharge port. When the plug body is in the second working position, the plug body is separated from the liquid discharge port, and liquid flows out of the container body through the liquid discharge port.

[0005] In some embodiments, the liquid container further includes an elastic member, and the elastic member causes the plug body to tend to be in the first working position.

[0006] In some embodiments, the housing bracket is provided with an isolation member, which divides the housing space of the housing bracket into a first housing space and a second housing space that are sequentially separated from the bottom wall of the container body, and the stopper is housed in the first housing space.

[0007] In some embodiments, the isolation member has a sliding groove, and at least a portion of the end of the stopper body away from the bottom wall of the container body is housed in the sliding groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, sealant is provided at the end of the stopper near the bottom wall of the container body.

[0009] In some embodiments, the side walls of the housing bracket have a perforated structure, and the first housing space and the second housing space each communicate with the first housing space.

[0010] In some embodiments, the second containment space is used to contain sustained-release silver ion particles.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the containment space is used to contain sustained-release silver ion particles.

[0012] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a surface cleaning device comprising the liquid container described in the embodiments.

[0013] In some embodiments, the surface cleaning device is provided with a receiving port that docks with the discharge port.

[0014] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into the specification and constitute part of this specification, illustrating embodiments included in this disclosure and are used together with the specification to interpret the principles of this disclosure. Clearly, the accompanying drawings described below are only a few embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these accompanying drawings without any creative work. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid container provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the liquid container shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram of the local structure of a liquid container assembled in a surface cleaning device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram of the structure of a surface cleaning device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] To further clarify the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure, the disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, although obviously the embodiments described are only a selection of the embodiments of this disclosure, not all of them. Any other embodiments that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art without any creative work based on the embodiments of this disclosure are all covered by this disclosure.

[0017] Furthermore, the terms “equipped with,” “included,” or any other synonyms are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, and a product or device containing a set of elements includes, in addition to those elements, other elements not explicitly listed, or elements specific to such product or device. Unless otherwise specified, an element limited by the expression “equipped with one…” does not preclude the inclusion of other similar elements in the product or device of that element.

[0018] In this field, surface cleaning equipment, such as floor cleaning machines and sweeping / mopping robots, typically comprises a surface cleaning equipment body and a cleaning base. Surface cleaning equipment typically includes liquid containers such as a wastewater tank or a clean water tank, and a fan for suction. The cleaning base includes cleaning components for mopping and scrubbing, such as cleaning rollers, and the number of cleaning rollers may be one, two, or three or more. The cleaning liquid from the clean water tank is, for example, clean water, and is sprayed through a built-in water pipe onto the cleaning rollers with blankets and / or onto the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning rollers rotate at high speed to scrub and clean the ground, while the fan simultaneously creates negative pressure in the equipment air duct of the cleaning equipment, drawing in wastewater (which may contain solid debris) from the surface to be cleaned through the dirt suction port of the cleaning equipment and sucking it into the wastewater tank.

[0019] In some related technologies, when a surface cleaning machine performs a cleaning task, cleaning fluid flows into a liquid container through an outlet in the liquid container and is ultimately sprayed onto the cleaning roller and / or the surface to be cleaned. During the process of attaching or detaching the liquid container of the surface cleaning machine, the outlet in the liquid container needs to dock and connect with the connection port of the surface cleaning machine. If the cleaning fluid in the liquid container accidentally enters the body of the surface cleaning machine during the above process, it may cause the machine to malfunction.

[0020] This disclosure provides a liquid container configured to be assembled into a surface cleaning machine, the liquid container comprising: a container body having a containment space and configured to contain a liquid, and having a discharge port provided at the bottom of the container body; a containment bracket provided on the bottom wall of the container body and located at the discharge port; and a stopper provided on the containment bracket and configured to switch between a first working position and a second working position, wherein when the stopper is in the first working position, the stopper closes the discharge port and prevents the liquid from flowing out of the container body through the discharge port; and when the stopper is in the second working position, the stopper moves away from the discharge port and the liquid flows out of the container body through the discharge port.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plug body that can be switched between a first working position and a second working position is provided on a storage bracket that houses sustained-release silver ion particles of a liquid container. The bracket that houses the sustained-release silver ion particles and the self-closing outlet plug structure of the liquid container are combined as an integral structure, which is compact in structure and advantageous for cost reduction. Regarding the plug body provided on the storage bracket, the liquid in the liquid container flows out from the container body through the liquid discharge port of the liquid container only when the plug body is in the second working position. When the plug body is in the first working position, the liquid in the liquid container cannot flow out from the container body, preventing the leakage of the cleaning liquid. Particularly, during the process of the user detaching and attaching the liquid container, it can prevent the liquid in the liquid container from entering the surface cleaning device body, and as a result, prevent the abnormal operation of the surface cleaning device. The sustained-release silver ion particles are slowly released from the storage bracket, imparting an antibacterial effect to the liquid in the container.

[0022] Hereinafter, selectable embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a liquid container provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic internal structural view of the liquid container shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a partial structure of the liquid container assembled to a surface cleaning device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of a surface cleaning device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a liquid container, which is assembled to a surface cleaning device and provides liquid (such as clean water) to the surface cleaning device after being assembled to the surface cleaning device.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid container 300 includes a container body 310, a housing bracket 330, and a plug body 350. The container body 310 has a storage space and is used to store liquid. The container body 310 has a liquid discharge port 311 provided at the bottom of the container body 310. The housing bracket 330 is provided on the bottom wall of the container body 310 and is located at the liquid discharge port 311. The plug body 350 is provided on the housing bracket 330. The plug body 350 can be switched between a first working position and a second working position. Specifically, when the plug body 350 is in the first working position, the plug body 350 closes the liquid discharge port 311 to prevent the liquid from flowing out of the container body 310 through the liquid discharge port 311. When the plug body 350 is in the second working position, the plug body 350 moves away from the liquid discharge port 311, and the liquid flows out of the container body 310 through the liquid discharge port 311.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows the liquid container 300 when the plug body 350 is in the first working position. Referring to FIG. 3, the plug body 350 is reciprocally movable in the vertical direction, thereby switching between the first working position and the second working position. Specifically, when the plug body 350 moves downward along the vertical direction to the position of the liquid discharge port 311, the plug body 350 closes the liquid discharge port 311, and the liquid in the liquid container 300 cannot flow out of the container body 310 through the liquid discharge port 311. At this time, the plug body 350 is in the first working position. When the plug body 350 moves upward along the vertical direction away from the liquid discharge port 311, the plug body 350 moves away from the liquid discharge port 311, and the liquid in the liquid container 300 flows out of the container body 310 through the liquid discharge port 311. At this time, the plug body 350 is in the second working position.

[0027] In some embodiments, the housing bracket 330 is provided with an isolation member 333, which divides the interior of the housing bracket 330 into a first housing space 331 and a second housing space 332, with the first housing space 331 being close to the bottom wall of the container body 310 and the second housing space 332 being spaced away from the bottom wall of the container body 310. In the vertical direction, the first housing space 331 and the second housing space 332 are sequentially spaced away from the bottom wall of the container body 310. The stopper 350 is housed in the first housing space 331.

[0028] In some embodiments, the isolation member 333 further has a sliding groove 3331. For example, the sliding groove 3331 is a hollow projection structure that protrudes away from the bottom wall of the container body 310. The sliding groove 3331 is, for example, a columnar projection structure having opposing inner walls and an inner top wall, the inner top wall of the sliding groove being away from the bottom wall of the container body 310.

[0029] The sliding groove 3331 acts as a limiting device to restrict the movement of the plug 350. For example, the sliding groove 3331 is used to accommodate a portion of the plug 350. Specifically, the plug 350 has a first end 351 and a second end 352, the first end 351 being spaced apart from the bottom wall of the container body 310 and the second end being close to the bottom wall of the container body 310. At least a portion of the first end 351 is accommodated in the sliding groove 3331, allowing the plug 350 to reciprocate along the side wall of the sliding groove, thereby enabling switching of the plug 350 between a first working position and a second working position. In some embodiments, the top wall inside the sliding groove is used to limit the maximum upward movement distance of the plug 350. After the first end 351 of the plug 350 moves upward to the top wall inside the sliding groove, the plug 350 stops moving, at which point the plug 350 is in the second working position.

[0030] In some embodiments, a sealant 353 is provided on the second end 352 of the stopper 350. When the stopper 350 moves to the first working position, the stopper 350 closes the discharge port 311, and the sealant 353 provided on the second end 352 of the stopper 350 further seals the discharge port 311, improving the sealing performance of the stopper 350 and preventing liquid from flowing out of the container body 310 through the discharge port 311. In some embodiments, the sealant 353 is fitted to the outside of the second end 352 and is arranged to surround the second end 352 in the circumferential direction, preventing liquid from flowing out through any gaps that may exist between the second end 352 and the discharge port 311.

[0031] In some embodiments, the liquid container 300 further includes an elastic member, the elastic member causing the stopper 350 to tend to be in a first working position. That is, the stopper 350 tends to move toward the first working position under the driving force of the elastic member, and the stopper 350 can return from the second working position to the first working position under the combined action of its own gravity and the elastic force of the elastic member. In some embodiments, the elastic member is a spring, the spring is fitted onto the stopper 350, one end of the spring abuts against the stopper 350 and the other end abuts against the groove edge of the sliding groove 3331.

[0032] In some embodiments, the side wall of the housing bracket 330 has a perforated structure 335, and each of the first housing space 331 and the second housing space 332 communicates with the housing space of the container body 310, and the liquid in the container body 310 can flow into or out of the first housing space 331 and the second housing space 332 through the perforated structure 335.

[0033] In some embodiments, the housing bracket 330 is coated with a silver ion coating that can release silver ions, which have an antibacterial effect. The silver ions are released into the liquid in the container body 310, suppressing the growth and proliferation of microorganisms in the liquid, ensuring the safety and hygiene of the container body 310 and the liquid inside, and extending the service life of the liquid container 300 and associated surface cleaning equipment. In some embodiments, the second housing space 332 of the housing bracket 330 can be filled with particles or aggregates made of a sustained-release antibacterial / antimicrobial material, such as sustained-release silver ion particles. The silver ions are gradually released from the container over time, achieving sustained release of silver ions and providing an antibacterial effect to the liquid in the container.

[0034] In the liquid container provided in the embodiment of this disclosure, a stopper that can be switched between a first working position and a second working position is provided on the liquid container. When the stopper is in the second working position, the liquid in the liquid container flows out of the container body through the discharge port of the liquid container, while when the stopper is in the first working position, the liquid in the liquid container cannot flow out of the container body, preventing the cleaning liquid from entering the surface cleaning equipment body. In particular, this prevents the liquid in the liquid container from entering the surface cleaning equipment body during the process of attaching and detaching the liquid container by the user, thereby preventing malfunctions of the surface cleaning equipment that may result.

[0035] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a surface cleaning device 1000 including a surface cleaning device body 200 and a liquid container 300, wherein the liquid container 300 is configured to be detachably assembled to the surface cleaning device body 200.

[0036] In some embodiments, the surface cleaning device is further provided with a storage tank 210, which is used to house the liquid container 300. The liquid container 300 is detachably assembled into the storage tank 210 of the surface cleaning device body 200.

[0037] In some embodiments, a liquid receiving port 211 is provided in the bottom wall of the storage tank 210, and the liquid receiving port 211 is docked with a discharge port 311 on the liquid container 300. The liquid in the liquid container 300 flows out of the liquid container 300 through the discharge port 311 and the liquid receiving port 211.

[0038] In some embodiments, the liquid receiving port 211 is provided with a top rod 212, which pushes up the stopper 350 to switch it from a first working position to a second working position when the liquid container 300 is assembled to the surface cleaning equipment. For example, when the liquid container 300 is being assembled to the surface cleaning equipment, the top surface of the top rod 212 abuts against the second end 352 of the stopper 350, and during the assembly process, the position of the liquid container 300 gradually lowers relative to the surface cleaning equipment, and the stopper 350 is lifted under the pressure applied by the top rod 212, gradually switching it from a first working position to a second working position.

[0039] In the surface cleaning equipment provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, a stopper that can be switched between a first working position and a second working position is provided on the liquid container. When the stopper is in the second working position, the liquid in the liquid container flows out of the container body through the discharge port of the liquid container. When the stopper is in the first working position, the liquid in the liquid container cannot flow out of the container body, preventing the cleaning liquid from entering the surface cleaning equipment body. In particular, this prevents the liquid in the liquid container from entering the surface cleaning equipment body during the process of the user attaching and detaching the liquid container, thereby preventing malfunctions of the surface cleaning equipment that may result.

[0040] Finally, note that each embodiment in this specification is described step by step, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments, and identical or similar parts between embodiments may be referenced to one another. A brief description of the systems or apparatus disclosed in the embodiments is given, as they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments; however, relevant parts should be referred to in the description of the methods section.

[0041] The above embodiments are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure and are not limiting. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in each of the above embodiments can still be modified or some of their technical features can be substituted equally, and that such modifications or substitutions will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of each embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A liquid container configured to be assembled into a surface cleaning device, A container body having a storage space, configured to contain liquid, and having a discharge port, A housing bracket provided at the aforementioned discharge port and having a storage space, The housing bracket includes a plug body configured to switch between a first working position and a second working position, A liquid container wherein, when the stopper is in a first working position, the stopper blocks the discharge port, preventing liquid from flowing out of the container body through the discharge port, and when the stopper is in a second working position, the stopper moves away from the discharge port, allowing liquid to flow out of the container body through the discharge port.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member, wherein the stopper tends to be in a first working position due to the elastic member.

3. A liquid container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an isolation member is provided in the housing bracket, and the isolation member divides the housing space of the housing bracket into a first housing space and a second housing space, which are sequentially separated from the bottom wall of the container body, and the stopper is housed in the first housing space.

4. The liquid container according to claim 3, wherein the isolation member has a sliding groove, and at least a portion of the end of the stopper body, away from the bottom wall of the container body, is housed in the sliding groove.

5. A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a sealant is provided at the end of the stopper near the bottom wall of the container body.

6. The liquid container according to claim 3, wherein the side wall of the housing bracket has a perforated structure, and the first housing space and the second housing space each communicate with the housing space.

7. The liquid container according to claim 3, wherein the second containment space is used to contain sustained-release silver ion particles.

8. A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least a portion of the containment space is used to contain sustained-release silver ion particles.

9. A surface cleaning device comprising a liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The surface cleaning device according to claim 9, having a receiving port that is docked with the discharge port.

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