Cleaner Head Pad Alignment for Liquid Pickup and Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wet cleaning apparatuses face challenges in efficiently delivering cleaning liquid and picking up liquid using suction, often resulting in inefficient use of cleaning liquid and difficulties in aligning the liquid pick-up zone with the dirt inlet.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning element with a liquid pick-up zone and a cleaning liquid application zone, attachable to a cleaner head with guiding elements and a fastener for secure alignment and attachment, ensuring efficient liquid pick-up and application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a replaceable cleaning material is included in the wet cleaning apparatus, then the cleaning element can be removed for washing and replacement, but it becomes challenging for the user to (re-)attach the cleaning material to the cleaner head in a reliable manner
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate components: a structured portion on the cleaner head with guiding elements and a fastener, and a corresponding receiving portion on the cleaning element. This segmentation allows the cleaning material to be easily replaced while maintaining reliable attachment through the multi-component coupling mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The structured portion acts as an intermediary between the cleaner head and the cleaning element. It includes guiding elements that align with corresponding features on the cleaning element, and a fastener that secures the connection, thereby enabling reliable attachment of replaceable cleaning materials.
2Adaptability or versatility
If both cleaning liquid delivery and liquid pick-up functionality are provided, then the apparatus can apply and remove cleaning liquid, but the cleaning liquid may be used inefficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning element is divided into distinct functional zones: a cleaning liquid application zone that receives cleaning liquid from the cleaner head and a liquid pick-up zone that is alignable with the dirt inlet to remove excess liquid. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each function, preventing cleaning liquid waste by ensuring that the pick-up zone efficiently removes excess liquid while the application zone delivers the required amount.
3Ease of operation
If the cleaning element is made detachable for washing and replacement, then maintenance and replacement are easier, but alignment of the liquid pick-up zone with the dirt inlet becomes difficult to achieve reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The structured portion on the cleaner head includes guiding elements that are positioned in advance to guide the cleaning element into correct alignment during attachment. The guiding elements cooperate with corresponding features on the cleaning element to automatically align the liquid pick-up zone with the dirt inlet, eliminating the need for manual alignment adjustments and ensuring reliable positioning with each attachment.
4Productivity
If powered pick-up functionality is used to remove water from the surface, then liquid pick-up capability is enhanced, but power consumption increases to several hundred watts
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid pick-up zone is designed to work passively with the suction generated by the cleaner head's underpressure generator. The cleaning element's structure, including the porous material in the liquid pick-up zone, is optimized to facilitate liquid transport through capillary action and pressure differential, allowing the system to achieve effective liquid pick-up without requiring additional powered mechanisms, thereby reducing overall power consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables reliable alignment of the liquid pick-up zone with the dirt inlet, minimizing misalignment and detachment issues, and ensures efficient liquid management during cleaning, reducing water stripes and improving cleaning performance.
Implementation Method 1
The cleaning material, in particular the porous material, can be configured to maintain a relatively large underpressure in the at least one dirt inlet when the cleaner head is moved over the surface to be cleaned
Implementation Method 2
an underpressure generator configured to provide a flow through the liquid pick-up zone in the range of 15 to 2000 cm³/minute, more preferably 80 to 750 cm³/minute, even more preferably 100 to 300 cm³/minute
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a cleaning element for attaching to a cleaner head, which cleaner head has a structured portion and at least one dirt inlet. The cleaning element includes a cleaning material for contacting a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning material includes a liquid pick-up zone alignable with the at least one dirt inlet, and a cleaning liquid application zone adjacent the liquid pick-up zone. The cleaning liquid application zone applies cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning element includes a plurality of guiding elements cooperable with the structured portion to align the cleaning element with the cleaner head. The cleaner head includes a fastener for securing the aligned cleaning element to the cleaner head. Further provided is the cleaner head having the structured portion and the at least one dirt inlet, and a wet cleaning apparatus including the cleaning element and the cleaner head.