Surface Cleaning Apparatus with Steam Drying to Reduce Residual Liquid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wet surface cleaning apparatuses face issues with incomplete liquid recovery, residual dirty liquid on cleaned surfaces, and prolonged drying times, which increase user workload and reduce user experience.
Innovation Solution
A surface cleaning apparatus equipped with a steam generator that heats the surface with steam, accelerating the evaporation of residual cleaning liquid and incorporating a suction system for efficient dirty liquid recovery, allowing for quick drying and enhanced cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wet cleaning is performed with cleaning liquid, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but residual liquid remains on the surface requiring long drying time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines wet cleaning function and steam drying function into a single integrated cleaning device. The cleaning roller applies cleaning liquid to the surface while the steam generator simultaneously produces steam that evaporates residual liquid, allowing both cleaning and drying to occur in one operation cycle, thereby eliminating the need for separate drying time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and temperature parameters by introducing steam at elevated temperature to the cleaned surface. The steam generator heats water to produce steam that contacts the surface, raising the local temperature and accelerating the evaporation rate of residual cleaning liquid, thus reducing drying time from minutes to seconds.
2Loss of substance
If absorbent cloth or dry cleaning roller is added to the back side of cleaning roller, then residual dirty liquid recovery is improved, but device complexity and user workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical absorbent cloth or dry cleaning roller system with a thermal field system (steam generator). Instead of using mechanical contact and absorption materials that require manual cleaning, the system uses steam to evaporate and remove residual liquid through the existing suction mechanism, thereby simplifying the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The steam generator and suction system work together in a self-service manner where the steam evaporates the residual liquid and the suction system automatically removes the evaporated liquid and dirt without requiring manual intervention. The system uses its own resources (power supply, water tank) to perform both cleaning and drying functions automatically.
3Productivity
If steam generator is added for heating surface, then drying speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the steam generator to serve multiple functions: it generates steam for drying the cleaned surface, and the same steam can be utilized by the suction system to remove evaporated liquid. This multi-functionality allows the device to achieve fast drying without proportionally increasing complexity, as the steam generation component serves dual purposes within the integrated system.
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 apparatus effectively reduces drying time and improves user experience by ensuring quick evaporation of residual liquid and thorough surface cleaning through the use of steam, while maintaining efficient dirty liquid recovery.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one steam outlet is arranged at a lower portion of the housing and configured to heat the surface by overflowing the steam to the surface to accelerate the evaporation of residual cleaning liquid on the surface
Implementation Method 2
a steam generator in fluid communication with the supply tank and configured to heat liquid to generate steam
Implementation Method 3
a suction source, a cleaning head adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned the head including a housing and a cleaning roller
Data Source
AI summary
The invention discloses a surface cleaning apparatus comprising: a source of suction; the cleaning head comprises a housing and a cleaning roller. The cleaning head is provided with a cleaning liquid output for applying the cleaning liquid and at least one steam output for applying steam relative to the surface to be cleaned by the rolling brush; wherein the steam outlet steam outlet is arranged at the lower portion of the housing and configured to heat the surface by overflowing the steam to the surface to accelerate the evaporation of residual cleaning liquid on the surface. The apparatus introduces steam for heating the surface, thereby it can accelerate evaporation surface on the residual cleaning solution and shorten user latency.