Tank for autonomous running and working vehicle

• US 6,012,618 A
• Filed: 06/02/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US08/867,670
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 141/351, 141/352, 141/353, 141/354, 141/356, 141/364, 141/18, 141/21, 222/566, 222/80, 222/325
• US Class Current: 222/566
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/16 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4022 with means for recycling the dirty liquid treatment of waste water C02F
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation

Abstract

A tank includes a tank portion with an opening formed at a flat surface which serves as a bottom portion when in use, and a liquid dispensing member having a cylindrical shape and protruding outward from the tank portion at a right angle to the flat surface from the opening with its tip end portion cut diagonally with respect to the central axis of the cylinder. As a result, even a cleaning liquid having high surface tension such as water can be dropped out through the liquid dispensing opening.

Claims

1. A tank for dispensing an amount of liquid contained therein, comprising:

a liquid reservoir for holding liquid,

said liquid reservoir having a surface with an opening in said surface, and

said surface serving as a bottom portion when said liquid reservoir is in use;

a sleeve formed in a portion of said liquid reservoir,

said sleeve protruding from said liquid reservoir in a direction vertical to said surface,

said sleeve having a tip end cut diagonally with respect to a central axis, and

said sleeve being open at said tip end;

an opening/closing valve, at the upstream side of the diagonally cut tip end portion of the liquid dispensing portion, for controlling dispensing of fluid from said liquid reservoir; and

a spring for urging the valve to a closed position.

2. The tank according to claim 1,

wherein the opening in said sleeve is the only opening in said tank for permitting liquid to exit from said tank via said opening/closing valve.

3. The tank according to claim 1,

wherein said opening/closing valve is a ball valve, and

wherein said sleeve has circular cross section.

4. The tank according to claim 1, wherein said surface is a flat plate.

5. A tank for dispensing an amount of liquid contained therein, said tank comprising:

a liquid reservoir for holding liquid,

said liquid reservoir having a surface with an opening in said surface, and

said surface serving as a bottom portion when said liquid reservoir is in use;

a sleeve formed in a portion of said surface,

said sleeve protruding from said surface in a direction vertical to said surface,

said sleeve having a tip end cut diagonally with respect to a central axis, and

said sleeve being open at said tip end;

an opening/closing valve for controlling dispensing of fluid from said liquid reservoir; and

a spring for urging the valve to a closed position,

wherein said tank is opened against urging of said spring when set in a dedicated apparatus, by means of a projecting pin provided on the apparatus.

6. The tank according to claim 5, wherein

said apparatus is a cleaning vehicle for cleaning a floor surface, and

said tank contains cleaning liquid.

7. A liquid dispensing structure for dispensing an amount of liquid held in a liquid reservoir, said liquid dispensing structure comprising:

a sleeve protruding from a bottom surface of said liquid reservoir in a direction vertical to said bottom surface, said sleeve having a tip end portion cut diagonally with respect to a central axis, said sleeve open at said tip end portion;

a valve, at an upstream side of the tip end portion of said sleeve, for controlling dispensing of fluid from said liquid reservoir; and

a spring for urging the valve towards the tip end portion to a closed position.