Cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions

• US 7,827,653 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsutek Enterprises Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wu, Tung-Chuan, Chen, Meng-Chun, Liu, Chun-Hsien, Tsai, Ya-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US12/565,489
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 153/71, 153/72, 153/83, 153/19, 153/403, 153/68, 153/93, 15/411, 15/521
• US Class Current: 15/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4097 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Exhaust-air treatment, e.g. air purification; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0438 with gears having orbital motion, e.g. planetary gearing
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls

Abstract

A cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions includes a body accommodating a sweep module and a vacuum module. A main brush and an auxiliary brush driven by a power unit are pivoted in the sweep module. The main brush partially extends outside an opening at a bottom of the sweep module and contacts a ground surface. The sweep module has an outlet adjacent to a top of the auxiliary brush, and is pivoted in the body to freely and pivotally swing under weight. A first chamber of a dust collector of the vacuum module has an inlet corresponding to the outlet, and trash removed by the sweep module is collected into the first chamber. An air inlet communicating with an air intake component is formed above a second chamber of the dust collector. A suction port is formed below the second chamber to draw dust into the second chamber.

Claims

1. A cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions, comprising:

a body;

a sweep module, disposed in the body, wherein the sweep module has a casing, a main brush and an auxiliary brush are pivoted in the casing, the main brush and the auxiliary brush are driven by a power unit, the casing is pivoted to the body such that the sweep module freely and pivotally swings under a weight thereof, an opening is formed at a bottom of the casing such that a portion of the main brush extends out of the casing through the opening and contacts a ground surface, the casing has an outlet at a portion thereof adjacent to the vacuum module, and the outlet is adjacent to a top of the auxiliary brush; and

a vacuum module, disposed in the body and adjacent to the sweep module, wherein the vacuum module has a dust collector, the dust collector has a first chamber and a second chamber disposed therein, the first chamber is located at one side of the dust collector adjacent to the sweep module, the first chamber has an inlet corresponding to the outlet of the sweep module such that trash removed by the sweep module is collected into the first chamber, a suction port is formed below the second chamber, an air inlet is formed above the second chamber, and the air inlet is in communication with an air intake component, such that the air intake component generates a suction force to draw dust into the second chamber.

2. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein the casing has an approximately 8-shaped cross-section and has an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber is used for accommodating the main brush, and the upper chamber is used for accommodating the auxiliary brush.

3. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 2, wherein the opening is located at a bottom of the lower chamber, and the outlet is located at a portion of the upper chamber adjacent to the vacuum module.

4. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein a side plate is disposed on one side of the casing, and one side of the casing opposite to the side plate is combined with the power unit.

5. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein the power unit has a gear box, a gear train is disposed in the gear box, the gear train is driven by a motor, and the main brush and the auxiliary brush are respectively linked to the gear train.

6. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 5, wherein a cover plate is disposed on one side of the gear box opposite to the casing, and used for enclosing the gear box.

7. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein the power unit uses two motors to respectively drive the main brush and the auxiliary brush.

8. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein a pivoting member is respectively disposed at two sides of the casing of the sweep module, and a pivoting portion corresponding to the two pivoting members respectively protrudes from the body, such that the two pivoting members are pivoted in the two pivoting portions, and the casing pivotally swings about the two pivoting members.

9. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 8, wherein a side plate is disposed on one side of the casing, an other side of the casing is combined with the power unit, a cover plate is disposed on one side of the power unit opposite to the casing, and the two pivoting portions are respectively located at opposing positions on the side plate and the cover plate.

10. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein the dust collector has a detachable cover, and the first chamber and the second chamber are enclosed and separated from each other by the cover.

11. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein the second chamber is configured to downwardly insert a dust collection groove therein, the dust collection groove has a dust collection chamber, the dust collection chamber extends downward from the second chamber to form the suction port, and a dust collection screen is disposed on one side of the dust collection chamber far away from the suction port.

12. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein a guiding portion extends from the second chamber, and the air inlet is located at the guiding portion.

13. The cleaning device with sweeping and vacuuming functions according to claim 1, wherein the dust collector has a circular arc-shaped surface at one side of an outer circumference thereof closely adjacent to the sweep module and corresponding to the casing of the sweep module, such that when the sweep module freely and pivotally swings, the circular arc-shaped surface is closely adjacent to the casing without contacting the casing.