Cleaner

• US 6,966,098 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ota, Masuo, Kotani, Akihiko, Sako, Yukinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US10/374,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 15/4, 15/411, 15/43, 15/51, 15/52, 15/491, 152/31, 153/63, 153/64, 153/93, 154/03, 152/28
• US Class Current: 15/364
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/12 Implements with several different treating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/256 for mops made of cloth
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0686 Nozzles with cleaning cloths, e.g. using disposal fabrics for covering the nozzle

Abstract

A cleaner is provided which includes an electric dirt collection mechanism with an electrically powered dirt collection action and a wiping cleaning mechanism with a wiping cleaning action utilizing a cleaning sheet provided on the bottom surface of the main body of the cleaner which moves across the floor, wherein the electric dirt collection mechanism is switched on and off using a switch, and the wiping cleaning mechanism can be attached to, or detached from, the main body.

Claims

1. A cleaner comprising:

a main body having a handle used for operating said cleaner;

a brush cleaning mechanism provided in the main body, the brush cleaning mechanism including a rotating brush housed inside said main body and facing out from a bottom surface of the main body,

a detachable dust collection case for collecting dirt swept up by said rotating brush,

a motor for driving said rotating brush,

a power supply for supplying power to said motor,

a switch for turning said motor on and off; and

a sheet cleaning mechanism including a cleaning sheet mounting member for securing a cleaning sheet to the bottom surface of the main body, the cleaning sheet mounting member being configured to attach to and detach from said main body,

wherein the cleaning sheet mounting member is mounted onto the bottom surface of the main body with a cleaning sheet wrapped therearound, and cooperating convex and concave members which fit together and clamp said cleaning sheet therebetween are provided on said cleaning sheet mounting member and said main body bottom surface.

2. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning sheet mounting member extends from a region on said main body bottom surface spaced from said dust collection case, to a section which overlaps with said dust collection case.

3. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said switch is switched on only when said cleaning sheet mounting member is mounted to said main body.

4. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said rotating brush and said cleaning sheet are positioned at a front and a rear of said main body bottom surface respectively, and a directional sensor is provided which cuts off the power supply to said motor when said main body is operated in a reverse direction with said cleaning sheet preceding said rotating brush.

5. A cleaner comprising:

a main body having a handle used for operating said cleaner;

a suction cleaning mechanism provided in the main body, the suction cleaning mechanism including a suction fan housed inside said main body for drawing air into said main body from a suction opening provided in a bottom surface of the main body,

a detachable dust collection case for collecting dirt carried on a suction air stream at a point partway along a suction path generated by said suction fan, a motor for driving said suction fan,

a power supply for supplying power to said motor,

a switch for turning said motor on and off; and

a sheet cleaning mechanism including a cleaning sheet mounting member for securing a cleaning sheet to the bottom surface of the main body, the cleaning sheet mounting member being configured to attach to and detach from, said main body

wherein the cleaning sheet mounting member is mounted onto the bottom surface of the main body with a cleaning sheet wrapped therearound, and cooperating concave and convex members which fit together and clamp said cleaning sheet therebetween are provided on said cleaning sheet mounting member and said main body bottom surface.

6. The cleaner according to claim 5, wherein said cleaning sheet mounting member includes a plurality of apertures in an elastic cover which contacts the cleaning sheet, and said apertures connect to a suction region generated by said suction fan.

7. The cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the suction opening and said cleaning sheet are positioned at a front and a rear of said main body bottom surface respectively, and a directional sensor is provided which cuts off the power supply to said motor when said main body is operated in a reverse direction with said cleaning sheet preceding said suction opening.

8. The cleaner according to claim 5, wherein said cleaning sheet mounting member extends from a region on said main body bottom surface spaced from said dust collection case, to a section which overlaps with said dust collection case.

9. The cleaner according to claim 5, wherein said switch is switched on only when said cleaning sheet mounting member is mounted to said main body.