Abstract
A dock for a floor cleaner. For example, a dock for receiving a floor cleaner, the dock including a receiving unit for receiving the floor cleaner, and a reservoir for containing a disinfecting liquid. The dock further includes an applicator arranged to apply the disinfecting liquid to at least part of a floor cleaner received in the receiving unit. The application of disinfecting liquid to at least part of the floor cleaner may improve the hygiene of the floor cleaner and maintain the floor cleaner in a useable state.
Claims
1. A dock for receiving a floor cleaner, the dock comprising: a receiving unit for receiving the floor cleaner, a reservoir for containing a disinfecting liquid, and an applicator arranged to apply the disinfecting liquid to at least part of a floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.
2. The dock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cell arranged to create a disinfecting liquid from water.
3. The dock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor cleaner comprises a cleaning pad, and the applicator is arranged to apply the disinfecting liquid to the cleaning pad when the floor cleaner is received in the receiving unit.
4. The dock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor cleaner comprises a reservoir for containing waste liquid, and the applicator is arranged to apply the disinfecting liquid to the reservoir for containing waste liquid when the floor cleaner is received in the receiving unit.
5. The dock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor cleaner comprises a passage through which waste liquid is arranged to pass, and the applicator is arranged to apply the disinfecting liquid to the passage through which waste liquid is arranged to pass then the floor cleaner is received in the receiving unit.
6. The dock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the disinfecting liquid comprises aqueous hydrogen peroxide.
7. The dock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a charging unit, the charging unit arranged to charge a battery of a floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.
8. The dock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a waste liquid reservoir for receiving waste liquid from a floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.
9. The dock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cleaning fluid reservoir for supplying cleaning fluid to a floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.
10. A method of cleaning a floor cleaner, the method comprising the steps of: docking the floor cleaner with [[a]] the dock as claimed in claim 1 such that the floor cleaner is received in the receiving unit of the dock, and the applicator applying disinfecting liquid to at least part of the floor cleaner.
11. The method of cleaning a floor cleaner as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dock further comprises a cell arranged to create a disinfecting liquid from water, and the method further comprises the step of using the cell to create a disinfecting liquid from water, prior to the applicator applying the disinfecting liquid to at least part of the floor cleaner.
Description
Description of the Drawings
[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a floor cleaner;
[0019] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a floor cleaner and dock;
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of components of the dock shown in FIG. 2;
[0021] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a dock and floor cleaner;
[0022] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a dock and floor cleaner; and
[0023] FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a dock and floor cleaner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a floor cleaner 10, which comprises a cleaning head 12, a body 14 pivotally attached to the cleaning head 12, and a handle 16 extending away from the body 14. The cleaning head 12 comprises two cleaning pads 18, which are arranged to contact a floor and oscillate during use, and a front squeegee 20 and rear squeegee 22, respectively positioned in front of and behind the cleaning pads 18. The terms front and rear will be understood by the skilled person to mean the front and rear of the cleaning head 12 when the floor cleaner 10 is being used by a user. In FIG. 1, the front squeegee 20 is shown in a retracted position, and may also be folded down into a deployed position, in which the front squeegee 20 makes contact with the floor. The body 14 comprises a cleaning fluid reservoir, a waste fluid reservoir, and a battery (not shown). The cleaning fluid reservoir is arranged to hold cleaning fluid and apply the cleaning fluid to the floor during use of the floor cleaner 10. The cleaning pads 18 oscillate during use of the floor cleaner, thereby agitating the cleaning fluid on the floor, providing a cleaning effect. The cleaning fluid becomes dirty during agitation, and the waste liquid reservoir is arranged to suck up and store the waste liquid during use of the floor cleaner. The battery is arranged to power the application of cleaning fluid to the floor, the oscillation of the cleaning pads 20, and the sucking up of the waste liquid. The handle 16 comprises a user interface 24 which turns on and off the floor cleaner functions.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a floor cleaner 10 and a dock 30. The dock 30 comprises a receiving unit 32 which receives the cleaning head 12 of the floor cleaner 10, and a support arm 34 against which the handle 16 of the floor cleaner 10 rests. The dock further comprises a power connection 36 to mains electricity.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows some additional components of the dock 30. In particular, the dock 30 comprises a charging unit 24 connected to mains electricity via the power connection 36. The charging unit 24 is arranged to supply charge to battery of the floor cleaner 10, either by wireless charging or by wired charging. The dock 30 also comprises a waste liquid tank 25, a cleaning fluid tank 26, and a control unit 27. The waste liquid tank 25 is arranged to receive waste liquid from the waste liquid reservoir of the floor cleaner 10. The cleaning fluid tank 26 is arranged to feed cleaning fluid into the cleaning fluid reservoir of the floor cleaner 10. The control unit 27 is arranged to control any active service functions of the dock 30, including the charging of the floor cleaner 10. Therefore, the dock 30 is able to perform several service functions on the floor cleaner 10, including charging the floor cleaner 10, emptying waste liquid from the floor cleaner 10, and refilling the floor cleaner 10 with cleaning fluid.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of one possible arrangement of the dock 30 with the floor cleaner 10 received in the dock 30. The cleaning head 12 is received within the receiving unit 32, such that the cleaning pads 18 are surrounded by the receiving unit 32. The dock includes a reservoir 34 containing disinfecting liquid, the reservoir 34 located to the side of the receiving unit 32. The disinfecting liquid is hydrogen peroxide. As can be seen, the reservoir 34 is in fluid communication with the receiving unit 32 via a fluid passage 36. As such, the receiving unit also includes disinfecting liquid, and the volume of disinfecting liquid is such that the cleaning pads 18 are soaked in disinfecting liquid when the cleaning head 12 of the floor cleaner 10 is inserted into the receiving unit 32. In this way, the receiving unit 32 acts as an applicator of disinfecting liquid to the cleaning head 12. The control unit 27 is arranged to detect when the floor cleaner 10 is received in the dock 30, and initiate a timer. When a preset time is reached, the control unit 27 may indicate the preset time has elapsed, for example via an audible or visual indicator. This will ensure that the disinfecting liquid has been in contact with the floor cleaner 10 for the period of time required to ensure the disinfecting liquid provides a disinfecting effect. In an alternative arrangement, the control unit 27 is in communication with a user interface, via which the user may initiate the timer.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of another possible arrangement of the dock 30, in this case without the floor cleaner 10 shown. In this arrangement, the reservoir 34 is arranged to feed water into a cell 38, which applies electricity and oxygen to the water in order to produce hydrogen peroxide. A pump (not shown) is connected to the reservoir 34 in order to pump the water through the cell 38. The disinfecting liquid is then fed via a fluid passage 40 into the receiving unit 32, or applied to other parts of the floor cleaner 10, for example the waste liquid reservoir of the floor cleaner 10, and/or passages in the floor cleaner 10 through which waste liquid passes.
[0029] FIG. 6 shows a similar arrangement to that described with reference to FIG. 4. However, in this arrangement, the floor cleaner 10 includes squeegees 42 which are arranged to suck up liquid. When the floor cleaner 10 is being used, the squeegees 42 may suck up waste liquid from the floor. When the floor cleaner 10 is received by the dock 30 and a cleaning cycle is intiated, the squeegees 42 suck up disinfecting liquid to disinfect the parts of the floor cleaner 10 which come into contact with waste liquid during use of the floor cleaner 10. The disinfecting liquid is returned to the reservoir 34 via a fluid passage 44.
[0030] Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.
[0031] Whilst the disinfecting liquid described above is hydrogen peroxide, the skilled person will appreciate any suitable disinfecting liquid may be used.
[0032] Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.
