Cleaner and control method thereof

Abstract

Provided are a cleaner having a circulation system of collecting water used in damp cloth, filtering the same, and supplying the filtered water to the cloth, and a control method thereof. The cleaner includes a storage unit storing water, a collecting unit intaking water used in a cloth and introducing intaken water to an upper side of the storage unit, a filter unit filtering water collected by the collecting unit, a water supply unit allowing water within the storage unit to flow out from a lower portion of the storage unit so as to be supplied to the cloth, a vacuum motor operated to cause water to be intaken to the storage unit through the collecting unit, and a pump operate to allow water to be transferred through the water supply unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaner comprising:
 a rotary plate;   a cloth that is attached to a bottom of the rotary plate and that is configured to receive water;   a rotation driving unit that is connected to an upper portion of the rotary plate and that is configured to rotate the rotary plate about an axis that is perpendicular to the rotary plate;   a storage unit that is configured to store water;   a collecting unit that is configured to collect water from the cloth and that is configured to provide water to an upper side of the storage unit;   a filter unit that is configured to filter water that is collected by the collecting unit;   a water supply unit that is configured to receive water from a lower portion of the storage unit and that is configured to provide water to the cloth;   a vacuum motor that is configured to move water from the storage unit through the collecting unit; and   a pump that is configured to move water through the water supply unit,   wherein the collecting unit includes:   an outer partition that is located around a circumference of the rotary plate;   an inner partition that is located between the circumference of the rotary plate and the outer portion;   an intake that is located at the outer partition and that is configured to draw water into a gap that is located between the outer portion and the inner portion; and   a collecting pipe that is configured to guide water that is received through the intake to the to the storage unit.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the water supply unit includes:
 a main pipe that is connected to the storage unit and that is configured to guide water from the storage unit to a center of the rotary plate; and   a dispersion pipe that is connected to the main pipe, that is parallel to the rotary plate, that is configured to disperse water received from the main pipe along concentric circles that share a common center at the center of the rotary plate, and that defines a plurality of dispersion holes,   wherein the rotary plate defines a plurality of supply holes that are configured to supply water to the cloth.   
     
     
         3 . The cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the dispersion pipe is located inside the rotary plate,   the rotary plate defines a space that is configured to allow rotation of the dispersion pipe and includes a rotational shaft that is perpendicular to the rotary plate, that is located on an upper portion of the rotary plate, that defines a through hole, and that is configured to receive the main pipe, and   the plurality of supply holes are located in a lower portion of the rotary plate and are configured to communicate with the space.   
     
     
         4 . The cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the water supply unit include additional dispersion pipes that are each connected to the main pipe, that are each rotationally symmetrical to the dispersion pipe, and that each define a same angle between adjacent dispersion pipes. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of supply holes are located along lines that radiate from the center of the rotary plate. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein a density of the plurality of supply holes decreases as a distance from the center of the rotary plate increases. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum motor is located on an upper portion of the storage unit, 
     
     
         8 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the filter unit is located within the storage unit and between the collecting unit and the water supply unit, and   the storage unit is configured to provide access to the filter unit through an openable structure.   
     
     
         9 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the filter unit is located within the storage unit and between the collecting unit and the water supply unit, and is removable from the storage unit. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the filter unit is located within the storage unit and between the collecting unit and the water supply unit, and includes a filter net that is configured to collect foreign objects in water and a filter frame that is configured to support the filter net, and
 the filter net is concave with respect to a top of the filter unit.   
     
     
         11 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the filter unit includes a filter net that is configured to collect foreign objects in water and a filter frame that is configured to support the filter net, and   the storage unit further includes a guide rail that is configured to support the filter frame is located on an inner surface of the storage unit.   
     
     
         12 . The cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the filter unit is removable from the storage unit, and   the guide rail is configured to guide and support the filter frame.   
     
     
         13 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaner includes:
 a first water level sensor that is configured to sense a water level within the storage unit and that is configured to transmit a first signal based on the water level being equal to or higher than a first predetermined reference; and   a controller that is configured to control the vacuum motor and the pump and that is configured to stop the vacuum motor and the pump in response to receiving the first signal,   wherein the first predetermined reference is a water level that is lower than a connection point of the storage unit and the collecting unit.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaner includes:
 a second water level sensor that is configured to sense a water level within the storage unit, and that is configured to transmit a second signal based on the water level being lower than a second predetermined reference;   a notification unit that is configured to output information from the cleaner; and   a controller that is configured to control the notification unit to output water shortage information in response to receiving the second signal.   
     
     
         15 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaner includes:
 a weight sensor that is configured to sense a weight of water within the storage unit and that is configured to transmit a third signal based on the weight being equal to or greater than a third predetermined reference; and   a controller that is configured to control the vacuum motor and the pump and that is configured to stop the vacuum motor and the pump in response to receiving the third signal.   
     
     
         16 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaner includes:
 a weight sensor that is configured to sense a weight of water within the storage unit, and that is configured to transmit a fourth signal based on the weight being lower than a fourth predetermined reference;   a notification unit that is configured to output information from the cleaner; and   a controller that is configured to control the notification unit to output water shortage information in response to receiving the fourth signal.   
     
     
         17 . The cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the storage unit includes:
 an intake hole that is configured to communicate with the vacuum motor, 
 a first partition that covers the intake hole and that extends from an inside side wall of the storage unit toward an inside upper wall of the storage unit, and 
 a second partition that covers the first partition, that extends from the inside upper wall toward the inside side wall of the storage unit, and that defines a gap with the inside side wall.