Cleaner head for an appliance

Abstract

A cleaner head for an appliance including a housing, a roller rotatably connected to the housing, and a tank assembly releasably connected to a portion of the housing. The tank assembly includes a liquid distribution tank for storing liquid to be distributed to a surface to be cleaned, and a liquid collection tank for collecting liquid from the surface to be cleaned. The liquid collection tank is fixedly connected to the liquid distribution tank. The tank assembly is movable along a connection axis to disconnect the tank assembly from the portion of the housing, and the connection axis is parallel to an axis of rotation of the roller.

1 . A cleaner head for an appliance, the cleaner head comprising:
 a housing;   a roller rotatably connected to the housing; and   a tank assembly releasably connected to a portion of the housing, the tank assembly comprising a liquid distribution tank for storing liquid to be distributed to a surface to be cleaned, and a liquid collection tank for collecting liquid from the surface to be cleaned, the liquid collection tank fixedly connected to the liquid distribution tank;   wherein the tank assembly is movable along a connection axis to disconnect the tank assembly from the portion of the housing, the connection axis parallel to an axis of rotation of the roller.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion and a second housing portion, wherein the first housing portion comprises the tank assembly and is releasably connected to the second housing portion, and the first and second housing portions are slidable relative to one another along the connection axis to disconnect the tank assembly from the second housing portion. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein one of the first and second housing portions comprises a guide channel, the other of the second and first housing portions comprises a projection received within the guide channel, and relative sliding of the first and second housing portions removes the projection from the guide channel. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 2 , where the second housing portion comprises a locating feature that locates the tank assembly relative to the second housing portion. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the cleaner head comprises a drive component for driving distribution of liquid from the liquid distribution tank, and disconnection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion breaks a fluidic connection between the liquid distribution tank and the drive component. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the liquid distribution tank extends partially across a width of the housing, the drive component extends partially across the width of the housing, and the liquid distribution tank and the drive component are adjacent to one another across the width of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first housing portion comprises a mounting member for rotatably mounting the roller to the housing, and disconnecting the first and second housing portions removes the mounting member from the roller. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the roller is located at a first end of the housing, the liquid distribution tank is located at a second end of the housing opposite to the first end of the housing, and the liquid collection tank is located intermediate the roller and the liquid distribution tank. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the liquid distribution tank comprises an inlet, and the inlet is located within an internal volume of the housing when the tank assembly is connected to the portion of the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cleaner head comprises a drive component for driving distribution of liquid from the liquid distribution tank, and the inlet is closed by a closure having a valve member that fluidically connects an interior of the liquid distribution tank to the drive component. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the liquid collection tank comprises an outlet that faces in a direction substantially orthogonal to the connection axis. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the direction is a direction toward an upper surface of the housing when the cleaner head is located on a surface to be cleaned in use. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the liquid distribution tank comprises an inlet, and the inlet of the liquid distribution tank faces in a further direction along the housing, the further direction different to the direction. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the liquid collection tank comprises an internal volume greater than an internal volume of the liquid distribution tank. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the internal volume of the liquid collection tank is at least 10% greater than the internal volume of the liquid distribution tank. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the liquid collection tank extends across a width of the cleaner head to a greater extent than the liquid distribution tank. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaner head as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the liquid collection tank extends across at least 90% of the width of the housing. 
     
     
         18 . An appliance comprising a cleaner head as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . The appliance as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the appliance comprises a main unit, and the cleaner head is releasably attachable to the main unit. 
     
     
         20 . The appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the main unit comprises a power supply for supplying electrical power to the cleaner head.