Cleaning unit for a surface cleaning device
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsJingliang MAO, Sungsoo LEE
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Abstract
A surface cleaning means is proposed based on the combined use of ultrasound and radiofrequency electromagnetic emissions, propagated onto a surface to be cleaned, to provide synergistic cleaning action. One aspect provides a cleaning unit which comprises a body which includes an ultrasound transducer arrangement and an RF emitter arrangement, and wherein the two are arranged such that, when driven by respective drive signals, ultrasonic and RF emissions (for providing a cleaning action) are generated which overlap in a common spatial region, to thereby provide combined cleaning action in the common spatial region. One example application is for use for oral cleaning.
Claims16
A cleaning unit for a surface cleaning device, the cleaning unit comprising:
- a body;
- an arrangement of protrusions or cleaning elements on a face of the body, for making operative contact with a surface-to-be-cleaned during use, for enabling a mechanical cleaning action;
- an ultrasound transducer arrangement carried by the body, the transducer arrangement comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers adapted to generate ultrasonic emissions responsive to one or more drive signals;
- an electromagnetic emitter arrangement carried by the body, the electromagnetic emitter arrangement adapted to generate radio frequency electromagnetic emissions responsive to supply of a radiofrequency drive signal;
- wherein the ultrasound transducer arrangement and the emitter arrangement are arranged for generation of ultrasonic emissions and EM emissions which overlap spatially, to permit simultaneous ultrasound and RF stimulation of a surface-to-be-cleaned.
A surface cleaning method comprising simultaneously applying ultrasound emissions and RF frequency electromagnetic emissions to a surface to be cleaned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.