Abstract:
A compact machine for cleaning floors includes ( 1 ) a solution tank and dispensing means for dispensing solution onto the surface to be cleaned, ( 2 ) a hose and squeegee assembly for picking up dirty solution, ( 3 ) a recovery tank far receiving the dirty solution from said hose, and ( 4 ) a vacuum motor communicating with said hose.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/353,339 filed Feb. 1, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional tools for cleaning floors range from a mop and bucket to pressure washers to automatic scrubbers. With the mop and bucket, solution is added to the bucket and then a mop made out of absorbent material is used to suck up the solution and then apply it to the floor. The mop is then used as the abrasive tool to break dirt loose from the floor. The dirt from the floor collects in the mop which is then submersed in the solution in the bucket. Dirt is rinsed from the mop by repeated dunking and wringing (usually with a mop wringer). 
     This process is sub-optimal for a number of reasons. First, dirt from the floor is returned to the bucket causing the solution to become dirtier and dirtier such that an area cleaned towards the end of the process is never as clean as the first area cleaned. Some mop buckets exist today that have a solution tank and a rinse tank which helps to keep the solution clean for a longer period of time, but dirt is still carried into the solution tank by the mop. 
     Secondly, absorbent mops required to lift solution out of the bucket and onto the floor do not make very good scrubbers. Ideally, an abrasive pad or bristle brush is used to break dirt free, but they do not absorb water and cannot be used to get the water from the bucket to the floor or dirty water from the floor back to the bucket. Sponge and abrasive pad combinations that accomplish both tasks are common for cleaning in a domestic setting, but are rarely used in commercial environments since floor coverage is too great and capacity to hold dirt is insufficient. 
     Pressure washers utilizing high-pressure pumps rely on the high-pressure discharge of cleaning solution as a means to break dirt free. Pressure washers are available with vacuum capability to recover the solution and the dirt as it is sprayed. These systems used a significant amount of water and are expensive and more difficult to use and maintain then the manual scrubber at the present invention. 
     With automatic scrubbers, solution is dispensed to the floor, scrub pads or brushes driven by motors break the dirt free, and a vacuum and squeegee return the dirty solution to a separate tank leaving the solution clean from start to finish. However, like pressure washers, automatic scrubbers are significantly more expensive and more difficult to operate and maintain. Additionally, automatic scrubbers are hard to maneuver in tight places and are incapable of cleaning under low profile objects (shelves, tables, chairs, etc.). Some automatic scrubbers have wand accessories with or without powered brushes for reaching in these tight spots, but such application sub-optimizes its performance as they are designed to scrub large, unobstructed areas. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a vast improvement over the mop and bucket, yet is much less expensive than the pressure washer and automatic scrubber. It is also easier to use and maintain. The present invention includes (1) a solution tank and a dispensing system to apply the solution to the floor, (2) a scrubbing tool having an abrasive pad or brush on a handle for scrubbing the surface being cleaned, and (3) a vacuum motor that produces suction through a squeegee tool to suck the dirty solution into a recovery tank. The only component requiring power is the vacuum motor. As a result, the machine of the present invention is simple, reasonably priced, and easy to use and maintain. Yet it is very effective at dispensing solution, keeping clean and dirty solutions separate, and picking up the dirty solution. Variations on solution feed, scrubbing tool, and squeegee configurations are described below. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient and yet economical scrubber which can be manually operated. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is provided a scrubber  5  having a cart  10  with wheels  12  mounted on an axle  13  an the beck and casters (not shown) on the front. The cart  10  may be rotationally molded from one of a variety of plastic materials such as high density polyethylene. Since the cart  10  is rotationally molded, it can be provided with a cleaning solution tank  14  portion which preferably extends from the back of the cart  10  adjacent the wheels  12  to the front  11 . Located at the back of the cart  10  over the wheels  12  is a horizontal transverse wall  40  having an opening  15  for introducing cleaning solution into the tank  14 . Extending upwardly from the wall  40  are a pair of spaced apart upright portions  42 A and  42 B cooperating with a transverse gripping portion  42 C to form an integral unitary handle  42 . The solution tank  14  includes a tapered wall  19  extending downwardly at an angle toward the front  11  to a horizontal wall  60  defining the top of the solution tank  14  in the area between the front  11  and the tapered wall  19 . The solution tank  14  also includes integral unitary bottom  46 , sides  47 , (only one of which can be seen in  FIG. 1 ) and a back. 
     A discharge hose  16  is coupled to a dispensing outlet  29  at the lowest point of the solution tank  14  at or adjacent the bottom  46 . The hose  16  extends to a discharge end  17  and is long enough to reach the top of the solution tank  14 . When discharging cleaning solution, the operator holds the discharge hose  16  copse to the floor allowing solution to flow onto the floor through an expulsion outlet at the discharge end  17 . When not discharging cleaning solution, the hose  16  is fastened by a clip  23  in an upright orientation such that the discharge end  17  is above the level of cleaning solution in the tank  14  and, therefore, will not discharge such solution. 
     Mounted on the cart  10  is a recovery tank  16 . The recovery tank  18  includes a front wall  50 , side walls  51 , a top wall  52 , a tapered rear wall  53  resting upon the tapered wall  19  of the solution tank  14  and a bottom wall  54 . The bottom wall is spaced from the horizontal wall  60  of the solution tank  14  and is supported thereon by posts  55 . Near its upper portion, the front wall  50  has an inlet opening  56  to which is connected a recovery hose  22 . 
     The recovery hose  22  is attached to a squeegee assembly  24  positioned near the front  11  of the cart  10 . The squeegee assembly  24  is supported on a pair of arms  58  which may be raised or lowered by a lift mechanism  26  of one of several types well known in the art, which lift mechanism may be positioned at the rear between the wheels  12 . The squeegee assembly  24  supports a pair of spaced apart squeegee blades  25  which contact the floor being cleaned when the arms  58  and squeegee assembly  24  are in the lowered position. 
     Mounted on the top wall  52  of a recovery tank  18  is a vacuum motor  20  which communicates with the recovery tank  18 . A lid  21  encapsulates the vacuum motor  20 . One or more batteries  28  are mounted on the cart  10 , resting in a recess  44  in the solution tank  14  and below the recovery tank  18 . The battery or batteries  28  provide power for the vacuum motor  20 . The vacuum motor  20  communicates with the recovery hose  22  through the recovery tank  18  and sucks air and water through recovery hose  22  attached to the squeegee  24 . 
     During operation, the operator dispenses cleaning solution by gravity to the floor, scrubs the wetted area with a brush or scrub pad, then sucks the dirty water into the recovery tank  18  by lowering the squeegee assembly  24  to the floor and pushing the cart  10  (and squeegee blades  25 ) through the puddles of dirty solution. The two spaced apart squeegee blades  25  provide a confined area to enhance the vacuum pick-up of dirty solution and directing such dirty solution to the recovery hose  22  and recovery tank  18 . In dispensing the solution from the solution tank  14 , the operator simply removes the end  17  of the discharge hose  16  from the clip  23  and lowers it to a position at which the cleaning solution will flow therefrom by gravity. 
     If desired a valve may be incorporated into the discharge hose  16  to turn on and off the flow of cleaning solution. 
     If desired, the tank containing the cleaning solution could be positioned above the batteries and/or vacuum motor  20  and/or recovery tank  18  thereby raising the lowest point of the solution tank and enabling the operator to gravity feed cleaning solution to the floor without having to bend over so far. 
     Additionally, if desired, the recovery hose  22  communicating with the vacuum motor  20  may be attached to a wand type tool that has a brush or scrubber on one side and a vacuum squeegee arrangement on the other instead of being attached to a squeegee assembly  24  mounted on the front of the cart  10 . The operator then scrubs the surface with the brush side and then flips the wand over to suck up the dirty water. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a second embodiment of scrubber  5 A is similar to the first in that it has a lower cleaning solution tank  14 A and an upper recovery tank  18 A. Under the second embodiment, there is provided a hand-held brush/squeegee wand assembly  30  to which is connected both (1) a discharge hose  32  to receive and discharge cleaning solution from the solution tank  14 A and (2) a vacuum recovery hose  34  for directing dirty water picked up by the brush/squeegee wand assembly  30  to the recovery tank  18 A. The discharge hose  32  is attached to a dispensing outlet  29 A at the bottom of the solution tank  14 A. A brush  33  is also part of the wand assembly  30  and is positioned adjacent the squeegee  31 . 
     A check valve  36  is incorporated in the solution discharge hose  32  at the end adjacent the dispensing outlet  29 A of tank  14 A. The check valve is one which permits solution to flow only in a direction away from the solution tank  14 A and prevents solution in the hose  32  from returning to the solution tank  14 A. A second valve, namely a shut-off valve  38  to adjust or stop flow is incorporated near the outlet or expulsion end of the hose  32  adjacent the brush  33  of the wand  30  held by the operator. The check valve  36  ensures that once the solution discharge hose  32  is filled with solution following initial opening of shut-off valve  38  and lowering of discharge hose  32  to a position where it can become filled with solution to dispense the solution, it will remain full until the solution tank  14 A is emptied, assuming of course, that the shut-off valve  38  is in the closed position or the expulsion end of the hose  32  is above the solution level in the solution tank  14 A. When the end of the wand  30  is applied to the floor, the end or the solution discharge hose  32  will be lower than the solution level in the tank  14 A causing the solution to flow by gravity onto the floor as a siphoning action. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a third embodiment of manual scrubber  50 , which is similar to the first embodiment in that it has a rotationally molded cart  10  with a cleaning solution tank  14 , a recovery tank  18 , a vacuum motor  20  on the recovery tank  18  and batteries  28  mounted on a recess of the solution tank  14 . The scrubber  50  is provided with a squeegee assembly having a solution dispenser bar  39  and brush  40  mounted under the cleaning solution tank  14  immediately behind casters  27  at the front of the solution tank  14 . The solution is fed from the solution tank  14  via a discharge hose  41  having one end connected to the solution tank  14  and the other end connected to the dispenser bar  39 . Incorporated in the discharge hose  41  is a shut-off valve  42  to control the flow of cleaning solution from the solution tank  14  to the dispenser bar  39 . A shut-off valve actuator  43  is manually operable to open and close the shut-off value  42 . Both the brush  40  and solution dispenser bar  39  are attached to arms  31  pivotally connected to the rear axle  13  such that the brush  40  is always in contact with the floor while performing the scrubbing operation. The arm  31  can be locked in an up position for transport, and also can be spring loaded or weighted to attain the desired pressure against the floor. The squeegee assembly can be mounted at the front of the scrubber similar to that shown in  FIG. 1 , or at the rear of the machine as squeegee assembly  24 B, shown in  FIG. 3  depending on whether a pull or push operation is desired. 
     The above detailed description of the present invention is given for explanatory purposes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.