Patent Publication Number: US-7217053-B2

Title: Water floor broom with clean-up squeegee

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to floor cleaning devices, and more particularly, to water spray floor cleaning devices sometimes referred to in the industry as water floor brooms. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Water floor brooms are known of the type which have a cleaning head that is movable along the floor and which has a plurality of downwardly directed liquid spray nozzles communicating with a manifold liquid flow passageway in the cleaning head, which in turn communicates with a liquid flow passageway in a handle of the broom. The handle is releaseably coupled to the wand of a conventional power washer pump that is operable for directing a pressurized liquid through the handle and cleaning head for discharge from the nozzles onto the floor in pressurized liquid flow streams as the cleaning head is manually moved along the floor by an operator by means of the handle. Conventional water floor brooms suffer from a number of drawbacks which detract from their wide-spread or efficient usage. At the outset, since water floor brooms often are designed for commercial usage, they can be heavy and massive, making it difficult to manually use or manipulate over long periods of time. Moreover, to provide adequate liquid flow and pressurization for thorough cleaning, such water floor brooms typically are used with gas powered pressure washer pumps, which also are relatively heavy, cumbersome to handle, and expensive to manufacture. A further drawback of existing water floor brooms is that while they can be effective in cleaning floors, considerable water is directed onto the floor which must later be mopped up or otherwise disposed of to complete the cleaning task. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a water floor broom that is adapted for easier and more efficient usage in cleaning of floors. 
     Another object is to provide a water floor broom as characterized above which is adapted to substantially minimize or eliminate the necessity for later mopping of water directed onto the floor during cleaning. 
     A further object is to provide a water floor broom of the above kind that is relatively light in weight and economical in construction. 
     Still another object is to provide a water floor broom of the foregoing type that is operable for effectively cleaning floors with lesser quantities of water or other cleaning liquids. A related object is to provide a water floor broom of such type which is operable by a relatively lighter weight and more economical electric powered pressure washer pump. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective of a water floor broom in accordance with the invention being used by an operator to clean a floor surface; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged front perspective of the spray head of the illustrated water floor broom; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged rear perspective of the spray head of the illustrated water floor broom; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged vertical section of the spray head taken in the plane of line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged partial section of one of the spray nozzles of the illustrated spray head; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are side elevational depictions showing the rear water squeegee of the illustrated water floor broom in different operative positions relative to a floor surface; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective of the squeegee blade and mounting support in partially assembled position. 
       While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof has been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown an illustrative water floor broom  10  in accordance with the invention. The water broom  10  basically comprises a spray head  11  that is moveable along the floor, an elongated handle  12  fixed in upstanding relation to the spray head  11  for moving the spray head  11  along the floor, and a pressure washer pump  14  having a high pressure fluid transfer hose  15  with a control wand or gun  16  at an end thereof for supplying pressurized liquid to the spray head  11  through the handle  12 . The pressure washer pump  14  may be of a conventional type, preferably a light weight electric powered pressured washer, capable of delivering a liquid flow stream up to at least 1.5 gpm at 1,100 psi. The gun  16  may be connected to the upper end of the handle  12  with an appropriate quick disconnect bayonet coupling effective for providing a releaseable fluid type connection therebetween. Through operation of the pressure washer pump  14 , a cleaning fluid, typically water or optionally water mixed with a liquid soap or detergent, may be directed through the high pressure transfer line  15  and gun  16  to a liquid flow passage  18  in the handle  12  ( FIG. 4 ) that communicates with the spray head  11 . The gun  16  typically includes a trigger valve for allowing the operator to selectively control the supply of pressurized fluid to the spray head  11  during a cleaning operation. 
     In accordance with the invention, the spray head has a light weight, rigid construction which facilitates easy usage. To this end, the spray head  11  has an elongated body  20 , preferably molded of rigid plastic material, comprising a central section  21  that defines an elongated internal manifold passageway  22  having a long axis oriented transverse to the line of movement of spray head (indicated by the arrow A in  FIG. 1 ), a plurality of integrally formed laterally spaced radial fins  24  which extend in perpendicular relation to the elongated central section  21 , and a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing ribs  25  interconnecting the radial ribs  24  extending in parallel relation to the long axis of central section  21 . To facilitate plastic injection molding of the spray head body  20 , the elongated manifold passageway  22  is formed with an open axial end, which in this case is closed by a separate plug  23 . The combination of the central section  21 , radial ribs  24 , and longitudinal ribs  25  define a light weight, rigid body structure. 
     The spray head  11  in this case has an upstanding integrally formed hub  28  that defines the liquid flow passage  29  ( FIG. 4 ) communicating centrally with the transverse manifold passage  22 . The hub  28  has an externally threaded mounting section  30  for attachment by an internally threaded end of the broom handle  12  and an upstanding, smaller diameter nib  31  surrounded by an annular sealing ring  32  in interposed relation with a counterbore of the broom handle  12  that communicates with the broom handle passage  18 . The hub  28  in this instance has a base portion also formed with a plurality of circular fins  34  disposed transversely to the radial fins  24  of the spray head. 
     For supporting the spray head  11  for rolling movement on the surface of a floor to be cleaned, the spray head body  20  has integrally formed, depending wheel-support legs  38  at opposite ends that each rotatably receive and support an inwardly directed shaft  37  of a respective wheel  39 , also preferably made of rigid plastic material. ( FIG. 4 ) A retaining clip  40  maintains the wheel shafts on the support legs  38 . 
     In keeping with the invention, the spray head  11  includes a plurality of spray nozzles  45  each communicating with the manifold passageway  22  designed for providing high pressure liquid spray discharges for effective floor cleaning while minimizing cleaning fluid requirements. The spray head  11  in this case include three spray nozzles  45  which may be made of metal or rigid plastic material. The spray nozzles  45  each have an externally threaded upstream hub  46  adapted for threaded engagement with a respective spray nozzle receiving aperture in the underside of the spray head body  20 . Each spray nozzle  45  has an internal flow passage defined by a relatively larger diameter upstream passage section  48 , an intermediate smaller diameter central section  49 , and a still smaller diameter nozzling section  50  which communicates with a cross slit  51  in the downstream end of the spray nozzle  45  oriented parallel to the long axis of the spray head body  11  for discharging relatively flat or fan spray patterns in partially overlapping in relation to each other such that a curtain of pressurized liquid having a lateral width corresponding at least the length of the spray head  11  is directed onto the floor surface to be cleaned as the spray head is moved along the floor. The spray nozzles  45  preferably are oriented for directing the discharging sprays forwardly of the spray head  11  for enabling the operator to observe the discharging spray patterns and to more effectively direct the pressurized curtain of cleaning liquid onto soiled areas of the floor. 
     The water floor broom  10  is not only relatively light weight and easy to manipulate, but is operable in discharging relatively high pressure liquid sprays for efficient floor cleaning even when operated by relatively inexpensive electric powered pressure washer pumps with lesser quantities of water or cleaning fluids than customarily used in much more expensive water floor brooms. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that this is advantageous both in enabling more efficient use of cleaning soaps or detergents, as well as minimizing the clean up of water and cleaning fluids directed onto the floor during cleaning. 
     In carrying out a another important aspect of the invention, the spray head  11  further has the rearwardly disposed squeegee blade  60  for scraping and clearing the water from the floor surface simultaneously as the water floor broom  10  is moved along the floor during a cleaning operation, thereby eliminating or substantially minimizing the messy clean up commonly required when using conventional water floor brooms. The squeegee blade  60 , which may be made of a rubber or other suitable flexible material, preferably is formed with a sharp floor engaging edge  61  and extends transversely along a length of the spray head  11  corresponding at least to the lateral width spray discharge from the spray nozzles. The squeegee blade  60  in this case is supported along its upper periphery by a U-shaped blade holder  62 , preferably made of rigid plastic material, which in turn is supported rearwardly of the spray head  11  by a blade mounting structure  65 . The blade mounting structure  65  has a U-shaped gripper or clamping section  66  at its terminal end for removeably receiving the blade holder  62  with retaining pins  68  positionable within slots  69  in opposite ends of the gripper portion  66 . The mounting structure  65  has a mounting flange at its forward end formed with a plurality of laterally spaced fingers  70  positionable between respective radial fins  24  of the spray head body  20  and which is secured to the spray head body by a central mounting screw  71 . 
     In further carrying out the invention, the squeegee blade mounting structure  65  has a downwardly directed radiused or U-shaped connecting structure, preferably made of a flexible plastic material, which extends rearwardly and downwardly of the spray head  11  for enabling easy adjustment in the angle and pressure of the squeegee blade  60  against the floor surface by an operator using the water broom  10 . As depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , as an incident to raising and lowering movement of the broom handle  12 , and hence pivotable movement of the spray head  11  about the axis of the wheels  39 , the flexible mounting structure  65  will deflect to change both the angle of the squeegee blade  60  against the floor surface and its pressure for most effective clearing of liquid from the floor surface as the water broom is moved in a forward cleaning direction. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that by virtue of the rearwardly disposed squeegee blade attachment, the operator can effectively clean the floor surface while simultaneously scraping and clearing the water from the cleaned surface so as to eliminate the necessity for subsequent mopping of the cleaned surface area. Instead, simultaneous with cleaning, the dispersed water may be easily moved toward a drain, or to a central area for easier clean up. 
     From the foregoing, it can be seen that the water floor broom of the present invention is adapted for easier and more efficient usage in cleaning floors. The water floor broom substantially minimizes or eliminates the necessity for later mopping or clean up of water or other cleaning liquids directed onto the floor during cleaning. The water floor broom also is relatively light in weight and economical in construction and can be operated with lesser quantities of water or other cleaning fluids.