Patent Publication Number: US-9901231-B2

Title: Combination vacuum and towelette mop

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     In general, the present invention relates to the structure of both vacuum cleaners and mops that retain disposable towelettes. More particularly, the present invention relates to cleaning implements that combine the features of vacuum cleaners with the features of mops. 
     2. Prior Art Description 
     Most homes in the United States have rooms with different flooring surfaces. Rooms, such as the kitchen and bathroom, typically have hard surface flooring, such as tiled flooring, hardwood flooring, or laminate flooring. Rooms, such as bedrooms and living rooms, typically have carpeting in the form of either area rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting. As will be understood by any homeowner, these different flooring surfaces are cleaned in different ways. 
     Carpeted floors are typically vacuumed for cleaning. Occasionally, stains are scrubbed out of the carpeting. However, for most day to day cleaning, only a vacuum cleaner is used. Vacuum cleaners for use on carpeting traditionally contain spinning brushes that agitate the carpeting and loosen the dirt. The loosened dirt is then drawn away by the vacuum cleaner. Conversely, hard flooring requires many steps to be cleaned. First, the floor needs to be swept by a broom or vacuumed to remove loose dirt. If swept, the dirt, dust, and hair needs to be swept into a dustpan and then emptied into a trashcan. Second, a suitable mop must be used to remove stationary dirt and restore a shine to the flooring. To remove dirt that is not loose, hard floors are typically cleaned with soap and water. Wood floors need to be cleaned with wood soaps. Tiled floors might need to be cleaned with both a soap and a bleach product. 
     Accordingly, when a person is trying to clean a house, depending on how many floors of the house there are to be cleaned, that person may need to carry a vacuum cleaner, a broom, a dustpan, a mop, a bucket full of water, and a variety of cleaning solutions. All of these cleaning tools must be maintained and stored somewhere in the house. The vacuum cleaner, mop, bucket, and broom and associated cleaning products may even require their own closet or small room. Many houses do not have enough extra storage space to accommodate the full collection of cleaning supplies. As such, different cleaning implements, such as the vacuum cleaner, broom and mop are stored in different locations. The gathering and storage of the all the cleaning implements adds significantly to the overall labor of cleaning the house. 
     Heavy mops are not always required to wipe down hard flooring surfaces. Rather, to simplify the cleaning procedure, companies have developed and marketed lightweight mops that retain disposable pads. With a disposable pad mop, a moist towelette is attached to a lightweight handle. The towelette can then be passed over a floor to wipe up or sanitize the floor. The towelette is then discarded. Although the use of disposable pad mops eliminates the need for buckets of water and heavy mops, it does not eliminate the need for a broom or a vacuum cleaner. 
     In the prior art, designs have been created that combine the structure of a disposable pad mop with the structure of a broom or a vacuum cleaner. U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,976 to Plankenhorn shows a system that combines a mechanical broom with a pad mop. U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,724 to Lim discloses a system that combines an electric vacuum cleaner with a pad mop. However, such prior art systems share the same drawback. That is, in the prior art systems, the pad mop is constantly in contact with the floor as the broom sweeps or the vacuum cleaner advances. As such, prior art systems with combine pad mops with brooms or vacuum cleaners can only be used on hard floor surfaces. If such prior art systems were pushed over a carpet, the pad would contact the carpet and either tear or become dislodged. Accordingly, even if such prior art systems were used, a person cleaning a house would still have to bring a standard vacuum cleaner so that the carpets could be cleaned. 
     A need therefore exists for system that combines a disposable pad mop with a vacuum cleaner in a manner that the system can be used to effectively clean both carpets and hard floor surfaces. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an improved cleaning head for a vacuum assembly. The head can be the floor head or an auxiliary hose head. The cleaning head has a body with a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the cleaning head is positioned adjacent a surface that is to be cleaned. Within the cleaning head is at least one suction channel that leads into a vacuum cleaner. 
     A first rotating brush is mounted to the body of the cleaning head in front of a suction channel. In this manner, any loose material displaced by the rotating brush is drawn away. A towelette support is mounted within the body adjacent the first rotating brush. The towelette support is configured to receive a disposable towelette. A second rotating brush may also be provided, wherein the towelette support would be interposed between the first and second rotating brushes. 
     A mechanism is provided for selectively moving the towelette support within the body between an extended position and a retracted position. In this manner, the towelette support and towelette can be retracted when passing over carpet and extended when passing over hard flooring. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a vacuum assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the floor head component of the vacuum assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a side schematic showing the major components within the floor head of the vacuum assembly, wherein the support roll for the towelette is in its extended position; 
         FIG. 4  is a side schematic showing the major components within the floor head of the vacuum assembly, wherein the support roll for the towelette is in its retracted position; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the support roller and mounting features; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of a cleaning head that extends by a hose from the vacuum assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Although the present invention assembly can be embodied in many ways, the assembly illustrated shows only one exemplary embodiment. The exemplary embodiment is selected in order to set forth one of the best modes contemplated for the invention. The illustrated embodiment, however, is merely exemplary and should not be considered a limitation when interpreting the scope of the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a vacuum assembly  10  is shown. The vacuum assembly  10  combines features of a traditional vacuum cleaner with features of a pad mop. The vacuum assembly  10  has a floor head  12  that rolls along the surface of the floor  14 . As the floor head  12  passes over loose dirt and debris, the loose material is drawn up through the floor head  12  and into the tower  16  of the vacuum assembly  10 . The suction is created by a powered fan assembly (not shown) mounted within the tower  16 . Within the tower  16 , the dirt and debris is deposited in a removable canister  18 . The vacuum assembly  10  is moved about by a person manipulating a handle  20  that extends from the tower  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  in conjunction with  FIG. 1 , some details of the floor head  12  are shown. The floor head  12  has a body  15  that rolls upon wheels. The wheels include a forward set of wheels  22  and a rearward set of wheels  24 . The rearward set of wheels  24  are the furthest rearward part of the floor head  12 . The rearward wheels  24  are also, preferably, the larger diameter wheels. In this manner, the vacuum assembly  10  can be readily tilted onto just the rearward wheels  24 , when being transported from place to place. 
     The body  15  of the floor head  12  has a front edge  26 . The forward wheels  22  are set back from the front edge  26  of the body  15 . The purpose of this set back is later described. When the floor head  12  rests upon the forward wheels  22  and the rearward wheels  24 , the entire vacuum assembly  10  is free standing. Furthermore, as a person grabs and manipulates the handle  20 , the vacuum assembly  10  can roll upon the wheels  22 ,  24 . In the shown embodiment, the forward wheels  22  and the rearward wheels  24  are fixed wheels. Although such a configuration is preferred, it will be understood that the forward wheels  22  and the rearward wheels  24  can be replaced by caster wheels or rollers, to provide more freedom of movement. 
     Two rotating brushes  28 ,  30  are disposed within the floor head  12 . The two rotating brushes include a front rotating brush  28  and a rear rotating brush  30 . The two rotating brushes  28 ,  30  extend across the width of the floor head  12  and protrude from the bottom surface  17  of the floor head  12 . The front rotating brush  28  is located in the mouth of a front suction channel  32 . Likewise, the rear rotating brush  30  is located in the mouth of a rear suction channel  31 . Accordingly, any dirt or debris agitated by the two rotating brushes  30 ,  32  will be sucked into the vacuum assembly  10  and deposited into the canister  18 . 
     The front rotating brush  28  is positioned in front of the forward wheels  22 . In this manner, the front rotating brush  28  is closer to the front edge  26  of the floor head  12  than are the forward wheels  22 . In this manner, when the floor head  12  is rolled forward toward a wall or other obstacle, the suction draw around the front rotating brush  28  can draw dirt and debris resting against the wall in a manner unencumbered by the forward wheels  22 . 
     A support roller  34  is disposed between the front rotating brush  28  and the rear rotating brush  30 . The support roller  34  is parallel to both the front rotating brush  28  and the rear rotating brush  30 . The support roller  34  has an outer diameter. The outer diameter of the support roller  34  is covered with a replaceable and disposable towelette  36 . 
     The front rotating brush  28 , the rear rotating brush  30  and the interposed support roller  34  are all rotated by a motor  38  contained within the floor head  12 . The motor  38  turns the front rotating brush  28 , the rear rotating brush  30  and the support roller  34  using flexible drive belts  35 . The towelette  36  can be made cylindrical or flat. If flat, the towelette  36  is wrapped around the support roller  34 . Since the support roller  34  and surrounding towelette  36  are interposed between the front rotating brush  28  and the rear rotating brush  30 , it will be understood that the towelette  36  will only pass over a segment of the floor  14  that has previously been passed over by one of the rotating brushes  28 ,  30 . As such, any loose dirt or material that is present on the floor  14  will be drawn away by the rotating brushes  28 ,  30 . This prevents any loose dirt or debris from prematurely soiling the towelette  36 . This significantly increases the functional life in which the towelette  36  cleans before it needs to be replaced. 
     In  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that as the forward and rearward wheels  22 ,  24  are resting upon a floor  14 , the front and rear rotating brushes  28 ,  30  are positioned to brush the surface of the floor  14 . Likewise, the towelette  36  and its internal support roller  34  are so disposed that the towelette  36  wipes the surface of the floor  14 . In this manner, if the floor head  12  is rolling upon a hard floor surface, such as a hardwood surface, a laminate surface, or a tile surface, the rotating brushes  28 ,  30  will brush the surface. The vacuum draw will remove any dirt or debris displaced by the rotating brushes  28 ,  30 . Lastly, the towelette  36  will wipe the surface of the floor  14 . 
     The support roller  34  that supports the towelette  36  is set between two slotted guides  40 . The support roller  34  can be adjusted vertically within the slotted guides  40 . The vertical position of the support roller  34  is manually controlled using mechanical linkages  42  that are attached to a foot lever  44 . In this manner, by pressing the foot lever  44  with the user&#39;s foot, a user can change the position of the support roller  34  from the extended position of  FIG. 3  to the retracted position of  FIG. 4  and back again. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  in conjunction with  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that when the support roller  34  is raised into its retracted position, the towelette  36  around the support roller  34  is lifted out of contact with the underlying surface of the floor  14  and retracted above the bottom surface  17 . However, the wheels  22 ,  24  and the rotating brushes  28 ,  30  remain in contact with the floor  14 . This configuration is used when the floor head  12  is rolled over carpeting. If a user is pushing the vacuum assembly  10  from a hard floor surface to a carpeted floor surface, the user presses the foot lever  44 . This lifts the support roller  34  and the towelette  36  out of contact with the carpeting. However, the rotating brushes  28 ,  30  remain in contact with the carpeting. The vacuum assembly  10  then functions as a traditional vacuum cleaner that agitates the carpeting with rotating brushes  28 ,  30  and sucks away loosened dirt or debris. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5  in conjunction with  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the support roller  34  is rotated by a drive belt  35 . Furthermore, the support roller  34  has an axle  37  that engages a retainer  46 . The retainer  46  can be raised and lowered by the mechanical linkages  42  that lead to the foot lever  44 . The retainer  42  has a quick release design that enables a person to rapidly remove the support roller  34  from the floor head  12  so that the towelette  36  can be replaced. The towelette  36  is wrapped around the support roller  34 . The towelette  36  can be affixed to the roller in a number of ways. In the shown embodiment, a slot  47  is formed along the length of the support roller  34  that can receive the two end edges  48  of the towelette  36 . This keeps the edges  48  of the towelette  36  protected and prevents the edges  48  from snagging and pulling the towelette  36  from the support roller  34 . In addition, the towelette  36  may contain tacky material and/or hook and loop material  49  that enables the interior of the towelette to engage the exterior of the support roller  34 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6  in conjunction with  FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the vacuum assembly  10  has an extendable hose  50  for use in cleaning steps, furniture, and other objects other than floors. The extendable hose  50  terminates with a cleaning head  52 . The cleaning head  52  has a triangular shape. However, other polygonal peripheral shapes can also be used. Within the cleaning head  52  is a small motor  54 . The motor  54  turns two elements within the cleaning head  52 . The first element turned by the motor  54  is a small rotating brush  56 . The rotating brush  56  extends along the length of one edge of the cleaning head  52 . The second element turned by the motor  54  is a small support roller  58  around which is wrapped a disposable towelette  60 . 
     The cleaning head  52  has a handle  62  that enables the cleaning head  52  to be easily grasped and manipulated. A user can move the cleaning head  52  so that the rotating brush  56  first passes over an area. This will remove any loose dirt or debris in the area. The user can then change the orientation of the cleaning head  52  so that the towelette  60  passes over that same area. The towelette  60  wipes the area and cleans any remaining residual dirt. 
     Referring to all figures, it will be understood that the vacuum assembly  10  can suck away loose dirt in the manner of a traditional vacuum cleaner and can wipe way dirt in the manner of a pad mop. However, the features are combined into a single assembly. By placing the features in a single assembly, unexpected synergistic effects can be had. By placing the towelette in between two rotating brushes, the towelette is prevented from coming into contact with large amounts of loose dirt or debris. As such, the towelette is reserved to wipe away only matter that is stuck to the surface of the floor. This significantly extends the useful life of the towelette. As such, the towelette of the present invention does not need to be changed nearly as often as towelettes in traditional pad mops. Furthermore, by placing the towelette onto a support roller that spins, the towelette can be made far more effective in cleaning. The relative movement of the spinning towelette enables the towelette to lift tough stains from hard floor surfaces. 
     It will be understood that the embodiment of the present invention that is illustrated and described is merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to that embodiment. For instance, the shape of the vacuum assembly and the floor head can be altered to many designs. Likewise, the features of the invention can be incorporated into many existing vacuum cleaner designs. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.