Abstract:
A rideable carpet cleaning system in which the assembly that is ridden is releasably attached to a power bonnet assembly to facilitate storage cleaning and repair. The system is battery operated and includes a forward mounted steering assembly. The bonnet assembly is mounted partially forward of the steering wheel and a link-pin feature allows the operator to lower or raise the assembly for engagement or storage purposes, as desired, with minimum effort.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Rideable assemblies which clean, scrub and wax floors are known in the art; however, none of these systems provide a cleaning assembly in which a bonnet cleaner is detachably joined to a rideable appliance. 
     Moreover, none of the known cleaning systems show the cleaner in a position which is forward of the operator; where it can be viewed during the cleaning operation. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,280, Campbell describes a rideable machine for cleaning and waxing floors. This machine includes four brushes; one for sweeping, two for cleaning and waxing and a fourth brush for polishing; however, none of these are bonnet type cleaners nor can they be easily attached or detached or viewed by the operator during the cleaning operation. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,178, Legatt et al. describes a rideable floor scrubber in which the novelty resides in the use of elastomeric isolator mounts for damping vibrations; the object of which is to extend the life of the cleaning machine and its batteries. However, Legatt et al. fails to show any easily detachable means for securing the scrubbing brush to the carriage which is being ridden; moreover, the brush is located behind a drive wheel and as a result, it is invisible to the operator during the cleaning process. 
     Schaeffer, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,420, describes a carpet cleaning device in which the cleaning brush is located at the front of the assembly so that it can be viewed by the operator during the cleaning process; however, this is a hand held, manually operated cleaning system. 
     The difficulty with the Schaeffer system is that its disc-like buffer creates a rotational energy with respect to the horizontally disposed cleaning surface and this impels the device in sidewise directions. As a result, this device requires a sustained effort on the part of the operator in order to move it in a straight-line direction. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a bonnet-type cleaning system which can be easily manipulated and impelled forward in a straight line without effort by the operator. 
     There is also a need for a bonnet cleaner which can be ridden and whose cleaning assembly can be releasably attached and detached with ease. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a rideable appliance which is equipped with a cleaning assembly that may be easily detached for cleaning, storage and/or repair purposes. This appliance is battery-powered and its carriage is equipped with a seat and steering means. 
     This apparatus provides a straight-line means for cleaning against a sidewall so that the arcs and misses associated with manually operated bonnet cleaners can be avoided. 
     The cleaning assembly consists of a bonnet-type cleaner or power brush which is releasably mounted forward of the steering mechanism and includes means for tilting the brush assembly forward for engagement purposes and for tilting upwards when it is to be disengaged or placed in neutral. 
     The carriage housing is also equipped with accoutrements which may be needed by the operator while conducting a typical cleaning operation. These include an on-board dispenser for supplying cleaning solution, a hand held power sprayer and an optional wet/vac system which is mounted at the rear of the carriage. 
     Other embodiments which constitute points of novelty include, for example, a linking pin assembly means for releasably attaching and detaching the carriage and the bonnet cleaner to one another. 
     Another embodiment of this invention is a spray means by which a user may dispense cleaning solution, by hand, directly and precisely onto the area which is to be treated so that splashing onto adjacent walls or baseboards can be avoided. 
     Also included is a line of sight tank which provides the operator with a sight view indicator for monitoring fluid levels of cleaning solution while conducting a cleaning operation. Once the operation is concluded, a drain means is used to discharge from the tank whatever remains of the cleaning solution. 
     A further embodiment provides for converting the assembly of this invention from a carpet cleaner to a scrubbing assembly which can be used to strip wax from floors. In this embodiment, the carpet-cleaning bonnet is replaced by a brush which has wax-stripping capabilities and which will otherwise prepare the floor for further treatment. 
     Also included in this invention is means for adding to the carriage a squeegee and/or vacuum system means for clean-up purposes when a floor stripping operation is in progress. 
     Other aspects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims and, also, the drawings where the numbered characters correspond to the like-numbered characters in the specification. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the cleaning system of the present invention taken from the right side, and shown with a single power brush. 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the system shown in FIG. 1 with a second or alternately mounted power brush shown in phantom. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the power brush assembly. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5 showing a single power brush in an engaged mode. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the power brush of FIG. 6 in a raised or disengaged mode. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the control unit by which the cleaning system is operated. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The cleaning system of this invention is shown generally as  1  in FIG.  1  and includes a carriage  2  supported by a rear axle  4  equipped with a pair of powered wheels  5  and  6  (FIGS.  2  and  3 ). Power is supplied by batteries housed within the battery compartment identified as  18  in FIGS. 1 and 2. Mounted to the carriage  2  is a chair  21  and footrest, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 as  22 , the opposite side footrest not being shown. 
     The front wheel  7  of carriage  2  (FIG. 2) and U-shaped bracket  8  are pivotable in front bracket  10  and, in combination with handle bar  9  and steering rod  14 , they provide the user with a convenient steering means. The U-shaped bracket  8  also provides a mount for the front axle  11  (FIG. 2) and it is joined thereto by means which are known in the art. 
     A control unit  15  adjacent to the handle bar  9  controls the bi-directional motor  16  and the pump  17  (FIG. 2) and allows the user to control the operation of the cleaning system. Included in the control unit is a speed control dial  90  and a battery level indicator  91 . A power brush assembly, shown generally as  30  in FIGS. 1 and 6, includes a motor housing  34  which extends upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the buffer housing  31 . Buffer housing  31  supports the cleaning tool that is to be employed in the cleaning operation, whether it be a brush or the buffer identified generally as  32  in FIG.  1 . 
     A collar  33  joined to buffer housing  31 , supports a drive motor (not shown) which is housed within motor housing  34  equipped with a tiltable handle  35 . This handle is secured to the top of motor housing  34  by bolts  48  and, the bottom end of the motor housing is secured to collar  33  of the brush assembly by the series of bolts shown as  43  in FIG.  7 . 
     The power brush assembly  30  is joined to the carriage  2  by a bracket  36  and a pair of vertical braces  37  and  38  (FIG. 8) and these vertical braces are permanently mounted to the carriage  2 . The bracket  36  serves as a fulcrum for the collar  33  and it is joined thereto by a first linch-pin  39  which is inserted through a mounting hole of the vertical brace  37 , a corresponding hole in the bracket  36  and a mounting hole (not shown) in the vertical bracket  38  (FIG.  8 ). The linch-pin  39  is secured by cotter pins  42 . Alternate height-mounting holes  41  provide means for raising and lowering the power brush assembly. 
     For optimum cleaning efficiency, it is desirable to have the capability of raising and lowering the power brush assembly  30  with a minimum of hand labor and this is achieved by virtue of the control arm shown as  44  in FIGS. 1,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8 . FIGS. 6 and 7 are particularly illustrative because they show the control arm  44  in position where the power brush assembly  30  is lowered for engagement (FIG. 6) and tilted upwards or raised (FIG. 7) when not in use. For operation of the control arm  44 , the bracket  36  (FIGS. 6 and 7) is equipped with a pair of supports  47  and a support axle  46  secured therebetween (FIG.  5 ). The control arm  44  pivots about the support axle  46  and it is releasably secured to a second linch-pin  50  via slot  45  (FIG.  6 ). 
     In practice when the power brush assembly  30  is to be engaged for washing or polishing purposes, the operator may use his or her right foot to flip the control arm  44  upwardly and thereby release the control arm from the linch-pin  50  so that the power brush assembly  30  can be made to rest on the work surface  3 . When the power brush assembly is to be raised from the work surface and placed in neutral, the user simply tilts the tiltable handle  35  downward so as to secure the control arm  44  to the second linch-pin  50 . This raised or neutral position is illustrated in FIG.  7 . 
     The carriage  2  of the present system  1  is equipped with a fluid container  23  for holding cleaning solution and includes a level indicator  24  which allows the operator to monitor the fluid levels during the cleaning operation. When the fluid container  23  reaches refill level, the user raises the top  25  on fluid container  23  by pulling upward on knob  26 . If desired, fluid container  23  can be equipped with a hose attachment (not shown) so as to refill the container from a remote location. 
     In a typical cleaning, the fluid container  23  is filled with cleaning solution and a three-position switch  61  mounted in the manifold  60  allows the operator to dispense the appropriate fluid onto the surface which is to be cleaned. When the cleaning assembly is in a forward mode, this is accomplished by dispensing the cleaning solution onto the floor surface via the power brush nozzle  67 . This power nozzle is held in position by a mounting rod  68  and an adjustable collar  69  which directs the dispensed liquid to an area which is immediately in advance of the brush assembly  30 . This dispensing means is automatically activated by a switch  70  which powers the pump  17  that feeds cleaning solution to the manifold  60  via tube  62  (FIGS.  3  and  4 ). A toggle switch shown as  71 FIG. 9 allows the operator to control the dispensing of the fluid in a forward, backward and neutral mode. 
     When the cleaning system  1  is in a reverse mode, the operator may avail himself of the hand applicator  63  and dispense the cleaning solution by hand directly onto the area which is to be cleaned. The cleaning solution is fed to the hand applicator  63  via tube  65  and when it is not in use, it is placed into the receiving member identified as  64  in FIG.  1 . 
     One object of this invention is to maximize efficiency by making available to an operator those items which are commonly employed in cleaning operations. This is achieved by providing a utility bin  27  which is releasably secured to the fluid container  23  by a support hook  20  (FIG.  4 ). Slotted openings  270  in the utility bin  27  provide holding means for various attachments. The utility bin is an optional feature and it may be added or removed from the assembly as desired. 
     Other features which contribute to operator efficiency, are the receptacle means identified as  19  and  20  in FIG.  1 . The receptacle  19  is a pouch for holding items of a personal nature as, for example, food or drink such as a water bottle or the like. In FIG. 1, the receptacle  19  is shown secured to a carriage panel immediately above wheel  5 . This is for the benefit for a right-handed user; however, an identical pouch or receptacle can also be secured to an opposite-side panel for the convenience of a left-handed operator. The receptacle may be secured by adhesive or by any means which is known in the art. 
     The receptacle identified as  20 , is a cup-like holder into which a spray bottle may be inserted. This holder may be secured to a steering rod  14  by a clamp or adhesive or any means which is known in the art. 
     A further embodiment provides for adding to the cleaning system  1  shown in FIG. 1, a second power brush which can be used as an alternative to the power brush identified as  32  (FIGS. 1 and 2) or, alternatively, it may used in tandem in a dual brush arrangement as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     It will be apparent from the forgoing that the cleaning system of this invention provides several improvements over known floor cleaning apparatuses. Principal among these is the powered assembly which allows the bonnet cleaner to provide a straight-line means for cleaning against sidewalls and baseboards. Moreover, the present invention provides for spray means which allow the operator to spray directly onto the area which is to be treated and thus avoid splashing onto walls or baseboards. 
     Still another improvement of the present invention, is its linking pin assembly which allows for the quick and convenient assembly and disassembly of the motorized carriage from its cleaner assembly. 
     A still further embodiment of this invention, which is not shown, is to replace the utility bin identified as  27  in FIG. 1 with a wet-vac system which is equipped with a vacuum motor duct and intake nozzle. This enhancement would give the operator the ability to achieve clean up in a one-step operation by providing squeegee and vacuum means. 
     This invention has been described by reference to precise embodiments, but it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this invention is subject to various modifications and to the extent that those modifications would be obvious to one of ordinary skill they are considered as being within the scope of the appended claims.