Hard floor cleaner

• US 20060000051A1
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Farone, Richard C., Wright, Michael F., Cipolla, Mark E., Murphy, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0009 with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means

Abstract

A floor cleaning device (10) includes a housing (40) and a container (43) removably received by the housing. A suction nozzle (18, 18′, 18″) is fluidly connected with the container and with a suction source (52) when the container is. received by the housing. A filter (114) is selectively fluidly connected with the container and with the suction source. A float (170) selectively closes the fluid connection of the filter with the container. The filter and the float may be removable as a unit (42) from the cleaning device. The nozzle may be removable, allowing an appropriate nozzle to be selected according to the type of floor surface to be cleaned.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A floor cleaning device comprising:

a base portion for movement along a surface;

a handle portion pivotally connected to said base portion;

a nozzle assembly associated with said base portion, said nozzle assembly including a nozzle body and a squeegee attached to said nozzle body;

a brush assembly associated with said base portion, said brush assembly comprising a rotatable brushroll having a rotational axis which is approximately parallel to the surface; and

,

wherein said nozzle assembly is, in a first position raised off the surface for vacuuming the surface, said nozzle assembly being lowered to a second position contacting the surface for picking up liquid and dirt from the surface.

54. The floor cleaning device of claim 53 further comprising an actuator operatively connected to said base portion such that said actuator selectively raises said nozzle assembly from said second position, in which it contacts the surface, to said first position.

55. The floor cleaning device of claim 53 wherein said nozzle assembly is removably mounted on said base portion.

56. The floor cleaning device of claim 53 further comprising a motor for driving said brushroll.

57. The floor cleaning device of claim 56 further comprising a drive belt drivably connected between said motor and said brushroll.

58. The floor cleaning device of claim 57 further comprising a switch for selectively actuating said motor.

59. A floor cleaning device comprising:

a base portion for movement along a surface, said base portion including a distributor for distributing cleaning liquid onto the surface;

front and rear support members connected to said base portion and engaging the surface;

a handle portion pivotally connected to said base portion;

a nozzle assembly associated with said base portion, said nozzle assembly including a nozzle body composed of a rigid material, said nozzle assembly including a squeegee attached to said nozzle body;

a brush assembly associated with said base portion said brush assembly comprising a brushroll mounted for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis; and

wherein said nozzle assembly is movable between a first position raised off of the surface to vacuum the surface with said front and rear support members maintaining engagement with the surface, and a second position in which said squeegee engages the surface to collect and pick up liquid and dirt from the surface, wherein said front and rear support members maintain engagement with the surface when said nozzle assembly is in said first position.

60. The floor cleaning device of claim 59 including a retainer mounted to said nozzle body, said squeegee being attached to said retainer.

61. The floor cleaning device of claim 59 further including an actuator operatively connected to said base portion such that actuating said actuator moves said nozzle assembly to one of said first position and said second position.

62. The floor cleaning device of claim 61 wherein actuating said actuator again moves said nozzle assembly to the other one of said first position and said second position.

63. The floor cleaning device of claim 61 wherein said actuator comprises a pedal operatively connected to said base portion such that depressing said pedal moves said nozzle assembly to one of said first position and said second position.

64. The floor cleaning device of claim 63 wherein depressing said pedal again moves said nozzle assembly to the other one of said first position and said second position.

65. The floor cleaning device of claim 59 wherein said front support member includes a wheel carriage pivotally connected to said base portion.

66. The floor cleaning device of claim 59 wherein said rear support member includes a pair of wheels rotatably connected on opposite sides of said base, each of said wheels including a tire portion formed therearound.

67. A cleaning device comprising:

a base;

a handle pivotally connected to said base;

a container carried by one of said base and said handle for receiving dirt from a surface to be cleaned;

a reservoir carried by one of said base and said handle for supplying a cleaning solution to the surface to be cleaned;

a source of suction carried by one of said base and said handle and in fluid communication with said container;

a brushroll rotatably mounted to said base;

a suction nozzle carried by said base, the suction nozzle including an inlet for receiving dirt from the surface to be cleaned and an outlet; and

,

an adjustment mechanism for moving said suction nozzle, relative to said base, between a first position, in which said inlet is located adjacent the surface to be cleaned and a second position, in which said inlet is spaced from the surface.

68. The cleaning device of claim 67, further including at least one squeegee mounted to said suction nozzle adjacent said inlet, said squeegee contacting the surface to be cleaned when said suction nozzle is in the first position and being spaced from the surface when said suction nozzle is in the second position.

69. The cleaning device of claim 67, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a pivoting link for pivotally connecting said suction nozzle to said base.

70. The cleaning device of claim 69, wherein said adjustment mechanism further comprises a pedal operatively connected to said pivoting link.

71. The cleaning device of claim 67, further comprising a motor for driving said brushroll.

72. The cleaning device of claim 71, further comprising a drive belt drivably connected between said motor and said brushroll.

73. The cleaning device of claim 71 further comprising a switch for selectively actuating said motor.