SURFACE MAINTENANCE VEHICLE WITH AN INTEGRATED WATER TRAP FOR TRAPPING RESIDUAL WASTE

• US 20160120385A1
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Nortrup, Eric S., Boers, Nicholas E., Caudill, Brent
• Granted Patent: US 10,188,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4077 Skirts or splash guards

Abstract

Embodiments include a waste recovery system for a floor surface maintenance machine. The waste recovery system comprises a squeegee assembly having a squeegee frame, a squeegee retainer extending below the squeegee frame and a reservoir integrally defined in the squeegee retainer. The reservoir can have an inlet passage proximal to the floor surface, an outlet passage fluidly coupled to the fluid suction path and leading to the waste recovery tank, and a fluid trap portion positioned between the inlet and outlet passages. The fluid trap portion can retain backflow waste in the fluid suction path. The reservoir is positioned at a clearance distance from the floor surface in a direction normal to the floor surface such that the reservoir forms the lowest portion of the waste recovery system in the direction normal to the floor surface.

Claims

1. A waste recovery system for a floor surface maintenance machine comprising:

a squeegee assembly having a reservoir integrally defined therein, the reservoir comprising a fluid trap portion therein and adapted to retain backflow waste, wherein the squeegee assembly is configured such that the reservoir is positioned at a clearance distance from the floor surface in a direction normal to the floor surface such that the reservoir forms the lowest portion of the waste recovery system in the direction normal to the floor surface.

2. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is shaped to be generally self-cleaning such that the reservoir clears most waste trapped in the fluid trap portion when the vacuum system starts suctioning waste from the floor surface to the waste recovery tank.

3. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the fluid trap portion is generally inline with the outlet passage.

4. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage and the fluid trap portion are formed integrally within the squeegee retainer.

5. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the fluid trap portion has a rounded shape, the rounded shape of the fluid trap portion causing waste in the fluid suction path to be drawn inside the reservoir with a generally uniform velocity at the inlet passage.

6. The waste recovery system of claim 5, wherein the rounded shape of the fluid trap portion assists in clearing waste trapped in the fluid trap portion when the vacuum system starts suctioning waste from the floor surface to the waste recovery system.

7. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein walls of the inlet and outlet passages are offset from each other by an offset distance such that trapped waste from the outlet passage flow directly into the fluid trap portion without entering the inlet passage when the vacuum system stops suctioning waste from the floor surface.

8. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein an inlet of the inlet passage has an inlet passage height sufficient to cause the waste to be drawn into the reservoir with a uniform velocity into the inlet passage.

9. The waste recovery system of claim 8, wherein the inlet passage has a first wall extending to a height equaling the inlet passage height, the outlet passage has a second wall, wherein the fluid trap portion is defined by the first wall of the inlet passage and the second wall of the outlet passage.

10. The waste recovery system of claim 1, further comprising a cover removably coupled to the squeegee frame, the cover adapted to cover at least a portion of the reservoir, wherein the cover is configured for providing access to the fluid trap portion.

11. The waste recovery system of claim 1, further comprising a second squeegee connectable to the squeegee retainer.

12. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the second squeegee is placed proximal to a back wall of the squeegee frame wherein the back wall of the squeegee frame is generally located on a rear portion of the floor surface maintenance machine.

13. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is offset from a transverse centerline of the squeegee frame and towards the second squeegee blade when the machine is moving in a forward direction.

14. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the fluid trap portion of the reservoir is located at the lowest portion of the squeegee frame in the direction normal to the floor surface.

15. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the reservoir and the floor surface is less than a distance between any other portion of the waste recovery system and the floor surface.

16. The waste recovery system of claim 1, wherein the reservoir includes an inclined portion, the inclined portion adapted to direct waste from the inlet passage to flow in a direction generally parallel to an inclination axis and toward the outlet passage.

17. A waste recovery system for a floor surface maintenance machine connected to a vacuum system adapted to start and stop suctioning waste from a floor surface, the waste recovery system comprising:

a fluid suction path extending from the floor surface to a waste recovery tank, the fluid suction path operably coupled to the vacuum system such that the vacuum system draws waste from the floor surface through the fluid suction path by applying a suction force; and

a squeegee assembly, comprising

a squeegee frame, comprising a front wall and a rear wall, the rear wall being to the rear of a transverse centerline of the squeegee frame when the floor surface maintenance machine is operated in a forward direction

a squeegee retainer extending below the squeegee frame, the squeegee retainer having a reservoir integrally defined therein, the reservoir comprising

an inlet passage positioned proximal to the rear wall of the squeegee frame,

an outlet passage fluidly coupled to the fluid suction path and leading to the waste recovery tank, and

a fluid trap portion positioned between the inlet and outlet passages, the fluid trap portion adapted to retain backflow waste in the fluid suction path,

a first squeegee connectable to the squeegee retainer and adapted to treat the floor surface and direct waste thereon towards the vacuum system, the first squeegee being positioned proximal to the rear wall of the squeegee frame.

18. A floor surface maintenance machine, comprising:

a machine frame adapted to support wheels and a scrub head;

a vacuum system supported by the machine frame, the vacuum system adapted to apply a suction force on waste on a floor surface; and

a waste recovery system fluidly coupled to the vacuum system, the waste recovery system comprising;

a waste recovery tank,

a fluid suction path extending from the floor surface to the waste recovery tank, the fluid suction path operably coupled to the vacuum system such that the vacuum system draws waste from the floor surface through the fluid suction path by applying a suction force, and

a squeegee assembly, comprising,

a squeegee frame,

a squeegee retainer extending below the squeegee frame, the squeegee retainer having a reservoir integrally defined therein, the reservoir comprising

an inlet passage,

an outlet passage fluidly coupled to the fluid suction path and leading to the waste recovery tank, and

a fluid trap portion positioned between the inlet and outlet passages, the fluid trap portion adapted to retain backflow waste in the fluid suction path,

a first squeegee connectable to the squeegee retainer and adapted to treat the floor surface and direct waste thereon towards the vacuum system,

wherein the squeegee assembly is configured such that the reservoir is positioned at a clearance distance from the floor surface in a direction normal to the floor surface such that the reservoir forms the lowest portion of the waste recovery system in the direction normal to the floor surface.

19. The floor surface maintenance machine of claim 18, further comprising a recovery hose fluidly coupled to the waste recovery tank and the outlet passage of the reservoir, the recovery hose in fluid communication with the vacuum system such that the vacuum system applies the suction force to draw waste from the floor surface through the recovery hose and directs the waste from the recovery hose to the waste recovery tank.