Squeegee blade

• US 5,212,848 A
• Filed: 03/13/1992
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Geyer, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/851,173
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 15/245, 15/401, 15/402
• US Class Current: 15/401
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/305 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees

Abstract

An improved flexible wiping blade for the vacuum pickup squeegee of a floor scrubbing machine. A series of small protuberances with spaces between them are provided at the lower edge of the blade on its surface that leads when the machine moves backward. At that time the reverse flexing of the blade moves the protuberances under the blade and they hold it off the floor, thus allowing any standing water on the floor to move under the squeegee. They do not interfere with normal flexing of the blade under normal down pressure, and they permit its wiping action to be free of streaks when the scrubbing machine moves forward.

Claims

1. A flexible squeegee blade having a generally rectangular solid shape with a length, a width which is less than the length, and a thickness which is less than the width, said blade having first and second opposed side surfaces with dimensions equal to the length and width of the blade, and at least one edge surface with dimensions equal to the length and thickness of the blade, intersections between the first and second side surfaces and the one edge surface, the second side surface having a series of protuberances along its length with non-protruding spaces between them, said protuberances extending from adjacent the edge of the second side surface where said second side surface intersects said one edge surface and extending in the width direction of the second side surface for a distance which is less than the width of the squeegee blade.

2. The flexible squeegee blade of claim 1 in which the protuberances extend in the width direction of the second side surface for a distance which is less than half the width of the squeegee blade.

3. The flexible squeegee blade of claim 1 in which the protuberances are an integral molded part of the squeegee blade.

4. A vacuum squeegee for a floor scrubbing machine including a frame and a pair of spaced flexible squeegee blades attached to said frame and defining a pickup chamber therebetween, each blade being generally rectangular and having a length, width and thickness, each blade having a lower floor contacting edge, each blade having an interior surface facing the pickup chamber and an exterior surface facing away from the pickup chamber, the exterior surface of at least one of said blades having a plurality of spaced protuberances thereon providing selective thickened areas adjacent the floor contacting edge, each of said protuberances extending in a direction away from the floor contacting edge for a distance which is less than the width of the blade, gaps between said spaced protuberances, with the thickness of the blade at the gaps being equal to blade thickness, said floor contacting edge forming a seal with a floor when said vacuum squeegee moves in one direction, and permitting water to flow through said gaps when the vacuum squeegee moves in the opposite direction.

5. The vacuum squeegee of claim 4 further characterized in that the exterior surface of each of said flexible squeegee blades has a plurality of spaced protuberances thereon providing selected thickened areas adjacent the floor contacting edge, and gaps between said spaced protuberances, with the thickness of the blade at the gaps being equal to blade thickness.

6. The vacuum squeegee of claim 4 further characterized in that each of said protuberances extends in a direction away from the edge surface for a distance which is less than half the width of the squeegee blade.

7. A flexible squeegee blade for use on a floor scrubbing machine, said squeegee blade having a lower floor contacting edge which wipes uniformly along its length against a floor, a series of pads on the squeegee blade adjacent the floor contacting edge, said pads being local in nature so as not to interfere with the normal flexing action of the blade and with the uniform wiping action of the blade along the length of its floor contacting edge against the floor, said pads extending in the width direction of the blade from the floor contacting edge a distance that is less than the width of the blade and spaces between the pads through which water can pass when the blade is flexed backward during reverse travel of the scrubbing machine.