Cordless wet mop and vacuum assembly

• US 5,983,448 A
• Filed: 05/22/1998
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lazarra, Joseph, Kalman, Jeffrey M., Cipolla, Mark, Saunders, Craig M., Zahuranec, Terry L., Farone, Richard C., Wright, Michael F., Shumaker, Laurie M., Specht, Glenn E., Dieterich, Gary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/083,809
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 15/393, 15/401, 15/364, 15/365, 15/320, 15/118, 15/121, 15/119.2
• US Class Current: 15/365
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/12 Implements with several different treating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/144 having squeezing rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/22 with liquid-feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/26 Other cleaning devices with liquid supply arrangements such arrangements on floor-polishing machines A47L11/00, on scrapers A47L13/03, on mops A47L13/22; cloths, pads, or the like containing cleaning agents A47L13/17, A47L13/19
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a suction cleaning device which provides liquid dispensing, scrubbing, squeegeeing, and suction drying in a single, compact, self contained device. The suction cleaning device includes a cleaning device housing, a handle connected to the housing, an absorbent cleaning member mounted on the housing and movable between an extended and a retracted position, and a pair of squeegee blades. The squeegee blades are mounted in a squeegee tray, and at least one of the squeegee blades is movable between an extended and a retracted position in response to changes in the relative angle between the housing and the surface being cleaned. The movable squeegee blade is spring-biased into the extended position by one or more springs such as leaf springs. The device includes a suction system which draws the water from the floor surface which has been cleaned into a tank mounted on the housing which collects the liquid from the floor surface. A clean water bottle is provided on the housing for delivering cleaning liquid to the floor and a rechargeable battery power source provides power to the suction motor. The cleaning device is compact and lightweight and leaves the floor in a substantially dry state.

Claims

1. A self contained mopping and drying system for floors comprising:

a housing;

a handle extending from the housing;

a scrubbing member mounted on the housing;

a pair of squeegees mounted on the housing for collecting contaminated liquid on a floor surface;

a suction system within the housing for removing the contaminated liquid from the floor surface which has been collected by the pair of squeegees, wherein the suction system leaves the floor in a substantially dry state;

a tank mounted on the housing for collecting the contaminated liquid which has been removed from the surface by operation of the suction motor; and

a battery power source received in the housing and providing power to the suction system.

2. The self contained mopping and drying system for floors as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

a squeegee tray connected to the housing and including a top wall, wherein said pair of squeegees are connected to said squeegee tray and at least one of said pair of squeegees is movable in a transverse plane that intersects said top wall; and

,

means for resiliently biasing said at least one squeegee away from said top wall so that said at least one squeegee is adapted for movement in a said transverse plane to accommodate different cleaning angles between said housing and floor surface.

3. The self contained mopping and drying system for floors as set forth in claim 2 wherein said biasing means comprises at least one spring interposed between said top wall and said at least one squeegee.

4. The self contained mopping and drying system for floors as set forth in claim 3 wherein said at least one spring is one of a leaf spring and a coil spring.

5. The self contained mopping and drying system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said at least one spring is made from one of beryllium copper alloy and plastic.

6. The self contained mopping and drying system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

first and second U-shaped squeegee casings respectively retaining each squeegee, each casing comprising at least one notch formed therein; and

,

a plurality of tabs projecting from said squeegee tray adapted for respective engagement with said notches to prevent separation of said U-shaped casings from said squeegee tray.

7. The self contained mopping and drying system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one squeegee moves relative to the other squeegee by a distance of approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.5 inches.

8. A cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning device housing;

a handle extending from the housing;

a sponge mounted on the housing and movable between an extended position in which the sponge extends from the housing and is used to clean a surface and a retracted position in which the sponge is substantially retracted into the housing, the sponge having a central plane bisecting the sponge;

a pair of squeegees mounted on the housing in a parallel spaced arrangement, the pair of squeegees positioned in first and second planes, wherein the central plane of the sponge diverges from the first and second planes of the squeegees in a direction away from the housing.

9. The cleaning device as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

a squeegee tray connected to the housing and including a top wall, wherein said pair of squeegees are connected to said squeegee tray and at least one of said pair of squeegees is movable in a transverse plane that intersects said top wall; and

,

means for resiliently biasing said at least one movable squeegee away from said top wall so that said at least one of said pair of squeegees is adapted for movement in a said transverse plane to accommodate different cleaning angles of the housing relative to a surface being cleaned.

10. The cleaning device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said biasing means comprises at least one spring interposed between said top wall and said at least one of said pair of squeegees.

11. The cleaning device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said at least one spring is one of a leaf spring and a coil spring.

12. The cleaning device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said at least one spring is made from one of beryllium copper alloy and plastic.

13. The cleaning device as set forth in claim 9 further comprising:

first and second U-shaped squeegee casings respectively retaining each squeegee, each casing comprising at least one notch formed therein; and

,

a plurality of tabs projecting from said squeegee tray adapted for respective engagement with said notches to prevent separation of said U-shaped casings from said squeegee tray.

14. The cleaning device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said at least one resiliently biased movable squeegee is adapted to move relative to the other squeegee by a distance of approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.5 inches.

15. A suction cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning device housing rotatable between a cleaning position and a drying position;

a handle extending from the housing;

a scrubbing member positioned for cleaning a floor when the housing is in the cleaning position;

a squeegee system positioned to contact the floor when the housing is in the drying position;

a suction motor within the housing for removing liquid from the floor; and

a tank mounted on the housing for collecting the liquid from the floor.

16. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 15 wherein said squeegee system comprises:

a squeegee tray connected to the housing;

first and second squeegees connected to the squeegee tray wherein at least one of the first and second squeegees is adapted for movement toward and away from a top wall of the squeegee tray in response to changes in the relative angle between the housing and the floor; and

,

means for biasing the at least one movable squeegee outwardly away from said squeegee tray top wall.

17. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 16 wherein said biasing means comprises at least one spring interposed between said squeegee tray top wall and said at least one squeegee.

18. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 17 wherein said at least one spring is one of a leaf spring and a coil spring.

19. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said at least one spring is made from one of beryllium copper alloy and plastic.

20. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 16 further comprising:

first and second U-shaped squeegee casings respectively retaining each squeegee, each casing comprising at least one notch formed therein; and

,

a plurality of tabs projecting from said squeegee tray adapted for respective engagement with said notches to prevent separation of said U-shaped casings from said squeegee tray.

21. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 16 wherein said at least one squeegee is adapted to move relative to the other squeegee by a distance of approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.5 inches.

22. The suction cleaning device as set forth in claim 16 wherein both said first and second squeegees are adapted for movement toward and away from the top wall of the squeegee tray in response to changes in the relative angle between the housing and the floor, and wherein said means for biasing engages both the first and second squeegees and biases said first and second squeegees outwardly away from said squeegee tray top wall.