Traveling floor cleaning appliance

• US 6,061,868 A
• Filed: 04/26/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kaercher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Troff, Gilles, Moritsch, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/299,834
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/339, 15/353, 15/363, 15/385
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices

Abstract

In order to construct a traveling floor cleaning appliance, which has a cleaning tool engaging on a floor surface, a cleaning liquid tank as well as a dirty liquid container and a suction unit for taking up a cleaning liquid sprayed on the floor surface and transferring it into the dirty liquid container, in such a manner that its design is simplified and its weight reduced it is suggested that the cleaning liquid tank be constructed as a one-piece, closed hollow body consisting of plastic and that the dirty liquid container be designed in the form of a double-walled receptacle of the hollow body.

Claims

1. A traveling floor cleaning appliance comprising:

a cleaning tool adapted to engage a floor surface,

a cleaning liquid tank adapted to hold cleaning liquid to be applied onto the floor surface,

a dirty liquid container; and

a suction unit for taking up cleaning liquid applied to the floor surface from said cleaning tank and transferring said cleaning liquid from said floor surface into the dirty liquid container, wherein;

the cleaning liquid tank is constructed as a one-piece, plastic enclosed hollow body, and

the dirty liquid container comprises a double-walled receptacle formed by said hollow body and a cover, wherein the cover comprises a suction channel in flow communication with the interior of the dirty liquid container and with the suction unit.

2. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow body comprises a rotationally sintered body.

3. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow body comprises a blown body.

4. A traveling floor cleaning appliance comprising:

a cleaning tool adapted to engage a floor surface,

a cleaning liquid tank adapted to hold cleaning liquid to be applied onto the floor surface,

a dirty liquid container, and

a suction unit for taking up cleaning liquid applied to the floor surface from said cleaning tank and transferring said cleaning liquid from said floor surface into the dirty liquid container, wherein;

the cleaning liquid tank is constructed as a one-piece, plastic enclosed hollow body which forms a chassis of the floor cleaning appliance, and the dirty liquid container comprises a double-walled receptacle formed by said hollow body.

5. A traveling floor cleaning appliance comprising:

a cleaning tool adapted to engage a floor surface;

a cleaning liquid tank adapted to hold cleaning liquid to be applied onto the floor surface;

a dirty liquid container;

a suction unit for taking up cleaning liquid applied to the floor surface from said cleaning tank and transferring said cleaning liquid from said floor surface into the dirty liquid container, wherein the cleaning liquid tank is constructed as a one-piece, plastic enclosed hollow body, and the dirty liquid container comprises a double-walled receptacle formed by said hollow body;

passage-like entry and exit channels formed in said hollow body, and

a suction lip adapted to engage on the floor surface for application of the suction produced by the suction unit,

said dirty liquid container being in flow connection with said suction lip and with the suction unit, respectively, via said channels.

6. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 5, wherein:

the entry channel is penetrated by a short entry connection pipe, and

a separator in the form of a separating wall is provided over an opening region of said connection pipe in the dirty liquid container.

7. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 6, wherein the separating wall is provided on a cover covering the dirty liquid container.

8. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the cover is of a double-walled construction which forms an inner cover and an outer cover, and

the separating wall is formed in the inner cover.

9. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 8, wherein the cover comprises a one-piece plastic body.

10. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 9, wherein a second separator is arranged in a region between the inner and outer cover.

11. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 8, wherein the cover comprises a suction channel in flow communication with the interior of the dirty liquid container and with the suction unit.

12. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 11, wherein the suction channel extends in a region between the inner and outer cover and is in flow communication with the interior of the dirty liquid container via a suction opening arranged on the inner cover.

13. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 12, further comprising a float valve for closing the suction opening when the dirty liquid container is full.

14. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 8, wherein a second separator is arranged in a region between the inner and outer cover.

15. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 14, wherein the second separator is held on the inner cover in a region of the suction opening.

16. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 15, wherein the second separator is connected to the inner cover in one piece.

17. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 15, wherein the second separator comprises:

a short separator connection pipe extending into the interior of the dirty liquid container,

an entry section tapering conically in a flow direction and opening into the suction opening, and

at least one liquid return opening adjacent to the entry section.

18. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 7, wherein the cover comprises a one-piece plastic body.

19. A floor cleaning appliance as defined in claim 7, wherein the cover comprises a suction channel in flow communication with the interior of the dirty liquid container and with the suction unit.