Solenoid valve and timing module for a floor treating apparatus

• US 6,105,192 A
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nilfisk A/S (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: ALTO US Incorporated (ALTO U.S.)
• Inventors: Deiterman, Lenard, Courtney, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALDAG, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US09/050,539
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 15/50.1, 15/49.1, 15/53.1, 15/53.2, 15/320, 251/129.01, 251/129.08, 251/129.15, 251/129.22, 251/129.04
• US Class Current: 15/50.1
• 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 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/408 Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices

Abstract

A solenoid valve and timing module for use with a floor treating apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a reservoir for holding a cleaning solution, a flow control valve, a head assembly adapted to carry a floor treating device, a fluid flow line for delivering the liquid supply to a supply point adjacent to the floor treating device, an operator control, and a timing module for continuously opening and closing the flow control valve in response to the operator control.

Claims

1. A floor treating apparatus for use on a floor and responsive to an operator comprising:

a reservoir for holding a supply of liquid;

a head assembly adapted to carry a floor treating device for engaging and treating the floor with the liquid in the reservoir, said head assembly including a motor for rotating the floor treating device;

a fluid flow line for delivering liquid from the reservoir to a supply point adjacent to a point at which the floor treating device engages the floor;

a flow control valve in line with the fluid flow line for permitting liquid flow from the reservoir through the fluid flow line to the supply point when the valve is open and for inhibiting liquid flow from the reservoir through the fluid flow line to the supply point when the valve is closed;

an operator control responsive to the operator for generating an operating signal; and

a timing module responsive to the operator control for opening and closing the flow control valve such that the flow control valve is open for a period of time which corresponds to the operating signal whereby the operator controls the open period of the flow control valve via the operator control to thereby control the liquid supplied from the reservoir via the fluid flow line and the fluid control valve to the supply point.

2. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the timing module opens and closes the flow control valve such that the flow control valve has a duty cycle which corresponds to the operating signal whereby the operator controls the duty cycle of the flow control valve via the operator control to thereby control the flow rate of liquid supplied from the reservoir via the fluid flow line and the fluid control valve to the supply point.

3. The floor treating apparatus of claim 2 wherein the timing module comprises a reference signal generator for generating a reference signal and a comparator for comparing a parameter of the operating signal and a parameter of the reference signal, wherein the timing module opens the flow control valve to allow fluid to flow to the supply point when the parameter of the operating signal is greater than the parameter of the reference signal, and closes the flow control valve to inhibit fluid flow to the supply point when the parameter of the operating signal is less than the parameter of the reference signal.

4. The floor treating apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a transistor switch responsive to the output of the comparator for energizing the flow control valve.

5. The floor treating apparatus of claim 3 wherein a minimum of the parameter of the reference signal is greater than a minimum of the parameter of the operating signal and a maximum of the parameter of the reference signal is less a maximum of the parameter of the operating signal.

6. The floor treating apparatus of claim 3 wherein the reference signal generator for generating the reference signal comprises an oscillator.

7. The floor treating apparatus of claim 3 wherein the reference signal comprises a periodic signal.

8. The floor treating apparatus of claim 7 wherein the periodic signal has a period of ten seconds.

9. The floor treating apparatus of claim 8 wherein the periodic signal is a triangle wave.

10. The floor treating apparatus of claim 3 wherein each parameter of said operating and reference signals comprises voltage and wherein the operator control comprises a variable resistor having a resistance controlled by the operator.

11. The floor treating apparatus of claim 10 wherein the variable resistor comprises a potentiometer.

12. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the operating signal is indicative of an amount of liquid to be supplied from the reservoir to the supply point.

13. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the operating signal is indicative of a rate of flow of liquid to be supplied from the reservoir to the supply point.

14. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow control valve is a solenoid valve.

15. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow control valve is selectively energized simultaneously with the motor for rotating the floor treating device so that the flow control valve is only operational when the motor for rotating the floor treating device is operating.

16. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a machine traverse motor for traversing the floor treating apparatus across the floor wherein the flow control valve is selectively energized simultaneously with the machine traverse motor so that the flow control valve is only operational when the machine traverse motor is operating.

17. The floor treating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a start-up inhibit circuit which initially inhibits operation of the flow control valve when the apparatus is initially energized.

18. A floor treating apparatus for use on a floor comprising:

a reservoir for holding a supply of liquid;

a head assembly adapted to carry a floor treating device for engaging and treating the floor with the liquid in the reservoir, said head assembly including a motor for rotating the floor treating device;

a fluid flow line for delivering liquid from the reservoir to a supply point adjacent to a point at which the floor treating device engages the floor;

a flow control valve in line with the fluid flow line for permitting liquid flow from the reservoir through the fluid flow line to the supply point when the valve is open and for inhibiting liquid flow from the reservoir through the fluid flow line to the supply point when the valve is closed; and

a timing module for generating a control signal in response to an operating signal for repeatedly opening and closing the flow control valve such that the flow control valve has a duty cycle wherein the flow control valve is open for a period of time which corresponds to the operating signal allowing liquid to flow from the reservoir to the supply point via the fluid flow line and the fluid control valve.

19. The treating apparatus of claim 18 wherein the timing module further comprises a reference signal generator for generating a reference signal and a comparator for comparing a parameter of the operating signal and a parameter of the reference signal such that the timing module opens the flow control valve to allow fluid to flow to the supply point when the parameter of the operating signal is greater than the parameter of the reference signal, and closes the flow control valve to inhibit fluid flow to the supply point when the parameter of the operating signal is less than the parameter of the reference signal.

20. The treating apparatus of claim 19 further comprising an operator control responsive to an operator for adjusting the parameter of the operating signal wherein the timing module is responsive to the operator control for opening and closing the flow control valve such that the flow control valve is open for a period of time which corresponds to the operating signal whereby the operator controls the open period of the flow control valve via the operator control to thereby control the liquid supplied from the reservoir via the fluid flow line and the fluid control valve to the supply point.