Floor cleaning machine with dust control apparatus and associate method of use
First Claim
1. A floor cleaning machine with dust control apparatus, the floor cleaning machine creating dust as a by-product of normal operations, the floor cleaning machine comprising:
- an engine mounted on a frame supported by a wheel, the engine operatively connected to a rotatable pad driver that is capable of attaching a pad thereto, wherein the pad is capable of contacting a floor;
a rigid housing surrounding the pad driver and pad, the housing having a sidewall, which is substantially vertical;
an air outlet in the sidewall located at least partially opposite the rotatable pad driver that receives radially projected dust;
a dust collection mechanism to receive at least a portion of the dust from the air outlet via an air conduit; and
a floating hoop assembly with a flexible skirt that extends from the sidewall of the rigid housing to a floating circular hoop and felt follower in contact with the floor to assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust created during operation of the floor cleaning machine.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floor cleaning machine with dust control apparatus can assist in capturing dust created as a by-product during normal operations. The dust control apparatus is particularly applicable to propane-powered burnishers that use rotating pads to remove built up wax from hard surface floors. A floating scoop is attached to a floating hoop assembly to direct dust away from the rotating pad. The scoop is located tangentially to the housing that surrounds the rotating pad. An inlet to the housing facilitates airflow through the housing to pick up dust, which exits through the scoop. A containment canister with removable filter is in communication with the scoop. The air and entrained particulate (dust) swirls around the filter in a circular flow path to help separate the particulate from the air. The filtered air exits the canister and returns to the atmosphere.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A floor cleaning machine with dust control apparatus, the floor cleaning machine creating dust as a by-product of normal operations, the floor cleaning machine comprising:
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an engine mounted on a frame supported by a wheel, the engine operatively connected to a rotatable pad driver that is capable of attaching a pad thereto, wherein the pad is capable of contacting a floor; a rigid housing surrounding the pad driver and pad, the housing having a sidewall, which is substantially vertical; an air outlet in the sidewall located at least partially opposite the rotatable pad driver that receives radially projected dust; a dust collection mechanism to receive at least a portion of the dust from the air outlet via an air conduit; and a floating hoop assembly with a flexible skirt that extends from the sidewall of the rigid housing to a floating circular hoop and felt follower in contact with the floor to assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust created during operation of the floor cleaning machine. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A floor cleaning machine with dust control apparatus, the floor cleaning machine creating dust as a by-product of normal operations, the floor cleaning machine comprising:
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an engine operatively connected to a rotatable pad driver that is capable of attaching a pad thereto, wherein the pad is capable of contacting a floor; a housing surrounding the pad driver and pad, the housing having a sidewall, which is substantially vertical; an air outlet in the sidewall located at least partially opposite the rotatable pad driver that receives radially projected dust; a dust collection mechanism to receive at least a portion of the dust from the air outlet via an air conduit; a floating hoop assembly that extends from the sidewall of the housing to the floor to assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust created during operation of the floor cleaning machine; and a floating scoop connected to a portion of the floating hoop assembly. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A floor cleaning machine with dust control apparatus, the floor cleaning machine creating dust as a by-product of normal operations, the floor cleaning machine comprising:
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an engine operatively connected to a rotatable pad driver that is capable of attaching a pad thereto, wherein the pad is capable of contacting a floor; a housing surrounding the pad driver and pad, the housing having a sidewall; a floating hoop assembly that extends from the sidewall of the housing to the floor to assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust created during operation of the floor cleaning machine; a floating scoop connected to a portion of the floating hoop assembly, the scoop and the hoop assembly capable of moving up and down in tandem, the scoop directing at least a portion of the dust away from the pad; a throat in fluid communication with the floating scoop to direct at least a portion of the dust away from the pad; and a circular canister mounted on the floor cleaning machine, the canister in communication with the throat to receive and assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A dust control apparatus for use with a floor cleaning machine capable of utilizing a rotatable pad that can contact a floor and creates a stream of air and entrained particulate during normal operation, the rotatable pad is enclosed by a generally circular housing having a sidewall, the dust control apparatus comprising:
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a floating hoop assembly that extends from the sidewall of the housing to the floor to assist in containment of the entrained particulate created during operation of the floor cleaning machine; a floating scoop connected to a portion of the floating hoop assembly, the scoop and the hoop assembly moving up and down in tandem, the scoop directing at least a portion of the entrained particulate away from the pad; a throat rigidly connected to the floor cleaning machine, the throat in communication with the floating scoop to direct at least a portion of the entrained particulate away from the pad; a flexible boot connecting the floating scoop to the throat; and a separator with a removable filter mounted on the floor cleaning machine, the separator in communication with the throat to receive and assist in containment of the entrained particulate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An after-market dust control apparatus for attachment to a floor cleaning machine that creates dust during normal operations, the machine capable of utilizing a circular pad that contacts the floor and creates a positive air flow while the pad is rotated, the pad surrounded by a housing with a sidewall, the after-market dust control apparatus comprising:
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a floating hoop assembly that extends from the sidewall of the housing to the floor to assist in containment of the dust created during operation of the floor cleaning machine a floating scoop connected to a portion of the floating hoop assembly that moves up and down in tandem with the hoop assembly, the scoop directing at least a portion of the dust away from the pad; an attachment mechanism that connects the floating hoop assembly to the housing; a throat in communication with the floating scoop to direct at least a portion of the dust away from the pad; and a containment canister connected to the floor cleaning machine, the canister in communication with the throat to receive and contain at least a portion of the dust. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An after-market dust control apparatus for attachment to a floor cleaning machine having a pad driver that is capable of utilizing a rotatable pad that contacts the floor and creates a stream of air and entrained particulate during operations, the pad enclosed by a generally circular housing with a sidewall, the after-market dust control apparatus comprising:
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a floating hoop assembly that extends from the sidewall of the housing to the floor to contain at least a portion of the stream of air and entrained particulate created during operation of the floor cleaning machine; a floating scoop connected to a portion of the floating hoop assembly, the scoop and the hoop assembly moving up and down in tandem, the scoop containing and directing at least a portion of the stream of air and entrained particulate away from the pad driver; an attachment mechanism that connects the floating hoop assembly and floating scoop to the housing; a throat containing and directing the stream of air and entrained particulate away from the pad driver; and a separator with a removable filter, the separator in communication with the throat to receive the stream of air and entrained particulate and separate at least a portion of the particulate from the air. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A propane-powered burnisher with dust control apparatus, the propane-powered burnisher creating dust as a by-product of normal operations, the propane-powered burnisher comprising:
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a propane-powered engine operatively connected by a belt to a rotating pad driver and rotating pad in contact with the floor; a housing surrounding the pad driver and pad, the housing having a top and a sidewall; a floating hoop assembly that extends from the sidewall of the housing to the floor to assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust created during operation of the propane-powered burnisher; a floating scoop connected to the floating hoop assembly, the scoop and the hoop assembly moving up and down in tandem, the scoop directing at least a portion of the dust away from the pad; a throat rigidly connected to the propane-powered burnisher, the throat in communication with the floating scoop to direct at least a portion of the dust away from the pad; a flexible boot connecting the floating scoop to the non-floating throat; a circular canister mounted on the propane-powered burnisher, the canister in communication with the throat to receive and assist in containment of the dust; an upper flow passageway defined by the pad driver and the top and sidewall of the housing; a circumferential flow passageway defined by an outer edge of the pad and a portion of the floating hoop assembly; an inlet formed in the sidewall of the housing to allow ambient air to pass from an outside of the housing into the upper flow passageway; and an outlet formed in the scoop for the air and dust, the outlet being in communication with both the upper flow passageway and the circumferential flow passageway. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for utilizing a floor cleaning machine that creates dust as a by-product of normal operations with dust control apparatus, the method comprising:
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rotating a pad driver with an engine rigidly mounted on a frame, wherein the pad driver is capable of attaching a pad thereto, wherein the pad is capable of contacting a floor;
removing air, having radially projected dust, through an air outlet located in a sidewall, which is substantially vertical, from a rigid housing surrounding the pad driver and pad, wherein the air outlet in the sidewall is located at least partially opposite the rotatable pad driver;containing air and dust with a floating hoop assembly with a flexible skirt that extends from the sidewall of the rigid housing to a floating circular hoop and felt follower in contact with the floor to assist in containment of at least a portion of the dust created during operation of the floor cleaning machine; and conveying at least a portion of the dust from the air outlet via an air conduit to a dust collection mechanism.
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Specification