Floor cleaning apparatus

• US 7,240,396 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diversey Incorporated (Sealed Air)
• Original Assignee: JohnsonDiversey, Inc
• Inventors: Sandin, Paul E., O'Brien, John P., Jones, Joseph L., Sword, Lee F., Mass, Philip R., Chiappetta, Mark, Robert, Rosario, Coltof, Gideon, Angle, Colin, Sharma, Jayant, Wirz, Benjamin L., Thomas, Victor W. Sr., Kay, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider; Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/752,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 15/4, 15/501, 15/503, 15/52, 15/98, 153/20, 153/401, 153/404, 153/403, 154/01, 153/49, 153/19
• US Class Current: 15/349
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/14 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• 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 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4052 Movement of the tools or the like perpendicular to the cleaning surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits

Abstract

A floor cleaner is provided for cleaning a floor, where the floor cleaner has a front and a rear and includes: a sweeper for sweeping the floor; a scrubber, connected to the sweeper and located in the rear of the sweeper, for wetting and cleaning the floor; and a burnisher, connected to the scrubber and located in the rear of the scrubber, for burnishing the floor.

Claims

1. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising:

a sweeper assembly having a front and a rear, the sweeper assembly also having one or more rotating sweeper elements;

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear, the front of the scrubber positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the sweeper assembly than to the front of the sweeper assembly;

a burnisher for burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber;

a hopper spaced apart from the sweeper elements; and

a ramp, the ramp connected to the hopper and located between the sweeper elements and the hopper, a portion of the ramp being located under a portion of the sweeper elements.

2. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising:

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear;

a sweeper assembly positioned in closer proximity to the front of the scrubber than to the rear of the scrubber, the sweeper assembly having one or more rotating sweeper elements;

a burnisher for burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber, wherein the scrubber comprises a scrubber brush having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the floor and substantially perpendicular to an axis running from the front to the rear of the floor cleaner;

a hopper spaced apart from the sweeper elements; and

a ramp, the ramp connected to the hopper and located between the sweeper elements and the hopper, a portion of the ramp being located under a portion of the sweeper elements.

3. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear;

and

a burnisher for burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber, wherein the scrubber comprises a scrubber brush having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the floor and substantially perpendicular to an axis running from the front to the rear of the floor cleaner, said cleaner further comprising control circuitry connected to the scrubber and the burnisher, the control circuitry executing in parallel a first program module operating the scrubber and a second program module operating the burnisher.

4. The floor cleaner of claim 3 wherein the first program module supplies data to the second program module and the second program module modifies the operation of the burnisher based on the data supplied from the first program module.

5. The floor cleaner of claim 3 wherein the control circuitry comprises at least two processors, a first processor executing the first program module and a second processor executing the second program module.

6. The floor cleaner of claim 3 further comprising a sweeper, wherein the control circuitry is further connected to the sweeper, the control circuitry executing, in parallel with the first program module and second program module, a third program module operating the sweeper.

7. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising:

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear;

a sweeper positioned in closer proximity to the front of the scrubber than to the rear of the scrubber

a burnisher it burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber, wherein the scrubber comprises a scrubber brush having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the floor and substantially perpendicular to an axis running from the front to the rear of the floor cleaner wherein the sweeper further comprises

a retractable sweeper assembly;

at least one rotatable sweeper brush;

a sweeper brush motor for rotating the sweeper brush; and

a sweeper assembly motor for raising and lowering the sweeper brush; and

wherein the scrubber further comprises

a retractable scrubber assembly;

a scrubber brush;

a squeegee assembly proximate the scrubber brush;

a scrubber brush motor for rotating the scrubber brush;

a scrubber assembly motor for raising and lowering the scrubber brush and the squeegee assembly;

a cleaning fluid pump for supplying cleaning fluid proximate the scrubber brush; and

a vacuum source including an inlet proximate the scrubber brush; and

wherein the burnisher further comprises

a retractable burnisher assembly;

at least one rotatable burnishing pad;

a burnishing pad motor for rotating the burnishing pad; and

a burnisher assembly motor far raising and lowering the burnishing pad; and

wherein the floor cleaner further comprises a control system including circuitry configured, upon command, to automatically selectively energize and deenergize the sweeper brush motor, the sweeper assembly motor, the scrubber brush motor, the scrubber assembly motor, the cleaning fluid pump, the vacuum source, the burnishing pad motor and the burnishing assembly motor in accordance with a preselected sequence.

8. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising:

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear; and

a burnisher for burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber, wherein the distance between the scrubber and the burnisher is no greater than 40 centimeters;

a sweeper assembly positioned in closer proximity to the front of the scrubber than to the rear of the scrubber, the sweeper assembly having one or more rotating sweeper elements;

a hopper spaced apart from the sweeper elements; and

a ramp, the ramp connected to the hopper and located between the sweeper elements and the hopper, a portion of the ramp being located under a portion of the sweeper elements.

9. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising:

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear;

a burnisher for burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber, wherein the distance between the scrubber and the burnisher is no greater than 40 centimeters; and

control circuitry, the control circuitry connected to the scrubber and the burnisher, the control circuitry executing in parallel a first program module operating the scrubber and a second program module operating the burnisher.

10. The floor cleaner of claim 9 wherein the first program module supplies data to the second program module and the second program module modifies the operation of the burnisher based on the data supplied from the first program module.

11. The floor cleaner of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry comprises at least two processors, a first processor executing the first program module and a second processor executing the second program module.

12. The floor cleaner of claim 9 further comprising a sweeper positioned in closer proximity to the front of the scrubber than to the rear of the scrubber, wherein the control circuitry is further connected to the sweeper, the control circuitry executing, in parallel with the first program module and second program module, a third program module operating the sweeper.

13. A floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, the floor cleaner having a front and a rear, the floor cleaner comprising:

a scrubber for wetting and cleaning the floor, the scrubber having a front and a rear; and

a burnisher for burnishing the floor, the burnisher positioned in closer proximity to the rear of the scrubber than to the front of the scrubber, wherein the distance between the scrubber and the burnisher is no greater than 40 centimeters;

a sweeper positioned in closer proximity to the front of the scrubber than to the rear of the scrubber, wherein the sweeper further comprises

a retractable sweeper assembly;

at least one rotatable sweeper brush;

a sweeper brush motor for rotating the sweeper brush; and

a motor for raising and lowering the sweeper brush; and

wherein the scrubber further comprises

a retractable scrubber assembly;

a scrubber brush;

a squeegee assembly proximate the scrubber brush;

a scrubber brush motor for rotating the scrubber brush;

a scrubber assembly motor for raising and lowering the scrubber brush and the squeegee assembly;

a cleaning fluid pump for supplying cleaning fluid proximate the scrubber brush; and

a vacuum source including an inlet proximate the scrubber brush; and

wherein the burnisher further comprises

a retractable burnisher assembly;

at least one rotatable burnishing pad;

a burnishing pad motor for rotating the burnishing pad; and

a burnisher assembly motor for raising and lowering the burnishing pad; and

wherein the floor cleaner further comprises a control system including circuitry configured, upon command, to automatically selectively energize and deenergize the sweeper brush motor, the sweeper assembly motor, the scrubber brush motor, the scrubber assembly motor, the cleaning fluid pump, the vacuum source, the burnishing pad motor and the burnishing assembly motor in accordance with a preselected sequence.