CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 3,750,223 A
• Filed: 01/18/1972
• Issued: 08/07/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gunter Leifheit
• Original Assignee: Gunter Leifheit
• Inventors: Leifheit, Gunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/218,809
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 15/29,5R,5C,98,320,179 401/23
• US Class Current: 15/50.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/325 Shampoo devices for carpet-sweepers

Abstract

A frame of a cleaning apparatus accommodates a unit which comprises a reservoir for a foamable liquid and a distributor trough unitary with the reservoir and adapted to receive foamable liquid therefrom. Mounting portions are provided for removably mounting the unit in the frame. A foaming unit is provided which converts the liquid received in the distributor trough into foam. Brush rollers are provided on the frame so that the latter can roll on these rollers over a surface to be treated with the foam, and the brush rollers turn when the frame moves over the surface and transmit motion to the foaming unit which causes the same to foam the liquid in the distributor trough.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus, comprising a frame which includes a pair of at least substantially parallel rigid side wall portions and a pair of elastically yieldable at least substantially parallel longitudinal wall portions extending between and of one piece with said side wall portions;

a unit comprising reservoir means for a foamable liquid and distributor means unitary with said reservoir means and adapted to receive foamable liquid therefrom;

mounting means removably mounting said unit in said frame;

converting means associated with said reservoir means for conversion into foam of liquid received by said distributor means; and

rolling means on said frame for rolling displacement of the same over a surface to which foam is to be applied, said rolling means being associated with said converting means for effecting operation of the same in response to rolling displacement of said frame.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said mounting means comprising cooperating snap couplings on said frame and said unit.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said frame having an open side which faces downwardly toward a surface to be treated when said apparatus is in use;

and wherein said unit is insertable into said frame through said open side, and said side wall portions have upper edge regions provided with abutments for engagement by said unit when the latter is inserted into said frame through said open side.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, said abutments projecting inwardly of said frame on the respective side wall portions of the same, and said unit having abutment shoulders for engagement with said abutments.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said mounting means comprising a part of one of said longitudinal wall portions of said frame and a shoulder provided on said reservoir means and adapted for snap-action engagement with said part in response to insertion of said unit into said frame, and said mounting means further comprising projections provided on said distributor means and elastically yieldable lobes provided on said side wall portions and having sockets adapted to receive said projections with a snap action.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising bevelled surfaces provided on at least some of said part, said shoulder, said projections and said lobes for facilitating snap-action coupling thereof.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said unit being composed of two fixedly connected lateral halves each constituting part of said reservoir means and part of said distributor means.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said unit having a bottom wall which faces said surface when said apparatus is in use, and which constitutes the bottom wall of said apparatus.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said rolling means including a plurality of rolling elements;

and wherein said bottom wall has an outer side provided with depressions for partial accommodation of respective ones of said rolling elements.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9;

and further comprising a plurality of pairs of journal portions for said rolling elements, each pair including one journal portion provided on said frame and an other journal portion provided on said unit.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising gear transmission means interposed between and operatively associated with said converting means and said rolling means.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said rolling means comprising a plurality of rolling elements at least some of which include a rigid core portion and an elastically yieldable sleeve portion surrounding said core portion and being formed with outwardly projecting bristles.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said sleeve portion is composEd of a plurality of annular sections which are axially arrayed on said core portion.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, distributor means having lateral sides, and said reservoir means having one side closer to and intermediate said lateral sides and an other side further from said distributor means;

and wherein said rolling means comprises a plurality of rolling elements located adjacent said lateral sides and said other side, respectively.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1;

further comprising a cladding element for cladding at least the exterior of said frame; and

cooperating snap couplings on said frame and cladding element for releasable connection of the latter with said frame.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, said cladding element having an open side which faces upwardly when said apparatus is in use, and said reservoir means having an inlet opening for said foamable liquid facing said open side;

and further comprising a cover removably connectable with said cladding element and overlying said open side but having said inlet opening exposed.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, said cover being provided with a receiving part for viewing of said converting means when said cover overlies said open side.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15;

further comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket having a pair of arms provided with free ends which are respectively pivotally connected to said frame at opposite lateral sides thereof, said cladding element having respective cut-outs through which said arms extend.

19. A cleaning apparatus, comprising a frame;

a unit comprising reservoir means for a foamable liquid and distributor means unitary with said reservoir means and adapted to receive foamable liquid therefrom;

mounting means removably mounting said unit in said frame;

converting means including converting rollers associated with said reservoir means for conversion into foam of liquid received by said distributor means;

rolling means including rolling elements on said frame for rolling displacement of the same over a surface to which foam is to be applied, said rolling means being associated with said converting means for effecting operation of the same in response to rolling displacement of said frame; and

a plurality of journal portions for said rollers and rolling elements, at least some of said journal portions being provided on said frame and each including a socket and an elastically distendable passage which communicates with the respective socket and diverges in direction towards an open side of said frame which in use of said apparatus faces downwardly towards said surface.