Low profile scrubber

• US 5,319,828 A
• Filed: 11/04/1992
• Issued: 06/14/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Rumfola, Ross, Pearce, Christopher K., Waldhauser, Steven J. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US07/971,404
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320-321, 15/353, 15/354, 15/359, 15/372, 15/322, 15/383
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• 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 11/4058 for adjusting the height of the tool
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers

Abstract

A floor scrubbing machine for tile and other hard surface floors has a low enough profile height that it can be operated bodily under furniture or equipment such as, for example, seats in fast food stores. This floor scrubber has three principle functioning components, comprising a tank for cleaning solution and means to apply that solution to the floor, a powered scrub brush to agitate the solution on the floor, and a vacuum pickup squeegee system which dries the floor after scrubbing by removing spent solution from the floor to an on board tank. Floor scrubbers are known which comprise the three above elements, but are too tall to operate under the seats of fast food stores, except with a remote wand attachment which is cumbersome and slow. Other floor scrubbers are known which are low enough to operate bodily in such places but lack a vacuum pickup squeegee system for drying the floor, and leave a hard surface floor unacceptably wet, or require following operations to dry it. The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of these prior art floor scrubbers.

Claims

1. A low profile floor scrubber that carries a supply of cleaning solution applies it to a floor being scrubbed, agitates it on the floor with a powered brush, then picks up the soiled solution with a vacuum squeegee and stores it on board, said low profile floor scrubber comprising in combination a housing, a removable cover over at least part of the housing, wheels rotatably attached to said housing for supporting and moving the floor scrubber, a handle attached to the housing, a rotatable scrub brush for scrubbing a floor, said scrub brush and a scrub head being attached to said housing, said scrub head covering said brush and having at least one pickup squeegee attached to it and in contact with a floor being scrubbed, a brush drive motor within the housing and drive means connected to said motor for rotating said scrub brush, a tank within said housing for holding cleaning solution to be applied to a floor being scrubbed and for receiving and holding soiled solution recovered from the floor, said tank being removable when said cover is removed for emptying the solution therein, said tank being relatively shallow with respect to its length and width, a plurality of baffles located to be at least partially immersed in cleaning solution in the tank, a plenum chamber above said tank, a sloping diffuser plate within said plenum chamber, a suction blower and a motor to drive it located within the housing, first passage means connecting the plenum chamber to the inlet of the suction blower, second passage means connecting said at least one pickup squeegee to the plenum chamber, said second passage means having an opening into the plenum chamber such that flow from the opening into the plenum chamber impinges at an angle upon the upper surface of the diffuser plate to create a laminar flow thereon, said diffuser plate sloping downward toward said opening, a pump with drive motor and connected tubing within the housing to pump cleaning solution from the tank to a distribution means attached to the scrub head, said distribution means delivering solution to the floor being scrubbed, said scrub head, brush drive motor, solution/recovery tank, suction blower and solution pump with motor all being disposed generally horizontally relative to one another.

2. The scrubber of claim 1 further characterized in that said first passage means is formed in said cover.

3. The scrubber of claim 1 further characterized in that said baffles extend from said removable cover.

4. The scrubber of claim 1 in which the handle is pivotally attached to the housing.

5. The floor scrubber of claim 4 in which a D-shaped hand control on the handle includes two shoulders such that the control may be operated from behind the scrubber handle or from either side of it.

6. The scrubber of claim 1 further characterized by and including a quick disconnect coupling between said container and pump to permit removal of said solution container.