Cordless wet mop and vacuum assembly

• US 6,065,182 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Cipolla, Mark, Zahuranec, Terry L., Shumaker, Laurie M., Specht, Glenn E., Lazzara, Joseph, Kalman, Jeffrey M., Saunders, Craig M., Farone, Richard C., Wright, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/775,284
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/373, 15/393, 15/401, 15/353
• US Class Current: 15/353
• 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 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/12 Implements with several different treating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/144 having squeezing rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/22 with liquid-feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/26 Other cleaning devices with liquid supply arrangements such arrangements on floor-polishing machines A47L11/00, on scrapers A47L13/03, on mops A47L13/22; cloths, pads, or the like containing cleaning agents A47L13/17, A47L13/19
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0009 with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a suction cleaning device which provides liquid dispensing, scrubbing, squeegeeing, and suction drying in a single, compact, self contained device. The suction cleaning device includes a cleaning device housing, a handle connected to the housing, an absorbent cleaning member mounted on the housing and movable between an extended and a retracted position, and a pair of squeegee blades. The device includes a suction system which draws the water from the floor surface which has been cleaned into a tank mounted on the housing which collects the liquid from the floor surface. A clean water bottle is provided on the housing for delivering cleaning liquid to the floor and a rechargeable battery power source provides power to the suction motor. The cleaning device is compact and lightweight and leaves the floor in a substantially dry state.

Claims

1. A suction cleaning device for cleaning surfaces comprising:

cleaning device housing;

a handle extending from the housing;

a cleaning member mounted on the housing and movable between an extended position in which the cleaning member extends from the housing and is used to clean a surface and a retracted position in which the cleaning member is substantially retracted into the housing;

a suction motor within the housing for removing a contaminated liquid from the surface;

a tank mounted on the housing for collecting the contaminated liquid which has been removed from the surface by operation of the suction motor; and

a battery power source providing power to the suction motor.

2. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a sponge which absorbs liquid in its extended position and movement of the sponge from the extended position to the retracted position wrings the liquid out of the sponge.

3. The suction cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the sponge is supported between two rollers which operate to wring the liquid out of the sponge as it is moved to the retracted position.

4. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a lever member mounted on the handle for moving the cleaning member from the extended position to the retracted position.

5. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a switch which turns the suction motor on when the cleaning member moves from the extended position to the retracted position and turns the suction motor off when the cleaning member moves from the retracted position to the extended position.

6. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a fan operated by the suction motor for drawing the contaminated liquid from the surface into the tank.

7. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a squeegee assembly mounted on the housing for collecting contaminated liquid on the surface, the squeegee assembly including a first flexible squeegee blade, a second flexible squeegee blade positioned substantially parallel to and spaced from the first squeegee blade, and an inlet opening positioned between the first and second squeegee blades in fluid communication with the tank.

8. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the battery power source is a replaceable and rechargeable battery pack.

9. The suction cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a clean liquid bottle removably mounted on the housing for containing and dispensing clean liquid onto the surface to be cleaned.

10. A suction cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning device housing having a suction inlet at a lower surface thereof;

a handle extending from the housing;

a cleaning member mounted on the housing;

a suction motor within the housing for removing a contaminated liquid from a surface to be cleaned; and

a tank mounted within the housing for collecting the contaminated liquid which has been removed from the surface by operation of the suction motor, the tank including a tank body, a central channel, a cover having an opening, a baffle on a lower surface of the cover, and a seal between the cover and the tank body, the central channel having a first end adjacent the suction inlet and a second end adjacent the baffle such that when a suction is applied through the opening in the cover the contaminated liquid passes from the suction inlet through the central channel and is deflected by the baffle into the tank body, the contaminated liquid then becoming unentrained from the air for retention in the tank body.

11. The suction cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the tank is removable from the housing and the housing includes a first resilient seal formed between the housing body and the tank body around the suction inlet and a second resilient seal formed between the housing and the tank cover around the opening in the cover.

12. The suction cleaning device of claim 11, wherein the tank is held in place in the housing by a sliding lock member.

13. The suction cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the central channel has a cross sectional internal area which is smaller than a cross sectional internal area of a fluid passage through the tank body from the baffle to the opening in the cover such that a velocity of fluid flow in the central channel is greater than a velocity of fluid flow through the tank body.

14. The suction cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the tank is configured such that when the cleaning device is positioned horizontally the contaminated liquid within the tank will not pass through the opening in the cover.

15. The suction cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the cleaning member is an absorbent cleaning member.