Floor cleaning apparatus with integrated dispensing and containment rolls

• US 8,464,386 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garcia, Fernando
• Original Assignee: Garcia, Fernando
• Inventors: Garcia, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): KARLS, SHAY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/310,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 15/98, 15/99, 152/28, 152/31
• US Class Current: 15/99
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/26 Floor-scrubbing machines, hand-driven A47L11/29 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4047 Wound-up or endless cleaning belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools

Abstract

A floor cleaning apparatus is provided. The floor cleaning apparatus includes a roller arrangement for carrying rolls of soiled and unsoiled cleaning media thereon. The floor cleaning apparatus also includes an actuation arrangement operable to simultaneously unwind unsoiled cleaning media and wind soiled cleaning media.

Claims

1. A manual floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a frame;

a dispensing roller mounted to the frame and adapted to carry a roll of cleaning media thereon, the dispensing roller operable to dispense cleaning media by rotating in a first rotational direction;

a collection roller mounted to the frame and adapted to collect the cleaning media in a roll form once a portion of the cleaning media has transitioned across a cleaning surface of the frame positioned between the dispensing roller and the collection roller;

a tensioning arrangement mounted to the dispensing roller and operable impart a tensioning force on the cleaning media by rotating he dispensing roller in a second rotational direction opposite the first direction;

wherein the tensioning arrangement comprises a one-way clutch;

wherein the one-way clutch includes first and second clutch members which are mounted to the dispensing roller such that they may freely rotate relative thereto;

wherein the first clutch member includes a plurality of detents, and the second clutch member includes a plurality of ramped structures, the plurality of detents, and the second plurality of ramped structures such that both the first and second clutch members rotate in the first rotational direction with the dispensing roller; and

further comprising a rack and a pinion, the pinion fixedly mounted to the second clutch member for rotation with the second clutch member such that the pinion rotates in the first rotational direction with the first and second clutch members to move the rack in a linear first direction, wherein movement of the rack in the linear first direction compresses a biasing element operably connected to an end of the rack.

2. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biasing element moves the rack in a second linear direction to rotate the pinion in the second direction.

3. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pinion is fixedly mounted to the dispensing roller.

4. A manual floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a frame;

a dispensing roller mounted to the frame and adapted to carry a roll of cleaning media thereon, the dispensing roller operable to dispense cleaning media;

a collection roller mounted to the frame and adapted to collect the cleaning media in a roll form once a portion of the cleaning media has transitioned across a cleaning surface of the frame positioned between the dispensing roller and the collection roller;

wherein the dispensing roller and collection roller are mechanically connected such the dispensing roller and collection roller simultaneously rotate in a first rotational direction;

a one-way clutch operable mounted between the dispensing roller and the collection roller, the one-way clutch operable to rotate in the first rotational direction with the dispensing roller and the collection rollers and operable to permit the dispensing roller to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction independently of the collection roller such that rotation of the dispensing roller in the second rotational direction does not result in rotation of the collection roller;

wherein the one-way clutch comprises first and second clutch members mounted to the dispensing roller such that the first and second clutch members can rotate relative to the dispensing roller; and

further comprising a rack, a pinion, and a biasing element, the pinion fixedly mounted for rotation with the dispensing roller, the rack in meshed contact with the pinion, the biasing element mounted to the pinion and to a retainer such that movement of the rack in a first linear direction compresses the biasing element.

5. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an input gear mounted to the dispensing roller and an output gear mounted to the collection roller, wherein a follower belt mechanically couples the input and output gears such that rotation of the output gear results in rotation of the input gear.

6. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein the input gear is fixedly mounted to the first clutch member such that rotation of the first clutch member in the first rotational direction results in rotation of the input gear in the first rotational direction.

7. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 6, wherein second clutch member rotates relative to the first clutch member in the second rotational direction such that the first clutch member does not rotate in the second rotational direction.

8. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein input gear does not rotate in the second rotational direction.