Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L7/00—Suction cleaners adapted for additional purposes; Tables with suction openings for cleaning purposes; Containers for cleaning articles by suction; Suction cleaners adapted to cleaning of brushes; Suction cleaners adapted to taking-up liquids
  • A47L7/0004—Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners
  • A47L7/0009—Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
  • A47L9/02—Nozzles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
  • A47L9/02—Nozzles
  • A47L9/06—Nozzles with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
  • A47L9/0606—Nozzles with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like rigidly anchored brushes, combs, lips or pads
  • A47L9/0626—Rigidly anchored lips, e.g. nozzles adapted for picking up liquids

Definitions

• This present invention relates to a floor cleaning device having a flexible floor wiping blade secured to a retaining arm of an elongated width.
• the wiper is of a pliable yet semi-rigid material which is placeable and removably replaceable via a retaining slot in the bottom of a receiving wand made to exhibit a frame or yoke, generally.
• a vacuum cleaner hose or tube may be secured to a fitting at the top of said frame and made to span a length existing parallel to a surface to be cleaned whereby dirt, debris and liquids are guided to a suction channel within the vacuum frame terminating in an opening at the end of a vacuum wand, near the floor and within close proximity of an edge of a left or right side of the arm facing the operator.
• Floor cleaning devices come in a number of different forms, including brooms, mops, carpet sweepers, vacuum cleaners, including special attachments for tank-type vacuums, squeegees for wet floors and vibrating floor-contacting devices for loosening and gathering debris. See, for example, Patents Nos. 10,702,115, 10,390,671, 10,130,229, 9,420,931, and 9,386,896, all of which have been granted to the inventor of the current invention.
• any number of electric-powered upright and tank vacuum cleaners having numerous features including handles, tubing (rigid and flexible), attachments (motorized and non-motorized), collection tanks, bags, filters and the like.
• all vacuums have a vacuum or suction source, typically facilitated by a motor and fan assembly, generating sufficient required to pull dirt, debris or liquid (e.g., water) into the vacuum device for gathering and collection into a tank, filter bag or other similar receptacle.
• This fitting communicates through the interior of the retaining arm with a suction opening which may be centrally located, at one end of the arm, divided along the length of the bar/arm, or elsewhere, wherein this suction opening is most preferably a short distance above the floor or surface and in close proximity to dirt, debris or liquid, when the device is used and positioned in front of the blade facing the user.
• the present invention that is the cleaning device is pushed or pulled in a direction and across a surface generally parallel to the length of the arm, in contact with the floor or other largely flat surface.
• the foam blade “rakes”, gathers and catches dirt, debris, and/or liquid and aggregates the debris along the moving face of the blade at the point where the blade touches a surface.
• the device can be angled in a way that the gathered debris is positioned at the suction opening and the vacuum cleaner efficiently removes dirt and debris into a suction channel as is exhibited by all vacuums in normal operation.
• the floor-contacting blade is formed of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, also referred to as poly ethylene-vinyl acetate, or PEVA, which is a copolymer of the addition of ethylene to vinyl acetate wherein the weight percent of vinyl acetate and ranges from about 10 to 40 percent and ethylene constituting the remaining 90 to 60 percent, typically.
• EVA ethylene-vinyl acetate
• PEVA poly ethylene-vinyl acetate
• the foam floor contacting blade is pliable yet rigid and allows for guided operation along a mostly planar, horizontal or vertical (wall) surface.
• the blade itself may be approximately one-half inch in depth (face-to-face width) and, for example, about twelve to twenty inches in width, in the wider direction, preferably spanning approximately eighteen inches.
• the blade retaining arm and frame can be formed of injection-molded polypropylene plastic, for strength, rigidity and resistance to surface damage.
• certain portions of vacuum cleaner casings and trim pieces may be constructed of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastics which may be preferred to other polystyrene plastics and made with the addition of small amounts of styrene-butadiene rubber for impact resistance and acrylonitrile for styrene hardening prior to polymerization allowing for appropriate amounts of both give and rigidity.
• ABS acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
• the vacuum fitting itself is made to receive leads to an elongated slot exhibited below the vacuum “wand” and extending to the bottom of the blade retainer and ultimately leading to the suction opening.
• the same slot defines a preferably rectangular inner cavity that tightly receives the rectangular outer surface of said foam blade when pushed up into this channel or cavity, the foam blade then forming a bottom boundary of the suction channel (i.e., air duct cavity) where it contacts a surface (e.g., floor).
• the suction duct may be a circular or triangular (e.g., angled) receiving cavity which is made to reciprocate to accommodate a largely flat upper portion of an inserted blade shape where, in the case of the triangular cavity or circular cavity, the channel may be “floored” by the upper, flat portion of a blade.
• the suction cavity and upper edge of a foam blade are mated to form a sealed channel for dirt, debris and/or liquid transmittal.
• the slot or channel in the blade retainer/receiver is of appropriate width (front to back) to (1) receive a blade, (2) firmly hold/grip the foam blade and (3) allow convenient change (removal and reassertion) of blades.
• this may be accomplished where both the upper portion of the blade and receiving channel or cavity are rectangular wherein the blade upper portion, being slightly larger than the width of the receiving channel, the blade inserts into the slot to a depth of about one inch and is held in place by confining forces along the length of the blade.
• the pliable foam may display a width slightly larger than the channel or cavity width wherein the elasticity of the blade material allows for compression upon insertion and, additionally, expansion upon placement to secure said blade into receiving channel.
• the length of the blade may exceed the length of the receiving and retaining arm at either end wherein the retaining arm has a from and border but no side enclosures allowing for the length of the blade to exceed the length of the receiving arm.
• About half the length (left to right) of the frame’s retainer slot may extend higher, as opposed to the opposite half length, to form the air suction channel above the foam blade as noted above.
• this allows, in a portion of the arm length, a continuous and sealed air channel for communicating the suction from the vacuum cleaner to the suction opening and directly to the dirt, debris and/or liquid suction channel for suctioning.
• the frame’ s retaining arm has a shape, at the working side of the floor cleaning device, wherein the slot or channel is increased in depth (front to back), away from the frame, to form a bumped-out suction passage along the leading side of the foam blade where this suction passage extends and projects outward, away from the frame, and down to be near the floor or other surface so as to enable withdrawing debris gathered against the inserted blade.
• the air channel is integrally formed with the molded blade frame and retainer and used in conjunction with an inserted blade.
• a floor cleaning device in accordance with the invention, is in the form of a ‘V’ shape, bifurcated and with two equal blade arms extending outwardly from a vertex, at a preferably right to obtuse angle between 90° and 180°.
• the ‘V’ shape has two arms of unequal length.
• At the vertex of both arms is preferably a cylindrical vacuum fitting arranged vertically, to receive a hose or tube from a tank type vacuum cleaner or a shop vacuum for the creation of a suction opening for suction of dirt, debris or liquid.
• the frame which is made to receive said bifurcated blade arms is of equal length corresponding to each blade arm’s length.
• the cylindrical fitting atop the device frame, is angled preferably at about 45° and can be fixed for pulling or pushing the device along the floor or similar surface. More preferably the angled connection swivels through 360° so that the blade or squeegee can be swiveled and either pulled or pushed where the inlet for suction may be engaged in the direction of collected particles (e.g., dirt, debris and/or liquid).
• Each of the two arms may be generally similar to the retaining arm in terms of length and width, described above, but this embodiment is intended for wet floors and has a different form of floor-engaging “wiper” blade and is without a horizontal and internal air channel.
• a typical squeegee blade with a moderate degree of flexibility, can be used on each arm.
• the squeegee blades can be similar to typical squeegee blades used to wipe smooth surfaces, or preferably somewhat stiffer, which may be rectangular or downwardly angled.
• the apex of the two arms includes a small flat pan structure just below the lower terminus of the vacuum tube and at the base of said blade arms.
• the receiving/retaining arms in this form of the invention are without internalized air movement cavities within the frame’s retaining/receiving arm.
• the V-shaped pair of squeegee blades gather dry or wet debris toward the apex (vertex) as the device is moved along a floor and the debris is moved to the conjunction of the two arms, “riding” up and onto the thin flat pan, which contacts the floor. The gathered debris is likewise withdrawn through the vacuum tube.
• the two arms may be of equal length, different lengths, fixedly secured or adjustable to one another at an apex (vertex).
• the point of connection (i.e., apex) between each arm may be adjustable wherein the angle may be increased or decreased via an adjustable “hinge”.
• FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view of the floor cleaning device of the invention showing a foam floor-contacting blade held in a blade retaining arm;
• FIG. 2 shows a perspective view showing the device as used in combination with a canister vacuum cleaner
• FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view showing the device connected to a vacuum cleaner tube
• FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the blade, removed from the device
• FIG. 5 shows a back side elevation view of the blade-retaining arm
• FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective front view of the blade-retaining arm alone
• FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the arm, as seen along the line 6-6 in FIG. 8;
• FIG. 8 depicts a top plan view of the blade-retaining arm
• FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view through the arm as seen along line 8-8 in FIG. 8;
• FIG. 10 shows a transverse sectional view through the arm as seen along line 9-9 in FIG. 8;
• FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the arm
• FIG. 12 illustrates a V-shaped embodiment of the present invention.
• the best-known mode of making and using the present invention have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in adequate detail to teach those having skill in the art how to make and practice the same. It should, however, be understood that the above description and preferred embodiments disclosed, are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention disclosure is intended to cover all iterations, alternatives and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined within the claim’s broadest reasonable interpretation which is consistent with the specification.
• the present invention is characterized as a floor cleaning device with a flexible floor wiping blade secured to a retaining arm or frame of elongated width.
• the wiper can be of a semirigid, semi-pliable material of, for example, silicon, rubber, foam or a hybrid material with one or more of silicon, rubber, foam, which is removable and replaceable via a retaining slot in the bottom of the frame or yoke.
• a vacuum cleaner hose or tube is secured to a fitting at the top of the frame, leading to a suction channel in the frame that terminates in a suction opening near the floor, facing toward the operator, or away from the operator, as necessity dictates, and near the edge of the left or right side of the arm.
• the point of suction may be centrally located in the middle of the device or at multiple points along the arm of the device (which may be selectable between opened, partially opened, partially closed and/or closed).
• the device cleans the floor by dragging a blade across the floor one or more times to create a line of debris, which is subsequently vacuumed up by orienting the device 90° to the debris line, lining up the suction opening with the debris line and dragging the device the length of the debris line.
• the floor cleaner has two arms in a V shape, with squeegee blades drawing in debris on a wet floor to the apex of the V, where the debris is removed by a connected vacuum cleaner.
• FIG. 1 shows one preferred embodiment of a floor cleaning device 10 of the invention.
• the device 10 includes a foam floor-wiping blade 12 retained by a blade-retaining arm 14 that has an upper side with a fitting 16 to connect to a vacuum cleaner.
• the vacuum cleaner will typically be a domestic canister vacuum, a shop vacuum, or a stick (upright) vacuum, or any vacuum cleaner having a hose or tube that can be fitted to an end implement, even if an adapter is required.
• FIG. 2 shows an example of the device 10 in use, connected to tube 20 of a canister vacuum cleaner 22 and operated by an operator 21.
• FIG. 3 shows the device 10 with a connected vacuum cleaner tube 20 which is extendable to adjust to the height and requirements of operator 21.
• the blade 12 can be shaped generally as a rectangular solid, formed of a flexible or rubbery foam material, which can be neoprene foam or more preferably an EVA foam.
• the front-to-back thickness is such as to fit tightly (but removably) in the receiving slot of the blade-retaining arm 14 (See FIG. 5); the thickness may be preferably about 1/2 inch but may be of a greater or lesser thickness as to allow for thicker (stiffer) or thinner (bendable) blades for different uses and requirements.
• FIGS. 5-11 show a preferred form of the retaining arm 14. It is elongated in width, for example about 18 inches, or a range of about 12 to 24 inches. For specific applications of limited space, the width could be less. For large areas it could be greater.
• the bade itself may be of any configuration allowing for desired contact with a surface and “skimming” or “raking” of particles including: a squared blade (as shown in FIGS. 1-5, 6 and 11), a blade forming an angled edge or a blade having a plurality of edges or fins.
• the retaining arm 14 has a slot 24 preferably throughout its width, for closely and frictionally retaining the foam blade 12.
• the foam blade 12 is indicated in dashed lines, the drawing indicating that it can be of greater length than the frame 24 if desired, extending out widthwise at each end, e.g., about 1/2 inch to one inch.
• the foam blade extends fully into the depth of the slot through about one-half the width of the retaining arm (on right in FIG. 5), so that the top portion 26 of the retaining arm forms a stop to define the assembled position of the blade on the right and is heightened to form the suction air duct on the left.
• Another limiting stop is formed at the opposite end of the retaining arm by a lower edge 28 of an end wall 30 shown in the sectional view of FIG. 7.
• the retaining arm forms, as an upper part of the slot 24, an internal channel 32 or vacuum passage that connects with the vacuum fitting 16, a bottom wall of this channel being formed by the top of the foam blade 25 when in place as indicated in FIG. 5 and also FIG. 7.
• the foam blade 12 may either close the channel 32 entirely, by forming a rear barrier to chamber/conduit or “bump-out” 34, as in FIGS.
• the chamber/conduit or “bump-out” 34 may form a completely encapsulated channel as an extension of and within said retaining arm 14 of frame 24 wherein outwardly extending chamber/conduit or “bump-out” 34 exists on one of two leading sides of the device and positionable toward the direction of gathering dirt, debris or liquid. Further it is in the contemplation of inventor that this chamber/conduit or “bump-out” 34 may exist on either a right side or left side of said device 10, may be rotatable for rearward oriented or forward oriented configuration for pulling or pushing operation, respectively, of said device 10 or that said chamber may be centrally located (not shown). What is more, nothing in this description limits a permutation of the device 10 where any combination of right-sided, left-sided, frontward, rearward, centralized, or a combination thereof, may exist in one device.
• this chamber/conduit or “bump-out” 34 at a deeper part of the slot 24 and preferably located at or near one end, communicates the suction down along the face of the blade to a suction opening 36 close to the floor and directly adjacent to the forward (leading) side of the blade 12 when in use.
• FIG. 7 shows a representational and sectional view showing the back wall and indicating (dashed lines) where foam blade 12 is in secured within retaining slot 24, including arrows 40 to show movement of air and debris through the suction opening 36 of the bumped-out chamber 34 and through the channel 32, through the vacuum cleaner fitting 16 and into tube 20 (See FIG. 3) and into a vacuum cleaner 22 or similar suctioning device.
• foam blade 12 is easily removed and removable, so that any clogging in the channel of the device is easily remedied by simply removing the blade. Such clogging debris will not reach the vacuum cleaner fitting 16 and any such debris will be caught in the rectangular channel 24, or in the suction chamber 34 and may be readily retrieved.
• FIG. 9 shows in transverse section the transition from the slot 24 to the vacuum fitting 16.
• FIG. 10 another transverse section seen along the line 9-9 in FIG. 8, shows the deeper cross section of the retaining arm 14 where the suction channel 32 extends above the slot 24, as a continuous space.
• the bottom edge 28 of the far end wall 30, which forms a limit for inserted depth of the foam blade is helpful in visualizing some aspects of the retaining arm’s shape not readily appreciated from other views.
• the suction outlet/air inlet chamber 34 has an angled lower edge 44 on a transversely extending bumped-out wall 46. See also FIG. 10 where the bottom edge of the extended end wall 30 can also have this angled shape if desired. This can help guide the operator to hold the device at about 45° to the floor (or another selected angle), and it can also help trap debris at the suction outlet when a line of debris is being drawn up into and through the retaining arm 14.
• the device 10 is typically connected to a straight section of vacuum cleaner tube as shown in FIG. 3, which is connected to a canister vacuum, a shop vacuum or a stick vacuum (such as a DYSON® stick vacuum).
• a canister vacuum such as a shop vacuum or a stick vacuum (such as a DYSON® stick vacuum).
• the operator as in FIG. 2, pushes or pulls the device, holding it at an angle such as 45° (which is easily adjustable to 30° to 60° up from the floor), gathering debris against the blade 12.
• the operator in a particular preferred manner of use, turns the device 10 perpendicular and at a right angle to the line of debris with the open bottom of the suction channel 34 positioned facing one end of the line of dirt, debris or liquid.
• the vacuum cleaner can be turned on (it need not be active as debris is gathered) and the device is advanced to draw up the line of debris.
• the vacuum can be functioning during the operation of the device 10, but this is not a requirement for its proper functioning.
• FIG. 12 a V-shaped device 50 and embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
• a vacuum fitting is shown at 52, at an apex (vertex) 54 of the V-shaped device, formed of two wiper bladeretaining arms 56 connected to and preferably integrally formed along with the vacuum fitting 52, which may be by injection molding.
• a swivel fitting 57 and/or adapters can be provided with the fitting 52, to allow pushing or pulling of the device.
• the arms 56 do not have vacuum air channels.
• the vacuum fitting 52 comprises a tube, which may be vertically oriented as shown, extending down to a lower suction outlet 58 which will be near the floor, e.g., about 3/8 inch to one inch above the floor.
• the arms 56 carry squeegee blades 60, which may be fitted into slots in the lower side of each arm, generally as in the earlier-described embodiment. These squeegees 60 can have upper portions with thickness similar to that of the foam floor wiper blades described above, but the lower floorengaging part will be thinner, somewhat similar to conventional squeegees of the type used for cleaning a floor, stiffer than those used for cleaning glass.
• the length of each arm is between about 12 inches and 15 inches, although smaller or much larger models can be appropriate for various applications.
• a flat pan 62 preferably is included, positioned to engage against the floor and to receive the liquid and debris which has been squeegeed from the floor, similar to the function of a dustpan.
• the flat floor-engaging pan is very thin and can have a beveled or tapered lip as on a dustpan, of rubber or other flexible material, although this can be rigid if desired.
• the configuration of the flat pan is such as to receive material swept inwardly of the device, along the squeegees, so that the debris rides up onto the pan 62 for removal via the section tube/fitting
• the flat collection pan 62 may be about 1/32 inch thick at the forward edge, and about V/2 inch wide at the forward edge.
• the squeegees 60 can abut against the side edges of the pan, the squeegees being parallel to and in contact with those side edges.
• the pan 62 is fabricated of ultra-high density polyethylene (UHDPE).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Nozzles For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2022
  • 2022-11-04 WO PCT/US2022/079275 patent/WO2023081799A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2022-11-04 EP EP22891076.6A patent/EP4426175A4/de active Pending
  • 2022-11-04 JP JP2024527164A patent/JP2024540413A/ja active Pending

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