Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
RYL 2 466
CORDLE8S WET MOP AND VACUUM ASSEMBLY
Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved wet
mop. More specifically, the present invention is directed
to a cordless wet mop including a scrubbing assembly and
a vacuum assembly for collecting dirty water from the
floor to achieve a clean and substantially dry floor
surface.
Mops for cleaning floor surfaces generally
include an absorbent mop or sponge head and some type of
wringing mechanism for wringing dirty water out of the mop
or sponge head. In particular, the mop is used in
conjunction with a bucket of cleaning liquid, usually
consisting of water with a cleaning additive. The mop
absorbs the cleaning liquid which is used to scrub the
floor. Once the mop has been contaminated by scrubbing
the floor, it is inserted back into the bucket to rinse
the mop and to absorb additional cleaning liquid. The
continuous introduction of the dirty mop into the clean
liquid in the bucket quickly contaminates the clean liquid
in the bucket and reduces the cleaning ability during a
remainder of the mopping operation. Thus, it would be
desirable to prevent contamination of the cleaning liquid
during a floor cleaning operation. In addition, it would
be desirable to eliminate the approximately 15 minutes of
floor drying time necessary with conventional mop and
bucket cleaning.
Suction squeegees have been proposed which
remove cleaning liquid from a floor surface which has
previously been cleaned. One such suction squeegee device
is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,067,199. However, this
suction squeegee device does not eliminate the problem of
contamination of the clean water bucket because a
conventional mop and bucket must be used to clean the
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
floor prior to use of the suction squeegee device. In
addition, this suction squeegee has the disadvantage of
requiring three or four separate devices to perform the
cleaning operation including the suction squeegee, a mop,
a mechanism to wring dirty water out of the mop, and a
bucket.
Another suction cleaning apparatus has been
described which provides a combined scrubbing and water
pick-up apparatus for cleaning and drying a floor surface.
This device includes a combined clean water and dirty
water tank with a flexible membrane separating the clean
and dirty water in the tank. Clean water is dispensed
from the tank and a cleaning nozzle including bristles or
brushes used for scrubbing. After scrubbing, a suction
system is activated to remove the dirty water from the
floor and the dirty water is collected in the tank.
Examples of combination scrubbing and water
pick-up devices are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos.
2,986,764; 3,020,576; 3,040,362; 3,040,363; and 3,060,484.
The devices described in these patents have several
drawbacks including the cumbersome size and weight of the
device, the need for a power supply cord which gets in the
users way, and the safety concerns associated with the use
of household voltage in combination with a water filled
device.
Summ~ry of the Invention
The device according to the present invention
addresses the disadvantages of the prior art by providing
an entirely self contained cordless wet mop which combines
scrubbing and drying in one device and leaves the floor in
a substantially dry state.
According to an additional aspect of the present
invention, a suction cleaning device for cleaning surfaces
includes a cleaning device housing, a handle connected to
the housing, an absorbent cleaning member mounted on the
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
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.
According to a further aspect of the present
invention, a suction cleaning device for cleaning surfaces
includes a cleaning device housing, a retractable sponge
mounted on the housing and movable between an extended
position and a retracted position, a retracting mechanism
for moving the sponge between the extended and retracted
positions, a suction system for removing and collecting
contaminated liquid from a surface to be cleaned, and a
switch for activating the suction system in response to
the retraction mechanism, wherein the suction system is
turned on when the sponge is in the retracted position,
and the suction system is turned off when the sponge is in
the extended position.
According to an additional aspect of the
invention, a self contained mopping and drying system for
floors includes a housing, a handle connected to the
housing, an absorbent cleaning member mounted on the
housing, a pair of squeegees mounted on the housing for
collecting contaminated liquid on a floor surface, a
suction system within the housing for removing the
contaminated liquid from the floor surface which has been
collected by the pair of squeegees, wherein the suction
system leaves the floor in a substantially dry state, 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
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
power source received in the housing and providing power
to the suction system.
According to a further aspect of the invention,
a cleaning device includes a cleaning device housing, a
handle connected to the housing, a sponge mounted on the
housing and movable between an extended position in which
the sponge extends from the housing and is used to clean
a surface and a retracted position in which the sponge is
substantially retracted into the housing, the sponge
having a central plane bisecting the sponge, a pair of
squeegees mounted on the housing in a parallel spaced
arrangement, the pair of squeegees positioned in first and
second planes, and wherein the central plane of the sponge
diverges from the first and second planes of the squeegees
in a direction away from the housing.
One advantage of the cleaning device is that a
single self-contained device performs liquid dispensing,
scrubbing, and drying.
Another advantage of the cleaning device is that
the contamination of a cleaning liquid is prevented by
providing separate clean water and dirty water tanks.
An additional advantage of the cleaning device
is the compact size and light weight of the device.
Still other advantages and benefits of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed
description.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention may take physical form in certain
parts and arrangements of parts, preferred embodiments and
methods of which will be described in detail in this
specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings
which form a part hereof, and wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross section taken
through the center of a first embodiment of the present
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invention with the sponge shown in an extended position,
and the battery pack latch shown in an unlocked position;
FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross section as
illustrated in FIGURE 1 with the sponge shown in a
retracted position and the battery pack latch shown in a
locked position;
FIGURE 3 is a side view of the embodiment of
FIGURE 1 with a side of the housing removed and the sponge
in the retracted position;
FIGURE 3A is an enlarged cross section along
line A-A of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross section of the
forward end of the embodiment of FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross section of the
central section of the embodiment of FIGURE 1;
FIGURES 6A and 6B are opposite side views of a
second embodiment of the invention;
FIGURES 7A, 7B, and 7C are right, top, and left
side views, respectively, of a third embodiment of the
invention;
FIGURES 8A and 8B are side views of a fourth
embodiment of the invention with the sponge in an extended
and a retracted position;
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a fifth
embodiment of the invention; and
FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a sixth
embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 11 is an exploded bottom perspective view
of one preferred embodiment of a squeegee tray for use in
the present invention;
FIGURE 12 is a top perspective view of the
squeegee tray of FIGURE 11 with a front wall of the tray
removed;
FIGURE 12A is a side view of the spring for use
in the squeegee tray of FIGURE 12;
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FIGURE 13 is an end view of the squeegee tray of
FIGURE 11 with the front wall of the tray removed and the
front squeegee in an extended position;
FIGURE 14 is a front view of FIGURE 13 with the
front squeegee in the extended position;
FIGURE 15 is a side view of the squeegee tray of
FIGURE 11 with the front wall of the tray removed and the
front squeegee in a retracted position; and
FIGURE 16 is a front view of FIGURE 15 with the
front squeegee in the retracted position.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring now to the drawings wherein the
showings are for the purposes of illustrating the
preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for
purposes of limiting same, a cordless wet mop and vacuum
device according to a first embodiment of the present
invention is illustrated in FIGURES 1 - 5. The device
generally includes a handle assembly 10 connected to a
housing 12, a removable clean water bottle 14, and a
removable dirty water tank 16. A cleaning assembly is
mounted in the housing 12 and includes a retractable
sponge 18, a pair of squeegees 20, a battery pack 22, a
suction motor 24, a suction fan 26, and a switch 30 for
turning the suction motor on and off. The clean water
bottle 14 includes a plunger 28 for dispensing clean water
combined with a cleaning solution onto the floor. The
sponge 18 is extended from the housing 12 when it is used
to scrub the floor and is then retracted into the housing
during the suction operation. The retraction of the
sponge 18 activates the suction motor 24 and causes the
suction system to begin to draw the water from the floor
into the dirty water tank 16. The squeegees 20, shown in
FIGURES 3 and 4, are drawn over the floor while the
suction is activated to collect the dirty water and leave
the floor in a substantially dry state.
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The handle assembly 10 includes an upper handle
40 with a foam hand grip 42 and a cap 44. The cap 44 is
preferably provided with a swivel which may be used to
hang the device on the wall. The upper handle 40 includes
a threaded insert 46 which allows the upper handle to be
threaded onto a lower handle 48 which is a one piece
handle fixed in the housing 12 by at least two bolts 50.
The one piece handle 48 is preferably molded of plastic
and includes the threaded section for mating with the
treaded insert 46, a support for a wringer handle 52, and
means to mount the lower handle 48 on the housing 12.
The wringer handle 52 is pivotally mounted on
the lower handle 48 at a first pivot 54 and is pivotally
attached to a rod 56 at a second pivot 58. The wringer
handle 52 is constructed with two legs 60 one of which
extends around each side of the lower handle 48. A flat
end of the rod 56 is inserted between the two legs 60 and
is pivotally attached to the legs by a pin extending
through the rod and the legs. The rod 56 extends
alongside the lower handle 48 and through the housing 12.
An opposite end of the rod 56 passes through a metal
bracket 64 and attaches to the sponge 18.
Operation of the wringer handle 52 extends and
retracts the sponge 18 and simultaneously turns on and off
the suction motor 24 via the switch 30. The wringer
handle 52 moves the sponge 18 between three positions. In
the extended position illustrated in FIGURE 1, the sponge
18 extends in fan like shape beyond a pair of sponge
rollers 62 which are mounted on a wringer bracket 74. In
the extended position, the metal bracket 64 abuts the
rollers 62 and holds the sponge in the desired cleaning
position. To retract the sponge 18, the wringer handle 52
is moved away from the upper handle 40 in the direction of
the arrow A. As the wringer handle is moved, the rod 56
causes the sponge to be pulled upward. As the sponge 18
is retracted, the water which has been absorbed in the
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
sponge is wrung out onto the floor by squeezing the sponge
between the rollers 62.
The retracted position of the sponge 18 is
illustrated in FIGURE 2. In this position, the sponge 18
is received in the metal bracket 64 and a forward end of
the sponge extends only a small distance past the ends of
rollers 62. This distance is preferably between 0.1 inches
and 0.5 inches. The sponge 18 is held in the retracted
position by the expansion of a portion of the sponge
lo behind the rollers 62. In addition, detents (not shown)
may be provided in the wringer handle 52 to maintain the
sponge in the retracted position.
The wringer handle 52 also is used to eject the
sponge 18 for replacement or cleaning. The ejection of
the sponge 18 is performed by moving the wringer handle 52
toward the upper handle 40 in the direction of the arrow
B. This forces the sponge 18 and the metal bracket 64
through the rollers 62 which flex apart in the wringer
bracket 74.
The wringer handle 52 also turns on and off the
suction motor 24 by operating the switch 30 with a
protruding bend 66 in the rod 56. Thus, the suction motor
24 iS operated only when the sponge 18 is retracted. This
allows the conservation of battery power by preventing
motor operation when it is not necessary, allowing the
battery power of the battery pack 2 2 to be conserved. As
seen in FIGURE 2, when the sponge is retracted, the
protruding bend 66 in the rod 56 passes over the switch 30
turning the suction motor 24 on.
Generally, a 6 volt battery pack 22 having 5
cells will provide between 5 and 10 minutes of operating
time for a 12 - 14 amp permanent magnet motor. Since the
suction motor 24 iS operated only when suction is
required, the battery pack 22 will be able to be used for
a floor of at least 250 square feet without requiring
recharging.
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
The battery pack 22 is illustrated more clearly
in FIGURE 5 which is an enlargement of a central portion
of FIGURE 1. The battery pack 22 is preferably a 6 volt
rechargeable battery pack capable of holding up to six
cells which is received in a battery cavity 68 within the
housing 12. The battery pack is held in place in the
cavity by a locking member 70 which is rotatable about the
lower handle 48. Two protrusions 72 on the lower handle
maintain the locking member 70 at the proper axial
lo location on the handle. The locking member 70 is
illustrated in unlocked and locked positions in FIGURES 1
and 2, respectively.
As the battery pack 22 slides into the battery
cavity 68, two spring loaded battery contacts 80 are moved
out of the way and into a position in which the battery
contacts 80 in the battery cavity contact mating battery
contacts 78 on the side surface of the battery pack.
The suction motor 24 is mounted within a motor
mount assembly 82 in a conventional manner, such as
mounting the motor in a pair of saddles molded into the
interior of the housing 12. The suction motor 24 is
preferably a permanent magnet dc motor, such as a 12 - 14
amp, 6 volt strontium magnet motor providing an output of
about 18,000 to 25,000 rpm, preferably 21,000 to 22,000
rpm. The suction motor 24 is isolated from an adjacent
fan chamber 84 by a resilient grommet 86, shown in FIGURE
5, which prevents any water which may enter the fan
chamber from passing into the motor.
The suction motor 24 used in the present
invention is self cooling and does not require a fan for
cooling. However, a motor fan may be added if needed.
Vents 88 are preferably provided in a side of the housing
12 for allowing air circulation to the motor. The fan
chamber 84 also includes exhaust vents 90 through which
the exhaust gas passes.
The lower portion of the housing is best
illustrated in the enlarged view of FIGURE 4 and includes
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-- 10 --
the sponge, a squeegee tray 92, the dirty water tank 16,
the fan chamber 84, and the suction fan 26.
The squeegee tray 92 includes two elongated
squeegees 20 which snap into the squeegee tray 92 in a
known manner. The squeegees are between 5 and 20 inches
long, preferably between 8 and 12 inches long. The
squeegee tray 92 has a suction inlet 94 which is an
elongated oval-shaped opening located between the two
squeegees 20 and extending along about 1/4 to 1/2 of the
total length of the squeegees at the center of the
squeegees. The water is drawn up along the length of the
squeegees 20 from the open ends between the squeegees
into the suction inlet 94. The cross-sectional area of a
passageway between the two squeegees and the floor, and
the cross-sectional area of the suction inlet 94 are both
dimensioned to provide a desired velocity of air which
will entrain the water droplets in the air. Operating at
velocities of between about 1,000 ft/min and about 3,000
ft/min or higher will maintain the water droplets
entrained in the air.
A set of wheels 122 are mounted on the squeegee
tray 92 to allow the entire device to be easily wheeled
across the floor during scrubbing, squeegeeing, or
transporting. The squeegees 20 are mounted in the
squeegee tray 92 in a parallel configuration such that
when the device is wheeled across the floor, both
squeegees are in contact with the floor. When the sponge
18 is in an extended position, the squeegees 20 will no
longer contact the floor because the sponge extends beyond
the squeegees. A central plane X which bisects the sponge
18 is positioned at an angle ~ with respect to the planes
Y of the squeegees. This angle ~ is approximately between
10 and 30 degrees, preferably about 25 degrees.
The top surface of the squeegee tray 92 includes
an oval-shaped groove 96 surrounding the suction inlet 94.
A resilient sealing member 98 is placed in the groove 96
to provide a seal between the suction inlet 94 and a
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
central tube 100 of the dirty water tank 16. The
resilient sealing member 98 is preferably a compressible
sponge rubber material which biases the tank 16 upward so
that it is in a proper position once it has been inserted
into the housing 12.
The squeegees 20 are each formed with a smooth
edge on one side and a serrated edge on an opposite side.
The squeegees are positioned within the squeegee tray 92
with the smooth sides of the two squeegees facing each
lo other. Thus, as the device is moved across the floor,
both of the squeegees will contact the floor and flex.
The water will first pass under the first squeegee due to
the fact that the serrated edge of the squeegee is in
contact with the floor. This water will then be trapped
by the second squeegee having the smooth edge in contact
with the floor. In this way the device may be used
alternately in both a forward and a reverse direction as
the user works across the floor surface. The water is
collected from between the squeegees by a flow of air from
the open ends between the squeegees to the central suction
inlet 94.
From the central suction inlet 94, the water
passes into the dirty water tank 16 including the central
tube 100 which is molded into the tank. The central tube
100 extends far enough up into the tank 16 to avoid the
need for a closing member to close the central tube
against leaks when the tank is removed for emptying. A
cover 102 is placed inside the top of the tank 16 and is
sealed about the edges to the tank by an 0-ring 104. The
cover 102 includes an opening 106 through which air passes
from the tank 16 to the fan chamber 84. The cover 102
also includes a baffle 108 for deflecting the water which
is drawn through the central tube 100 into the tank. A
face seal 116 is provided around the opening 106 in the
cover 102 to seal the passage between the dirty water tank
16 and the fan chamber 84.
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
The central tube 100 and the baffle 108 are
positioned within the dirty water tank 16 such that a
majority of the tank capacity is available in an inclined
operating position. In addition, if the device is laid
down with a back surface 118 of the device on the floor
when the dirty water tank is 16 partially filled, the
dirty water will not come out through either the central
tube 100 or the opening 106 to the fan chamber 84.
The dirty water tank 16 and cover 102 assembly
are removable from the housing 12 for emptying and
cleaning. The tank 16 is inserted by placing the bottom
of the tank against the sealing member 98 and rocking the
tank forward into the housing. Once inserted, the tank 16
is held in place by a latch 110 which is slidably mounted
on the exterior of the tank and has a protrusion 112 which
is received in a corresponding recess 114 in the housing
12. The cover 102 of the dirty water tank 16 may also
include one or more detents 120 which retain the tank in
the housing while the latch 110 is being operated.
The suction system operates by drawing air from
the open ends between the two squeegees 20 through the
suction inlet 94 and the central tube 100 of the dirty
water tank 16 at a velocity which entrains the water
droplets in the air. The water hits the baffle 108 within
the tank 16 and is deflected down into the tank. The
velocity of the air slows as it enters the tank 16 from
the central tube 100 and the entrained water droplets fall
out into the tank. The air then passes around both sides
of the central tube 100, out of the tank through the
opening 106, into the fan chamber 84, through the suction
fan 26, and out of the housing via the vents 90. In order
to maintain the velocity drop in the tank 16 which causes
the water to fall out of the air in the tank, the cross-
sectional area of the air passage through the tank between
the baffle 108 and the opening 106 must be larger than the
cross-sectional area of the central tube 100. As long as
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- 13 -
the velocity of the air in the tank is decreased to less
than about 1000 ft/min, the water will remain in the tank.
The dirty water tank 16 may also include a
control device which turns off the suction when the water
5in the tank 16 has reached a certain level. This device
may include a float device which blocks off the tank
opening 106 when the tank 16 is full. Alternately, the
motor which is used may provide an automatic shut off.
For example, a motor having 9 inches of sealed suction
lowill provide an automatic shut off when the tank is filled
to 9 inches.
A cleaning solution is dispensed onto the floor
surface prior to scrubbing by the clean water bottle 14
which is removably mounted on a front surface 124 of the
15housing. The cleaning solution or cleaning liquid which
is used in the clean water bottle according to the present
invention may be any known cleaning solution or
combination of solutions, such as water with a detergent
additive.
20The bottle 14 is preferably a blow molded bottle
having three openings and a plunger 28 which is activated
to allow the cleaning solution to be released onto the
floor. A first opening 134 is provided on a side surface
of the bottle and has a threaded cap 140 which is removed
25for filling the bottle. Because the first opening 134 is
located on a side of the bottle, the bottle can easily be
filled in a sink. The cap 140 may be used as a measuring
device to measure the desired amount of a cleaning
additive which is mixed with water in the bottle.
30The second opening 136 is provided with a
threaded dispensing cap 142 having a dispensing opening
148 and a plunger seat or seal 144 surrounding the
dispensing opening against which an end of the plunger is
sealed. The third opening 138 receives the plunger 28 and
35provides a vent. The three-opening bottle 14 allows the
bottle to be filled without removing the plunger 28 from
the bottle.
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- 14 -
The plunger 28 has a handle 146, illustrated in
FIGURE 1, at a first end 14 and a second end extends
through the third opening 138 in the bottle 14 to engage
the plunger seat 144 and close the dispensing opening 148.
A spring 150, best illustrated in FIGURE 5, acts between
an annular ring 152 on the plunger 132 and a bottom
surface 154 of a plunger receiving cap 156 to bias the
plunger in a closed position.
The plunger cap 156 includes a cylindrical
portion 158 which extends into the neck of the opening 138
in the bottle 14 and provides a venting mechanism for
venting air from the bottle when the plunger handle 14 6 is
pulled in the direction of the arrow C. The interior of
the cylindrical portion 158 of the plunger cap has a
groove 162 which provides the venting mechanism. A first
0-ring 160 located in an annular seat 166 on the plunger
provides a seal between the plunger 28 and the plunger cap
156 in the closed position. However, when the plunger
handle 14 6 iS moved upward in the direction of the arrow
C opening the dispensing opening 148, the first 0-ring 160
slides up above the groove 162 and allows air to pass
through the cap into the bottle. A second 0-ring 164
provides a seal between the plunger cap 156 and the bottle
14.
The bottle 14 is mounted on the housing 12 by a
pair of fingers 170 of the housing which extend upward and
are received in mating grooves 172 in the bottle by
sliding the bottle downward onto the fingers, as shown in
FIGURE 3A. The bottle 14 is then locked in place by a
pivoting latch 174 which snaps over a ridge 176 on the top
of the bottle.
The clean water bottle 14 is designed to contain
enough cleaning liquid to clean a floor of at least 250
square feet, preferably 250 to 300 square feet in area.
In addition, the clean water bottle 14 preferably has a
volume which is somewhat smaller than a volume of the
dirty water tank 16. This allows the dirty water tank 16
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
to collect both a spilled liquid and the entire contents
of the clean water bottle 14. For example, the clean
water bottle 14 may have a capacity of about 16 oz, while
the dirty water tank has a capacity of about 24 oz.
Preferably, the volume of the tank 16 is about 20 to 60
percent greater than the volume of the bottle 14.
Although the clean water bottle 14 and the dirty
water tank 16 have been referred to as a bottle and a
tank, respectively, it should be understood that the terms
bottle and tank refer generally to any type of container
for liquid. These containers are preferably formed of a
light weight, durable, and somewhat flexible material,
such as plastic.
The first embodiment of the present invention
includes a retractable sponge and a fixed pair of
squeegees. However, it should be understood that a fixed
sponge and movable squeegees may also be used.
FIGURES 6A and 6B illustrate an alternative
embodiment of a cleaning device 200 in which a sponge 202
and squeegees 204 are provided in a fixed position on the
bottom of the cleaning device. This embodiment is used to
clean the floor in the position shown in FIGURE 6A where
the sponge 202 is in contact with the floor. Cleaning
liquid may be dispensed onto the floor by pumping the
handle 206 up and down before or during cleaning. When
cleaning is complete, the device 200 is flipped over to
the position illustrated in FIGURE 6B so that the
squeegees 204 are in contact with the floor and the floor
may be dried in the manner described with respect to the
first embodiment.
The embodiment of FIGURES 7A - 7C is a cleaning
device 300 also having a fixed sponge 302 and fixed
squeegees 304 which is flipped between the orientations of
FIGURES 7A and 7C for washing and drying operations. This
embodiment also includes an additional scouring pad 306
which is positioned on one end of the device 300 and is
used for scouring in the position illustrated in FIGURE
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- 16 -
7B. The scouring pad 306 may be removably attached, for
example by Velcro. The cleaning device 300 also includes
a telescoping handle 308.
A fourth embodiment of a cleaning device 400 iS
illustrated in FIGURES 8A and 8B. The cleaning device 400
includes a retractable sponge 402 and fixed squeegees 404.
A cleaning liquid dispensing orifice 406 is located on a
top of the device 400 and the pump handle 408 is used to
pressurize the cleaning liquid so that it may be sprayed
lo out of the dispensing orifice.
In the embodiment of the cleaning device 500
illustrated in FIGURE 9, the clean water bottle 502 and
the dirty water tank 504 are mounted side by side on the
device. In addition, the sponge 506 is formed so that it
surrounds the squeegees 508.
Finally, the cleaning device 600 of FIGURE 10
has a removable dispensing bottle 602 received in a recess
604 in the body of the cleaning device. This dispensing
bottle 602 has a spray nozzle 606 for spraying cleaning
liquid onto the floor.
FIGURES 11 - 16 illustrate a preferred
embodiment of the squeegee tray 92 which provides an
adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions
of the two squeegees 20 to allow the cleaning device to be
used at a larger range of cleaning angles than is possible
with fixed squeegees.
An exploded bottom view of the squeegee tray 92
and one of the two squeegees 20a iS illustrated in FIGURE
11. The squeegee tray 92 iS provided with springs 700
which snap into the tray and allow the front squeegee 20~1
to move in the direction of the arrow D to accommodate
different cleaning angles.
The squeegee tray 92 has a front wall 702, a
back wall 704, a top wall 706, two end walls 708, 710, and
a plurality of center partition members 716. Each of the
squeegees 20a, 20b include a flexible squeegee blade 712
of rubber or another resilient material received in a U-
CA 0222~303 1997-12-19
shaped squeegee casing 714. The front squeegee 20a is
received in the squeegee tray 92 adjacent the front wall
702, while the back squeegee 20b (shown in FIGURE 12) is
received in the squeegee tray adjacent the back wall 704.
The squeegees 20a, 20b are held in place in the squeegee
tray 92 between the center partition members 716 and the
front or back walls of the squeegee tray by two tabs 718
located on the inside surface of each of the front and
back walls. The tabs 718 engage corresponding recesses 720
in the squeegee casing 714.
The recesses 720 can be seen most clearly in
FIGURE 12 which is a top perspective view of the squeegee
tray 92 having the front wall 702 removed. The recesses
720 are dimensioned to allow the squeegee 20a to move from
the extended position shown in FIGURES 12 - 14 to a
retracted position of FIGURES 15 and 16 in which the
springs 700 are compressed.
As illustrated in FIGURE 12A, the springs 700
are preferably leaf springs having a base 722, two side
portions 724, 726, and a single leg 728. The side
portions 724, 726 of each of the springs 700 engage the
ends of a square opening 730 (FIGURE 12) in the top wall
706 of the squeegee tray 92. The concave side portions
724, 726 of the leaf spring allow the spring to snap into
and be retained in the square opening 730. An end of the
spring leg 728 engages a top surface of the squeegee tray
714 and biases the squeegee 20a away from the top wall 706
of the squeegee tray.
As illustrated in FIGURE 13, when the front
squeegee 20a is in the extended position, it extends
beyond the back squeegee 2Ob by a distance d which is
preferably between 0.1 and 0.5 inches, more preferably
about 0.2 inches. According to one embodiment of the
invention, the back squeegee 20b is fixed, while the front
squeegee 20a is movable. The movable front squeegee 20a
increases the range of angles at which the cleaning device
can be used by between 10/ and 40/ over a cleaning device
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in which both squeegees are fixed. According to an
alternative embodiment of the invention, both the front
squeegee 2oa and the back squeegee 2Ob may be movable to
achieve increased adjustability. According to another
alternative embodiment, the back squeegee 20b may be
movable while the front squeegee is fixed.
According to one preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the springs 700 are leaf springs formed
of an alloy of beryllium copper which has been heat
treated. Various coatings of the spring, such as nickel,
may be used for corrosion resistance. Of course, the
springs could also be made of plastic for corrosion
resistance. Although leaf springs are illustrated, any
other type of known compression springs may also be used,
including coil springs.
When the squeegee tray of FIGURES 11 - 16 is
mounted on the cordless wet mop illustrated in FIGURES 1 -
4, the acceptable cleaning angles, i.e., the angle between
the handle 40 and the floor, at which the mop can be held
during squeegeeing of the floor are greatly increased.
This allows the mop to be used by users of different
heights at a wide variety of cleaning angles without
allowing either the front squeegee 20a or the back
squeegee 2Ob to lose contact with the floor causing water
to be left on the floor in streaks.
Advantages of each of the embodiments of the
present invention include the fact that the device is a
self-contained unit which includes clean water and there
is no need to carry around heavy bucket of water. In
addition, the problem of contamination of clean water is
eliminated and the floor is left virtually dry. The
device is also easily cleaned because once the dirty water
tank is removed, any obstruction in the suction system can
be easily seen and removed.
While the invention has been described in detail
with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will
be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes
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can be made, and equivalents employed without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
