Floor cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11759072-B2
Application number	US-202117526999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A floor cleaner having a recovery tank, a suction source, and a filter basket. The suction source is configured to generate an airflow along a fluid flow path to draw fluid and debris from a surface to be cleaned into the recovery tank. The recovery tank has an outlet duct on a tank body. The filter basket is positioned in the outlet duct on the tank body and configured to filter debris from the airflow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A floor cleaner comprising:
a fluid flow path extending from a suction nozzle to a clean air outlet;
a recovery tank in the fluid flow path, the recovery tank in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and including a tank body, a tank inlet, a tank air outlet, and an outlet duct upstream of the tank air outlet;
a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and the recovery tank, the suction source configured to generate an airflow through the fluid flow path to draw fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned through the suction nozzle and into the recovery tank; and
a filter basket positioned in the outlet duct, the filter basket including a first end, a second end downstream of the first end, and a sidewall extending between the first end and the second end,
wherein the first end is open enabling ingress of debris and the sidewall of the filter basket has perforations allowing air flow to pass through the filter basket and inhibiting debris from passing through the filter basket.

2. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the shape of the filter basket sidewall corresponds to at least a portion of the shape of the outlet duct.

3. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional perimeter of the filter basket sidewall is between 50% and 95% of a corresponding cross-sectional perimeter of the outlet duct.

4. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the recovery tank includes a tank lid that is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the filter basket is accessible and removable from the outlet duct when the tank lid is in the open position.

5. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the filter basket has perforations configured to allow air flow to pass through the filter basket and inhibit debris from passing through the filter basket.

6. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein a length of the sidewall between the first end and the second end is greater than 10% of a cross-sectional perimeter of the filter basket sidewall.

7. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein a length of the sidewall between the first end and the second end is between about 30% and 70% of a cross-sectional perimeter of the filter basket sidewall.

8. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow direction through the outlet duct flows downwardly through the filter basket toward the tank air outlet.

9. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the filter basket extends substantially vertically with the first end above the second end when the recovery tank is upright.

10. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the filter basket further includes one or more longitudinal support ribs extending between the first end and the second end.

11. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the filter basket includes a solid portion and a perforated portion, wherein the solid portion is adjacent the first end.

12. The floor cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the solid portion sealingly engages the outlet duct.

13. The floor cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the solid portion includes a first connecting member that engages a second connecting member on the outlet duct to retain the filter basket in the outlet duct.

14. The floor cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the solid portion includes a user-graspable handle portion wherein upward movement of the handle portion removes the filter basket from the outlet duct.

15. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the recovery tank includes a tank lid that is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the tank lid includes a separator configured to separate fluid and debris from the airflow upstream of the filter basket.

16. A floor cleaner comprising:
a fluid flow path extending from a suction nozzle to a clean air outlet;
a recovery tank in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and including,
a tank body,
a tank inlet,
a tank air outlet along the fluid flow path, and
an outlet duct upstream of the tank air outlet;

a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and the recovery tank configured to generate an airflow along the fluid flow path to draw fluid and debris from the surface through the suction nozzle and into the recovery tank; and
a filter basket disposed in the outlet duct, the filter basket including a first end, a second end being downstream of the first end, and a sidewall extending in a substantially vertical direction between the first end and second end when the recovery tank is upright,
wherein the first end is above the second end and the first end is open enabling ingress of debris, and
wherein the sidewall of the filter basket has perforations allowing air flow to pass through the filter basket and inhibiting debris from passing through the filter basket.

17. The floor cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the shape of the filter basket sidewall corresponds to at least a portion of the shape of the outlet duct.

18. The floor cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the second end of the filter basket is closer to the tank air outlet than the first end.

19. The floor cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the recovery tank includes a tank lid that is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the filter basket is accessible and removable from the outlet duct when the tank lid is in the open position.

20. The floor cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the second end of the filter basket has perforations configured to allow air flow to pass through the filter basket and inhibit debris from passing through the filter basket.

Assignees

• Techtronic Cordless Gp
• Techtronic Floor Care Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Morphey John
• Rukavina Douglas

Classifications

• A47L9/1409 Primary

  Rigid filtering receptacles (dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683) · CPC title

• A47L9/1463

  specially adapted for rigid filtering receptacles · CPC title

• A47L9/149

  Emptying means; Reusable bags · CPC title

• A47L9/12

  Dry filters · CPC title

• A47L5/12

  with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum · CPC title