Floor cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12178372-B2
Application number	US-202318460964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2023
Priority date	Apr 8, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A floor cleaner including a including a body, a cleaning head pivotally coupled to the body, and a liquid distribution system. The cleaning head includes a first and a second cleaning roller for contacting a surface to be cleaned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A floor cleaner comprising:
a body;
a cleaning head pivotably coupled to the body, the cleaning head including a first side, a second side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side, the first and second lateral sides extending between the first side and the second side, the body is pivotable with respect to the cleaning head about a first axis extending between the first and second lateral sides of the cleaning head and the body is pivotable with respect to the cleaning head about a second axis toward the first lateral side and toward the second lateral side,
a cleaning member disposed in the cleaning head and configured to contact a surface to be cleaned; and
a liquid distribution system including
a supply tank
a first dispensing member in fluid communication with the supply tank and configured to dispense solution in a first direction and beyond the first side of the cleaning head onto the surface to be cleaned,
a second dispensing member in fluid communication with the supply tank and configured to dispense solution in a second direction and beyond the first lateral side of the cleaning head onto the surface to be cleaned; and
a valve in fluid communication with the first dispensing member and the second dispensing member, wherein the valve is configured to selectively deliver solution to the first dispensing member and prevent delivery of solution to the second dispensing member in response to pivoting of the body relative to the cleaning head about the first axis and configured to selectively deliver solution to the second dispensing member and prevent delivery of solution to the first dispensing member in response to pivoting of the body relative to the cleaning head about the second axis.

2. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein when the body is pivoted about the second axis the floor cleaner is movable across the surface to be cleaned in the first lateral direction and the second lateral direction and the second dispensing member is configured to dispense fluid when the cleaning head moves in the first lateral direction.

3. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein when the body is pivoted about the first axis the floor cleaner is movable across the surface in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction and the first dispensing member is configured to dispense fluid when the cleaning head moves in the first direction.

4. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the body includes a connecting member coupled to the cleaning head for rotation about the first axis and wherein an upper portion of the body is coupled to the connecting member for pivoting movement about the second axis.

5. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a controller and a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a signal based on a position of the body relative to the cleaning head, and wherein the controller determines a direction of movement based on the signal and the controller operates the valve in response to the direction of movement.

6. The floor cleaner of claim 5 , wherein when the body is pivoted about the second axis toward the second lateral side, the sensor generates the signal and the controller determines the direction of movement is in a lateral direction based on the signal.

7. The floor cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the controller selectively enables fluid distribution through the second dispensing member when the controller receives the signal.

8. The floor cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the valve includes a valve body and a valve member and wherein the controller is operable to actuate the valve member to move to a first position relative to the valve body to deliver solution to the second dispensing member in response to the signal, and wherein, in the first position, delivery of solution to the first dispensing member is inhibited by the valve member.

9. The floor cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is a Hall Effect sensor and movement of the body relative to the cleaning head causes movement of a magnetic component relative to the Hall Effect sensor to generate the signal.

10. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the liquid distribution system further comprises an actuator, and a pump coupled between the supply tank and the valve, and wherein the pump is configured to selectively pump solution through the valve based on input from the actuator.

11. The floor cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a controller and a switch, and wherein the switch is physically actuated upon pivoting movement of the body with respect to the head, and wherein the switch is configured to generate a signal when actuated, and wherein the controller determines a direction of movement based on the signal and the controller operates the valve in response to the direction of movement.

12. A floor cleaner comprising:
a body;
a cleaning head pivotably coupled to the body and movable across a surface to be cleaned in a first direction, a second direction opposite the first direction, a first lateral direction, and a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction;
a cleaning roller disposed in the cleaning head;
a liquid distribution system including
a supply tank
a first dispensing member in fluid communication with the supply tank and configured to dispense solution beyond the cleaning head onto the surface to be cleaned in the first direction,
a second dispensing member in fluid communication with the supply tank and configured to dispense solution beyond the cleaning head onto the surface to be cleaned in the first lateral direction; and
a valve in fluid communication with the first dispensing member and the second dispensing member for alternately selectively delivering the solution to the first dispensing member and selectively delivering the solution to the second dispensing member in response to pivoting of the body relative to the cleaning head, wherein when the valve delivers solution to the first dispensing member it prevents solution from being delivered to the second dispensing member and wherein when the valve delivers solution to the second dispensing member it prevents solution from being delivered to the first dispensing member;
wherein the valve is configured to deliver solution to the first dispensing member when the cleaning head moves in the first direction and the valve is configured to deliver solution to the second dispensing member when the cleaning head moves in the first lateral direction.

13. The floor cleaner of claim 12 , further comprising a controller and a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a signal based on a direction of movement of the floor cleaner along the surface to be cleaned.

14. The floor cleaner of claim 13 , wherein when the direction of movement is in the first lateral direction the sensor generates a first signal, and wherein the controller selectively enables fluid distribution through the first dispensing member in response to the first signal.

15. The floor cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the valve includes a valve body and a valve member movable relative to the valve body between a first position allowing fluid distribution to the first dispensing member, and a second position allowing fluid distribution to the second dispensing member.

16. The floor cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the controller is operable to actuate the valve member to move to the first position to deliver solution to the first dispensing member in response to the first signal, and wherein, in the first position, delivery of solution to the second dispensing member is inhibited by the valve member

Assignees

• Techtronic Floor Care Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Davila Rafael
• Dawson Michael
• Mcrorie Robert
• Lydic Donald
• Deblasio Nicholas

Classifications

• A47L11/4088

  Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits · CPC title

• A47L11/4083

  Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices · CPC title

• A47L11/4041

  Roll shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4016

  specially adapted for collecting fluids · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title