Application of cleaning solution on a surface maintenance machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12414667-B2
Application number	US-202117189747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 16, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A surface maintenance machine comprises a surface maintenance head assembly with attached surface maintenance tool for collecting debris/fluid using a fluid delivery/recovery system. Embodiments include an outlet nozzle configured to dispense cleaning fluid exiting the outlet nozzle on the surface maintenance tool. The outlet nozzle is fluidly connected to a cleaning fluid source which can vary the intensity of cleaning fluid exiting the outlet nozzle such that different intensities of the cleaning fluid correspond to the cleaning fluid being dispensed on different areas of the surface maintenance tool. Embodiments also include a second outlet nozzle, located opposite the first, which is configured to dispense cleaning fluid exiting the outlet nozzle on the surface maintenance tool. Further embodiments include a pump which can vary the intensity of cleaning fluid exiting the outlet nozzle in a cyclical manner and suspend the cleaning fluid from exiting the outlet nozzle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surface maintenance machine that uses a cleaning fluid on a surface, comprising:
a body;
wheels supporting the body for movement over the surface;
a maintenance head assembly supported by the body and extending toward the surface and comprising a tool for performing a surface maintenance operation using the cleaning fluid;
an outlet nozzle configured to dispense the cleaning fluid from the outlet nozzle onto the tool;
a cleaning fluid source carried by the body and fluidly connected to the outlet nozzle to supply the cleaning fluid to the outlet nozzle;
a pump fluidly connected to the cleaning fluid source and configured to pump the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid source to the outlet nozzle; and
a controller configured to apply power to the pump in a controlled manner of predetermined repeating cycles of voltages, the applied power to the pump causing the pump to pump the cleaning fluid out from the outlet nozzle and onto the tool, wherein each predetermined repeating cycle of voltages includes a first phase and a second phase that is subsequent to the first phase, the first phase including:
(i) a first voltage applied to the pump at a first time to pump the cleaning fluid out from the outlet nozzle at a first velocity onto a first area of the tool; and
(ii) a second voltage applied to the pump at a second time to pump the cleaning fluid out from the outlet nozzle at a second velocity onto a second, different area of the tool, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage and the second time is subsequent to the first time;
the second phase including one or more voltages less than each of the first voltage of the first phase and the second voltage of the first phase.

2. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 , wherein the body has a longitudinal centerline, the outlet nozzle being located distal from the longitudinal centerline and located relative to the tool such that the cleaning fluid dispensed by the outlet nozzle is directed toward the longitudinal centerline in order to be dispensed onto the tool.

3. The surface maintenance machine of claim 2 , wherein the tool has a lateral centerline perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline, the tool extending parallel the lateral centerline and terminating in a first end and a second end, the second end being opposite the first end along the lateral centerline, the outlet nozzle being located proximate to the first end and oriented such that the cleaning fluid dispensed by the outlet nozzle is directed toward the second end.

4. The surface maintenance machine of claim 3 , further comprising a second outlet nozzle configured to dispense the cleaning fluid from the second outlet nozzle onto the tool, the second outlet nozzle being offset from the outlet nozzle relative to an outlet nozzle lateral centerline, the outlet nozzle lateral centerline extending from the outlet nozzle parallel to the lateral centerline of the tool.

5. The surface maintenance machine of claim 4 , wherein the outlet nozzle, the second outlet nozzle, and connections to the cleaning fluid source are such that variance of velocity of the cleaning fluid dispensed by the outlet nozzle occurs simultaneously with and equally to variance of velocity of the cleaning fluid dispensed by the second outlet nozzle.

6. The surface maintenance machine of claim 4 , wherein the outlet nozzle is A located forward of the second outlet nozzle, wherein forward is defined in a direction of travel of the surface maintenance machine.

7. The surface maintenance machine of claim 3 , wherein the first area of the tool is closer to the first end than the second end, the second area of the tool closer to the second end than the first end, the first velocity being less than the second velocity.

8. A surface maintenance machine comprising:
a body;
wheels supporting the body for movement over a surface;
a maintenance head assembly supported by the body and extending toward the surface and comprising a tool for performing a surface maintenance operation using a cleaning fluid;
a cleaning fluid source carried by the body and fluidly connected to an outlet nozzle to supply the cleaning fluid to the outlet nozzle, the outlet nozzle configured to dispense the cleaning fluid onto the tool of the maintenance head assembly;
a pump fluidly connected to the cleaning fluid source and configured to pump the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid source to the outlet nozzle; and
a controller configured to apply power to the pump in a controlled manner, the controlled manner including applying a predetermined repeating cycle of voltages to the pump to cause the pump to pump the cleaning fluid out from the outlet nozzle and onto the tool, wherein the predetermined repeating cycle of voltages includes a first phase and a second phase that is subsequent to the first phase, the first phase including:
(i) a first voltage applied to the pump at a first time to pump the cleaning fluid out from the outlet nozzle at a first velocity onto a first area of the tool; and
(ii) a second voltage applied to the pump at a second time to pump the cleaning fluid out from the outlet nozzle at a second velocity onto a second, different area of the tool, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage and the second time is subsequent to the first time;
the second phase including one or more voltages less than each of the first voltage of the first phase and the second voltage of the first phase.

9. The surface maintenance machine of claim 8 , wherein the tool of the maintenance head assembly comprises a brush having a first end and a second end, the first area closer to the first end than the second end of the brush, the second area closer to the second end than the first end, the first velocity being less than the second velocity.

10. The surface maintenance machine of claim 8 , wherein the outlet nozzle is located a further distance from the surface than a top of the tool, such that the outlet nozzle is elevated higher than the tool.

11. The surface maintenance machine of claim 8 , wherein the outlet nozzle is configured to be oriented such that the cleaning fluid exits the outlet nozzle in a direction parallel with the surface.

12. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 , wherein the outlet nozzle is arranged and configured to direct the cleaning fluid dispensed from the outlet nozzle at a positive angle relative to horizontal.

13. The surface maintenance machine of claim 8 , wherein the outlet nozzle is arranged and configured to direct the cleaning fluid dispensed from the outlet nozzle at a positive angle relative to horizontal.

14. A method for operating a surface maintenance machine, the surface maintenance machine comprising a body, wheels supporting the body for movement over a surface, a maintenance head assembly that includes a tool for performing a surface maintenance operation on the surface using a cleaning fluid, a cleaning fluid source comprising a pump fluidly connected to an outlet nozzle to dispense the cleaning fluid on the tool of the maintenance head assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
wetting a first area of the tool by applying a first voltage of a first phase of a predetermined repeating cycle of voltages to the pump to cause the cleaning fluid to output from the outlet nozzle at a first velocity onto the first area of the tool;
after wetting the first area of the tool by applying the first voltage of the first phase of the predetermined repeating cycle of voltages, wetting a second, different area of the tool by applying a second voltage of the first phase of the

Assignees

• Tennant Co

Inventors

• Joynt Daniel L

Classifications

• B05B13/005

  mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers · CPC title

• B05B12/00

  Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area · CPC title

• B05B12/18

  using fluids, e.g. gas streams · CPC title

• B08B1/12

  Brushes · CPC title

• B08B1/52

  using fluids · CPC title