Patents by Inventor Bruce F. Field

Bruce F. Field has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8046867
    Abstract: A mobile surface cleaner is provided, which includes a mobile body configured to travel over a surface, a source of a liquid, a liquid dispenser, a flow path from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser, and an electrolyzing sparging device in fluid communication with the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 8029739
    Abstract: A sanitation device includes a mobile body, a surface cleaning component, and a source of UV radiation. The surface cleaning component and the source of UV radiation are mounted to the mobile body, which is configured to travel over a surface. The surface cleaning component is configured to engage the surface and the source of UV radiation is configured to direct UV radiation to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Joseph L. Pouliot
  • Patent number: 8028365
    Abstract: A cleaning tool generally comprises a hub having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of cleaning members. The cleaning members, formed of a fibrous material, are connected to the hub. In accordance with one embodiment, the cleaning members are distributed along the longitudinal axis. Also disclosed is a floor cleaning machine that includes a mobile body, the cleaning tool and a motor. The mobile body supports the cleaning tool and the motor and is configured to travel over a surface. The motor is configured to drive a rotation of the cleaning hub about the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field
  • Patent number: 8025786
    Abstract: A method is provided, which includes generating a cleaning liquid by a combination of a sparging process and an electrochemical process that produces an anolyte and a catholye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 8025787
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for receiving a cleaning liquid having a pH in a range between pH6-pH8 and an oxidation reduction potential (ORP) between ±50 mV. The liquid is converted into an anolyte liquid and a catholyte liquid having respective pHs outside of the range between pH6-pH8 and having respective ORPs outside the range between ±50 mV. The anolyte and catholyte liquids are applied to a surface, wherein the anolyte and catholyte liquids are, for example, in a combined state on the surface and substantially neutralize to a pH between pH6-pH8 and an ORP between ±50 mV within one minute of the time at which the anolyte and catholyte liquids are converted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Publication number: 20110219555
    Abstract: One embodiment of a cleaning head comprises a frame, a cylindrical member and a fluid output. The cylindrical member is supported by the frame for rotation about a central axis. The cylindrical member comprises a porous and compressible outer cylindrical wall. The fluid output is configured to dispense a liquid to an interior cavity of the cylindrical member. In one embodiment, a motor is not directly coupled to the cylindrical member for driving the rotation of the cylindrical member about the central axis. In accordance with another embodiment, the cleaning head includes an electrolysis cell within the cylindrical member. The electrolysis cell comprises first and second electrodes, each comprising porous layers of conductive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TENNANT COMPANY
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Joseph L. Pouliot, Rick M. Pierce
  • Patent number: 8016996
    Abstract: A method is provided, which includes moving a mobile floor cleaning machine along a floor. Onboard the mobile floor cleaning machine, a liquid is sparged by electrolysis. The sparged liquid is dispensed from the mobile floor cleaning machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 8012340
    Abstract: A method is provided, which includes moving a mobile floor cleaning device along a floor; electrochemically activating a liquid on the mobile floor cleaning device, and dispensing the electrochemically activated liquid from the mobile floor cleaning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 8012339
    Abstract: A hand-held spray apparatus is provided, which includes a tank for holding a supply of liquid to be treated and a functional generator carried by the hand-held spray apparatus. The functional generator receives the liquid from the tank and has an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and electrochemically activates the liquid that is passed through the functional generator. A spray output is coupled to an output of the functional generator and dispenses the electrochemically activated liquid as an output spray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field
  • Patent number: 8007654
    Abstract: An electrochemically activated fluid is provided, which has an anolyte and a catholyte. For example, a sparged anolyte and a sparged catholyte are provided. In another example, a combined anolyte and catholyte is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 7959789
    Abstract: A method is provided, which includes moving a mobile floor cleaning device along a floor; electrochemically activating a liquid on the mobile floor cleaning device, and dispensing the electrochemically activated liquid from the mobile floor cleaning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 7959788
    Abstract: A method is provided, which includes moving a mobile floor cleaning machine along a floor. Onboard the mobile floor cleaning machine, a liquid is sparged by electrolysis. The sparged liquid is dispensed from the mobile floor cleaning machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 7959785
    Abstract: A hand-held spray apparatus is provided, which includes a tank for holding a supply of liquid to be treated and a functional generator carried by the hand-held spray apparatus. The functional generator receives the liquid from the tank and has an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and electrochemically activates the liquid that is passed through the functional generator. A spray output is coupled to an output of the functional generator and dispenses the electrochemically activated liquid as an output spray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field
  • Patent number: 7959787
    Abstract: A method is provided, which includes generating a cleaning liquid by a combination of a sparging process and an electrochemical process that produces an anolyte and a catholye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Publication number: 20110132749
    Abstract: A hand-held spray device is provided, which includes a tank for holding a supply of liquid to be treated and a functional generator, which is in fluid communication with the tank. The functional generator includes an anode chamber having an anode, a cathode chamber having a cathode and being separated from the anode chamber by an ion exchange membrane, wherein at least one of the anode or cathode comprises a metallic mesh, an inlet coupled to receive liquid supplied from the tank, which is coupled to the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. The functional generator is configured to combine an entire flow of anolyte liquid from the anode chamber with an entire flow of catholyte liquid from the cathode chamber along a single path that passes through an outlet. A pump pumps the liquid from the tank and out the spray output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: TENNANT COMPANY
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field
  • Publication number: 20110121110
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided, wherein the apparatus includes an electrode and a control circuit. The electrode lacks a corresponding return electrode of opposite polarity on the apparatus. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the electrode and configured to generate and apply to the electrode a voltage having a sinusoidal waveform having at least one step on an edge of the waveform, wherein each step comprises a local peak. The apparatus is arranged to generate an alternating electric field between the electrode and a surface or volume of space in response to the applied voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: TENNANT COMPANY
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field
  • Publication number: 20110048959
    Abstract: A device for dispensing a fragrant, electrochemically-activated liquid, the device comprising an electrolysis cell configured to electrochemically activate the liquid and to diffuse one or more fragrant compounds into the liquid to provide the fragrant, electrochemically-activated liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: TENNANT COMPANY
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field
  • Patent number: 7891046
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided, which includes a sparging device and a functional generator. The functional generator is in fluid communication with the sparging device and includes an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Patent number: 7836543
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a mobile body configured to travel over a surface, a cleaning device carried by the mobile body, a liquid flow path, and an electrolyzing device in the liquid flow path. An indicator provides a humanly-perceptible indication of an electrical operating characteristic of the electrolyzing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Tennant Company
    Inventors: Bruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
  • Publication number: 20100276301
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes first and second liquid lines, a container and a dispenser. The first liquid line is configured to receive a liquid. The container is coupled to the first liquid line and is configured to retain media of at least one liquid-activating material. The media of the at least one liquid-activating material is configured to modify an oxidation reduction potential of the received liquid to provide a treated liquid. The second liquid line is coupled to the container and is configured to receive the treated liquid from the container. The dispenser is operably coupled to the second liquid line at a location downstream from the container and is configured to dispense the treated liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: TENNANT COMPANY
    Inventor: Bruce F. Field