FLOOR SCRUBBER AND SCRUBBER HEAD
A floor scrubber with a floor scrubber head having a backing plate to which a pad is secured with the pad adapted to being placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned. The scrubber head includes a motor support to which a motor is mounted with the backing plate being secured to the motor support, with the motor configured to move the backing plate and pad when cleaning a surface. The scrubber head further includes a cover member having an opening through which the motor extends, with the cover member further including a pair of wheels with an outer perimeter of the wheels partially extending beyond a periphery of the cover member.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/564,811, filed on Dec. 9, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/046,243, filed on Oct. 4, 2013, which claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/709,786 filed on Oct. 4, 2012, by Kipling J. Kauffman for FLOOR SCRUBBER AND SCRUBBER HEAD, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a floor scrubber and a scrubber head for a floor scrubber.
Floor scrubbers are used to clean floor surfaces and include a scrubber head that may be positioned against the floor to provide scrubbing action on the floor. An operator may walk behind the floor scrubber, with the scrubber head being movable between a raised orientation for transporting the floor scrubber when not being used for cleaning, and the noted cleaning orientation in which the scrubber head is positioned against the floor.
Different types of scrubber heads may be mounted to a floor scrubber, including a rotary scrubber head in which the pad is circularly rotated against the floor surface and an orbital scrubber head in which the pad is moved against the floor in an eccentric manner without completely spinning. In the case of orbital scrubber heads, cleaning fluid is conventionally discharged directly onto the floor surface in front of the advancing scrubber head. The cleaning fluid is then worked against the floor surface by the pad of the scrubber head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a floor scrubber and a scrubber head for a floor scrubber.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a floor scrubber includes a scrubber head comprising a pad for contacting a floor surface to be cleaned, a pad mounting plate to which the pad is mounted, and an applicator for discharging cleaning fluid, with the applicator arranged whereby cleaning fluid discharged from the applicator is directed at and discharged onto the pad.
In particular embodiments the applicator comprises an elongate distribution conduit and includes a plurality of orifices aimed at the pad, such as at a top surface of the pad. Still further, the front edge of the mounting plate may be inwardly disposed from the front edge of the pad relative to the scrubber head to provide an exposed portion of the pad, wherein the applicator is arranged such that cleaning fluid discharged from the applicator is directed at and discharged onto the exposed portion of the pad.
The scrubber head in accordance with the present invention promotes the entrainment of fluid within the scrubbing pad and avoids applying fluid directly onto the floor surface, thus inhibiting the creation of puddles on the floor surface when the floor scrubber is in operation.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein the numbered elements in the following written description correspond to like-numbered elements in the figures. A floor scrubber 30 with an orbital scrubber head 200 for cleaning floors is shown in
Scrubber head 200 is affixed to scrubber 30 via head arms, with only head arm 48a shown in
Referring to
Pad plate 220 has an end 228 positioned adjacent applicator 204 where end 228 comprises a front end in the installed orientation shown in
Pad plate 220 also has an end 248 opposite end 228, where in the embodiment shown end 248 is substantially identical to end 228 as including an edge 250 defining a cavity or recess 252 and extending projections 254 (one shown in
With reference to
With reference to
As understood with reference to
It should be appreciated that alternatively configured cleaning heads may be constructed in accordance with the present invention relative to head 200. Including, for example, with regard to the arrangements, configurations and mounting orientation of the various members, such as the cover, pad backing plate, motor mounting plate, and applicator assembly. Scrubber 30 may also include a head adjustment assembly 38 (
Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.
Claims
1. A scrubber head for a floor scrubber, said scrubber head comprising:
- a backing plate configured to receive a pad adapted to being placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned;
- a motor support to which a motor is mounted;
- a cover member, said cover member including a top member with said top member including an opening through which said motor extends with said motor support being disposed between said backing plate and said cover member, said top member further including a mounting flange extending from said cover member, said mounting flange configured to connect said scrubber head to a floor scrubber apparatus, and wherein said cover member further includes a pair of wheels with vertically oriented axes of rotations, said cover member including a pair of front corners with one said wheel being disposed at each said front corner; and
- an applicator through which cleaning fluid is configured to be discharged, said applicator being disposed under said cover member.
2. The scrubber head of claim 1, wherein said cover member further includes a general vertically oriented front member depending from said top member, wherein said front member is positioned adjacent to and extends parallel with a front edge of a pad mounted to said backing plate.
3. The scrubber head of claim 2, wherein said cover member further includes a pair of generally vertically oriented side members depending from said top member, and wherein an outer perimeter of said wheels partially extend beyond planes defined by said side members and said front member.
4. The scrubber head of claim 1, wherein said mounting flange comprises a pair of mounting flanges that are disposed adjacent said opening in said top member.
5. The scrubber head of claim 1, wherein said applicator is attached to said cover member.
6. The scrubber head of claim 5, wherein said applicator comprises an elongate conduit with a plurality of orifices.
7. The scrubber head of claim 1, further including a plurality of lower vibration isolator mounts disposed between and connecting said backing plate and said motor mount.
8. The scrubber head of claim 7, further including a plurality of upper vibration isolator mounts disposed between and connecting said motor mount and said cover member.
9. The scrubber head of claim 8, wherein said upper vibration isolator mounts have a shorter length than said lower vibration isolator mounts.
10. A floor scrubber, said floor scrubber comprising:
- wheels for movably supporting said floor scrubber;
- a base assembly; and
- a scrubber head, said scrubber head being attached to said base assembly;
- said scrubber head comprising a backing plate configured to receive a pad adapted to being placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned, a motor support to which a motor is mounted, and a cover member, said cover member including a top member with said top member including an opening through which said motor extends with said motor support being disposed between said backing plate and said cover member, said top member further including a mounting flange extending from said cover member, said mounting flange configured to connect said scrubber head to said base assembly, and wherein said cover member further includes a pair of scrubber head wheels with vertically oriented axes of rotations, said cover member including a pair of front corners with one said scrubber head wheel being disposed at each said front corner, said scrubber head further including an applicator through which cleaning fluid is configured to be discharged, said applicator being disposed under said cover member.
11. The floor scrubber of claim 10, wherein said cover member further includes a general vertically oriented front member depending from said top member, wherein said front member is positioned adjacent to and extends parallel with a front edge of a pad mounted to said backing plate, and wherein said cover member further includes a pair of generally vertically oriented side members depending from said top member, and wherein an outer perimeter of said wheels partially extend beyond planes defined by said side members and said front member.
12. The floor scrubber of claim 10, wherein said applicator is attached to said cover member, and wherein said applicator comprises an elongate conduit with a plurality of orifices.
13. The floor scrubber of claim 10, further including a plurality of lower vibration isolator mounts disposed between and connecting said backing plate and said motor mount, and including a plurality of upper vibration isolator mounts disposed between and connecting said motor mount and said cover member.
14. A scrubber head for a floor scrubber, said scrubber head comprising:
- a pad for contacting a floor surface to be cleaned;
- a pad mounting plate to which said pad is mounted; and
- an applicator for discharging cleaning fluid, said applicator arranged whereby cleaning fluid discharged from said applicator is directed at and discharged onto said pad, wherein said pad mounting plate has a front edge and said pad has a front edge, and wherein said front edge of said mounting plate is inwardly disposed from said front edge of said pad relative to said scrubber head to provide an exposed portion of said pad, and wherein said applicator is arranged whereby cleaning fluid discharged from said applicator is directed at and discharged onto said exposed portion of said pad.
15. The floor scrubber of claim 14, wherein said applicator includes a plurality of orifices, and wherein said orifices are aimed at said pad.
16. The floor scrubber of claim 15, wherein said applicator comprises an elongate conduit, with said conduit including said plurality of orifices aimed at said exposed portion of said pad.
17. The floor scrubber of claim 14, wherein said pad includes a bottom surface and a top surface, and wherein said applicator is arranged to discharge cleaning fluid onto said top surface.
18. The floor scrubber of claim 14, wherein said scrubber head includes a front end and wherein said applicator is arranged at said front end of said scrubber head.
19. The floor scrubber of claim 14, wherein said mounting plate includes a pair of extending portions at said front edge with said extending portions defining a recess between said extending portions, and wherein said exposed portion of said pad is provided by said recess.
20. The floor scrubber of claim 14, wherein said scrubber head includes a cover with a pair of guide wheels mounted to and extending outwardly from said cover and a mounting flange for securing said scrubber head with said base assembly via a head arm, and wherein said pad mounting plate is secured to said cover via mounts enabling said pad to be moved eccentrically.
Type: Application
Filed: May 27, 2016
Publication Date: Sep 22, 2016
Inventor: Kipling J. Kauffman (Zeeland, MI)
Application Number: 15/167,067