FLOOR SCRUBBER WITH BASEBOARD CLEANER
A floor cleaning tool includes a housing that retains a motor for driving a pair of scrubbers configured for rotational motion for contacting the floor below the frame. A baseboard scrubbing assembly is mounted at the front of the housing in a vertical orientation perpendicular to the floor. A baseboard pad simultaneously contacts the baseboard adjacent the floor as the scrubbers are moved across the floor.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/452,406, filed Mar. 15, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to floor cleaning tool with accessories for simultaneously performing additional cleaning tasks, namely cleaning baseboards and/or scrubbing grout.
BACKGROUNDFloor cleaning implements are well known and come in many forms, using manual or motorized means for powering the cleaning action. To do a thorough cleaning job on a floor, it is often necessary to also clean the baseboards surrounding the floor. A common way of cleaning baseboards is for the cleaner to crouch or kneel down next to the wall and scrub with a rag or cleaning cloth. Some tools have been developed specifically for cleaning baseboards without requiring the user to bend or crouch. One such example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,943 of Sandoval. This is a specialized tool that performs no other function but cleaning the baseboard. Use of a specialized tool means that the cleaner must separately clean the baseboard and the floor, each with different tool, increasing the amount of time required to do a thorough cleaning job.
Ideally, there would be a tool that can easily perform multiple functions at the same time, saving time and effort for the user. The present invention is directed to such a tool.
SUMMARYA floor cleaning tool includes one or more cleaning surfaces for cleaning a floor extending from a frame at the end of a handle so that the cleaning surface(s) is held in an orientation parallel to and in contact with the floor. A baseboard cleaner pad is mounted on one side of the frame at a perpendicular position relative to the cleaning surface. The cleaning surface may be a mop, steam mop, vacuum, polisher or scrubber. In an exemplary embodiment, a scrubber includes two rotating pads removably attachable to a pair of motor-driven rotating disks. The frame is generally rectangular in shape with the longer sides of the rectangle corresponding to the front and the back. A pivotally-attached handle extends upward from back of the frame. One half of a fastener is disposed on the front of the frame to mate with the other half of a fastener on the back of the baseboard cleaner pad, allowing the baseboard cleaner pad to be attached to the frame at a 90° angle. As the user scrubs the floor, they can simultaneously scrub the baseboard on the adjacent wall in a single motion.
In some embodiments, a second fastener half is disposed on the back of the frame for mating with a fastener on a brush that extends downward from the frame. Attachment of the brush allows the user to scrub grout or stubborn marks on the floor while simultaneously polishing or buffing the floor with the scrubber's pad(s).
In one aspect, a combination cleaning assembly includes: a frame having a top surface, a bottom, a front and a back, the frame configured for retaining at least one motor and a power source for powering the motor; scrubbers extending from the bottom of the frame and connected to the at least one motor, the scrubbers configured for rotational motion for contacting a floor below the frame; a handle pivotally attached to the frame, the handle configured for moving the frame and scrubbers across the floor; and a baseboard scrubbing assembly comprising a planar support structure removably mounted at the front of the frame in a vertical orientation perpendicular to the floor; and a baseboard pad mounted on the planar support structure configured to simultaneously contact a baseboard adjacent the floor as the scrubbers are moved across the floor. The combination cleaning assembly may further include a brush scrubber releasably mounted on the bottom at the back of the frame. The scrubbers may be disks having fabric pads releasably attached thereto. The baseboard pad may be a washable, reusable fabric. In some embodiments, the power source may be a rechargeable battery.
In another aspect, a floor cleaning tool includes: a frame having a top surface, a bottom, a front and a back, the frame comprising a housing configured for retaining at least one motor and a power source for powering the motor; a pair of scrubbers extending from the bottom of the frame and connected to the at least one motor, the scrubbers configured for rotational motion for contacting a floor below the frame; a handle pivotally attached to the frame, the handle configured for moving the frame and scrubbers across the floor; and a baseboard scrubbing assembly having a planar support structure removably mounted at the front of the frame in a vertical orientation perpendicular to the floor and a baseboard pad mounted on the planar support structure configured to simultaneously contact a baseboard adjacent the floor as the scrubbers are moved across the floor. The floor cleaning tool may further include a brush scrubber releasably mounted near a center on the bottom at the back of the frame. Each scrubber may be a disk having a fabric pad releasably attached thereto. The baseboard pad may be a washable, reusable fabric. In some embodiments, the power source may be a rechargeable battery.
As shown in
Referring briefly to
Frame 12 is generally rectangular in shape, optionally with rounded corners or ends, i.e., a stadium, with the longer sides of the rectangle corresponding to the front 6 and the back 8. In some embodiments, front 6 and back 8 need not have equal lengths, such that frame 12 may have a trapezoidal shape. In other embodiments, frame may be triangular in shape. A pivotally-attached handle 10, preferably formed from metal such as aluminum or steel, extends upward from the near back 8 portion, centered lengthwise on frame 12. In some embodiments, the handle 10 may be telescoping and adjustable in length.
Referring for
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The above-described combination floor scrubber and baseboard cleaner allows the user to simultaneously scrub the floor while cleaning the baseboard. While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A combination cleaning assembly, comprising:
- a frame having a top surface, a bottom, a front and a back, the frame configured for retaining at least one motor and a power source for powering the motor;
- scrubbers extending from the bottom of the frame and connected to the at least one motor, the scrubbers configured for rotational motion for contacting a floor below the frame;
- a handle pivotally attached to the frame, the handle configured for moving the frame and scrubbers across the floor; and
- a baseboard scrubbing assembly comprising: a planar support structure removably mounted at the front of the frame in a vertical orientation perpendicular to the floor; and a baseboard pad mounted on the planar support structure configured to simultaneously contact a baseboard adjacent the floor as the scrubbers are moved across the floor.
2. The combination cleaning assembly of claim 1, further comprising a brush scrubber releasably mounted on the bottom at the back of the frame.
3. The combination cleaning assembly of claim 1, wherein the scrubbers comprise disks having fabric pads releasably attached thereto.
4. The combination cleaning assembly of claim 1, wherein the baseboard pad comprises a washable, reusable fabric.
5. The combination cleaning assembly of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery.
6. A floor cleaning tool, comprising:
- a frame having a top surface, a bottom, a front and a back, the frame comprising a housing configured for retaining at least one motor and a power source for powering the motor;
- a pair of scrubbers extending from the bottom of the frame and connected to the at least one motor, each scrubber configured for rotational motion for contacting a floor below the frame;
- a handle pivotally attached to the frame, the handle configured for moving the frame and scrubbers across the floor; and
- a baseboard scrubbing assembly having a planar support structure removably mounted at the front of the frame in a vertical orientation perpendicular to the floor and a baseboard pad mounted on the planar support structure configured to simultaneously contact a baseboard adjacent the floor as the scrubbers are moved across the floor.
7. The floor cleaning tool of claim 6, further comprising a brush scrubber releasably mounted near a center on the bottom at the back of the frame.
8. The floor cleaning tool of claim 6, wherein each scrubber comprises a disk having a fabric pad releasably attached thereto.
9. The floor cleaning tool of claim 6, wherein the baseboard pad comprises a washable, reusable fabric.
10. The floor cleaning tool of claim 6, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 15, 2024
Publication Date: Sep 19, 2024
Inventor: John O. YEISER, IV (Santee, CA)
Application Number: 18/607,299