US4956891A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Floor cleaner
Assignee: Tennant Co
•
Filing: 1990-02-21
•
Granted: 1990-09-18
•
Expires: 2010-02-21
Abstract
Abstract A five in one floor cleaning machine supported on wheels intermediate the front and rear of the machine, there being adjacent the rear a clean water outlet, a scrub brush, a dirty water pickup nozzle, a clean rinse water outlet, and a dirty rinse water pickup nozzle. A pair of concentric chambers retain the clean and dirty water, the first chamber surrounding an inner chamber which is defined by a flexible spherical wall. As clean water empties from one chamber, and dirty water fills the other, the center of gravity stays substantially the same. The flexible wall of the inner chamber folds in under the force of surrounding increasing water pressure to decrease the size of the inner chamber as it empties of clean water.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard F. Wulff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:59
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47L; A47L11/00; A47L11/40; A47L11/4052; A47L11/4058; A47L11/29; A47L11/30; A47L11/302; A47L11/4013; A47L11/4016; A47L11/4036; A47L11/4041; A47L11/4044; A47L11/4075; A47L11/408; A47L11/4083; A47L11/4088
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
270 words
A floor cleaning machine comprising: a support structure including a housing thereon forming a front and a rear for said machine; wheel means having an axle means beneath said support structure on a transverse axis intermediate said front and said rear for mobility of said machine; handle means at the upper front of said machine for moving said machine; floor engaging cleaning means adjacent said rear for cleaning the floor, including a clean water outlet and a dirty water inlet; said housing having a first water retention chamber with a center of gravity rearward of said axis and substantially forward of said floor engaging cleaning means; an inner container within said first chamber defining an inner chamber for retention of water separated from water in said first chamber; said inner chamber being substantially symmetrical with said center of gravity; clean water conduit means between one of said chambers and said floor engaging cleaning means clean water outlet for conducting clean water to said floor engaging cleaning means; dirty water conduit means between the other of said chambers and said floor engaging cleaning means dirty water inlet to conduct dirty water from said dirty water inlet to said other chamber; said first chamber extending in front of and to the rear of said inner chamber, said first chamber and said inner chamber being located and configured to cause said center of gravity to remain substantially constant during emptying of said one chamber of clean water and filling of said other chamber of dirty water, such that downward force on said floor engaging cleaning means remains substantially constant throughout the cleaning cycle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
270 words
A floor cleaning machine comprising: a support structure including a housing thereon forming a front and a rear for said machine; wheel means having an axle means beneath said support structure on a transverse axis intermediate said front and said rear for mobility of said machine; handle means at the upper front of said machine for moving said machine; floor engaging cleaning means adjacent said rear for cleaning the floor, including a clean water outlet and a dirty water inlet; said housing having a first water retention chamber with a center of gravity rearward of said axis and substantially forward of said floor engaging cleaning means; an inner container within said first chamber defining an inner chamber for retention of water separated from water in said first chamber; said inner chamber being substantially symmetrical with said center of gravity; clean water conduit means between one of said chambers and said floor engaging cleaning means clean water outlet for conducting clean water to said floor engaging cleaning means; dirty water conduit means between the other of said chambers and said floor engaging cleaning means dirty water inlet to conduct dirty water from said dirty water inlet to said other chamber; said first chamber extending in front of and to the rear of said inner chamber, said first chamber and said inner chamber being located and configured to cause said center of gravity to remain substantially constant during emptying of said one chamber of clean water and filling of said other chamber of dirty water, such that downward force on said floor engaging cleaning means remains substantially constant throughout the cleaning cycle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 1 wherein said outer chamber surrounds said inner container.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 1 wherein said inner container has flexible wall structure enabling water in said outer chamber and said inner chamber to shift said flexible wall structure as said one chamber is emptied and said other chamber is filled, without substantially shifting said center of gravity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 3 wherein said first chamber surrounds said inner container.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 4 wherein said inner container is of partial spherical configuration.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 1 including a pump associated with said clean water conduit means for pumping clean water to said clean water outlet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 6 including a vacuum pump operably associated with said other chamber to draw dirty water from said dirty water inlet means to said other chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 1 wherein said floor engaging cleaning means includes a power brush.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 1 wherein said first chamber is the dirty water retention chamber and said inner chamber is the clean water retention chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 9 wherein said outer chamber surrounds said inner container.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 10 wherein said inner container has flexible wall structure enabling water in said outer chamber and said inner chamber to shift said flexible wall structure as said one chamber is emptied and said other chamber is filled, without substantially shifting said center of gravity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 11 wherein said inner container is of partial spherical configuration.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 12 including a pump associated with said clean water conduit means for pumping clean water to said clean water outlet; and a vacuum pump operably associated with said other chamber to draw dirty water from said dirty water inlet means to said other chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 13 wherein said floor engaging cleaning means includes a power brush.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
229 words
A five in one floor cleaning machine comprising: a support structure including a housing forming a front and rear of said machine; wheel means having an axle intermediate said front and rear for mobility of said machine; handle means for moving said machine over a floor surface; floor engaging cleaning means adjacent said rear for cleaning the floor and comprising a clean water outlet, a powered scrubbing brush adjacent said clean water outlet, a first vacuum nozzle having a dirty water inlet behind said scrubbing brush, a rinse water outlet behind said dirty water inlet, and a second vacuum nozzle having a dirty rinse water inlet behind said rinse water outlet, said brush and said first and second vacuum nozzles engageable with the floor and partially supporting said machine; said housing having a first water retention chamber; an inner container within said first chamber said first chamber surrounding said second chamber; both said first and second chambers having a center of gravity on substantially the same vertical plane which is transverse to a plane extending between said front and said rear, said vertical plane being to the rear of said wheel axis and substantially forward of said vacuum nozzles; and both said first and second chambers maintaining substantially the same common center of gravity during emptying of one chamber and filling of the other chamber during the cleaning operation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
229 words
A five in one floor cleaning machine comprising: a support structure including a housing forming a front and rear of said machine; wheel means having an axle intermediate said front and rear for mobility of said machine; handle means for moving said machine over a floor surface; floor engaging cleaning means adjacent said rear for cleaning the floor and comprising a clean water outlet, a powered scrubbing brush adjacent said clean water outlet, a first vacuum nozzle having a dirty water inlet behind said scrubbing brush, a rinse water outlet behind said dirty water inlet, and a second vacuum nozzle having a dirty rinse water inlet behind said rinse water outlet, said brush and said first and second vacuum nozzles engageable with the floor and partially supporting said machine; said housing having a first water retention chamber; an inner container within said first chamber said first chamber surrounding said second chamber; both said first and second chambers having a center of gravity on substantially the same vertical plane which is transverse to a plane extending between said front and said rear, said vertical plane being to the rear of said wheel axis and substantially forward of said vacuum nozzles; and both said first and second chambers maintaining substantially the same common center of gravity during emptying of one chamber and filling of the other chamber during the cleaning operation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 15 wherein said inner chamber is of partial spherical configuration.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
50 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 16 wherein said inner container has flexible wall structure enabling water in said outer chamber and said inner chamber to shift said flexible wall structure as said one chamber is emptied and said other chamber is filled, without substantially shifting said center of gravity.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
126 words
The floor cleaning machine in claim 17 wherein said inner container is for retaining clean water and said first chamber is for receiving dirty water; clean water conduit means from said inner container to said clean water outlet for conducting clean water thereto, and to said rinse water outlet for conducting clean rinse water thereto; cleaning chemical injection means to said clean water conduit means to said clean water outlet for injecting cleaning chemical; dirty water conduit means from said dirty water inlet to said first chamber and from said dirty rinse water inlet to said first chamber, for conducting dirty water thereto; said first chamber being filled as said inner chamber is emptied while maintaining said center of gravity substantially constant in said vertical plane.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-09-17 | 1994-03-19 | 1994-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-09-17 | 1998-03-19 | 1998-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-09-17 | 2002-03-19 | 2002-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |