Cleaning device for producing and applying a cleansing foam

[57] ABSTRACT

A housing can be moved over a surface to be cleaned and contains a reservoir for a foamable cleaning liquid which is received by foaming means by which it is foamed and then applied to the surface. The liquid is supplied to the foaming means by a float accommodated in the reservoir and having an outlet via which the latter communicates with the foaming means.

Claims, 6 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED OCT 21973

SHEET 1 OF 3

3,761,905

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PAIEHfEDOCI 2BH

3.761.905

SiltET 2 OF 3

ID

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PATENTED OCT 21973

SULET 3 Of 3

3.761.985

FVG.4

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<img file="US3761985A_D0005.tif" />

r/G6

<img file="US3761985A_D0006.tif" />

3,761,985

CLEANING DEVICE FOR PRODUCING AND APPLYING A CLEANSING FOAM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to cleaning devices, and more particularly to cleaning devices using foam as a cleaning agent. Still more particularly the invention relates to a cleaning device for producing and applying a cleaning foam to a surface.

Such devices of the general type here under discussion are already known. One such device utilizes a flexible bag which contains the foamable cleaning liquid and whose outlet communicates with a conduit through which liquid is dripped and from which in turn liquid drips through many apertures onto the foaming device. The bag is so mounted that the conduit inlet is located above the liquid level in the bag so that liquid is periodically into the conduit by movement of the liquid and flowing of the liquid over and into the inlet of the conduit, as a result of movement of the cleaning device. Alternately, inflow of the liquid into the inlet of the conduit can be provided by exerting pressure from the exterior against the bag, thereby raising the liquid level and causing liquid to flow into the conduit.

This prior-art construction has not been found entirely satisfactory. Firstly, the flexibility of the bag makes it difficult to fill the latter with liquid, at least without spilling some of the liquid. Furthermore, the flexibility of the bag also necessitates that the bag be protected against puncture or other damage by accommodating it in a rigid casing, which involves an additional expense. Furthermore, a substantial disadvantage of this prior-art construction is that the supply of liquid to the foaming device must always be such that the inlet is above the level of liquid in the bag, so that—given the fact that the bag holds only a relatively small quantity of liquid—the device must be of rather high construction in order to be able to accommodate the various components in the requisite manner. It is a further disadvantage of this construction that if the device is tilted during operation, with simultaneous raising of the bag with reference to the inlet of the conduit, an uncontrolled quantity of cleaning liquid will flow through the conduit to the foaming device and can then contact the surface to be treated in unfoamed condition, meaning that the surface and the underlying material become wetted to an unacceptable extent, which will usually result in damage of some type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved cleaning device of the type here under discussion which is not possessed of the disadvantages of the prior art.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide such a cleaning device which is simple in its construction as well as in its operation, and which can be handled reliably even by persons having neither technical skill nor understanding, thereby avoiding the danger that unfoamed cleaning liquid might come in contact with the material being treated.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a cleaning device in which it is assured that the supply of liquid cleaning to the foaming device will be properly regulated, and will be automatically started or stopped, irrespective of any possible deviations of the cleaning device from its normal operating position.

In pursuance of the above objects, and of others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a cleaning device for producing and applying a cleansing foam, which device comprises, briefly stated, a housing adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned. A reservoir is provided for a foamable cleaning liquid, and foaming means is provided for receiving liquid from the reservoir, foaming it and applying the resulting foam to the surface. There is, furthermore, provided supplying means for supplying liquid from the reservoir to the foaming means, and this comprises, in accordance with the invention, a float located in the reservoir and provided with an outlet communicating both with the reservoir and with the foaming means. The outlet is located in a portion of the float which is above the upper level to which the float can become immersed in the cleaning liquid, thereby assuring that the outflow of liquid is continuously adapted to changes in the level of the cleaning liquid inside the reservoir, even if the device is tilted out of its normal operating position. Moreover, with this construction the cross-section of the outlet can be made large enough to prevent clogging of the outlet conduit communicating with the outlet opening, because in this construction a discharge of cleaning liquid through the outlet takes place only when the device undergoes a toand-fro movement which is typical of the operational movements of such devices, with the inertia of the float and of the cleaning liquid resulting in an overflowing into the outlet of the float when the direction of movement of the device is reversed at the end of its operating strokes. If, on the other hand, the device is accidentally or purposely tilted with respect to its normal operating position, the float will accommodate itself to the changes to the level of the cleaning liquid in the reservoir and the outlet will under all circumstances remain reliably above the level of the cleaning liquid unless the tilting movement is accommodated by so strong a toand-fro movement of the device that liquid can enter the outlet, a circumstance which is not normally to be expected.

It is, of course, also important that it be possible for the reservoir to empty completely during the operation of the device if and when this is desired. To make this possible it is currently preferred to construct the float in essentially a disk-shaped configuration, preferably in a rectangular outline, and to provide with an upwardly open groove which extends essentially transversely to the direction of movement of the device and which communicates with the outlet. With this construction a very good accuracy of dispensing of the liquid is obtained, because during each reversal of direction at the ends of the operating strokes of the device the liquid will run into the groove, filling the same, and during the period between the just-mentioned reversal of direction and the reversal of direction which takes place at the end of the next-following operating stroke, the contents of this groove will empty through the outlet and be supplied to the foaming means. At the next reversal of direction the groove will be again be filled and the process be repeated, so that during each reversal of direction an identical or nearly identical amount of liquid—corresponding to the volumetric content of the groove—will be supplied.

It is conceivable that under certain circumstances the float might not remain in upright or vertical orientation. In order to insure that the position of the float is

3,761,985 stable and a constant accurate dispensing of liquid is assured, it is advantageous to associate the float with a vertical guidance element in the interior of the reservoir, and it is currently preferred to construct the guidance element in such a manner that it has a frame located in the bottom region of the reservoir bottom beneath the float, and is provided with vertically extending arm portions which guide the float and whose length corresponds approximately to the height of the reservoir. In fact, it is further contemplated to provide a first section of the frame which is anchored rigidly with the device, for instance to a rigid portion of the conduit connecting the outlet with the foaming means, and a second section carrying the vertical arms and which is pivotably connected with the first section, for instance by means of integral hinges. The term integral hinge refers to a flexible portion—usually plastic— which is of one piece with two other portions of the same material which are to be capable of pivotal movement relative to one another. In essence this is a relatively thin film-like or strip-like portion of the same material of which the relatively pivotable portions are made.

By constructing the frame in the aforementioned manner a displacement of the pivotable frame section permits a tilting of the float, thus that the aforementioned groove and the outlet can be raised so as to be far enough above the level of liquid in the reservoir that no liquid can enter into them at such times as this is not desired.

If the construction is such as just mentioned above, namely permitting this displacement of the float at the will of a user, then of course it is important that such displacement or adjustment be possible without difficulties and without requiring special skill or care. For this purpose it is advantageous to provide the pivotable section of the frame with a projection which extends advantageously radially with reference to its pivot axis and which rides on an upwardly inclined control cam track of a control member which can be so moved that as the cam track moves, the projection will ride up on the latter and raise the movable section of the frame and thereby the float. The control member should of course be accessible at the exterior of the device so that the desired adjustment can be made at any time without any difficulties. It is particularly advantageous to locate the control member in the region of the filling opening of the reservoir and to accommodate its crosssectional dimensions to the exterior cross-sectional dimensions of a preferably cup-shaped closure element for the filling opening, with which it can be made to be coupled so that the two cannot rotate with reference to one another. In this manner the closure element can be removed from the filling opening whenever this is necessary or desired, whereas the control element remains in place, and when the closure element is fully inserted into the liquid opening its turning movement results in a synchronous turning movement of the control member leading to a change in the position of the pivotable section of the frame and thereby of the float.

The control member can be provided with a collar overlying a marginal portion of a wall in which the filling opening is provided, and the closure element can tightly engage this collar to prevent leakage, with the collar being advantageously so constructed that it engages the aforementioned marginal portion in such a manner as not to interfere with rotatable movement of the control member but to prevent it from undesirable withdrawal axially of the filling opening. Of course, in order to make it still simpler for the user to adjust the position of the control member and thereby of the 5 float, end abutments cooperating with the control cam track may also be provided in the interior of the reservoir.

The conduits communicating with the outlet and with the foaming means can also be provided with a closure 10 valve to afford additional assurance against undesired flow of cleaning liquid. This can be a particularly advantageous feature in the event that the control of liquid flow by the float should malfunction for any reason, in which case uncontrolled outflow of cleaning liquid 15 can be prevented by this additional valve. Furthermore, this additional valve also assures that when the device is taken out of use, that is when it is put away after having been used, any liquid which is still in the outlet conduit or in the aforementioned groove communicating 20 with the outlet will not be able to reach the foaming means and to pass through or beyond the latter to contact the surface in non-foamed condition.

Such an additional valve is advantageously constructed as a valve flap associated with the outlet end 25 portion of the conduit, which outlet opening may approximately be contoured to the desired closure position of the valve flap. Such a construction is both simple and not subject to malfunction, a consideration which is particularly important in view of the fact that ³⁰ the cleaning liquids used in such devices are usually of slightly tacky character which in other constructions would tend to clog the valve and prevent its proper operation. It is advantageous that the valve flap be so mounted that it be elastically deformable in the region ³⁵ of its mounting, the elastic deformability setting up a biassing stress tending to move the flap to closed position whenever it is moved away from closed and towards open position. Thus, the valve flap would normally tend to close without requiring any positive ac⁴⁰ tion on the part of a user of the device, whereas it is necessary for the user to take a positive action when he wishes the valve flap to open. This movement towards open position can, however, also in highly advantageous manner be made the automatic response of an ⁴⁵ action which the user must perform in any case when he wishes to use the device, namely by so mounting the valve flap that it can be turned about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, and is provided or associated with surface or ground contacting portions which, when the ⁵⁰ device is placed on the surface to be treated, will move the valve flap to open position to permit flow of cleaning liquid, whereas as soon as the device is lifted off the surface and the contact portions move out of engagement with the surface, the valve flap will automatically return to closed position.

It is advantageous that such contact portions be the portions on which the entire device moves over the surface to be treated or cleaned, advantageously in form of rollers, wheels or the like, with the valve flap being ⁶⁰ provided with journals for these portions, preferably at opposite lateral sides of the flap so that opposite ends of the portions can be journalled therein. It is advantageous that in the closed position of the valve flap the journal portions provided thereon will be located lower ⁵ than the journal portions for the other ends of the contact portions, preferably by an amount corresponding to the distance through which the valve flap moves be3,761,985 tween its open and closed positions. In this manner the contact elements, such as rollers, will move to necessary orientation when the valve flap moves to open position during the operation of the device.

It is also advantageous if the valve flap is mounted in the region of the side of a distributor for the cleaning liquid, which side faces the incoming cleaning liquid arriving from the reservoir, so that the path through which the cleaning liquid can move out of the reservoir before encountering the valve flap be as short as possible.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom-plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partly sectioned fragmentary plan view of a detail of the device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line IV—IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line V—V of FIG. 3; and FIG. 6 is a section taken on line VI—VI of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Discussing now the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, it will be seen that FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention, that is a cleaning device for producing and applying a cleansing foam which device is to be moved over a surface to be treated, for instance a rug, carpet, upholstery or the like. The device is identified in toto with reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1, and only those portions thereof have been illustrated which are necessary for an understanding of the invention. It will be seen that the device 10 is provided with a pivotable bracket 12 to a holder 11 of which a handle can be secured, this handle having been omitted as not essential for an understanding of the invention. Also, details of the cover which upwardly closes the foaming means 13 and the reservoir 14 for the liquid to be foamed, have been omitted as not necessary for an understanding of the invention.

The foaming means 13 will be seen to comprise a plurality of cylindrical turnably mounted elements 15, 16 and 17 of absorbent character. In known manner each of these elements 15, 16 and 17 is composed of a rigid core which is surrounded by a jacket of elastically compressible absorbent material, such as synthetic plastic foam material. The elements 15—17 are so mounted and journalled that they define with one another a rectangular outline with the element 15 being located beneath the elements 16 and 17 which in turn are located in a common horizontal plane. The spacing of the journals for these elements is so selected that during rotation the jackets on the elements 15-17 will become incrementally pressed and, subsequently, be relaxed again, whereby liquid absorbed into these jackets becomes intensively admixed with air and undergoes foaming.

Roller elements 20 and 21 are provided with which the device 10 contacts and rolls on the surface to be treated. These in turn are associated with annular gears 19 which cooperate with annular gears 18 by means of 5 which the elements 16 and 17 are driven in rotation. As shown particularly in FIG. 2, th elements 20 and 21 are constructed in this embodiment as essentially cylindrical brushes in which the bristles and the carriers therefor are of one piece of an elastic synthetic plastic to 10 prevent damage to the surface to be treated and on the other hand to provide sufficient contact with the surface that proper driving in rotation of the elements 16 and 17 is assured.

During operation of the device 10, the elements 20 15 and 21 roll on the surface to be treated; additional like elements 22 are located at a side of the device 10 remote from the element 20. All of these elements transmit their turning movement via the gears 19 and 18 to the elements 16 and 17 which in turn rotate the ele20 ment 15 by their frictional engagement therewith. The alternating compressing and relaxation of increments of the jackets on the different elements 15-17 results in the aforementioned formation of foam. This foam is applied adjacent the roller elements 20 and 21 onto the 25 surface to be treated, and the brush-like roller elements work the foam into this surface.

The reservoir containing the cleaning liquid which is to be foamed is identified with reference numeral 14 and located essentially at the same level with the device ³⁰ 13. At its upper side it is provided with a filling opening 25 which can be closed by means of a preferably cupshaped closure element 26, whose cup-shaped configuration makes it possible to use this element also for measuring the quantity of cleaning liquid which is to be ³³ filled into the reservoir container 24. When the element 26 is to be used to close the filling opening 25, the open side of the element 26 is directed towards the filling opening 25 and the element 26 then inserted into this opening, with a handle or grip 27 provided on the ⁴⁰ element 26 remote from its open side being exposed on the exterior of the device 10 for engagement by a user.

Located in the interior of the reservoir container 24 is a float 28 which in the illustrated embodiment is constructed as a flat disk-shaped member of approximately ⁴⁵ rectangular outline. It is provided with an outlet 29 for the cleaning liquid which is accessible only at the upper side of the float and which, as shown particularly in FIG. 3, communicates with an upwardly open groove 24 formed in the float in the region of the upper side ⁵⁰ thereof, with the groove 24 in proper operational position of the flat extending transversely to the direction of movement of the device 10 over a surface to be treated. In the illustrated embodiment the float is guided for free movement in vertical direction, but with its position stabilized, for which purpose two arms 30 and 31 extend in vertical orientation from the bottom wall towards the upper side of the container 24, with the arm 30 engaging in a recess 32 of the float 28, whereas the arm 31 laterally contacts the float. The arms 30 and 31 are carried on a frame section 36 of a frame portion 33, a section 34 which is secured in the region of the bottom wall of the container 24. Sections 34 and 36 are connected by hinge portions 35 for pivotal movement of the section 36 relative to the section 34 about a horizontal pivot axis, and in the illustrated embodiment these hinge portions are constructed as integral hinges, that is as webs for strips of the same

3,761,985 material of which the remainder of the frame 33 is composed. The frame section 36 thus can press the float 28 upwardly underneath the cover closing the upper open side of the container 24, and in order to carry out such displacement at will, the frame 33 is pro- 5 vided with a lateral projection 37 which rides on a control cam track 38 rising in upward direction in form of a rising or upwardly inclined helix and which is formed at the outer periphery of a hollow cylindrical control member 39 which is inserted into the inlet opening 25. The member 39 is provided in its upper region with a circumferential recess 41 bounded by a collar 40, and it is snapped with this recess 41 into the marginal portion bounding the opening 25, so that the member 39 can be turned about its longitudinal axis but is held in place by axial displacement. The inner diameter of the member 39 is so dimensioned that the closure element 26 can be sealingly inserted into it, and a peripheral cutout 42 is provided in the member 39 into which an appropriately configurated circumferential bead or thickening 43 of the element 26 can be inserted so that the position of insertion of the element 26 into the opening 25 is always predetermined and turning of the element 26 via the handle 27 causes a turning of the element 29 and thereby a raising or lowering of the frame section 36 from the exterior of the device 10.

As pointed out before, the device 10 will in normal operation be moved to and fro over the surface to be treated. At the end of each stroke, that is at the time the direction of movement of the device is reversed, the differential inertia of the float end of the cleaning liquid will cause the latter to overflow over the float, and a portion of the thus-overflowing liquid will enter into the groove 24, filling the latter, and this portion will thus be metered by the volumetric content of the groove 24 and enter through the outlet 29 from where it is conducted away by a yieldable outlet or supply conduit 45 which does not influence the position of the float 28 in the liquid. The end portion of the conduit 45 is configurated as a rigid knee 46 in order to prevent squeezing and closing of the conduit 45 —which is flexible in its other regions— where it passes through the wall 47. The knee 46 is also provided with a collar 48 which is inserted into an appropriately configurated annular gap in the wall 47 in order to secure the supply conduit against movement in this region.

Coming to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the end portion of the supply conduit 45 which is located exteriorly of the reservoir means 14 can be closed by a valve 49 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is in form of a valve flap a sealing layer of which —preferably of synthetic plastic foam material— sealingly contacts the open end of the conduit 45. The valve flap 49 is ₅₅mounted for turning movement by means of another integral hinge 51, the construction of which is such that in normal operation the valve will always sealingly contact the open end of the conduit 45, whereas when the valve flap is moved from the normally closed to an open position, it will be subject to a biassing action of the thus-deformed flexible material of the integral hinge. The flap 49 is located essentially within a channel 52 extending from the conduit 45 to a distributor 56 and extends with lateral portions beyond the edge of the channel 52 —which is partly opened at its upper side— towards the bottom of the device 10, and these portions 53 are provided with journalled portions 54 for the elements 21 which are journalled at opposite side of the channel 52 as shown in FIG. 2.

It should be noted in the illustrated embodiment the position of the journalled portions 54 is so selected that in the normal position of the flap 50, that is in the closure position thereof, there will be located lower than the other journalled portions of the remaining surface contacting elements, so that in the region of the journalled portions, these surface contacting elements ex10 tend downwardly towards the surface to be treated. When the device 10 is placed in use, and is put on the surface to be treated, the weight of the device causes the elements 21 to be moved to a straightened or horizontal position whereby the journal portions 54 are dis¹⁵ placed upwardly, resulting in simultaneous displacement of the valve flap 49,50 to an open position perm itting the flow of cleaning fluid.

When the cleaning fluid can thus flow through the supply conduit 45, it enters via the channel 52 into the ²⁰ distributor 56. Intermediate the same and the outlet end of the channel 52, there is provided a groove 57 which extends over the entire length of the distributor 56 and from which the incoming cleaning fluid is rapidly and evenly distributed to all points of the distributor 56 which in turn is of substantially trough-shaped configuration with its longitudinal margins 58 being provided with inward reinforcements of beads. The end wall portions 59 are of essentially pocket-shape config30 uration and opened towards the center of the distributor 56.

Reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 will show that the distributor 56 is mounted at the level of the bottom wall of the reservoir means 14 and the elements 15,16 and 17. The 35 element 15 is so journalled that it extends with increments into the distributor 56, in which it picks up the liquid cleaning material entering into this end, by absorbing it over the entire length of the element 15. The cross-section of the distributor 56 is so chosen that the 40 inwardly projecting beads 58 tightly contact the circumference of the element 15 whereas the axially end portions of the element 15 in turn tightly contacts the edge portions 60 so that the cleaning liquid in the distributor 56 cannot in uncontrolled manner flow onto the surface on which the device is supported, but will always be absorbed by the element 15 which is journalled for rotation with a rigid shaft 15' in journals 61. Rotation of the element 15 then results in continuous transportation of the absorbed cleaning liquid until the element 15 initially contacts the elements 16,17 and foam is generated. Because the subsequent supply of cleaning fluid into the distributor 56 is controlled by the float 28, a continuous supply of liquid —and thus a continuous evenly controlled formation of foam is assured. When the device is taken out of operation, a further flow of cleaning liquid out of the reservoir means 14 is immediately terminated because reduction of pressure on the journals of the elements 21 permit the valve flap 49 to close the conduit 45, and in addition, the cessation of the to and fro movement of the device 10 will no longer cause the liquid to enter into the outlet 29 of the float 28. In order to assure that even when the device is stored in various different positions, cleaning liquid cannot enter the outlet 29. The member 39 65 can be manipulated to raise the float 28 via the frame section 36 so that the outlet 29 will be located too high in the reservoir means 24 for liquid to enter into it.

3,761,985 ous applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.