The Hoover Comapny

Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited

Healthy Gain Investments Limited

Douglas E Gerber

Kevin L Thomas

Jeffery A Morgan

Adam C Sclafani

Vincent L Weber

Charles A Lang

Robert S Wilson

David A Bradshaw

Siu Wai Hui

Wing Leung Ng

Daniel R Miller

A Ronald Keebler

Christopher J Fawcett

Sergey V Makarov

Douglas C Barker

William H Theiss, Jr

Raymond L Lawter

Arne J Diehl

Kenneth H Cooper

Robert W Hecht

Kam Hoi Ma

Mark A Stranksy

Tak On Yip

Adam C Scalfani

A floor cleaning device including a base assembly for movement along a surface, a handle, a nozzle, a nozzle lifting mechanism, a brush, a brush lifting mechanism, a recovery tank, and a liquid distribution system. The nozzle lifting mechanism moving the nozzle relative to the base assembly and the surface and the brush lifting mechanism moving the brush relative to the base assembly and the surface.

Wet/dry floor cleaning unit

A floor cleaning device comprises a base portion for movement along a surface and a handle portion pivotally connected to the base. The base portion further includes a suction nozzle and a brush assembly for agitating the surface, wherein the brush assembly and the nozzle assembly are in a first position raised off of the surface for vacuuming the surface, and the nozzle assembly is lowered to a second position contacting the surface for collecting and picking up liquid and dirt from the surface. A method of cleaning a surface by first dry vacuuming the surface using a cleaning unit in which the nozzle assembly is raised to pick up particles and then wet vacuuming the floor with the nozzle assembly lowered to collect and pick up dirt from the floor mixed with cleaning solution distributed on the floor.

Wet/dry floor cleaning unit and method of cleaning

A self-propelled floor cleaner is provided having a random motion generator which enhances the maneuverability of the floor cleaner. The random motion generator is rotatably attached to the frame of the cleaner and propels the cleaner across the floor in a random motion. This random motion facilitates cleaning of the floor by making the cleaner easier to manipulate. The random motion generator includes a hollow spherical shell. In the preferred embodiment, the hollow spherical shell houses a weighted motor assembly which is rotatably mounted on a center fixed axle which extends diametrically between the first and second hemispherical halves and is attached thereto. The weighted motor assembly is comprised of a motor housing and a power source, such as batteries or cells. A motor is housed within the motor housing and rotates the motor housing about the center fixed axle. The power source is mounted to one side of the motor housing to provide an unbalanced weight to the motor assembly relative to the fixed center. This unbalanced weight causes the random motion generator to roll across the floor in a random motion and, thus, the floor cleaner is also propelled across the floor in a random motion to facilitate cleaning of the floor.

Random motion cleaner

A floor cleaning device having a base assembly for movement along a cleaning surface is provided. The base assembly comprises a brush assembly for engaging the surface of the floor being cleaned removably mounted to a base part. A nozzle assembly is removably mounted to the base part such that the nozzle assembly is positioned adjacent to the brush assembly to prevent the brush assembly from disengaging from the base part.

Brush assembly for a floor cleaning unit

A floor cleaning device includes a base portion for movement along a surface. The base portion further includes a suction nozzle and a brush assembly driven by a brush motor for agitating the surface. The brush assembly includes a lifting mechanism for moving the brush assembly from a first position wherein the brush is off the surface to a second position wherein the brush assembly is on the surface. A switching assembly is responsive to the brush lifting mechanism to energize the brush motor when the brush assembly is in the second position.

Floor cleaning unit with a brush assembly

A self-propelled bare floor cleaner is provided having a random motion generator which enhances the maneuverability of the bare floor cleaner. The random motion generator is rotatably attached to the frame of the cleaner and propels the cleaner across the floor in a random motion. This random motion facilitates cleaning of the floor by making the cleaner easier to manipulate. The random motion generator includes a hollow spherical shell. In the preferred embodiment, the hollow spherical shell houses a weighted motor assembly which is rotatably mounted on a center fixed axle which extends diametrically between the first and second hemispherical halves and is attached thereto. The weighted motor assembly is comprised of a motor housing and a power source, such as batteries or cells. A motor is housed within the motor housing and rotates the motor housing about the center fixed axle. The power source is mounted to one side of the motor housing to provide an unbalanced weight to the motor assembly relative to the fixed center. This unbalanced weight causes the random motion generator to roll across the floor in a random motion and, thus, the bare floor cleaner is also propelled across the floor in a random motion to facilitate cleaning of the floor.

A cyclonic dirt cup assembly for a vacuum cleaner has a generally conical truncated cone positioned within a dirt cup of the vacuum cleaner. The dirt cup has a wall formed with an air inlet opening for receiving a stream of dirt-laden air within the dirt cup. The cone is pivotally connected to a frame member which is removably mounted within the dirt cup. A baffle extends outwardly from a wall of the cone and is positioned adjacent the air inlet opening of the dirt cup for directing the stream of dirt-laden air in a cyclonic manner. The baffle includes a top wall, a side wall and a bottom wall. The baffle walls, the wall of the dirt cup and a wall of the cone form an air directing compartment which receives the dirt-laden air input through the inlet opening. The air directing compartment is formed with a side exit opening which provides a tangential opening for the dirt-laden air to exit the air directing compartment and begins a cyclonic action within the container for filtering dirt particles from the airstream. A filter is positioned on the frame member opposite the cone for further filtering the airstream. The cone pivots away from the frame member to provide access to the filter for cleaning thereof.

Cyclonic dirt cup assembly

A compact, hand held carpet and upholstery extractor nozzle is provided having a pair of air turbine powered vertical axis rotary scrub brushes located adjacent the extractor nozzle. The turbine has at least one ambient air inlet and an outlet that communicates with a suction tube extending from the extractor nozzle. A compact gear reduction operatively connects the air turbine to the scrub brushes. A turbine outlet baffle is preferably provided that extends from an upstream edge of the turbine outlet, into the suction tube and over and beyond the turbine outlet to direct air, liquid and debris flowing through the suction tube over and beyond the turbine outlet opening. A downstream end of the baffle is open and suction openings pass through the baffle, for providing fluid communication between the suction tube and the turbine outlet opening. A raised floor is preferably located in the suction tube upstream of the baffle that directs the flow of air, liquid and debris in the suction tube substantially past the suction openings. A shoulder is preferably provided on each side of the baffle that extends generally longitudinally in the suction tube below the suction openings. The upstream ends of these shoulders curve upward until the shoulders are substantially flush with raised floor. With this construction, any drops of liquid adhering to the raised floor and traveling toward the baffle, will adhere to the shoulders and be directed below the suction openings.

Hand held turbine powered extractor nozzle

Growing community of inventors

North Canton, OH, United States of America

Douglas E Gerber