BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention:

This invention relates generally to self-cleaning rooms, and more particularly concerns a system for cleaning rooms with cleaning fluid sprayed from a spray source mounted on an armature that extends from a wall or partition during cleaning into a room to a desired proximity to a selected surface to be cleaned.

Description of Related Art:

Spray mechanisms for cleaning a room can be usefully employed in the walls or ceiling of the room to allow selected surfaces in the room to be cleaned manually or automatically. However, such systems are typically ineffective and/or inefficient unless the spray mechanisms are in sufficiently close proximity to the surfaces to be cleaned. In one conventional design for a room cleaning apparatus, a spray from a ceiling area is used for cleaning fixtures and walls of a room. However, such a system is typically impractical, due to the difficulty of achieving conservation of cleaning fluid and sufficient cleaning fluid pressure in sufficient proximity to the surfaces to be cleaned.

Increasing the volume of cleaning fluid used in a self-cleaning room to overcome greater distances between a spray head and a surface to be cleaned can be wasteful and inefficient, and it has been found that increasing the fluid pressure of cleaning fluid when the spray head is not in close proximity to the surface to be cleaned can also be counter-productive. Such an increase in fluid pressure of a cleaning fluid spray can be destructive, and also atomizes the spray, providing smaller fluid droplets with less impact, so as to be less effective. Conversely, it has been found

that minimizing fluid pressure provides larger droplets that provide more effective cleaning. It has therefore been a desirable characteristic of self-cleaning rooms that the distance between the spray source and the surface to be cleaned should be minimized.

Self-cleaning rest rooms having walls which close in a nesting configuration typically conserve cleaning fluid and achieve optimum efficiency by rotating one or more walls of the room into close cleaning proximity to fixed spray heads mounted in the walls of the rest room. Minimizing the distance between the fixed spray heads and the surfaces to be cleaned in this manner reduces the pressure requirements of the cleaning system, and increases the efficiency of the cleaning operation. Such designs for self-cleaning rest rooms are described in my U.S. Patent Nos. 3,869,732; 3,720,961; and 4,881,284. However, when fixtures are all located on wall of a room, such as when a tub or shower, sink, lavatory and/or toilet are all located on one wall of a rest room, the room can not easily be cleaned with spray heads on rotatable walls, and due to space limitations, the walls of such a room will not be easily rotatable.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a cleaning system for a self-cleaning room in which a desired proximity between a spray source and a surface to be cleaned is achieved by moving spraying source into the room, instead of, or in addition to, moving the surfaces to be cleaned, such as by rotation of the walls of the room. It would be desirable to thus allow cleaning of an isolated fixture located on a wall which is non-contiguous with a rotating wall carrying a fixed spray source, by a spray source moved into proximity with the isolated fixture. It would be further desirable that such a mechanism should be capable of being concealed in a chamber or cabinet in or on a wall, behind a movable cover panel that can be opened by the mechanism when a spray source is to be extended and cleaning is to be initiated, and can be closed by the mechanism when cleaning is finished and the spray source is to be retracted,

in rooms with either fixed or rotatable walls. The present invention meets these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides for a cleaning system for self-cleaning rooms in which a spray source is mounted on a spring-loaded, movable armature that is extended from a self-closing cabinet mounted to a wall or partition into the room in close proximity to a selected cleaning surface during cleaning. The present invention accordingly provides cleaning system for a self-cleaning room having at least one wall and one or more selected surfaces to be cleaned, and cleaning means for cleaning the selected surfaces. The cleaning means includes spray means for spraying cleaning fluid under pressure on the selected surfaces to be cleaned, and the spray means is mounted on at least one armature hingedly mounted to a wall or partition of the room, to extend the spray means to a desired distance from the selected surface to be cleaned. In one preferred embodiment, the spray means and armature are mounted in a cleaning chamber provided on the wall or partition. The cleaning chamber preferably includes a self-closing cover including spring means for biasing cover in a closed -osition. The armature preferably also includes spring meai-3 for biasing the armature in a folded position within the cleaning chamber. Means are provided for opening the cover of the cleaning chamber and extending the armature and spray source into the room during cleaning. Although the cleaning system can be mounted to a fixed wall or partition of a room to be cleaned, in one preferred embodiment in which the room to be cleaned includes a rotatable wall, the cleaning chamber, spray source and armature can be mounted to the rotatable wall, and the cleaning means preferably includes rotatable plumbing for rotation with the rotatable wall. These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed

description, and the accompanying drawing, which illustrates by way of example the features of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a self-cleaning room with fixed walls employing the cleaning system of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a self-cleaning room with fixed and rotatable walls employing the cleaning system of the invention; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the cleaning system of the invention taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the cleaning system in an extended configuration;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the cleaning system of the invention similar to that of Fig. 3, showing the cleaning system in a folded configuration;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a self-cleaning rest room with fixed walls and partitions employing the cleaning system of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a self-cleaning rest room with fixed and rotatable walls, and partitions employing the cleaning system of the invention;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the cleaning system of the invention taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 5, showing the cleaning system in an extended configuration; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the cleaning system of the invention similar to that of Fig. 7, showing the cleaning system in a folded configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Cleaning systems for self-cleaning rooms can often be impractical, ineffective, or inefficient, due to the difficulty of achieving conservation of cleaning fluid and sufficient cleaning fluid pressure in sufficient proximity to

the surfaces to be cleaned. The present invention provides a cleaning system for a self-cleaning room that is suitable for cleaning any selected surfaces in a room, including isolated fixtures which can otherwise be out of reach of fixed spray sources.

As is illustrated in the drawings, the invention is embodied in a cleaning system 10 for a self-cleaning room 12 having at least one wall 14 and at least one selected room surface 16 or fixture surface 18 to be cleaned. As is shown in Fig. 1, one preferred implementation of the cleaning system is in a rest room with a plurality of fixed walls, and a plurality of fixtures. Both the walls of the room and the fixtures can have surfaces to be selected for cleaning. In the er . ple illustrated in Fig. 1, the fixed wall rest room contains typical fixtures that would require regular cleaning, such as a toilet 20, a sink 22, a mirror 23, lavatory 24, and perhaps a tub 26 or shower stall 28 (as shown in Fig. 2) . One or more drains 30 are preferably provided in the floor of the room for draining away cleaning fluid which has been sprayed in the room. Preferably each of the fixtures which would otherwise collect sprayed cleaning fluid should also includes a drain.

The cleaning system includes at least one articulated armature or arm 32 hingedly mounted to one of the walls of the room, for extending a spray source a desired distance from the selected surface to be cleaned. As is best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, which are not drawn to scale for convenience of the illustration, in a preferred embodiment the articulated armature includes a cantilevered bracket portion 36 affixed to a wall plate 38 mounted to a portion of the wall, and a boom arm member 40 hingedly mounted to the distal end 42 of the bracket portion of the armature, at the pivot 44. The boom arm member is preferably movable between a first folded position extending substantially vertically from the bracket portion, and a second position extending outward from the wall substantially horizontally. The boom arm member preferably abuts the end of the bracket portion in the second horizontal position, to lock in the horizontal

position without dropping further. Means 46 for retracting the boom arm from the second extended horizontal position are also preferably provided, and in a preferred embodiment comprises a coil spring 48 connected between the wall plate and a point 50 on the boom arm intermediate the distal 52 and proximal 54 ends of the boom arm. As is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, in a preferred embodiment, the wall plate includes two articulated armatures, and with suitable lateral offsetting of the articulated armatures where the armatures might otherwise hinder each other, the wall plate can also readily accommodate additional articulated armature mechanisms.

The wall plate is preferably mounted to the wall of the room within a cabinet or chamber 56 set into the wall, which can conceal the mechanism of the cleaning system when it is not in use. However, it will be apparent that the cabinet can also be mounted directly to the outside of a wall. Since the cabinet generally does not need to exceed over 1 1/2 to 2 inches in thickness to enclose the cleaning system when it is not in use, the cabinet can generally either be easily built into or set into a wall, or mounted relatively unobtrusively on the outside surface of the wall.

A cover panel 58 is preferably also hingedly mounted to the cabinet for covering the mechanism of the cleaning system when it is not in use. The cover panel can for example be mounted to the cabinet by hinges 60, and preferably includes a spring actuated door closer 62 assembly mounted between the panel and the inside of the cabinet for biasing the cover panel in a closed position. Means 64 for cleaning the selected surfaces in the room area to be cleaned are also preferably mounted to the articulated armature, to swing out when cleaning is initiated, and to be retracted when the cleaning system is not in use. The cleaning means preferably comprises a flexible tubing 66 capable of carrying cleaning fluid under high pressure, connected to a fluid supply line 68, and mounted to the boom arm member by one or more bracket members 70 preferably allowing the tubing to slide and flex as the boom arm member

is extended and retracted. The distal end 72 of the high pressure tubing preferably includes at least one spray head 74, such as a pulsing and/or rotating spray head, and may include additional spray heads 76 extending in an appropriate direction when the boom arm is extended to spray cleaning fluid at the selected surface or surfaces to be cleaned.

In a preferred embodiment, the flexible, high pressure tubing also functions as a means for extending the articulated armature when cleaning is to be initiated and during cleaning, because the force of the high pressure cleaning fluid carried in the tubing during cleaning rigidifies and extends the tubing and the associated boom arm member, acting against the retracting force of the return spring, and opening the cabinet cover panel. When the pressure of the cleaning fluid drops as cleaning is finished, the tubing again relaxes and can be folded by the return spring along with the boom arm member into the cabinet. As the articulated arm returns into the cabinet, the cover panel closes, concealing the mechanism of the cleaning system from view. Other types of means for extending and retracting the articulated arm and tubing may also be used, either in substitution for or in addition to the mechanism described above, such as, for example a hydraulic piston which can be actuated by the fluid pressure in the cleaning fluid supply lines, or electrically operated solenoid actuators, and the like.

A drying system (not shown) including a blower and heater for introducing heated air into the room area to dry fixtures and wall surfaces after cleaning may optionally be included in the cleaning system. Vents (not shown) can also be provided for escape of the heated, moist air from such a drying system, or to merely assist in drying of the room area by normal evaporation where no heater or blower are provided. However, a force air drying system is not essential for adequate drying, particularly as the cleaning fluid may be heated to naturally flash and evaporate during and immediately following cleaning.

The cleaning fluid used with the cleaning system of the invention currently preferably comprises an aqueous solution which may include suitable detergents, common cleaning solvents, wetting agents and sanitizing agents which can be dispensed into the fluid supply lines as desired during cleaning.

Referring to Fig. 2, in another preferred implementation of the cleaning system of the invention for self-cleaning rooms, the self-cleaning system 10 may be installed in a self-cleaning room 12 including one or more rotatable wall sections 13 which can rotate into close cleaning proximity to fixed spray heads which can be mounted in either the fixed walls 14 or the rotatable wall sections of the rest room. The cleaning system shown in Fig. 2 is installed in a rest room having fixed walls 14, a wall 15 with two rotatable wall sections 13 that may be nested closely together, and a variety of fixtures. In the example illustrated in Fig. 2, a toilet 20 is mounted to a non- rotatable wall section, while a sink 22 and a lavatory 24 are mounted on rotatable wall sections. In a nested configuration of the room, these fixtures can be cleaned by fixed wall spray heads 25 mounted in the fixed and/or rotatable wall sections. However, where the fixtures are crowded, such as when multiple fixtures are mounted along one wall, or where a fixture is provided on a wall which is not contiguous with a wall carrying a spray head, it can also be advantageous to include the articulated spray arm cleaning system of the invention in order to reach selected fixtures or wall surfaces which may be otherwise difficult to clean effectively with a rotatable wall self-cleaning system. The cleaning system of the invention thus allows multiple fixtures to be placed along one wall, and on opposite walls, or walls that are non-contiguous with walls bearing fixed spray heads, such as a tub 26 or shower stall 28. The cleaning fluid supply lines 68 connected to the high pressure flexible tubing preferably includes rotatable plumbing joints 69. In all other respects, the cleaning system of the invention implemented in a room with rotatable wall sections

is identical to that described with respect to Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

In a second preferred embodiment, the invention is embodied in a cleaning system 110 for a self-cleaning rest room 12 having at least one wall 114 and at least one selected room surface 116 or fixture surface 118 to be cleaned. As is shown in Fig. 5, one preferred implementation of the cleaning system is in a large, non-modular rest room with a plurality of fixed walls, and a plurality of fixtures. Both the walls of the room and the fixtures can have surfaces to be selected for cleaning. In the example illustrated in Fig. 5, the fixed wall rest room contains typical fixtures that would require regular cleaning, such as a row of lavatories 120 along a wall, separated by partition panels 122. Other fixtures which can be separated by partitions in this manner are toilets and sinks, or showers, and the like. One or more isolated cubicles 124 having multiple partition panels 126 may also be provided in the rest room, enclosing one or more fixtures such as a toilet 128. One or more drains 130 are preferably provided in the floor of the room for draining away cleaning fluid which has been sprayed in the room. Preferably each of the fixtures which would otherwise collect sprayed cleaning fluid should also includes a drain. The cleaning system provides for an articulated armature or arm 132 hingedly mounted to a single partition panel mounted to either a wall, floor, or ceiling of the rest room, or to one or more of the partition panels of a cubicle, for extending a spray source a desired distance from the selected surface to be cleaned. As is best seen in Figs. 7 and 8, which are not drawn to scale for convenience of the illustration, in a preferred embodiment the articulated armature includes a cantilevered bracket portion 136 affixed to a wall plate 138 mounted to a portion of the partition panel, and a boom arm member 140 hingedly mounted to the distal end 142 of the bracket portion of the armature, at the pivot 144. The boom arm member is preferably movable between a first folded position extending substantially vertically

from the bracket portion, and a second position extending outward from the partition panel substantially horizontally. The boom arm member preferably abuts the end of the bracket portion in the second horizontal position, to lock in the horizontal position without dropping further. Means 146 for retracting the boom arm from the second extended horizontal position are also preferably provided, and in a preferred embodiment comprises a coil spring 148 connected between the wall plate and a point 150 on the boom arm intermediate the distal 152 and proximal 154 ends of the boom arm. As is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, in a preferred embodiment, the wall plate includes two articulated armatures, and with suitable lateral offsetting of the articulated armatures where the armatures might otherwise hinder each other, the wall plate can also readily accommodate additional articulated armature mechanisms.

The wall plate is preferably mounted in a partition panel of the room within a cabinet or chamber 156 set into the partition panel, which can conceal the mechanism of the cleaning system when it is not in use. However, it will be apparent that the cabinet can also be mounted directly to the outside of a partition panel, if desired. Since the cabinet generally does not need to exceed over 1 1/2 to 2 inches in thickness to enclose the cleaning system when it is not in use, the cabinet can generally either be easily built into or set into a partition panel, or mounted relatively unobtrusively on the outside surface of an existing partition panel.

A cover panel 158 is preferably also hingedly mounted to the cabinet for covering the mechanism of the cleaning system when it is not in use. The cover panel can for example be mounted to the cabinet by hinges 160, and preferably includes a spring actuated door closer 162 assembly mounted between the panel and the inside of the cabinet for biasing the cover panel in a closed position.

Means 164 for cleaning the selected surfaces in the room area to be cleaned are also preferably mounted to the articulated armature, to swing out when cleaning is

initiated, and to be retracted when -.he cleaning system is not in use. The cleaning means preferably comprises a flexible tubing 166 capable of carrying cleaning fluid under high pressure, connected to a fluid supply line 168, and mounted to the boom arm member by one or more bracket members 170 preferably allowing the tubing to slide and flex as the boom arm member is extended and retracted. The distal end 172 of the high pressure tubing preferably includes at least one spray head 174, such as a pulsing and/or rotating spray head, and may include additional spray heads 176 extending in an appropriate direction when the boom arm is extended to spray cleaning fluid at the selected surface or surfaces to be cleaned.

In a preferred embodiment, the flexible, high pressure tubing also functions as a means for extending the articulated armature when cleaning is to be initiated and during cleaning, because the force of the high pressure cleaning fluid carried in the tubing during cleaning rigidifies and extends the tubing and the associated boom arm member, acting against the retracting force of the return spring, and opening the cabinet cover panel. When the pressure of the cleaning fluid drops as cleaning is finished, the tubing again relaxes and can be folded by the return spring along with the boom arm member into the cabinet. As the articulated arm returns into the cabinet, the cover panel closes, concealing the mechanism of the cleaning system from view. Other types of means for extending and retracting the articulated arm and tubing may also be used, either in substitution for or in addition to the mechanism described above, such as, for example a hydraulic piston which can be actuated by the fluid pressure in the cleaning fluid supply lines, or electrically operated solenoid actuators, and the like.

A drying system (not shown) including a blower and heater for introducing heated air into the rest room area to dry fixtures and wall surfaces after cleaning may optionally be included in the cleaning system. Vents (not shown) can also be provided for escape of the heated, moist air from

such a drying system, or to merely assist in drying of the room area by normal evaporation where no heater or blower are provided. However, a force air drying system is not essential for adequate drying, particularly as the cleaning fluid may be heated to naturally flash and evaporate during and immediately following cleaning.

The cleaning fluid used with the cleaning system of the invention currently preferably comprises an aqueous solution which may include suitable detergents, common cleaning solvents, wetting agents and sanitizing agents which can be dispensed into the fluid supply lines as desired during cleaning.

Referring to Fig. 6, in another preferred implementation of the cleaning system of the invention for self-cleaning rooms, the self-cleaning system 110 may be installed in a self-cleaning rest room 112 including one or more rotatable wall sections 113 which can rotate into close cleaning proximity to fixed spray heads which can be mounted in either the fixed walls 114 or the rotatable wall sections of the rest room. The cleaning system shown in Fig. 6 is installed in a rest room having fixed walls 114, a wall 115 with two rotatable wall sections 113 that may be nested closely together, and a variety of fixtures. In the example illustrated in Fig. 6, a toilet 121 is mounted to a non- rotatable wall section, while a sink 123 and a lavatory 120 are mounted on rotatable wall sections. In a nested configuration of the room, these fixtures can be cleaned by fixed wall spray heads 125 mounted in the fixed and/or rotatable wall sections. However, where one or more isolated fixtures are provided on a wall which is not contiguous with a wall carrying a spray head, it can also be advantageous to provide the movable spray arm cleaning system of the invention in individual partition panels or in cubicle partition panels in order to reach selected wall or fixture surfaces which may be otherwise difficult to clean effectively with a rotatable wall self-cleaning system. The cleaning fluid supply lines 168 connected to the high pressure flexible tubing preferably includes rotatable

plumbing joints 169. In all other respects, the cleaning system of the invention implemented in a room with rotatable wall sections is identical to that described with respect to Figs. 5, 7 and 8. Although the cleaning system of the invention has been specifically described in the context of use in a self-cleaning rest room, it can also readily be appreciated that the cleaning system of the invention can also be appropriate for implementation in other types of rooms with surfaces and fixtures requiring regular cleaning, such as laboratories which include a laboratory desktop and sink area, and which typically also include drains. Other types of rooms which may be appropriate for employing the cleaning system of the invention may include suitably arranged snack or dining rooms, or even outdoor patio type rest and eating areas having one or more fixed walls, and which are provided with suitable draining accommodations.

In view of the foregoing description, it should be readily appreciated that the cleaning system of the invention provides for mechanism for minimizing the distance between a spray source and surfaces to be cleaned in a self-cleaning room by mounting a spray source to a self-retracting, movable armature that is extended from a self-closing cabinet into a self-cleaning room in close proximity to a selected cleaning surface during cleaning. The cleaning system of the invention allows cleaning of isolated fixtures located on a wall which is non-contiguous with a rotating wall carrying a fixed spray source, and other surfaces which would otherwise be too distant for effective cleaning by a fixed wall spray, by moving a spray into proximity with the isolated fixture or other selected surface to be cleaned. The articulated arm and flexible tubing mechanism can be concealed in a self- closing cabinet in or on a wall or partition, behind a movable cover panel that can be opened by the mechanism when a spray source is to be extended and cleaning is to be initiated. The cleaning system can be installed as an appliance module in room without rest room fixtures, or could be built in during construction of a room.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.