The present invention concerns a cleaning unit with a central platform balance for floor steam cleaning and drying machines, connected with a steam generator provided with a liquid suction system, applied to a manoeuvre handle containing inside the pipings for leading the steam from the generator, and for the suction of the water and of the materials derived from the washing of the floors.

A device for the cleaning of floors is known from a precedent international patent application no. PCT/IT96/00024, in the name of the same applicant, and that was characterized in:

- a fixed front brush, fed with the steam jet onto the bristles;

- a back roller for drying the floors;

- an intermediate roller of smaller diameter, coupled with said back roller for the pressure expulsion of the collected water;

- an incorporated basin for collecting the water derived from the wringing of said back roller;

- a suction pipe that draws in said basin and that is connected, passing through said handle, with said liquid suction device of the steam generator.

It is the aim of the present invention to improve the efficiency in cleaning and drying floors and similar, due to the advancing and traction movements of the cleaning unit of the machine according to the present invention.

The aim set forth is reached by means of the cleaning unit with a central platform balance for floor steam cleaning and drying machines according to the present invention, comprising a device consisting of two small metal rods provided with a rubber edge, that alterlatively slide onto the surface to be cleaned, during the advancing and traction motion, leading all the liquid obtained from the condensation of the steam and from the melting of the dirt, due to their inclined position with respect to the motion axid, in correspondence with small suitable openings for suction, placed laterally.

The result of the passage of the unit on the surfaces to be treated is the one of obtaining clean and perfectly dry floors.

The present invention will be described more in detail hereinbelow relating to the enclosed drawings in which a prefered embodiment is shown.

Figure 1 shows an axonometric view of a cleaning group with a central platform balance for the floor steam cleaning and drying, according to the present invention, with an exploded view of the lifted cap C.

Figure 2 shows an axonometric, exploded view of all elements of the unit according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows an axonometric view of the elements of the mechanism with free wheel for the motion in the two directions of the platform balance, carrying the small metal rods provided with a rubber edge.

Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the elements of the small metal rods provided with a rubber edge.

Figure 5 shows an axonometric view of the cleaning unit applied onto a machine for steam washing and drying floors.

The enclosed figures show a cleaning group with a central platform balance for the floor steam cleaning and drying, closed in a covering and connection structure C, mainly consisting of:

- a base 1, that may be out of plastic material, provided with passing continuity solutions 2 and 3,

with opposite inclinations, for the housing and the outlet on the bottom of the small metal rods 4 and 5, provided with a rubber or plastic edge 6, and of the continuity solutions 7 for the housing of the two rubber or plastic rollers 8, and comprising also the lower shape 9 for the application of the brush 10;

- two rollers 8 with free wheels which, by means of the gear 11 operating in the shaped housing 12 onto the cogged wheels 13, cause the horizontal movement of a lever 14, in the front and back moving of the unit, by means of a rack 15;

- a lever 14 which, alternatively moved, due to the presence of inclined planes 16 and of the eyelet 17 guided by a pin linked to base 1, lifts and lowers the small metal rods 4 and 5, rigidly connected between each other and to the frame 18 with platform balance oscillating arms;

- two small metal rods 4 and 5, provided with a rubber edge 6, which collect the dirt and the water derived from the steam and which, remaining into contact with the floor and due to the manual moving of the unit, lead the same in the direction forced by the inclined continuity solutions 2 and 3 towards the collection shape 19, where a small suction opening 20 leads them into a container internal to said machine M;

- a brush 10, applied to the lower shape 9, from which comes the steam, so as to allow the removal of the dirt by means of the bristles.

The advantages of the unit according to the present invention are many and relevant:

- due to the front and back moving of the cleaning unit, the rubber 6 of the small metal rods 4 and 5, alternatively getting into contact with the surface to be cleaned, performs the complete removal of any material;

- the lifting and lowering of said small rods 4 and 5 is completely automatic due to the plaform balance 18;

- the whole of the elements takes a small space and the unit is of small thickness, so as to be inserted also under very low furniture.

The functioning of the unit according to the present invention may be described as follows:

- after the steam jet, the bristles of the brush 10 remove the dirt;

- in the front movement, the small rod 5 comes down and with its rubber 6 it dries a floor stripe as large as the cleaning unit;

- in the back movement, determined by rollers 8 by means of the rack 15 and the lever 14, the platform

balance 18 lifts the small rod 5 and lowers small rod 4 , thus providing for the corresponding drying; the movements of the platform balance 18 are determined by the presence of the eyelet 17 , guided by a pin linked to the base 1 , with the interposition of a spring that maintains the pin in transversal position with a corresponding eyelet on an inclined plane.