TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to hard floor cleaners.

BACKGROUND

In order to keep hard floor surfaces clean it is necessary that they be swept before being mopped to ensure that particulate dirt does not form a sludge which is merely spread around the hard floor surface only to dry again back into particulate dirt. It is also necessary to sweep the hard floor surface clear of hard particles which may scratch the floor surface, and hair strands which may become entangled in the mop.

In recent years there has been demand in the marketplace for floor cleaning devices which are capable of sweeping and mopping at the same time to reduce the number of operations necessary to clean a hard floor. Such devices commonly make use of a roller, such as a foam roller, as a mopping device. However, such rollers are vulnerable to failure or reduced performance if strands of hair become wound around the roller. Tightly wrapped hair can damage the roller by cutting it to it, or by compressing a portion of the roller thereby reducing its contact with the floor and consequently reducing mopping effectiveness.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved hard floor cleaner.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect the present invention provides a hard floor cleaner comprising a sweeper element and a mop element each being mounted for rotation about a respective axis, wherein the sweeper element and the mop element are arranged such that a lowermost portion of the sweeper element and a lowermost portion of the mop element contact a surface to be cleaned in use, wherein the sweeper element is located in front of the mop element with respect to a first direction of travel of the hard floor cleaner in use. The hard floor cleaner of the present invention is advantageous as debris swept from the floor by the sweeper element before the floor is mopped by the mop element thereby preventing the debris from becoming stuck to, or wrapped around, the mop element.

Optionally the sweeper element has a shape which tapers from a first end of the sweeper element towards a second end of the sweeper element, wherein the sweeper element is arranged such that in use the position of the axis of rotation of the sweeper element at the second end of the sweeper element is closer to the surface to be cleaned than the position of said axis of rotation at the first end of the sweeper element.

This arrangement is beneficial as the tapering of the sweeper element facilitates movement of hair and other long fibres along the length of the sweeper element towards the second end of the sweeper element where they can be removed. The angled orientation of the axis of rotation with respect to the floor surface to be cleaned allows substantially the whole of the lowermost portion of the sweeper element to come into contact with the floor so that the full width of the floor in front of the mop element may be swept.

The hard floor cleaner optionally comprises a second sweeper element mounted for rotation about an axis, wherein the second sweeper element has a shape which tapers from a first end of the second sweeper element towards a second end of the second sweeper element, wherein the second sweeper element is arranged such that in use the position of the axis of rotation of the second sweeper element at the second end of the second sweeper element is closer to the surface to be cleaned than the position of said axis of rotation at the first end of the second sweeper element.

The first and second sweeper elements may be located end to end. In this arrangement two shorter sweeper elements can be used to sweep the width of the floor in front of the mop element rather than one long sweeper element. Shorter tapered sweeper elements are beneficial as the angle of taper can be steeper (within the available packaging space) which facilitates movement of hair and other long fibres along the length of the sweeper element towards the second end.

The sweeper element and the second sweeper element may be attached to opposing sides of a hub portion, wherein the hub portion is operable to rotate the sweeper element and the second sweeper element about their respective axes in use. In this way, a single motor or mechanism may be used to rotate both sweeper elements simultaneously.

In one example, the sweeper element and the second sweeper element are attached to opposing sides of the hub portion at their respective first ends, or at their respective second ends. This provides various packaging options.

Optionally, the lowermost portion of the sweeper element, and the lowermost portion of the second sweeper element if present, is positioned substantially parallel to the surface to be cleaned in use to maximise the width of floor surface swept by the sweeper element or elements.

The external surface of the sweeper element, and the external surface of the second sweeper element if present, may optionally comprise helical strips of upstanding bristles to facilitate collection of debris from the floor surface. The bristles may be angled towards the tapered end of the sweeper element or elements to facilitate movement of hair and other long fibres along the length of the sweeper element.

The mop element may be substantially cylindrical and may comprises a resilient material. A cylindrical mop element provides a convenient shape for floor cleaning and rotation by a motor or other mechanical arrangement. The resilient material may be compressed against the floor to maximise mopped area.

In one example, the hard floor cleaner comprises a bin for collecting debris swept from the floor in use by the sweeper element or elements and/or a container for holding liquid collected from the mop element in use.

The bin and/or the container may optionally be located between the sweeping element or elements and the mop element. This provides a compact packaging solution.

The mop element may be located between the sweeper element and an additional sweeper element, wherein the additional sweeper element is located on the opposite side of the mop element to the sweeper element. This arrangement is advantageous as it allows the floor to be swept ahead of the mop element no matter in which direction the hard floor cleaner is moved. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure l is a schematic isometric view of an assembly for a hard floor cleaner;

Figure 2 is a schematic isometric view of a modified assembly for a hard floor cleaner;

Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view of an alternative modified assembly for a hard floor cleaner;

Figure 4 is a schematic isometric view of a further alternative assembly for a hard floor cleaner;

Figure 5 is a schematic isometric view of a still further alternative assembly for a hard floor cleaner; and

Figure 6 is a schematic isometric view of a yet further alternative assembly for a hard floor cleaner.

Note that features that are the same or similar in different drawings are denoted by like reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 shows a schematic isometric view of an assembly 1 for a hard floor cleaner. The assembly

1 comprises a cylindrical sweeper element 10 and a cylindrical mop element 20. The sweeper element 10 is mounted for rotation about an axis A- A, and the mop element 20 is mounted for rotation about an axis B-B.

The sweeper element 10 and the mop element 20 are supported for rotation on a frame (not shown) and arranged so that, in use, during cleaning of a hard floor surface 6, the lowermost portion 13 of the sweeper element 10 and the lowermost portion 23 of the mop element 20 contact the floor surface 6. A bin 16 for collecting debris swept from the floor 6 by the sweeper element 10 is mounted on the frame adjacent to the sweeper element 10. A container 26 for holding liquid collected from the mop element 20 is mounted on the frame adjacent the mop element 20.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the bin 16 and the container 26 are located between the sweeper element 10 and the mop element 20. However, this arrangement is not essential and any other suitable arrangement of bins and containers may be used.

The sweeper element 10 has an external surface 11 which comprises helical strips 12 of upstanding bristles 14. As is well known in the art, in use, when the sweeper element 10 rotates, the bristles 14 collect debris from the floor surface 6 and deposit it in the bin 16. In one example, the sweeper element 10 may be rotated by a motor. In an alternative example, the sweeper element 10 may be arranged to rotate as the hard floor cleaner is pushed along the floor surface 6 by a user.

The debris collected in the bin 16 may be stored in the bin 16 until it is manually emptied by a user. In an alternative example, the bin 16 may be located remote from the sweeper element 10. The debris collected by the sweeper element 10 may be transported to the bin 16 by means of a vacuum as is well known in the art. The bin 16 may be removeable to facilitate emptying.

The mop element 20 comprises a foam roller. In one example, the mop element 20 may be rotated by a motor. In an alternative example, the mop element 20 may be arranged to rotate as the hard floor cleaner is pushed along the floor surface 6 by a user. Liquid may be delivered to the floor surface 6, and/or to the mop element 20 by a liquid delivery system (not shown).

The liquid collected in the container 26 from the mop element 20 may be stored in the container 26 until it is manually emptied by a user. In an alternative example, the container 26 may be located remote from the mop element 20. Liquid collected from the mop element 20 may be transported to the container 26 by means of a vacuum or a pump as is well known in the art. The container 26 may be removeable to facilitate emptying.

The assembly 1 is located within a housing (not shown) and attached to a handle as is well known in the art. In use, a user pushes the hard floor cleaner in a first direction of travel as indicated by arrow X so that the sweeper element 10 sweeps the floor surface 6 ahead of the mop element 20. In this way debris from the floor surface 6 is swept into the bin 16 before the mop element 20 washes the floor surface 6 with a cleaning liquid such as water or a floor cleaning solution.

The first direction of travel X may be indicated to the user by means of an arrow or other indication means on the external surface of the hard floor cleaner. Alternatively or additionally, the position and orientation of the handle may be arranged so that it is natural for a user to push the hard floor cleaner in the first direction of travel X as the first cleaning movement. As with a traditional broom or mop, the hard floor cleaner comprising the apparatus 1 may be pushed and/or pulled in any direction during floor cleaning. This is acceptable as the sweeper element 10 will have removed free debris from the floor surface 6 in the first pass.

In an alternative embodiment (described in further detail below and shown in Figure 5), an additional sweeper element 10’ may be located on the opposite side of the mop element 20 to the sweeper element 10 so that the floor surface 6 may be swept before the mop element 20 washes regardless of the direction in which the user first moves the hard floor cleaner.

Figure 2 shows a schematic isometric view of an alternative assembly 2 for a hard floor cleaner. The assembly 2 is the same in all respects to assembly 1 described above except in that in assembly 2 the sweeper element 40 has a shape which tapers from a first end 41 of the sweeper element 40 towards a second end 43 of the sweeper element 40. The sweeper element 40 is arranged so that when the hard floor cleaner is in use, the position of the axis of rotation C-C of the sweeper element 40 at its second end 43 is closer to the floor surface 6 than the position of the axis of rotation C-C at the first end 41 of the sweeper element 40. By virtue of this positioning of the axis of rotation C-C, all of the lowermost portion 45 of the sweeper element 40 contacts the floor surface 6 in use so that the width of floor surface 6 swept by the sweeper element 40 is the same as the width of floor surface 6 swept by the sweeper element 10 of apparatus 1. The sweeper element 40 has an external surface 47 which comprises helical strips 42 of upstanding bristles 44. The bristles 44 are arranged so that they are angled towards the second end 43 of the sweeper element 40. This arrangement is beneficial as it facilitates movement of swept hair and other long fibres along the length of the sweeper element 40 towards the second end 43 of the sweeper element 40 where they can be directed into bin 16. Alternatively, the hair and other long fibres may be removed to the bin 16, or to a bin remote from the sweeper element 40, by means of a vacuum for example.

Figure 3 shows a schematic isometric view of another alternative assembly 3 for a hard floor cleaner. The assembly 3 is the same in all respects to the assembly 1 described above except in that the assembly 3 comprises a sweeper element 50 and a second sweeper element 51 mounted on a hub 56. The sweeper element 50 has a shape which tapers from a first end 58 of the sweeper element 50 towards a second end 59 of the sweeper element 50. Similarly, the second sweeper element 51 has a shape which tapers from a first end 55 of the sweeper element 51 towards a second end 53 of the sweeper element 51. The second ends 59, 53 of the sweeper elements 50, 51 are located at the outermost edges of the apparatus 3, and the first ends 58, 55 of the sweeper elements 50, 51 are mounted on the hub 56 which is located at the centre of the apparatus 3.

The sweeper element 50 and the second sweeper element 51 are arranged so that when the hard floor cleaner is in use, the position of the axis of rotation D-D of the sweeper element 50 at its second end 59 is closer to the floor surface 6 than the position of the axis of rotation D-D at the first end 58 of the sweeper element 50. Similarly, the position of the axis of rotation E-E of the second sweeper element 51 at its second end 53 is closer to the floor surface 6 than the position of the axis of rotation E-E at the first end 55 of the second sweeper element 51. By virtue of this positioning, all of the lowermost portions 60, 61 of the sweeper elements 50, 51 contact the floor surface 6 in use so that the width of floor surface 6 swept by the sweeper elements 50, 51 is the same as the width of floor surface 6 swept by the sweeper element 10 of apparatus 1.

The sweeper elements 50, 51 have external surfaces 57 which comprises helical strips 52 of upstanding bristles 54. The bristles 54 are arranged so that they are angled towards the second ends 59, 53 of the sweeper elements 50, 51 respectively. This arrangement is beneficial as it facilitates the movement of swept hair and other long fibres along the length of the sweeper elements 50, 51 towards the second ends 59, 53 of the sweeper elements 50, 51 where they can be directed into bin 16. Alternatively, the hair and other long fibres may be removed to the bin 16, or to a bin remote from the sweeper elements 50, 51, by means of a vacuum for example.

Figure 4 shows a schematic isometric view of a further alternative assembly 4 for a hard floor cleaner. The assembly 4 is the same in all respects to the assembly 1 described above except in that the assembly 4 comprises a sweeper element 70 and a second sweeper element 71 mounted on a hub 76. The sweeper element 70 has a shape which tapers from a first end 79 of the sweeper element 70 towards a second end 78 of the sweeper element 70. Similarly, the second sweeper element 71 has a shape which tapers from a first end 73 of the sweeper element 71 towards a second end 75 of the sweeper element 71. The first ends 79, 73 of the sweeper elements 70, 71 are located at the outermost edges of the apparatus 4, and the second ends 78, 75 of the sweeper elements 70, 71 are mounted on the hub 76 which is located at the centre of the apparatus 4.

The sweeper element 70 and the second sweeper element 71 are arranged so that when the hard floor cleaner is in use, the position of the axis of rotation F-F of the sweeper element 70 at its second end 78 is closer to the floor surface 6 than the position of the axis of rotation F-F at the first end 79 of the sweeper element 70. Similarly, the position of the axis of rotation G-G of the second sweeper element 71 at its second end 75 is closer to the floor surface 6 than the position of the axis of rotation G-G at the first end 73 of the sweeper element 71. By virtue of this positioning, all of the lowermost portions 80, 81 of the sweeper elements 70, 71 contact the floor surface 6 in use so that the width of floor surface 6 swept by the sweeper elements 70, 71 is the same as the width of floor surface 6 swept by the sweeper element 10 of apparatus 1.

The sweeper elements 70, 71 have external surfaces 77 which comprises helical strips 72 of upstanding bristles 74. The bristles 74 are arranged so that they are angled towards the second ends 78, 75 of the sweeper elements 70, 71 respectively. This arrangement is beneficial as it facilitates the movement of swept hair and other long fibres along the length of the sweeper elements 70, 71 towards the second ends 78, 75 of the sweeper elements 70, 71 where they can be directed into bin 16. Alternatively, the hair and other long fibres may be removed to the bin 16, or to a bin remote from the sweeper elements 70, 71, by means of a vacuum for example.

Figure 5 shows a schematic isometric view of a still further alternative assembly 5 for a hard floor cleaner. The assembly 5 is the same in all respects to the assembly 1 described above except in that the assembly 5 comprises a sweeper element 10’ located on the opposite side of the apparatus 5 to the sweeper element 10.

The sweeper element 10’ is cylindrical. However, one or both of the sweeper elements 10, 10’ may be substituted for the sweeper element 40 of Figure 2, or the sweeper element pairs 50, 51 or 70, 71 of Figures 3 and 4 respectively. Any combination of sweeper element shapes and configurations may be used.

The sweeper element 10’ has an external surface 11’ which comprises helical strips 12’ of upstanding bristles 14’. A bin 16’ for collecting debris swept from the floor 6 by the sweeper element 10’ is mounted on the frame adjacent to the sweeper element 10’. The bin 16’ is located adjacent the sweeper element 10’. However, this arrangement is not essential and any other suitable arrangement of bin may be used. The debris collected in the bin 16’ may be stored in the bin 16’ until it is manually emptied by a user. In an alternative example, the bin 16’ may be located remote from the sweeper element 10’. The debris collected by the sweeper element 10’ may be transported to the bin 16’ by means of a vacuum as is well known in the art. The bin 16’ may be removeable to facilitate emptying.

Figure 6 shows a schematic isometric view of a yet further alternative assembly 6 for a hard floor cleaner. The assembly 6 is the same in all respects to the assembly 1 described above except in that the assembly 6 comprises a mop element 20’ located between the bin 16 and the container 26. In this embodiment the mop element 20, 20’ rotate in opposing senses such that the mop element 20 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction and the mop element 20’ rotates in a clockwise direction. The container 26 is located between the mop elements 20, 20’ to collect used liquid such as water or floor cleaning solution from each of the mop elements 20, 20’. An additional sweeper element, such as sweeper element 10’ described above in relation to Figure 5, may be positioned on the opposite side of the apparatus to the sweeper element 10.

In each of the assemblies described above, the sweeper element(s) may rotate in the same sense as the mop element, or they may rotate in opposite senses to each other. The bin and/or container may be located on either side of the respective sweeper element(s) or mop elements depending on the direction of rotation of the elements. A single motor, or other drive mechanism, may be used to rotate the sweeper element(s) and mop element via suitable gearing. Alternatively, the sweeper element(s) and mop element may be rotated by separate motors or other drive mechanisms.