Squeegee Assembly for a Floor Cleaning Machine

Abstract

The present application concerns the field of machines for floor treatment, such as cleaning and scrubbing, and in particular relates to the use of a vacuum squeegee assembly for collecting and lifting liquid from a floor surface during treatment. There is provided a squeegee assembly for collecting liquid from a floor surface, the assembly comprising an elongate roof portion provided with depending leading and trailing elongate squeegee blades, the blades and roof portion together defining an elongate liquid collection chamber when horizontally disposed on the floor surface, the chamber being provided with a vacuum vent so that the pressure in the chamber may be reduced so as to permit airflow entrainment and removal of liquid gathered by the squeegee blades in the chamber, characterised in that the chamber roof portion is upwardly inclined towards an end region thereof so that a floor to roof portion chamber height measured at an end region of the chamber is higher than a corresponding chamber height measured at a mid region of the chamber.

1 . A squeegee assembly for collecting liquid from a floor surface, the assembly comprising an elongate roof portion provided with depending leading and trailing elongate squeegee blades, the blades and roof portion together defining an elongate liquid collection chamber when horizontally disposed on the floor surface, the chamber being provided with a vacuum vent so that the pressure in the chamber may be reduced so as to permit airflow entrainment and removal of liquid gathered by the squeegee blades in the chamber, characterised in that the chamber roof portion is upwardly inclined towards an end region thereof so that a floor to roof portion chamber height measured at an end region of the chamber is higher than a corresponding chamber height measured at a mid region of the chamber. 
     
     
         2 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the roof portion is upwardly inclined towards each of the two end regions of the chamber, so that the chamber height at the two end regions is higher than the corresponding chamber height measured at a mid region of the chamber. 
     
     
         3 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the end region chamber height between 0.3% and 4.0% higher than the mid region height. 
     
     
         4 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the roof portion incline is a linear incline. 
     
     
         5 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the incline amounts to a rise from the horizontal of between 0.2 and 2.0 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the incline amounts to a rise from the horizontal of between 0.3 and 1.0 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the blades and roof portion are arranged to provide a generally lenticular plan configuration when placed on the floor surface. 
     
     
         8 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the vacuum vent is formed in a central region of the chamber roof portion. 
     
     
         9 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the roof portion is provided by a profiled insert disposed between the squeegee blades. 
     
     
         10 . A squeegee assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the profiled insert has a generally lenticular plan, a generally horizontal upper surface and a lower surface having two upwardly tapering portions each extending from a mid region of the insert to respective outer regions of the insert, which lower surface provides the chamber roof portion. 
     
     
         11 . A floor cleaning machine which comprises at least one work head for treating a floor and a suction generator and further comprising a vacuum squeegee assembly for collecting liquid from a floor surface, the assembly comprising an elongate roof portion provided with depending leading and trailing elongate squeegee blades, the blades and roof portion together defining an elongate liquid collection chamber when horizontally disposed on the floor surface, the chamber being provided with a vacuum vent so that the pressure in the chamber may be reduced so as to permit airflow entrainment and removal of liquid gathered by the squeegee blades in the chamber wherein the vacuum vent of the squeegee assembly is in fluid communication with the suction generator and the squeegee assembly is disposed so as to be drawn aft of said at least one work head, characterised in that the vacuum squeegee chamber roof portion is upwardly inclined towards an end region thereof so that a floor to roof portion chamber height measured at an end region of the chamber is higher than a corresponding chamber height measured at a mid region of the chamber. 
     
     
         12 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  which is configured as a ride-on machine. 
     
     
         13 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  which is configured as a walk-behind machine. 
     
     
         14 . A machine as claimed in  claim 11  which includes drive means, comprising a motor, for propelling the machine over a floor surface. 
     
     
         15 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  wherein the roof portion is upwardly inclined towards each of the two end regions of the chamber, so that the chamber height at the two end regions is higher than the corresponding chamber height measured at a mid region of the chamber. 
     
     
         16 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  wherein the end region chamber height between 0.3% and 4.0% higher than the mid region height. 
     
     
         17 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  wherein the roof portion incline is a linear incline. 
     
     
         18 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 17  wherein the incline amounts to a rise from the horizontal of between 0.2 and 2.0 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 17  wherein the incline amounts to a rise from the horizontal of between 0.3 and 1.0 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  wherein the blades and roof portion are arranged to provide a generally lenticular plan configuration when placed on the floor surface. 
     
     
         21 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  wherein the vacuum vent is formed in a central region of the chamber roof portion. 
     
     
         22 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 11  wherein the roof portion is provided by a profiled insert disposed between the squeegee blades. 
     
     
         23 . A floor cleaning machine according to  claim 22  wherein the profiled insert has a generally lenticular plan, a generally horizontal upper surface and a lower surface having two upwardly tapering portions each extending from a mid region of the insert to respective outer regions of the insert, which lower surface provides the chamber roof portion.