Floor cleaner

Abstract

A floor cleaner includes a base movable over the surface to be cleaned. The base includes a front side, a back side opposite the front side, a lower end configured to be adjacent the surface to be cleaned, a suction inlet adjacent the front side and adjacent the lower end of the base and in fluid communication with a vacuum source, a brushroll rotatable about a brushroll axis, a squeegee that contacts the brushroll, the squeegee between the front side of the base and the brushroll axis. The base further includes a suction conduit between the brushroll and the back side of the base and a flow channel formed by a recesses that extends along the brushroll axis adjacent the suction conduit. The flow channel defines an edge that contacts the brushroll.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floor cleaner comprising:
 a supply tank configured to store a cleaning fluid;   a distribution nozzle in fluid communication with the supply tank, the distribution nozzle configured to dispense the cleaning fluid onto a surface to be cleaned;   a vacuum source; and   a base movable over the surface to be cleaned, the base including,
 a front side, 
 a back side opposite the front side, 
 a lower end configured to be adjacent the surface to be cleaned, 
 a suction inlet adjacent the front side and adjacent the lower end of the base and in fluid communication with the vacuum source, 
 a brushroll rotatable about a brushroll axis, 
 a squeegee that contacts the brushroll, the squeegee between the front side of the base and the brushroll axis, 
 a suction conduit between the brushroll and the back side of the base, 
 a flow channel formed by a recesses that extends along the brushroll axis, the flow channel adjacent the suction conduit and the flow channel defines an edge that contacts the brushroll. 
   
     
     
         2 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the flow channel includes a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein at least a portion of the top edge contacts the brushroll 
     
     
         3 . The floor cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the flow channel include a height measured from the top edge to the bottom edge, wherein the height of the flow channel increases in a direction toward the suction conduit. 
     
     
         4 . The floor cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein the height of the flow channel adjacent the suction conduit is approximately the same as a height of the suction conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the squeegee is a second squeegee, wherein the base further includes a first squeegee that extends from the lower end between the suction inlet and the back side of the base, the first squeegee configured to contact the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         6 . The floor cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the brushroll extends beyond the lower end of the base, wherein the suction inlet is between the first squeegee and a location wherein the brushroll extends beyond the lower end of the base. 
     
     
         7 . The floor cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the first squeegee extends in a direction along the brushroll axis. 
     
     
         8 . The floor cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the first squeegee extends along the suction inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The floor cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the brushroll axis is between the front side of the base and the second squeegee. 
     
     
         10 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the base further includes a brushroll cover releaseably attached to the base, the brushroll cover removable to access the brushroll. 
     
     
         11 . The floor cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the squeegee is attached to the brushroll cover and the squeegee is removable from the base with the brushroll cover. 
     
     
         12 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution nozzle is configured to dispense the cleaning fluid forward of the front side. 
     
     
         13 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the brushroll includes a tufted pile formed of fiber covering all or a portion of the brushroll. 
     
     
         14 . The floor cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the fiber includes nylon fibers. 
     
     
         15 . The floor cleaner of  claim 13 , the brushroll including a spindle, the fibers being tufted on a backing that is wrapped around the spindle. 
     
     
         16 . The floor cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the tufted pile includes a first set of fibers, each fiber having a diameter less than about 0.08 millimeters, and a second set of fibers that wrap around the brushroll axis in a helical pattern,
 wherein each fiber of the second set of fibers has a diameter of at least 0.06 millimeters, and   wherein fibers of the first set of fibers have a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the fibers of the second set of fibers.   
     
     
         17 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the fibers of the first set of fibers and the fibers of the second set of fibers have an equal length. 
     
     
         18 . The floor cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the length is in a range from about 5 millimeters to about 15 millimeters. 
     
     
         19 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the length is in a range from about 10 millimeters to about 14 millimeters. 
     
     
         20 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , where the fiber diameter of the second set of fibers is at least 30% greater than the fiber diameter of the first set of fibers. 
     
     
         21 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , the brushroll including a spindle, the first set and the second set of fibers being tufted on a backing that is wrapped around the spindle.