Docking station with undercarriage cleaning functionality for floor cleaning machine

Abstract

A floor cleaning system may include a docking station to which an autonomous floor cleaning machine can dock between cleaning operations. The docking station can provide power to the autonomous floor cleaning machine to recharge the batteries of the machine when not in use. The docking station may also supply fresh cleaning fluid to the floor cleaning machine and remove collected waste from the machine. In practice, the floor cleaning machine may itself become dirty over repeated use, such as when cleaning greasy floor surfaces. Accordingly, the docking station may include flushing orifices to clean the floor cleaning machine itself, such as with a degreasing composition.

1 . A floor cleaning system comprising:
 a floor cleaning machine comprising:
 at least one drive wheel operable to drive the floor cleaning machine across a floor surface to be cleaned; 
 a cleaning head being configured to clean the floor surface as the floor cleaning machine is driven across the floor surface by the at least one drive wheel; 
 a cleaning fluid reservoir; and 
 a waste fluid reservoir; 
   a docking station to which the floor cleaning machine is configured to dock, the docking station comprising:
 a platform comprising a drain, the platform being arranged to receive the floor cleaning machine in a position in which at least a portion of an underside of the floor cleaning machine is positioned over the platform; and 
 at least one flushing orifice arranged to deliver a device cleaning fluid to at least the cleaning head of the floor cleaning machine. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the floor cleaning machine is an autonomous floor cleaning machine operable without human control. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the docking station comprises:
 a reservoir configured to store the device cleaning fluid or a concentrated form thereof; and   a device cleaning fluid conduit configured to directly or indirectly convey the device cleaning fluid from the reservoir to the at least one flushing orifice.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flushing orifice comprises a manifold defining a plurality of flushing orifices. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flushing orifice is fixedly positioned relative to the platform. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flushing orifice is configured to move relative to the underside of the floor cleaning machine. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the docking station further comprises:
 at least one supply conduit configured to fluidly connect with the cleaning fluid reservoir on the floor cleaning machine, when the floor cleaning machine is docked to the docking station, to refill the cleaning fluid reservoir with a cleaning fluid; and   at least one discharge conduit configured to fluidly connect with the waste fluid reservoir on the floor cleaning machine, when the floor cleaning machine is docked to the docking station, to evacuate the waste fluid reservoir of a waste fluid.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the docking station further comprises an electrical supply configured to electrically connect with the floor cleaning machine, when the floor cleaning machine is docked to the docking station, to recharge a battery carried by the floor cleaning machine. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the docking station further comprises a size reducing unit positioned to receive material entering the drain of the platform and shear the material to reduce a size of the material. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 docking a floor cleaning machine at a docking station; and   with the floor cleaning machine docked at the docking station:
 refilling via the docking station a cleaning fluid reservoir on the floor cleaning machine, 
 emptying via the docking station a waste fluid reservoir on the floor cleaning machine, 
 recharging via the docking station a battery on the floor cleaning machine, and 
   cleaning with at least one flushing orifice of the docking station at least a cleaning head of the floor cleaning machine.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein docking the floor cleaning machine at the docking station comprises driving a least a portion of the floor cleaning machine on a platform of the docking station. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the floor cleaning machine is an autonomous floor cleaning machine, and docking the floor cleaning machine at the docking station comprises the floor cleaning machine autonomously docking at the docking station. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein cleaning with at least one flushing orifice of the docking station at least a cleaning head of the floor cleaning machine comprises diluting, by the docking station, a concentrated form of a device cleaning fluid stored at the docking station to form a dilute device cleaning fluid, and spraying the dilute device cleaning fluid on the floor cleaning machine. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the device cleaning fluid comprises a degreasing composition. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein cleaning with the at least one flushing orifice of the docking station at least the cleaning head of the floor cleaning machine comprises moving the at least one flushing orifice relative to the floor cleaning machine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising collecting a waste stream comprising liquid and a debris flushed from at least the cleaning head of the floor cleaning machine, and shearing the waste stream to reduce a size of the debris.