Floor cleaning machine with a water softening device

Abstract

Shown and described is a floor cleaning machine with a housing on which a carriage is provided for moving the machine over a floor surface to be cleaned, a fresh-water tank, which is accommodated in the housing, and a cleaning unit, which is attached to the housing and is designed to come into contact with the floor surface to be cleaned, the cleaning unit being connected to the fresh-water tank, and a method for operating a floor cleaning machine. The object of providing a floor cleaning machine and a method for operating it that make it possible at least for the clearing agent requirement to be reduced is achieved in terms of the device by providing an ion-exchanger unit, by the ion-exchanger unit being connected to the fresh-water tank and by the ion-exchanger unit being flowed through by fresh water from an inlet to an outlet.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A floor cleaning machine comprising:
 a wheeled carriage for moving the machine over a floor surface to be cleaned;   a housing mounted to said carriage;   a fresh-water tank in the housing;   a cleaning unit mounted to the housing for contacting a floor, said cleaning unit being connected to and receiving water from said fresh-water tank; and   an ion-exchanger carried by said carriage and connected to said fresh-water tank, said ion-exchanger passing fresh water from an inlet to said fresh-water tank for use in cleaning said floor surface.   
   
   
       14 . The floor cleaning machine according to claim  1 , further including a regeneration unit wherein said inlet of said ion-exchanger unit may be selectively connected to said regeneration unit and further including a bypass line through which water can flow directly to said inlet of said ion-exchanger unit without flowing through said regeneration unit. 
   
   
       15 . The floor cleaning machine of claim  2  further comprising a fresh water connection which is connected to the inlet of the ion-exchanger unit, the outlet of said ion-exchanger unit connected to the fresh-water tank and said cleaning unit is connected to the fresh-water tank. 
   
   
       16 . The floor cleaning machine of claim  3  further comprising a waste-water tank within said housing wherein said ion-exchanger unit may be connected to the waste-water tank and further including a valve for coupling the output of said ion-exchanger unit to the inlet of said fresh water tank or to said waste water tank. 
   
   
       17 . The floor cleaning machine of claim  3  further including a cleaning agent metering device connected into a line between the fresh-water tank and the cleaning unit for metering cleaning agent to the fresh water fed to the cleaning unit. 
   
   
       18 . The floor cleaning machine according to claim  1  characterized in that said fresh-water tank is connected to an inlet of the ion-exchanger unit and the outlet of the fresh water tank exchanger unit is connected to the cleaning unit for delivering de-ionized water. 
   
   
       19 . The floor cleaning machine according to claim  6  further comprising a waste-water tank in the housing, the outlet of the ion-exchanger unit being connected to the waste-water tank, and further including a valve for coupling either the connection between said outlet of said ion-exchanger unit and said fresh water tank, or the connection between said outlet of said ion-exchanger and the waste-water tank. 
   
   
       20 . The floor cleaning machine of claim  6  further comprising a bridging line connecting the fresh-water tank directly to the cleaning unit, whereby fresh water may flow directly to said cleaning unit without passing through said ion-exchanger unit. 
   
   
       21 . The floor cleaning machine of claim  1  further comprising a cleaning agent metering device for metering cleaning agent into a line extending from the outlet of the fresh water tank and the cleaning unit. 
   
   
       22 . A method of operating a floor cleaning machine including a housing, a carriage, and a cleaning unit, comprising:
 flowing the fresh water through a first valve to de-ionizing unit and thence de-ionizing unit to a fresh water storage tank;   passing the de-ionized water from the fresh water storage tank and mixing the de-ionized water with a cleaning solution;   
     then, passing the mixed de-ionized water and cleaning solution to the cleaning unit and thence to the floor to be cleaned while brushing the floor with the cleaning unit.