Rotary surface cleaning tool

Abstract

A rotary surface cleaning machine for cleaning floors, including both carpeted floors and uncarpeted hard floor surfaces including but not limited to wood, tile, linoleum and natural stone flooring. The rotary surface cleaning machine has a rotary surface cleaning tool mounted on a frame and coupled for high speed rotary motion relative to the frame. The rotary surface cleaning tool has a substantially circular operational surface that performs the cleaning operation. The rotary surface cleaning tool is driven by an on-board power plant to rotate at high speed. The rotary surface cleaning tool is coupled to a supply of pressurized hot liquid solution of cleaning fluid and a powerful vacuum suction source.

1 : A rotary surface cleaning machine, comprising:
 a rotary surface cleaning tool coupled for high speed rotary motion and further comprising a substantially circular operational surface;   a plurality of individual arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles being angularly distributed across the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool and being coupled in fluid communication with corresponding liquid cleaning fluid distribution channels of a cleaning fluid distribution manifold portion of the rotary surface cleaning tool, wherein each of the plurality of individual arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles further comprises at least one or more individual delivery spray nozzles that are radially oriented across an annular portion of the substantially circular operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool between an inner radial limit and an outer radial limit;   a plurality of suction extraction shoes being angularly distributed across the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool and being projected therefrom alternately between the arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles, and each of the suction extraction shoes further comprising a fluid extraction passage communicating with a vacuum plenum; and   a means for increasing airflow to the suction extraction passages, wherein the means for increasing airflow to the suction extraction passages further comprises a plurality of suction relief grooves formed on an operational surface of each suction extraction shoe distributed along a length of the fluid extraction passage in communication therewith and oriented substantially along a direction of the rotary motion of the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 1 , wherein the operational surface of each suction extraction shoe having the plurality of suction relief grooves formed thereon further comprises a functional leading surface portion of each suction extraction shoe. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 1 , wherein the operational surface of each suction extraction shoe comprising the plurality of suction relief grooves formed therealong further comprises a relatively raised surface portion of each suction extraction shoe that lies along the fluid extraction passage adjacent to a first side thereof and projects further from the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool than a relatively recessed surface portion of the suction extraction shoe that lies along the fluid extraction passage adjacent to a second side thereof opposite from the first side thereof comprising the plurality of suction relief grooves. 
     
     
         8 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 7 , wherein the relatively raised surface portion of each suction extraction shoe further comprises a functional leading surface portion thereof, and the relatively recessed surface portion of each suction extraction shoe further comprises a functional trailing surface portion thereof. 
     
     
         9 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 7 , wherein the relatively recessed surface portion of each suction extraction shoe further comprises a functional leading surface portion thereof, and the relatively raised surface portion of each suction extraction shoe further comprises a functional trailing surface portion thereof. 
     
     
         10 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 7 , wherein the relatively raised surface portion of each suction extraction shoe further comprises a functional trailing surface portion thereof. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary surface cleaning machine further comprises each suction extraction shoe being further coupled to the rotary surface cleaning tool in an independently movable manner both inwardly and outwardly relative to the operational surface thereof, and further comprising individually biasing means structured for individually biasing each suction extraction shoe outwardly relative to the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool. 
     
     
         14 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 1 , wherein
 each suction extraction shoe is further coupled to the rotary surface cleaning tool in an independently movable manner both inwardly and outwardly relative to the operational surface thereof, and further comprising individually biasing means structured for individually biasing each suction extraction shoe outwardly relative to the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool.   
     
     
         15 : A rotary surface cleaning machine, comprising:
 a rotary surface cleaning tool coupled for high speed rotary motion relative to a frame member and further comprising a substantially circular operational surface;   a plurality of arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles being angularly distributed across the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool and being coupled in fluid communication with corresponding liquid cleaning fluid distribution channels of a cleaning fluid distribution manifold portion of the rotary surface cleaning tool; and   a plurality of suction extraction shoes being angularly distributed across the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool and being projected therefrom alternately between the arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles, and each of the suction extraction shoes further comprising a fluid extraction passage communicating with a vacuum plenum through one of a plurality of vacuum plenum branch passages of the rotary surface cleaning tool, and a means for increasing airflow to the suction extraction passages, wherein the means for increasing airflow to the suction extraction passages further comprises an operational surface of each suction extraction shoe further comprising a plurality of suction relief grooves distributed lengthwise thereacross and oriented substantially perpendicular of the fluid extraction passage thereof and in fluid communication therewith.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid extraction passage of each suction extraction shoe is further oriented substantially radially of the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool. 
     
     
         19 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of suction relief grooves are further across a functional leading surface portion of each suction extraction shoe. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 19 , wherein the operational surface of each suction extraction shoe having the plurality of suction relief grooves distributed therealong further comprises a relatively raised surface portion of each suction extraction shoe that projects further from the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool than a relatively recessed surface portion thereof positioned on an opposite of the suction extraction passage from the plurality of suction relief grooves. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 26 , wherein the individually biasing means further comprises a resilient cushion. 
     
     
         25 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 24 , wherein the resilient cushion biasing means is further positioned between each suction extraction shoe and the rotary surface cleaning tool. 
     
     
         26 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 15 , wherein each suction extraction shoe is further coupled to the rotary surface cleaning tool in a manner to be independently movable both inwardly and outwardly relative to the operational surface thereof, and
 further comprising individually biasing means structured for individually biasing each suction extraction shoe outwardly relative to the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool.   
     
     
         27 : A method of forming a rotary surface cleaning machine, comprising:
 coupling a rotary surface cleaning tool to a frame member for high speed rotary motion relative thereto, the rotary surface cleaning tool further comprising a substantially circular operational surface;   coupling a high speed rotary driving means for driving a high speed rotary motion of the rotary surface cleaning tool;   distributing a plurality of individual arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles substantially uniformly angularly across the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool, and further coupling the arrays of spray nozzles in fluid communication with a pressurized flow of cleaning fluid through a plurality of individual liquid cleaning fluid distribution channels of a cleaning fluid distribution manifold portion of the rotary surface cleaning tool;   distributing a plurality of suction extraction shoes being substantially uniformly angularly across the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool alternately between the arrays of cleaning solution delivery spray nozzles, and further projecting the suction extraction shoes from the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool by a biasing means structured for individually biasing each suction extraction shoe outwardly relative to bottom operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool, with each of the suction extraction shoes further presenting a fluid extraction passage adjacent to the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool and oriented substantially radially of the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool, and with each of the fluid extraction passages communicating through one of a plurality of plenum branch passages with a vacuum plenum that is in fluid communication with a vacuum suction source; and   increasing airflow to the suction extraction passages by further providing an operational surface of each suction extraction shoe with a plurality of suction relief grooves distributed along and oriented crosswise of the fluid extraction passage thereof and in fluid communication therewith.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 27 , wherein the operational surface of each suction extraction shoe that further comprises a plurality of suction relief grooves further comprises at least one of a functional leading surface portion and a functional trailing surface portion as a function of a direction of the rotary motion of the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool, and
 wherein one of the functional leading and trailing surface portions further comprises a relatively raised surface portion of the suction extraction shoe that projects further from the operational surface of the rotary surface cleaning tool than a relatively recessed surface portion thereof.   
     
     
         32 : The rotary surface cleaning machine of  claim 31 , wherein
 the relatively raised surface portion of each suction extraction shoe further comprises the leading surface portion of the suction extraction shoe, and the relatively lower surface portion further comprises the trailing surface portion thereof.