Floor cleaner

Abstract

A floor cleaner including a vacuum source, a base movable over a surface to be cleaned, the base having a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source. The floor cleaner further includes a motor mounted to the base and a brushroll supported by the base rotatable about an axis and operably connected to the motor. The brushroll includes a cleaning medium configured to contact the surface to be cleaned and the cleaning medium includes a hydrophobic textile material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floor cleaner comprising:
 a vacuum source;   a base movable over a surface to be cleaned, the base having a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source;   a motor mounted to the base;   a brushroll supported by the base rotatable about an axis and operably connected to the motor;   wherein the brushroll includes a cleaning medium configured to contact the surface to be cleaned; and   wherein the cleaning medium includes a hydrophobic textile material.   
     
     
         2 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the textile material is a tufted microfiber material. 
     
     
         3 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the textile material is formed by fibers made from a hydrophobic material. 
     
     
         4 . The floor cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein the fibers include polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         5 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the textile material is formed by fibers coated or treated for a hydrophobic surface. 
     
     
         6 . The floor cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the textile material includes nylon fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , where the material forming the textile material has a hydrophobicity measured by a contact angle in a range from 90° to 135°. 
     
     
         8 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , where the material forming the textile material has a hydrophobicity measured by a contact angle greater than 135°. 
     
     
         9 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the material forming the textile material has a hydrophobicity measured by a contact angle in a range from 65° to 100°. 
     
     
         10 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , the base having a front end and a rear end, where the brushroll is positioned that a portion of the cleaning medium extends forward of the front end. 
     
     
         11 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the brushroll is a first brushroll, the base including a second brushroll offset from and parallel to the first brushroll. 
     
     
         12 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the base further includes a plurality of tufted bristles. 
     
     
         13 . The floor cleaner of  claim 12 , where the plurality of tufted bristles are arranged on the brushroll in a helical pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The floor cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the base includes no hydrophilic cleaning media other than, optionally, the plurality of tufted bristles. 
     
     
         15 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes no hydrophilic cleaning media. 
     
     
         16 . A floor cleaner comprising:
 a vacuum source;   a base movable over a surface to be cleaned, the base having a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source;   a cleaning medium supported by the base configured to contact the surface to be cleaned;   wherein the cleaning medium includes a hydrophobic textile material.   
     
     
         17 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the textile material is a tufted microfiber material. 
     
     
         18 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the textile material is formed by fibers made from a hydrophobic polymer. 
     
     
         19 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the fibers are made from polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         20 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the textile material is formed by hydrophilic fibers modified by a hydrophobic coating or treatment. 
     
     
         21 . The floor cleaner of  claim 20 , wherein the textile material includes nylon fibers. 
     
     
         22 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , where the material forming the textile material has a hydrophobicity measured by a contact angle in a range from 90° to 135°. 
     
     
         23 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , where the material forming the textile material has a hydrophobicity measured by a contact angle greater than 135°. 
     
     
         24 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the material forming the textile material has a hydrophobicity measured by a contact angle in a range from 65° to 100°. 
     
     
         25 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the cleaning medium further includes a plurality of tufted bristles. 
     
     
         26 . The floor cleaner of  claim 25 , wherein the tufted bristles are hydrophobic. 
     
     
         27 . The floor cleaner of  claim 25 , wherein the base includes no hydrophilic cleaning media other than, optionally, the plurality of tufted bristles. 
     
     
         28 . The floor cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the base includes no hydrophilic cleaning media.