Rotary working element

Abstract

A floor cleaner includes a suction source, a body, and a rotary working element. The body includes a working element chamber having an opening facing toward a surface to be cleaned and a suction inlet in fluid communication with the suction source. The rotary working element is positioned within the working element chamber and includes a body rotatable about an axis having silicone features extending outwardly from the body to contact the surface to be cleaned though the opening.

1 .- 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A floor cleaner comprising:
 a suction source;   a housing including a working element chamber having an opening facing toward a surface to be cleaned and a suction inlet in fluid communication with the suction source; and   a rotary squeegee positioned within the working element chamber configured to move fluid along the surface to be cleaned, the rotary squeegee including a body rotatable about an axis and a flexible squeegee element extending outwardly from the body to contact the surface to be cleaned though the opening, the squeegee element arranged around the body in a helical pattern about the axis, wherein the pitch of the squeegee element is 0.5 to 2.5 times the axial length of the squeegee element, and wherein the squeegee element includes a base portion connected to the body and a squeegee edge configured to wipe the floor as the rotary squeegee rotates.   
     
     
         27 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the squeegee element rotates to move fluid on the surface in an axial direction toward the suction inlet. 
     
     
         28 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the squeegee element includes a first segment having a left hand flight and a second segment having a right hand flight, wherein an end of the first segment is axially adjacent an end of the second segment at a convergence area such that rotation of the squeegee element moves liquid along the first segment and along the second segment on the surface in axial directions toward the convergence area. 
     
     
         29 . The floor cleaner of  claim 28 , wherein the convergence area is aligned with the suction inlet. 
     
     
         30 . The floor cleaner of  claim 28 , wherein the first segment is formed by a continuous helical left hand squeegee element or by a plurality of helical left hand squeegee elements in series axially adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         31 . The floor cleaner of  claim 30 , wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of helical left hand squeegee elements are angularly offset from each other. 
     
     
         32 . The floor cleaner of  claim 28 , wherein the second segment is formed by a continuous helical right hand squeegee element or by a plurality of helical right hand squeegee elements in series axially adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         33 . The floor cleaner of  claim 32 , wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of helical right hand squeegee elements are angularly offset from each other. 
     
     
         34 . The floor cleaner of  claim 28 , wherein the squeegee element includes a third segment having a left hand flight and a fourth segment having a right hand flight, wherein an end of the third segment is axially adjacent an end of the fourth segment at a second convergence area such that rotation of the squeegee element moves liquid along the third segment and along the fourth segment on the surface in axial directions toward the second convergence area. 
     
     
         35 . The floor cleaner of  claim 34 , wherein the convergence area is a first convergence area, wherein the suction inlet is a first suction inlet, wherein the floor cleaner further comprises a second suction inlet in fluid communication with the suction source, and wherein the first convergence area is aligned with the first suction inlet and the second convergence area is aligned with the second suction inlet. 
     
     
         36 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the rotary squeegee includes a plurality of convergence areas, wherein each convergence area is defined by adjacent segments of the squeegee element having opposed flights. 
     
     
         37 . The floor cleaner of  claim 36 , further comprising a plurality of suction inlets in fluid communication with the suction source, and wherein each of the plurality of convergence areas correspond to one of the plurality of suction inlets. 
     
     
         38 . The floor cleaner of  claim 37 , wherein three convergence areas are each aligned with a corresponding one of three suction inlets. 
     
     
         39 . The floor cleaner of  claim 36 , further comprising a plurality of suction inlets in fluid communication with the suction source, wherein the number of suction inlets is less than the number of convergence areas. 
     
     
         40 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the squeegee element slants away from the direction of rotation by a rake angle between 2 and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         41 . The floor cleaner of  claim 40 , wherein the rake angle is between 35 and 50 degrees, and the squeegee element engages with the floor between 2 mm and 4 mm engagement to perform the wiping function. 
     
     
         42 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the rotary squeegee includes a plurality of squeegee elements angularly spaced apart from each other across the cross-sectional circumference of the body. 
     
     
         43 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the pitch of the squeegee element is 0.5 to 4 times the axial length of the squeegee element. 
     
     
         44 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the squeegee element includes a plurality of segments in series axially adjacent to each other, wherein the pitch of each one of the plurality of segments is 0.8 to 2.5 times the length of the corresponding one of the plurality of segments. 
     
     
         45 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the squeegee element extends along a squeegee axis extending from the body, and the squeegee edge further includes a forwardly extending flange, the flange extending along a flange axis angled forwardly relative to the squeegee axis. 
     
     
         46 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the angle between the flange axis and the squeegee axis is between 70 and 105 degrees. 
     
     
         47 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the flange extends from the squeegee element a length of between 1 and 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         48 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the flange extends from the squeegee element a length of between 5 and 10 millimeters. 
     
     
         49 . The floor cleaner of  claim 45 , wherein the rotary squeegee includes a plurality of ribs extending between the base portion and the squeegee element. 
     
     
         50 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the squeegee element is silicone. 
     
     
         51 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the rotary squeegee includes a plurality of ribs extending between the base portion and the squeegee element. 
     
     
         52 . The floor cleaner of  claim 51 , wherein the plurality of ribs are positioned on the rotary squeegee in the direction of rotation. 
     
     
         53 . The floor cleaner of  claim 52 , wherein adjacent ribs are spaced from each other by between 5 and 20 millimeters. 
     
     
         54 . The floor cleaner of  claim 26 , wherein the rotary squeegee further includes a plurality of flexible nubs extending radially from the body toward the surface to be cleaned, wherein the plurality of nubs are distributed uniformly between the helical pattern of the squeegee element. 
     
     
         55 . The floor cleaner of  claim 45 , wherein the nubs are cylindrical or tapered cylindrical having a diameter between 1 mm and 5 mm. 
     
     
         56 . The floor cleaner of  claim 45 , wherein each of the plurality of nubs include a diameter, and wherein the nubs are spaced from adjacent nubs by a center-to-center distance between 1.3 times the diameter to 6 times the diameter. 
     
     
         57 . The floor cleaner of  claim 45 , wherein the plurality of nubs are arranged on the body in a helical arrangement. 
     
     
         58 .- 62 . (canceled)