Assembly and method for a floor processing machine

Abstract

A method of processing a floor includes injecting a treatment material into a liquid prior to the liquid reaching a floor surface, generating debris in an enclosure of a floor processing machine and mixing the debris with the liquid to form a slurry, and collecting the slurry with a floor collection machine

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of processing a floor, the method comprising:
 dispensing a liquid onto a floor surface using a nozzle system;   introducing a treatment material into the liquid upstream of the nozzle system;   engaging the floor surface with one or more rotating tool heads on a floor processing machine to generate a slurry;   mixing the treatment material with the slurry during operation of the one or more tool heads; and   collecting the slurry using a collection assembly on the floor processing machine.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment material is a flocculant. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the floor processing machine comprises a treatment injector comprising a container for holding the treatment material and a mixing valve for combining the treatment material with the liquid prior to reaching the nozzle system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the container is located on the floor processing machine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the collection assembly comprises at least one squeegee. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle system is on the floor processing machine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 generating debris in an enclosure of the floor processing machine and mixing the debris with the liquid to form the slurry.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing step includes directing the liquid toward the one or more tool heads. 
     
     
         9 . A floor processing machine comprising:
 one or more tool heads configured to engage a floor surface;   a nozzle system configured to distribute a liquid onto the floor surface;   a liquid source configured to provide the liquid to the nozzle system; and   a treatment injector positioned fluidly between the liquid source and the nozzle system, wherein the treatment injector selectively introduces a treatment material into the liquid prior to the liquid reaching the floor surface.   
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the treatment injector comprises a container for holding the treatment material and a mixing valve for combining the treatment material with the liquid prior to reaching the nozzle system. 
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 9 , comprising a collection assembly for collecting a slurry, wherein the slurry is formed by the one or more tool heads engaging the floor surface. 
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 11 , wherein the collection assembly comprises at least one squeegee. 
     
     
         13 . The machine of  claim 9 , comprising a collection assembly for collecting a slurry, formed by the one or more tool heads generating debris in an enclosure of the floor processing machine and mixing the debris with the liquid to form the slurry. 
     
     
         14 . The machine of  claim 13 , wherein the collection assembly comprises at least one squeegee. 
     
     
         15 . The machine of  claim 14 , wherein the treatment material is a flocculant. 
     
     
         16 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the treatment material is a flocculant. 
     
     
         17 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the nozzle system includes at least one nozzle oriented toward the one or more tool heads. 
     
     
         18 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the treatment injector comprises a container for holding the treatment material and a mixing valve for combining the treatment material with the liquid prior to reaching the nozzle system, the treatment material includes a flocculant, and the nozzle system includes at least one nozzle oriented toward the one or more tool heads, the machine comprising:
 a collection assembly for collecting a slurry, wherein the slurry is formed by the one or more tool heads engaging the floor surface.   
     
     
         19 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the treatment injector comprises a container for holding the treatment material and a mixing valve for combining the treatment material with the liquid prior to reaching the nozzle system, the treatment material includes a flocculant, and the nozzle system includes at least one nozzle oriented toward the one or more tool heads, the machine comprising:
 a collection assembly for collecting a slurry, formed by the one or more tool heads generating debris in an enclosure of the floor processing machine and mixing the debris with the liquid to form the slurry.   
     
     
         20 . A method of processing a floor, the method comprising:
 injecting a treatment material into a liquid prior to the liquid reaching a floor surface;   generating debris in an enclosure of a floor processing machine and mixing the debris with the liquid to form a slurry; and   collecting the slurry with a floor collection machine.