US3686699A

US3686699A - Device for cleaning carpeted floors

Info

Publication number: US3686699A
Application number: US12787A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leopold Knestele
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-02-22
Filing date: 1970-02-19
Publication date: 1972-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-29

Abstract

A device for cleaning floors covered by a carpet consisting of a housing including a liquid feed for feeding in cleaning fluid for transformation into foam by a sponge body located between a presser roller and a perforated support which is guided adjacent to the floor surface. The presser roller and perforated support move with respect to each other so that at least one portion of the sponge body is squeezed together and released in series so as to create the foam by the squeezing operation.

Description

Elnited States Patet 1 3,686,699

Knestele 1 Aug. 29, 1972 1 DEVICE F R LE NI C TE 2,976,112 3/1961 Yonkers et al. 15/50 c x FLOORS 3,246,360 4/1966 Yonkers ..15/50 C X [72] Inventor: Leopold K I e, 7971 Umemu 3,545,875 1271970 Schneider ..401/197 Schlosshalde 71, Germany l 1 Filed: Feb. 1970 Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts Attorney-Allison C. Collard [21] Appl.No.: 12,787

[ ABSTRACT [3 FOfeigll Application Priority Data A device for cleaning floors covered by a carpet con- Feb 22 1969 Germany P 19 08 915 7 sisting of a housing including a liquid feed for feeding in cleaning fluid for transformation into foam by a sponge body located between a presser roller and a (g! ..l5l50ga7ll5fiilolg perforated support which is guided adjacent to the floor surface. The presser roller and perforated sup- [58] new of Search "15/49 50 22 port move with respect to each other so that at least 15/320 50 R, 49 359; 401/197 one portion of the sponge body is squeezed together and released in series so as to create the foam by the [56] References Cited squeezing operation.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 2,612,648 10/1952 Lagant ..15 /50 R 66 ass PAIENTEMuszs 4972 SHiET 1 BF 3 INVENTOR. LEOP OLD KNE ETELE PATENTEU 3.688699 SHEET 3 OF 3 8 fi /52 :3 w 5/1 LEOPO ESTEL Attorney I DEVICE FOR CLEANING CARPETED FLOORS This invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning floors which are covered by a carpet.

More specifically, this invention relates to a carpet cleaning device using a fluid cleanser. The cleaning fluid of the carpet cleaner is directed to a sponge body and is transferred to an applying unit. The cleaning fluid is transformed into foam by squeezing the sponge body of the applying unit.

In conventional cleaners, a lower sponge roller runs in a liquid bath and cooperates with an upper sponge roller in such a way that the liquid which was collected by the lower sponge roller is squeezed out in foam form by the upper sponge roller. The foam thus fills the entire housing space above the liquid level, and can only be discharged through a slot which is provided at the upper part of the housing. It should be noted that the foam is in direct contact with the cleaning fluid, and that the foam has to travel a long way to the upper sponge roller, so that the foam becomes diluted, and a relatively wet foam is thus applied to the carpet. This conventional process requires a large quantity of cleaning fluid and reduces the cleaning capacity of the device. Furthermore, the drying time is prolonged because the applied foam is relatively wet.

In other conventional devices, the cleaning fluid is admitted to the sponge body by a different means. For example, a pivotably mounted presser plate is activated by cams. On the upper portion of these cams, two brush discs are mounted on vertical shafts, and the foam is discharged out of these discs. In another conventional device, sponge discs are mounted on the upper portion of the brush discs and are squeezed by radially arranged press rollers. Cutouts are provided in the brush discs in order to squeeze the foam through these cut outs and between the brushes.

All of these conventional devices are, however, relatively complicated, heavy and require a large amount of space. Moreover, during the immediate application of the foam onto the floor, the foam becomes largely relaxed and partially liquified.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cleaning device for carpeted floors which has means for applying the cleaning fluid so that it is transformed into foam as it is admitted to a sponge body. The sponge body is arranged on a support between a presser roller and a perforated support which is guided immediately above the floor. The presser roller and the support are movable with respect to each other, in such a way that at least some portions of the sponge body are pressed together and subsequently released, so that the foam which is created during the squeezing operation, is discharged through the perforations of the support and onto the brushes mounted on the support.

The cleansing device of the invention thus guarantees a smooth and even application of dry expanding foam onto the floor area.

In accordance with this invention, the above features are achieved in that the support encompasses the sponge body and the presser roller. The support is guided in a revolving path around the sponge body and the presser roller. The rollers or shafts run parallel with respect to each other, so that the support and the presser roller may be cylindrical. The inner space of the support receives the presser roller, so that relatively small space dimensions are required. The foam is pressed by the presser roller through the perforations of the support directly to the floor area. This enables the foam to expand more rapidly and more powerfully, so that the carpet is penetrated more deeply. Since the foam can expand freely, it is possible to cleanse the largest possible carpet area with the least possible volume of cleaning fluid. After absorbing the dirt, the foam dries relatively fast, due to its low moisture content. The dried dirty particles of the cleaning fluid can be vacuumed off, after a relatively short time period. Tests have shown that the consumption of cleaning fluid per given area is relatively lower. However, the resulting cleaning effect is relatively improved than with other conventional devices.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that the support be formed by a rotating cylindrical jacket, and the presser roller be mounted on a shaft which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the cylinder jacket. In this embodiment, the foam is squeezed between two cylindrical faces. It should be noted that even with the smallest possible constructed unit, it is still possible to squeeze the foam adequately. In an even and continuous application, a dry foam is provided which remains unchanged in quantity and quality.

In another embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that the outer face of the presser roller be tapered toward its ends, and more particularly, should be ball shaped. With this arrangement, the length of the sponge cylinder, which is mounted on the inside of the cylinder jacket, may be smaller than the receiving space for the sponge cylinder. Due to the conical arrangement of the presser roller, the press area toward the edge of the sponge cylinder is decreased. Therefore, a wide cylindrical center portion of the presser roller should be maintained. However, with this arrangement, the sponge cylinder is automatically centralized so that its end portions are not damaged due to friction. In order to maintain a sufficient adhesion of the sponge cylinder on the cylinder jacket, the sponge cylinder has a slightly larger dimension than the cylinder jacket. However, this increased dimension should not be so great that deformations can form on the inside.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the presser roller serves as an application unit for the foam. The jacket face of the presser roller is also provided with evenly spaced openings for the foam. The presser roller may be mounted on a rigid feed pipe which is mounted in the housing, so that one end is connected to a feed line for the material. This rigid feed pipe and the associated feed line have relatively small diameters, because only liquified material is admitted therethrough.

The feed pipe should have discharge openings for the foam, preferably at its upper part extending in the longitudinal direction of the pipe. With such an arrange ment, the feed pipe will not empty itself of liquid during a rest period. The shaft of the presser roller should be mounted between the shaft for the cylinder jacket, so that the foam is squeezed downwardly through the cylinder jacket and can be applied directly to the floor.

ln a preferred embodiment of the invention, a bayonet joint is provided for the end of the feed pipe which extends out of the housing and which is provided with a connecting socket for the feed line. The connecting socket is arranged rectangularly with respect to the feed pipe. The bayonet joint consists of an angular slot in the hub of the bearing, so that the feed pipe can be easily removed and installed. If the cylinder jacket and the presser roller are detachably connected with at least one end to the lid of the housing, the total foam application unit can be removed from the housing. This permits an easy replacement of the sponge cylinder which is usually subjected to wear and tear.

A separate drive is provided for the support which may, for example, have teeth which are engaged by a gear drive of an electric motor. The forces to be applied to the device are rather small, because only the sponge cylinder has to be pressed during the operation of the device. Therefore, the device needs only one drive for the rollers which engage the floor during its operation. This renders the device simple and inexpensive.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, annular flanges are provided on the outer face of the cylinder jacket and are positioned laterally with respect to the cylinder jacket which engages the floor. The outer face of these annular flanges may be provided with grooves or teeth to increase their frictional contact. The cylinder jacket with its associated annular flanges rolls on the floor and cooperates with the eccentrically arranged presser roller.

It has been found in practice that the presser roller must be fixedly arranged in the housing during the feeding of the cleaning fluid. The cylinder jacket is pressed against the presser roller, however, due to the weight imposed during the operation of the device. Therefore, the cylinder jacket should be arranged in the axial direction with respect to the presser roller (or the housing). However, in a radial direction, the cylinder jacket should be mounted in such a way that it can be freely adjusted. This arrangement is advantageous, in that the sponge cylinder is pressed only during the foam forming and can otherwise rotate freely without any further deformation. This arrangement also simplifies the construction of the device. The lateral alignment can be obtained by annular flanges which may be attached to the cylinder jacket and/or the presser rollers. It is usually sufiicient to provide the cylinder jacket with inwardly extending annular flanges which laterally engage the outside front faces of the presser roller. It is usually possible to have a larger diameter for the openings of the inner flanges than the outside diameter of the presser rollers. Through these openings, the sponge cylinder may be exchanged, if so desired. If necessary, the inner flange may be detachably arranged or may be bonded onto the cylinder jacket and/or the presser rollers.

In this construction, the feeding pipe which is also the bearing, is the only connecting element for the cylinder jacket, the presser roller, and the housing. All construction elements in this device can be made in one part and out of plastic material which is simple and inexpensive. Furthermore, the device can be easily assembled and disassembled. In principle, the cylinder jacket is freely adjustable in a radial direction. However, during the operation of the device, it is suggested that a slight pressure be applied so that the cylinder jacket engages the presser roller fixedly mounted on the housing. For this purpose, endless belts may be attached on both ends of the cylinder jacket.

In the aforementioned embodiments, it was suggested that the sponge cylinder be affixed on the support. However, the sponge cylinder may also be secured on the circumference of the presser roller.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the perforated support consists of an endless, flexible brush belt, guided between two return rollers. With this construction, the device is maintained relatively flat, so that it is possible for it to operate under low furniture pieces and over a large area of application. In this construction, one of the return rollers should be the drive roller and would be driven by an electrical motor. The drive roller should have a knurled surface which engages the corresponding knurled surface of the endless brush belt. If, in this construction, the electrical motor is installed in the drive shaft, additional space is gained. Between the return rollers, one or a plurality of additional presser rollers may be added in the loop of the return rollers. These additional presser rollers may be pivotably mounted around the axis of one of the return rollers. One of these rollers may be used as a feed pipe for the cleaning fluid, as described above.

A housing should encompass the working parts of the device and should have rollers for easy operation. The housing unit prevents the foam from being uncontrollably applied to the floor, and only the desired floor area will be cleaned. In principle, it is possible in this latter described embodiment to mount the sponge body onto the various return or presser rollers. However, it would be advantageous to fixedly mount a sponge belt on the inside of the brush belt.

It is therefore an object according to the present invention to provide a cleaning device for cleaning floors and particularly carpeted floors, which is compact, and which provides a smooth and even distribution of cleaning foam over an operating area.

It is a further object according to the present invention to provide a carpet cleansing device which is inexpensive in cost, simple in design, and reliable in operation.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which disclose the embodiments of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only, and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cleaning device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a cleaning device with the roller drive;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV- IV of FIG. 3-,

FIG. 5 is a modified embodiment of that shown in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is another modified embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a clamping or retaining device for an annular cylinder;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment with an endless brush belt', and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the drive shaft taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a boxlike housing 1, open at its bottom portion and gliding on the floor surface by means of runners 2. The device can be moved in a well known manner by means of a handle 4 which pivots around pin 3. An electric motor 7 is mounted on bracket 6 of cover lid 5. The motor space is covered by a dome shaped cover lid 8 which is sealed off against the housing by packing seals 9 and 10. Cover lid 8 is fastened to the housing by means of a snap lock (not shown).

Motor shaft 110 is also sealed off against bracket 6, and drives a cylinder jacket 14 with a speed of between 1-10 rotations per second, by means of a pinion 1 l and a gear belt 12 which engages a gear drive 13. The front face of cylinder jacket 14 is mounted in two

annular cover plates

15 and 16 which are flanged from the outside of the housing. Bundles of brush bristles 17 are evenly distributed on the face of cylinder jacket 14 in a circumferential and radial direction. Evenly distributed openings 18 are provided on the cylinder jacket and are distributed over about 15 percent to 50 percent of the total jacket face. A sponge cylinder 19 is mounted within cylinder jacket 14 having a slight radial pretensioning and therefore a corresponding cam friction. Sponge cylinder 19 has a thickness of 4-8 mm (which is exagerated in the drawings), and the length of the sponge cylinder is a few millimeters smaller than the inside diameter between

cover plates

15 and 16. Sponge cylinder 19 consists of highly elastic foam material like MOLT-OPREND and has only partially open pores.

A hollow presser roller 22 is mounted below shaft 20 of cylinder jacket 14, on a shaft 21 which is parallel with respect to shaft 20. The ends of presser roller 22 are mounted in

cover plates

15 and 16 by

lateral pins

23 and 24. On the inside of presser roller 22 is pivoted a feed pipe 25 which is closed on both ends. One end of feed pipe 25 extends through cover plate 15 to join a rectangular socket 26 which can be connected to a feed line (not shown). Socket 26 may be provided in a rectangular slot 27 which forms a hub 28 of cover plate 15, in such a manner that a bayonet joint or coupling is formed. In the center, the outside face of presser roller 22 is cylindrical, but tapers toward each end to form a ball-like formation, so that sponge cylinder 19 is always centrally maintained and does not engage

cover plates

15 and 16. At its upper portion, feed pipe 25 is provided with spaced-apart discharge openings 29 which extend in a longitudinal direction. Presser roller 22 is provided with spaced-apart openings 30 around its total circumference. The eccentricity between

shafts

20 and 21 is such that sponge cylinder 19 is compressed to one-third of its original thickness. The diameter of presser roller 22 is twice the path length of the pressing operation. However, it is advantageous if the diameter of the press roller is three times the path of the pressing. If at all possible, the presser path should not extend over half of the circumference of the cylinder. The container for the liquid may be attached to handle 4. A throttle or stop valve should be provided in feed line 25 for the fluid, so as to regulate the amount of the desired cleaning fluid. A switch is provided on handle 4 for controlling motor 7. The motor drives cylinder jacket 14 and by friction forces the sponge cylinder 19. Sponge cylinder 19 drives presser roller 22. The liquid, which consists of a mixture of water and cleaning fluid, is transformed into foam when discharged through

openings

29 and 30, and into the inside of sponge cylinder 19. At a relaxed circumferential point of about 250, the sponge absorbs the liquid. In the range of presser roller 22, the sponge parts are squeezed heavily, so that the liquid is pressed and forced out of the partially opened pores. In openings 18 of cylinder jacket 14, this liquid suddenly and freely expands and starts to foam very heavily. A relatively dry foam is thus obtained which has a very low density, and which is immediately applied to the floor by means of brushes 17. A liquidifying effect of the foam is prevented with this method, so that a carpet treated with this foam is dry within one hour after the application of the foam. The dirty particles can then be vacuumed off within a rather fast period of time.

In departure from the shown embodiment, presser roller 22 could be displaced in front of cylinder jacket 14 in the moving direction, so that the foam, which is squeezed out, is distributed evenly to the floor in front of the brushes. Instead of the shown drive for the device, an electro-gear drive may be used. The electromotor could be attached laterally to one of

cover plates

15 or 16, and drive cylinder jacket 14 by a suitable gear or helical drive. In principle, cylinder jacket 14 may also be driven by an intermediate drive, and through the floor roller. Cylinder jacket 14 can be formed like a sieve or grate, and the sponge body may have any suitable form outside of its cylindrically preferred embodiment. For example, a plurality of individual sponge bodies may be provided which may be pressed together in series by cam or piston drives.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, an embodiment with a roller drive is shown. Feed pipe 25 is mounted in the dome shaped housing 8 by means of

annular discs

31 and 32 and a pinion 33. A handle 34 is fixedly mounted on housing 8'. A liquid container 35 is connected with a hose 37, and with socket 26. A stop or throttle valve 36 for regulating the flow of liquid is provided in feed line 37. A handle 38, which would be mounted on a fork-like support on shaft 25', could also be provided as indicated in dotted line. In this case,

annular discs

31 and 32 are not required. The shown bend can also be provided for handle 34 so that the device may be used under low furniture pieces. At the front and the rear part of the housing, single piece exchangeable nylon brushes 39 are mounted (not shown).

Presser roller 22' is mounted inside the housing on feed pipe 25; and is therefore in fixed position with respect to the radial and axial direction. However, cylindrical jacket 14 is freely adjustable in a radial direction, and is provided with two cylindrical or toothed flanges 13', and two inside flanges 40 which engage outer flanges 42 and which are provided in annular grooves 41, so that cylinder jacket M is arrested in an axial direction.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, inner flanges 40' are provided in the cylinder jacket 14". The inner edge of flanges 40', as well as the outer edge of the presser roller, are provided with round portions 43 which assure a reengagement even if the parts are separated from each other. At least one of flanges 41' or 40' may be detachably mounted or bonded. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, inner flanges 46' may be installed as a single piece onto the annular cylinder, provided that its inside diameter is larger than the outside diameter of the presser roller. However, this inside diameter should be smaller than the inside diameter of sponge cylinder 19, in order to prevent the edge of the sponge cylinder from being squeezed outwardly. Therefore, parts 25', 22', 14' and 8' may be formed as single plastic pieces and disassembled after removal of pinion 34.

Before treating the floor, the cylinder jacket and sponge cylinder 19 engage the presser roller. Only after the sponge cylinder has been squeezed sufficiently together do brushes 39 engage the floor. Therefore, the device has to be guided on the floor without exerting any pressure on the device. The operation between parts 19 and 22' is automatically affected as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. Since the cylinder jacket touches the floor by means of the annular flanges, a constant distance of about a few millimeters is maintained with respect to the floor and the discharge openings 18. Therefore, the discharged foam can freely expand and is directly applied to the floor.

In accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 6, feed pipe 25' may be attached to the housing by means of an expanding ring 44 or the like. If need be, the fixed feed pipe may be enlarged, so as to assure an axially fixed position. A disc 42' is mounted at presser roller 22" which is open on at least one end. Hub 45 of this disc is bonded on the outside with the end of the presser roller, or is connected therewith by any suitable means, and serves as a bearing in the inside of presser roller 22 for feed pipe 25. Cylinder jacket 14" is provided with short inner flanges 40" having an inside diameter which is somewhat smaller than the outside diameter of flanges 42. This provides a simple axial guide for the cylinder jacket whereby the path of press is limited, because of the engagement of inner flange 40" to the presser roller, as shown on the right side of FIG. 6.

Under certain circumstances, it could be advantageous to guide the cylinder jacket loosely along the housing wall. Thus, ribs may be used which would extend in a star-like fashion, and which could be covered with wear resistant material. If the sponge cylinder must be secured laterally, it would be sufiicient in this embodiment to employ low inner flanges on the cylinder jacket. The cylinder jacket is simplified after the shaft is removed because the center retaining pieces can easily be spread apart. The cylinder jacket can also be mounted on eccentric discs directly on the shaft.

In accordance with FIG. 7, a shaft 51 with two associated wheels or rollers 52 are mounted above the cylinder jacket in housing 8. Clamping strips 53 encompass rollers 52 and the lateral faces of cylinder jacket 14. Cylinder jacket 14 is thus retained on presser roller 22 which is also mounted in the housing. However, the retaining forces can be maintained rather low, so that no additional pressure is exerted. However, in this embodiment, cylinder jacket M is not completely movable in the radial direction. The cylinder jacket can also be aligned exactly in an axial direction by means of the clamping strips. It should be understood that the clamping strips may be used as drive belts, and shaft 51 may be used as a drive shaft.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a flat housing 54 is provided which encompasses all parts of the device. An annular, dome-shaped curled edge 55 engages the floor. A drive roller 56, a return roller 57, and a central presser roller 58 are arranged in series with respect to each other. Within housing 54, an endless flexible brush belt 59, with bundles of bristle brushes 60 and perforations 61, serves as a support and encompasses drive roller 56, return rollers 57, and presser roller 58. On the inside of support 61 is an endless sponge belt 162 having a thickness of from about 4-5 mm. Only drive roller 56 moves on shaft 62 which is rigidly mounted in the housing. Shaft 63 of presser roller 58, and shaft 64 of return roller 57 are coupled by lateral link levers 65, to which springs 66 are coupled so that

rollers

57 and 58 are pulled away from drive roller 56 and held in the illustrated position. The springs are positioned laterally with respect to each end of roller 57. Because of their weight,

rollers

57 and 58 bear against brushes 60 and are not moved substantially when the brushes are bent during cleaning of the surface being cleaned. The tension of springs 66 is such that endless sponge belt 162 is pressed together to at least one-third of its original thickness on the circumference at

rollers

56 and 57.

In this embodiment, it is preferable to use roller 57 as the application roller when the device is moved in the direction indicated by arrow 67 during the cleaning operation. Should roller 57 not be used as the application unit, then application nozzles 68 should be mounted in the slot which is formed between roller 57 and the endless belt, so that endless sponge belt 162 can be supplied with liquid while it rolls over roller 57. The sponge belt is then squeezed by roller 57. Application nozzle 68 may be positioned either between

rollers

57 and 58, or between roller 58 and drive roller 56. Nozzles 68 may be any type of conventional liquid nozzle jets, coupled to a cleaning fluid source by a cylindrical tube disposed through housing 54. The nozzle may be mounted stationary with respect to the housing, or may, for example, be coupled to levers 65 so that the nozzles move upwardly and downwardly with the sponge belt and rollers. Such construction requires that the nozzles be coupled to the fluid source by a flexible conduit. If the nozzles are stationary, they should be mounted a sufficient distance away from the endless belt to avoid contact with it during vertical motion of the belt and rollers. However, one nozzle is considered sufficient, so that the sponge belt will be squeezed at three subsequent places so that the resultant foam becomes drier and drier. The force exerted by springs 66 and the weight of roller 58 should be designed so that a sufficient force is provided on center shaft 63 in order to squeeze the endless sponge belt with the same forces as applied by the other two shafts.

As can be seen from FIG. 9, shaft 62 is mounted with one end to the housing by means of a pin 69. On the other end, a bore '71 is provided to receive an electric feed cable 70 for an electro-motor '72. A pinion '73 of motor 7 2 engages a planetary gear 74 which is mounted on a rotating shaft 76 together and coupled with another planetary gear 75. Gear '75 engages a planetary wheel 77 which is rigidly mounted on shaft 62. On its front face, drive shaft 62 is covered by a detachable cover plate 78. At the outside of drive shaft 62 and laterally thereof on roller 56 are provided gear teeth 79 which engage associated grooves 80 of belt 59, so as to guarantee a positive belt drive. Endless sponge belt 62 is mounted between the grooves in such a way that it is squeezed together to about one-third of its original size.

The sponge belt should always be squeezed at least in the range of 50 percent, but preferably in the range of 60-75 percent of its circumference, so as to assure a good foam action. The perforations should be dis tributed across the circumference, so as to assure a good foam action. The perforations should be distributed across the circumference of the cylinder jacket on at least percent thereof, and preferably in the range of between 20 percent and 50 percent of the total circumference. Practice has shown that 20 percent to 25 percent of the total circumference is sufficient. The cylinder jacket may be replaced by a sieve or grate, as described in the first embodiment. Moreover, it is always essential that the idle brush elements extend beyond the free edge portion of the housing.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A cleaning device for cleaning flat surfaces, such as carpets and the like, by transforming a cleaning fluid into a foam for disposal on the surfaces, comprising:

a housing;

an endless, flexible, power-driven brush support belt,

disposed within said housing, having a plurality of perforations disposed in its surface;

at least one pair of mounting rollers, disposed within said housing, for rotatably supporting said endless belt in said housing;

an endless sponge member, disposed between said mounting rollers and said endless belt, for retain ing cleaning fluid, at least one of said mounting rollers being movably mounted with respect to said housing and being tensioned away from said other mounting roller so as to engage the inner side of said sponge member and compress said sponge member during operation of the cleaning device;

and

means, disposed within said endless sponge member and said endless belt, for depositing cleaning fluid on an inner side of said sponge member, said sponge member being driven by said power-driven endless belt and compressed by said mounting rollers so that a cleansing foam is thereby formed and ejected through said perforations onto the surfaces to be cleaned.

2. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one presser roller coupled to one of said mounting rollers, and disposed between said mounting rollers and within said support belt and said sponge member so as to engage one of the inner sides of said sponge member and compress said sponge member during operation of the cleaning device.

3. The cleaning device as recited in claim 2, wherein aid ova l moun ed ro er 's tensioned hori ontall in a irecti oii opposite saiii other mounting roller, and

is affixed to said housing by tension springs.

4. The cleaning device as recited in claim 3, wherein one of said mounting rollers is a drive roller mounted on a shaft in the walls of said housing, and is coupled to an electrical motor by a gear system for rotating said drive roller during operation of the cleaning device, said drive roller also being provided with a plurality of gear teeth on the outer periphery thereof, one side of said belt having corresponding recesses provided in the inner surface thereof for receiving said gear teeth and thereby insuring positive engagement of said drive roller with said endless brush belt.

5. The cleaning device as recited in claim 4 wherein said electrical motor includes a reduction gear train for coupling the output of said motor to said drive roller.

6. The cleaning device as recited in claim 4 wherein said presser roller additionally comprises lever means for pivotably supporting said roller on one end thereof, the other end of said lever means being pivotably mounted to the axis of one of said mounting rollers.

7. The cleaning device as recited in claim 4 wherein said sponge member comprises an endless sponge belt mounted on the internal surface of said endless brush belt.

8. The cleaning device as recited in claim 4 wherein said housing completely encompasses said device and includes an annular runner for engaging the floor surface.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning flat surfaces, such as carpets and the like, by transforming a cleaning fluid into a foam for disposal on the surfaces, comprising: a housing; an endless, flexible, power-driven brush support belt, disposed within said housing, having a plurality of perforations disposed in its surface; at least one pair of mounting rollers, disposed within said housing, for rotatably supporting said endless belt in said housing; an endless sponge member, disposed between said mounting rollers and said endless belt, for retaining cleaning fluid, at least one of said mounting rollers being movably mounted with respect to said housing and being tensioned away from said other mounting roller so as to engage the inner side of said sponge member and compress said sponge member during operation of the cleaning device; and means, disposed within said endless sponge member and said endless belt, for depositing cleaning fluid on an inner side of said sponge member, said sponge member being driven by said power-driven endless belt and compressed by said mounting rollers so that a cleansing foam is thereby formed and ejected through said perforations onto the surfaces to be cleaned.

3. The cleaning device as recited in claim 2, wherein said movably mounted roller is tensioned horizontally in a direction opposite said other mounting roller, and is affixed to said housing by tension springs.