Scrubber Dryer

This application claims priority to Japanese patent application no. 2024-077025 filed on May 10, 2024, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

The techniques disclosed in the present specification relate to scrubber dryers.

Scrubber dryers are known as one type of floor washer. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0211239 discloses a scrubber dryer that comprises: a base body provided with brushing means; a steering means disposed higher than the base body and coupled to the base body; a second tank in which cleaning liquid is stored; a suction means that suctions dirt; and a first tank in which liquid, dirt, etc. recovered from the surface to be cleaned is stored. The second tank and the first tank are disposed in the base body.

However, if the weight balance of the scrubber dryer is not suitable, the handleability of the scrubber dryer may be negatively influenced, thereby resulting in inferior operability during cleaning operations.

It is therefore one non-limiting object of the present teachings to disclose techniques for enhancing (improving) the handleability of a scrubber dryer.

In one non-limiting aspect of the present teachings, a scrubber dryer may comprise: a base section, which includes a (at least one) brush that contacts a surface to be cleaned; a body section, which is disposed higher than the base section and includes a handle; a supply tank, which stores cleaning liquid that is supplied to a surface to be cleaned; and a collection tank, which stores liquid, dirt, debris, etc. that has been collected (recovered, suctioned) from the surface that is being cleaned. The supply tank may be disposed in the body section. The collection tank may be disposed in the base section.

Thus, the handleability of such a scrubber dryer is enhanced by the techniques disclosed in the present specification.

As was mentioned above, the scrubber dryer may comprise: a base section, which includes a (at least one) brush that contacts a surface to be cleaned; a body section, which is disposed higher than the base section and includes a handle; a supply tank, which stores cleaning liquid that is supplied to a surface to be cleaned; and a collection tank, which stores liquid, dirt, debris, etc. that has been collected (recovered, suctioned) from the surface that is being cleaned. The supply tank may be disposed in the body section. The collection tank may be disposed in the base section.

In the configuration described above, because the supply tank is disposed in the body section and the collection tank is disposed in the base section, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved. Therefore, the handleability of the scrubber dryer is enhanced.

In addition, because the supply tank is disposed in the body section, the cleaning liquid stored in the supply tank can be supplied to the surface to be cleaned by simply falling under its own weight. Therefore, for example, a pump for supplying the cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned is not needed.

In addition, because the collection tank is disposed in the base section, even if the operator manually tilts the body section relative to the base section, spillage of the liquid, etc. stored in the collection tank is not likely to occur owing to the fact that the collection tank does not move during the tilting operation.

In addition, as cleaning operations progress, the amount of cleaning liquid stored in the supply tank gradually decreases. That is to say, as cleaning operations progress, the weight of the supply tank decreases. Because the supply tank is disposed in the body section, the burden on the operator supporting the handle of the body section gradually decreases as cleaning operations progress owing to the fact that the weight of the supply tank is decreasing.

In addition, as cleaning operations progress, the amount of liquid, etc. stored in the collection tank gradually increases. That is to say, as cleaning operations progress, the weight of the collection tank increases. Because the collection tank is disposed in the base section, even though the weight of the collection tank increases during cleaning operations, there is no increase in the burden on the operator supporting the handle of the body section.

In one or more embodiments, the scrubber dryer may comprise a (at least one) power source. The (at least one) power source may be disposed in the body section.

In the configuration described above, because the power source is disposed in the body section, contact between the power source and the cleaning liquid supplied to the surface to be cleaned is not likely to occur. In addition, because the power source is disposed at a higher position than the collection tank, even if collection liquid were to spill from the collection tank, contact between the power source and the collection liquid is not likely to occur.

In one or more embodiments, the scrubber dryer may comprise a (at least one) suction motor that is driven to collect (recover, suction) the liquid, dirt, debris, etc. from the surface that is being cleaned. The (at least one) suction motor may be disposed in the base section.

In the configuration described above, because both the suction motor and the collection tank are disposed in the base section, the suction motor does not need to suction the liquid from the surface that is being cleaned (e.g., a floor) up to a high position. Therefore, the power consumption of the suction motor can be reduced, which is particularly advantageous in battery-powered applications of the present teachings. In addition, because the suction motor and the collection tank are disposed at approximately the same height, even if liquid, dirt, debris, etc. stored in the collection tank spills onto the surface to be cleaned, contact between the suction motor and the collection liquid is not likely to occur.

In one or more embodiments, the position of the supply tank and the position of the collection tank may be different, and the position of the supply tank and the position of the suction motor may be different.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, the position of the supply tank and the position of the collection tank may be different, and the position of at least a portion of the collection tank and the position of the suction motor may be the same.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved. In addition, by disposing the collection tank so as to cover the suction motor, propagation of noise generated by the suction motor to the surroundings of the scrubber dryer can be curtailed.

In one or more embodiments, the position of the supply tank and the position of the collection tank may be different, and the position of the power source and the position of the suction motor may be different.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, the power source may be: in the left-right direction, disposed in the middle section of the body section; in the front-rear direction, disposed in the front section of the body section; and, in the up-down direction, disposed in the lower section of the body section.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, the supply tank may be: in the left-right direction, disposed in the middle section of the body section; in the front-rear direction, disposed in the middle section of the body section; and, in the up-down direction, disposed in the lower section of the body section.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, the collection tank may be: in the left-right direction, disposed in the left section, the middle section, and the right section of the base section; in the front-rear direction, disposed in the middle section and the rear section of the base section; and, in the up-down direction, disposed in the base section.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, the suction motor may be: in the left-right direction, disposed in the middle section of the base section; in the front-rear direction, disposed in the middle section of the base section; and, in the up-down direction, disposed in the base section.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

In one or more embodiments, two power sources (e.g., two battery packs having the same or different rated voltages) may be provided.

By increasing the total battery capacity that is connectable to the scrubber dryer, the scrubber dryer run time can be increased and/or output power (e.g., increased brush rotating speed, increased suction force, etc.) can be increased.

In one or more embodiments, the two power sources may be disposed in the up-down direction or the left-right direction.

Owing to the configuration described above, the weight balance of the scrubber dryer can be improved.

Embodiments according to the present disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. The components of the embodiments described below can be combined as appropriate. In addition, some components may also not be used.

In the embodiments, the positional relationships between the sections are described using the terms “left”, “right”, “front”, “rear”, “upper”, and “lower”. These terms indicate relative positions or directions, with reference to the center of the scrubber dryer.

In addition, in the embodiments, the positional relationships between the sections are described by: dividing the left-right direction of the scrubber dryer into the three sections, namely a “left section”, a “middle section”, and a “right section”; dividing the front-rear direction of the scrubber dryer into the three sections, namely a “front section”, a “middle section”, and a “rear section”; and dividing the up-down direction of the scrubber dryer into the three sections, namely an “upper section”, a “middle section”, and a “lower section”.

The left end of the “left section” coincides with the left end of the scrubber dryer. The right end of the “right section” coincides with the right end of the scrubber dryer. In the left-right direction, the dimension of the “left section”, the dimension of the “middle section”, and the dimension of the “right section” are equal to each other. That is to say, the scrubber dryer is divided into three equal parts in the left-right direction, thereby defining a “left section”, a “middle section”, and a “right section”. The space between the left end and the right end of the scrubber dryer is divided into three equal parts in the left-right direction, thereby defining a “left section”, a “middle section”, and a “right section”.

The front end of the “front section” coincides with the front end of the scrubber dryer. The rear end of the “rear section” coincides with the rear end of the scrubber dryer. In the front-rear direction, the dimension of the “front section”, the dimension of the “middle section”, and the dimension of the “rear section” are equal to each other. That is to say, the scrubber dryer is divided into three equal parts in the front-rear direction, thereby defining a “front section”, a “middle section”, and a “rear section”. The space between the front end and the rear end of the scrubber dryer is divided into three equal parts in the front-rear direction, thereby defining a “front section”, a “middle section”, and a “rear section”.

The upper end of the “upper section” coincides with the upper end of the scrubber dryer. The lower end of the “lower section” coincides with the lower end of the scrubber dryer. In the up-down direction, the dimension of the “upper section”, the dimension of the “middle section”, and the dimension of the “lower section” are equal to each other. That is to say, the scrubber dryer is divided into three equal parts in the up-down direction, thereby defining an “upper section”, a “middle section”, and a “lower section”. The space between the upper end and the lower end of the scrubber dryer is divided into three equal parts in the up-down direction, thereby defining an “upper section”, a “middle section”, and a “lower section”.

A first embodiment of the present teachings will now be described with reference toand.is a front view schematically illustrating a scrubber dryerA according to the first embodiment.is a side view schematically illustrating the scrubber dryerA according to the first embodiment. As shown by the grid of dotted lines inand, in the left-right direction of the scrubber dryerA, the “left section”, the “middle section”, and the “right section” of the scrubber dryerA are defined. In the front-rear direction of the scrubber dryerA, the “front section”, the “middle section”, and the “rear section” of the scrubber dryerA are defined. In the up-down direction of the scrubber dryerA, the “upper section”, the “middle section”, and “lower section” of the scrubber dryerA are defined. It is noted that, in the description above and below, the term “section” also has the meaning of “portion” and thus the various sections may instead be referred to has “portions” of the scrubber dryer.

The scrubber dryerA cleans a surface, e.g., a floor, a sidewalk, a driveway, etc. (e.g., any type of surface that extends at least generally horizontally) using a cleaning liquid and rotating brushes. Herein, a floor surface serves as a representative, non-limiting surface to be cleaned. The scrubber dryerA collects (recovers, suctions) the cleaning liquid that has been supplied to the surface that is being cleaned. The cleaning liquid collected by the scrubber dryerA is a dirty liquid containing dirt, debris, etc. that was present on the floor surface to be cleaned. In the present embodiment, the cleaning liquid collected by the scrubber dryerA may be referred to as “collected liquid” or as “liquid containing dirt, debris, etc.). Such collected liquid is dirty liquid containing the dirt, debris, etc. removed from the surface to be cleaned.

As shown inand, the scrubber dryerA has a base section (portion)and a body section (portion). The body sectionis disposed higher than the base section. In the up-down direction, the upper section (portion) of the body sectioncorresponds to the upper section (portion) of the scrubber dryerA, the lower section (portion) of the body sectioncorresponds to the middle section (portion) of the scrubber dryerA, and the base sectioncorresponds to the lower section (portion) of the scrubber dryerA.

In the left-right direction, the left section (portion), the middle section (portion), and the right section (portion) of the body sectioncorrespond to the left section (portion), the middle section (portion), and the right section (portion) of the scrubber dryerA. In the left-right direction, the left section, the middle section, and the right section of the base sectioncorrespond to the left section, the middle section, and the right section of the scrubber dryerA.

In the front-rear direction, the front section (portion), the middle section (portion), and the rear section (portion) of the body sectioncorrespond to the front section (portion), the middle section (portion), and the rear section (portion) of the scrubber dryerA. In the front-rear direction, the front section, the middle section, and the rear section of the base sectioncorrespond to the front section, the middle section, and the rear section of the scrubber dryerA.

The base sectionincludes brushes, which contact the surface to be cleaned, and brush motors, which respectively generate rotational force that rotates the brushes. The brush motorsare coupled to the brushes. At least portions of the brush motorsare disposed higher than the brushes. In the present embodiment, two brushesare provided in the left-right direction. Two brush motorsare provided. The brush motorsare respectively connected to the two brushes. Here, it is noted that the term “brush motor” is intended to mean an electric motor that rotatably drives a brush. In the present teachings, each of the electric motors serving as brush motorsmay be configured as a brushless DC electric motor, which is also known as an electronically commutated motor. However, other types of electric motors may be utilized with the present teachings as long as the electric motor(s) are capable of rotating the brush(es).

The brushesare disposed at the lower (lowest) end of the scrubber dryerA. In the front-rear direction, the brushesare disposed spanning the front section and the middle section of the scrubber dryerA. In the front-rear direction, the brush motorsare disposed at the boundary between the front section and the middle section of the scrubber dryerA.

The body sectionincludes a handle, which is configured to be held (gripped) by an operator, and a guide part, which extends downward from the handle. The handleis a structure that is elongated in the left-right direction. In the up-down direction, the handleis disposed at the upper end of the scrubber dryerA. In the left-right direction, the center of the handleand the center of the scrubber dryerA coincide. In the left-right direction, the handleis disposed at least in the middle section of the scrubber dryerA. In the present embodiment, in the left-right direction, the handleis disposed spanning the left section, the middle section, and the right section of the scrubber dryerA. In the front-rear direction, the handleis disposed at least in the middle section of the scrubber dryerA. In the present embodiment, in the front-rear direction, the handleis disposed spanning the front section and the middle section of the scrubber dryerA.

The guide partis a rod-shaped structure that is elongated, e.g., in the up-down direction, although if the guide partis tiltable relative to the base section(as will be described below), then the guide partmay extend inclined relative to the up-down direction when tilted. The handleis disposed at the upper end of the guide part. In the left-right direction, the center of the guide partand the center of the scrubber dryerA coincide. In the left-right direction, the guide partis disposed in the middle section of the scrubber dryerA. In the up-down direction, the guide partis disposed spanning the upper section, the middle section, and the lower section of the scrubber dryerA. The body sectionincludes the upper section and the middle section of the guide part, and the base sectionincludes the lower section of the guide part. In the front-rear direction, the guide partis disposed in the middle section of the scrubber dryerA. As shown in, the front end of the guide partand the front end of the middle section of the scrubber dryerA coincide.