GB2414784A

GB2414784A - Portable floor drying appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2414784A
Application number: GB0421367A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald Simpson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-06-02
Filing date: 2004-09-27
Publication date: 2005-12-07
Also published as: GB0412226D0; GB0421367D0

Abstract

A floor drying appliance 2 comprises a wheeled housing 4 provided with an upstanding handle 8, an air blower 10 mounted within the housing 4 for drawing ambient air into the housing 4 through an intake opening 42 and a downwardly directed outlet 22 through which a flow of air is directed onto the floor beneath the housing 4. The housing 4 may define separate intake and outlet chambers 18, 22. The blower 10 may be mounted in a wall dividing the intake and outlet chambers 18, 22. The housing 4 may comprise a pair of sub-housings 12, 14 adapted to be assembled together with the intake chamber 18 being defined between the two sub-housings 12, 14 when they are assembled. The two sub housings 12, 14 are adapted to be releasably secured to one another. The air blower 10 may comprise an electric fan 28. There may be provided an electric heating element 32 to heat the air expelled from the housing 4. The handle 8 may be adjustable. The wheels may be mounted in castors 48. There may be provided on the handle 8 a switch to control the blower 10 that deactivates the blower 10 when the handle 8 is released. The housing may comprise a depending wall or skirt 46 with a bumper 50 to define the outlet chamber 22. There may be provided mesh filters to prevent the ingress of debris.

Description

24 1 4784

DESCRIPTION

A FLOOR DRYING APPLIANCE

The present invention relates to floor-drying appliances of the type which direct a flow of air on to a floor surface.

There is a common need to remove standing water from floors and from other surfaces, such as pavements, paths, hard standing etc., upon which people stand and walk. Methods relying upon adsorption of the water by a mop, sponge or the like are typically labour intensive and unable to provide a truly dry surface. It is known instead to use a flow of heated air, directed on to the floor surface, in order to dry it by evaporation. US 6615508 (Valle) discloses one such floor-drying device which comprises a wheeled housing and a combination heater/blower mechanism. The housing is provide with air outlets in its base and in all four of its upright walls, to direct air onto the floor area both beneath and around the unit. Despite the provision of wheels, the unit lacks any handle to enable it to be easily traversed across a floor, and thus appears intended to be left in one position for a period of time to dry a surrounding area of floor.

US 3286368 discloses a carpet and rug drier which again has a wheeled housing and which does appear to be intended to be pushed around an area of floor by the user, being provided with an upright handle. A fan is arranged to pass a flow of air across a heating element and through the open base of the housing onto the floor beneath.

This is a relatively elaborate device having elongate transverse brushes arranged to be driven from the wheels as the drier is moved, and to contact the floor surface beneath.

The present invention is intended to provide an improved floor-drying appliance.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a floor drying appliance comprising a wheeled housing provided with an upstanding handle by means of which the appliance is able to be manoeuvred about a floor by a user, an air blower being mounted within the housing and being arranged to draw ambient air into the housing through an intake opening and to cause the air to be expelled from the housing through a downwardly directed outlet, so that in use a flow of air is directed onto the floor beneath the housing.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the housing defines separate intake and outlet chambers, the intake chamber communicating with the intake opening and the outlet chamber being downwardly open to form the outlet.

The blower can, in such an embodiment, be mounted in an opening in a wall of the housing which divides the intake and outlet chambers. Various advantages are thereby gained. The blower itself can be housed wholly within the appliance and is thereby protected. Fan blades etc. may be inaccessible in such arrangements through the outlet, which is desirable for the sake of safety. The arrangement can also be highly constructionally convenient.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the housing comprises a pair of sub-housings adapted to be assembled together, the intake chamber being defined between the two sub-housings when they are assembled. This is again constructionally highly convenient and provides a straightforward means of accessing the internal air blower when necessary, by dis-assembling the sub-housings. The two sub-housings are preferably assembled one above the other. A perimetrial lip portion of one sub-housing may be formed to overlap with and embrace an adjacent portion of the other sub-housing in order to locate one relative to the other.

An electrically driven fan is the preferred form of air blower, although it is possible to conceive of alternatives such as displacement type pumps.

It is particularly preferred that a heating element is arranged in an air path through the housing in order to heat the air expelled therefrom. In this way the drying effect of the air can of course be increased. Additionally the appliance can be utilised in melting unwanted ice or snow.

In a further preferred embodiment the upstanding handle is pivotally coupled to the housing such that its inclination to the horizontal can be altered by the user.

Preferably the housing's wheels are mounted in the manner of castors, to maximise maneouvrability of the appliance.

A switch controlling the air blower is most preferably mounted on or adjacent to a grip portion of the upstanding handle. It can thus be activated by the user while holding the grip. The switch is preferably arranged to deactivate the appliance when released, so that it cannot unintentionally be left in operation.

A preferred construction of the housing comprises a depending wall or skirt, defining an outlet chamber of the housing, which is downwardly open toward the floor upon which the appliance rests.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor-drying appliance embodying the present invention; Figure 2 shows the same appliance in vertical section; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the same appliance; Figure 4 is an exploded view of a lower sub-housing forming part of the appliance, and of related components; Figure 5 is an exploded view of an upper sub-housing forming part of the appliance, and of related components.

The illustrated floor-drying appliance 2 comprises a housing 4 provided with wheels 6 and an upstanding handle 8 by virtue of which it can be trundled about a floor surface to be dried. Within the housing 4 is a fan unit 10 (see figure 2) arranged to draw air into the housing and expel it through the housing's open base, toward the floor surface beneath, in order to evaporate standing water therefrom.

Looking now in more detail at the construction of the floor-drying appliance 2, it will be appreciated in particular from figure 3 that the housing 4 is principally formed by a lower sub-housing 12 and an upper sub-housing 14, the latter being stacked upon the former. Both of the subhousings have an approximately cuboidal box-like structure which lacks a lowermost panel and so is downwardly open. However, both also taper slightly from bottom to top so that the housing overall is broader at its base than at its top. An overlapping lip 16 (seen in figure 2) running around the lowermost edge of the upper sub-housing 14 locates, in the assembled appliance, upon the upper sub housing 14 to define the relative positions of the two sub-housings. These components may be retained together by virtue of a friction fit, or for example by some form of clip.

When the two sub-housings are assembled, as best seen in figure 2, an intake chamber 18 is defined between an upper panel 20 of the lower sub-housing 12 and the interior of the upper sub-housing 14. The fan unit 10 is mounted in an opening in the upper panel 20 and serves to propel air from the intake chamber 1 g to an outlet chamber 22 formed by the lower sub-housing 12. This mounting of the fan unit is achieved by virtue of a flange 24 fonned thereupon which is secured to the upper panel 20 within the fan unit can be seen an electric motor 26 and its associated fan 28, serving to propel the air through cylindrical fan housing 30. A heating element 32 is additionally provided Within the fan housing downstream of (i.e. below) the fan itself. Over the intake to the fan housing 30 is mounted a filter cap 34 having openings 36 for a passage of air. A filter mounted by the cap serves to prevent entry of foreign bodies into the fan unit.

The intake of air to the chamber 18 is provided for by virtue of intake openings 38 in three depending walls 39, 40, 41 ofthe upper sub-housing 14, these openings being covered by respective filters fonneby mesh 42 as a further defence against ingress of foreign bodies.

A frame 44 is bolted to the lower periphery of the lower sub-housing 12, creating an internally projecting ledge 46 which carries castors 48. The wheels 6 of the castors are mounted, in very well known manner, such that they can spin about their own axes and also turn about a vertical axis to allow the floor-drying appliance 2 to be trundled in any direction by the user. According to the present embodiment, the housing 4 of the appliance is square in plan and the castors are provided at each of its four corners. Other plan shapes could of course be used for the housing, although the square plan of the present embodiment allows good drying coverage in corners of rooms etc. A resilient bumper 50, formed in the present embodiment as a synthetic rubber moulding, runs around a lower portion of depending wall 52 of the lower sub-housing 12 and serves to reduce any damage to furniture etc. in the event of collision.

The upstanding handle 8 is, in the present embodiment, formed by a "U" shaped bar having upright limbs 54a, 54b and a cross-bar 56.

An electrical flex 26 can be seen in the drawings leading to the fan unit 10 and is additionally connected to two switches 59 upon the handle 8. These switches are of the type which is normally open circuit and are closed only when gripped by the user, so that it functions as a "dead man's handle". That is, if both the switches are released by the user then the appliance is de-activated. In this way unintentional damage, e.g. through leaving the appliance in one position, is avoided. Furthermore, each switch is situated on the cross-bar 56, a comfortable distance apart.

A carrying handle 64 is provided on the top of the housing 4 to enable the appliance to be lifted and carried easily by the user.

In use, air is drawn into the intake chamber 18 by the fan unit 10, is heated by the element 32 and is then expelled through the open base of the housing 4 onto a floor surface beneath. The effect of this heated flow of air onto the floor surface is to dry standing water therefrom by evaporation. The unit is trundled around the floor surface by the user such as to traverse the entire area of standing water and so dry that area. It must be emphasised that the term "floor" as used herein covers a range of surfaces upon which people stand and walk, including any such surface within a building be it carpeted or not, and additionally ground surfaces outside buildings such as pavements, paths, roadways, hard standing, patios etc. The appliance described herein may be adapted for drying any such surfaces. It may also be used in removing ice from such surfaces and so be put to use e.g. by shopkeepers wishing to clear the pavement in front of their premises of ice or standing water.

Moulded plastics construction is preferably extensively used in the present embodiment. The sub-housings 12, 14 are manufactured in this way, as are related components such as the handle and its mounting bracket. The unit can thus be resistant to rusting, despite its exposure to moisture.

Claims

1.A floor drying appliance comprising a wheeled housing provided with an upstanding handle by means of which the appliance is able to be manoeuvred about a floor by a user, an air blower being mounted within the housing and being arranged to draw ambient air into the housing through an intake opening and to cause the air to be expelled from the housing through a downwardly directed outlet, so that in use a flow of air is directed onto the floor beneath the housing.

2. A floor drying appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing defines separate intake and outlet chambers, the intake chamber communicating with the intake opening and the outlet chamber being downwardly open to form the outlet.

3. A floor drying appliance as claimed in claim 2 wherein the blower is mounted in an opening in a housing wall dividing the intake and outlet chambers.

4. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing comprises a pair of sub-housings adapted to be assembled together, the intake chamber being defined between the two sub-housings when they are assembled.

5. A floor drying appliance as claimed in claim 4 wherein the two subhousings are assembled one upon the other.

6. A floor drying appliance as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein a perimetral lip portion of one sub-housing overlaps with and embraces an adjacent portion of the other sub-housing to locate one relative to the other.

7. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6 wherein the two sub housings are adapted to be releasably secured to one another so that they can be disassembled in order to gain access to the air blower.

8. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the air blower comprises an electrically driven fan.

9. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim which further comprises a heating element arranged in an air path through the housing to heat the air expelled from the housing.

10. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the upstanding handle is pivotally coupled to the housing such that its inclination to the horizontal can be altered by the user.

11. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing's wheels are mounted in the manner of castors.

12. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a switch controlling the air blower is mounted on or adjacent a grip portion of the upstanding handle.

13. A floor drying appliance as claimed in claim 12 wherein the switch is such as to deactivate the appliance when released.

14. A floor drying appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing comprises a depending wall or skirt defining an outlet chamber which is downwardly open toward a floor upon which the appliance rests.

15. A floor drying appliance substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.