JP4986050B2 - Steam cleaning / drying unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam cleaning / drying unit that is used by being mounted on a polishing tool such as a polisher that is a floor cleaning machine or a deck brush.

Mops, deck brushes, etc. are the simplest and most common cleaning tools for cleaning the floor surface. Floor cleaning machines, so-called polishers, which are configured to mechanically perform cleaning, wiping and polishing by driving a rotating pad by a motor are also widely used.
Whether using a tool such as a mop or a washer such as a polisher, in any case, conventional floor cleaning is usually performed with water or warm water while using a detergent as necessary. However, in recent years, steam cleaning has also been performed.

Steam cleaning is superior to water cleaning and hot water cleaning, and since the drying time after cleaning is short, the work time can be shortened, so it is widely spread in the future. Recently, various steam cleaning machines and their accessories Various steam cleaning instruments and tools as products, and a steam generator for supplying steam to them have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 uses a steam supply device attached to a polisher or mop. There is a proposal for a detachable floor cleaning auxiliary device that is configured to perform.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-4790

  The detachable floor cleaning auxiliary device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a steam pipe inside a container-like steam supply having an open bottom surface, and steam is applied to the floor surface from a steam injection port provided in the steam pipe. However, since it is basically configured to hold the steam supply unit in a state where it is fitted to the main body of the polisher, it is not versatile and not easy to use. Also, the steam cleaning cannot always be performed under optimum conditions, and there remains room for improvement in these respects.

  That is, the conventional detachable floor cleaning auxiliary device is fitted in a state in which the steam feeder is externally fitted to the main body of the polisher and the inner peripheral surface of the steam feeder is in close contact with the upper surface of the main body of the polisher. Therefore, the steam feeder is manufactured as a dedicated machine for a polisher with a specific specification. Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture a dedicated steam supply for each polisher with various specifications. is there.

In addition, when performing cleaning work with a polisher, it is necessary to select and use parts such as a rotating brush and a rotating pad that are optimal for the work, and replace those parts. In this case, since the distance between the main body and the floor surface changes, the height of the steam supply unit held by the polisher will naturally change, and therefore the distance from the steam injection port to the floor surface will change. Each time it changes, steam cleaning in an optimal state cannot always be performed. For this reason, in this removable floor cleaning auxiliary device, the height position of the steam injection port is adjusted when the height position of the steam feeder changes. Is very cumbersome and inefficient, and even if the height is adjusted, the height of the steam injection port is changed only by tilting the polisher.
In addition, when using this removable floor cleaning auxiliary device attached to a mop or brush, the height of the steam injection port changes each time the mop or brush is moved. The distance cannot be maintained optimally, and steam cleaning under optimal conditions is not possible.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention improves the conventional detachable floor cleaning auxiliary device described above, enhances versatility, makes it sufficiently easy to use, and is capable of performing steam cleaning and drying under optimum conditions at all times. It aims to provide a steam cleaning and drying unit.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a main body unit that is attached to a rotating brush for cleaning the floor surface and a rotating pad for wiping and polishing the floor surface in a replaceable manner, and for driving the main body unit. It is attached to a polisher which is a floor cleaning machine having a structure with a handle, and moves on the floor surface together with the main body by operating the handle, and injects steam supplied from a steam generator onto the floor surface. A steam cleaning / drying unit for cleaning and drying, which has a frame shape that follows the outline of the main body, includes the main body, and allows relative movement and inclination of the main body inside. An open bottom steam chamber disposed outside the main body in a state, and a steam attached to the steam chamber and blowing steam from a jet port formed on the bottom surface toward the floor. The steam chamber is movably supported by rolling on the floor while supporting the steam chamber and the steam chamber, and the height of the spray port from the floor surface is defined to define the height of the spray port and the floor surface. A caster for maintaining a constant distance between the main body and the steam chamber, and a predetermined clearance for allowing relative movement and inclination of the main body with respect to the steam chamber. It is characterized by securing .

The invention according to claim 2 is mounted on a cleaning tool having a structure in which a main body such as a brush or a mop is attached to the tip of the handle, and moves on the floor together with the main body by operating the handle, and a steam generator A steam cleaning / drying unit for spraying steam supplied from the floor surface to perform cleaning and drying, and has a frame shape along the outer contour of the main body, including the main body inside An open bottom steam chamber disposed outside the main body in a state allowing relative movement and tilting of the main body, and steam from an injection port formed on the bottom surface attached to the steam chamber. And a steam pipe that blows out toward the floor, and the steam chamber is movably supported by rolling on the floor while supporting the steam chamber, and the height of the spray port from the floor is defined. Then The distance between the morphism port and the floor surface will be provided with a caster to maintain a constant, between said main body portion and the steam chamber, to allow tilting the relative movement of the body portion with respect to the steam chamber A predetermined clearance is secured .
A third aspect of the present invention is the steam cleaning / drying unit according to the first or second aspect, wherein the steam chamber is connected to the main body in a state in which relative movement and inclination are allowed within the clearance. It is configured to be connectable with a tool.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the steam cleaning / drying unit according to the third aspect, wherein the connector is elastically expandable and contractible.

The steam cleaning / drying unit of the present invention is used by being mounted on the outside of the main body of the polisher or the main body of the cleaning tool such as a deck brush or mop, thereby operating the handle of the polisher or the handle of the cleaning tool. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform a steam cleaning operation and a steam drying operation on the floor surface, and an excellent cleaning effect by steam and a drying effect in a short time can be obtained.
In addition, the steam cleaning and drying operation by the steam cleaning and drying unit of the present invention can be performed simultaneously with the cleaning and wiping operations by a polisher, a deck brush, a mop, etc., and the steam cleaning by only the steam cleaning and drying unit. It is also possible to carry out drying work and steam drying work independently, so it is possible to perform washing work and drying work in various patterns by combining with general-purpose polishers and cleaning tools, depending on the floor condition and work content The most efficient pattern can be selected.

  In particular, since the steam cleaning / drying unit of the present invention is supported in a state that it can freely move on the floor surface by a caster that it has, even if the polisher or the cleaning tool is tilted or lifted, Also, even if the height of the main body changes due to replacement of parts such as the rotating brush and rotating pad attached to the main body of the polisher, the height from the floor of the steam cleaning / drying unit itself does not change and is always optimal. Steam can be sprayed on the floor from a distance, and work can always be performed under optimum conditions.

Further, the inner dimension of the steam chamber is made larger than the outer diameter dimension of the main body portion, by which ensures a predetermined clearance to permit relative movement and the inclined polisher and cleaning implements inside the steam chamber, The polisher and the cleaning tool can be freely moved and tilted inside the steam cleaning / drying unit, so that they do not hinder the cleaning operation. In addition, the steam cleaning / drying unit can be easily installed simply by placing it outside of it, and it can be used for polishers and cleaning tools of various sizes, shapes, and specifications as long as they fit inside the steam chamber. Can be used in common, so it has excellent versatility.

“First Embodiment”
The steam cleaning / drying unit 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment is used by being mounted on a general-purpose polisher P, which is a floor cleaning machine, as shown in FIG. 1, and performing cleaning and drying operations using steam on the floor surface. belongs to.

The polisher P used in this embodiment is a rotating brush a for cleaning the floor surface (see FIG. 4A) and a rotating pad b for wiping and polishing the floor surface (see FIG. 4B). It is equipped with a body part c that can be exchanged and motor driven, and a handle d for handling the body part c, and it has been conventionally used for cleaning, wiping or polishing floors when cleaning buildings. It is widely used for performing work.
The steam cleaning / drying unit 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the outside of the main body c of the polisher P and moves on the floor surface together with the main body c by operating the handle d of the polisher P, and is not illustrated. The steam supplied from the steam generator through the steam hose 2 is sprayed onto the floor surface to perform cleaning and drying.
Note that the steam generator for supplying steam to the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment is outside the applicable category of steam boilers and handlers, that is, with a steam pressure of 0.1 Mpa or less and a heat transfer area of 0.5 m ² or less. It is a specification, and the structure of each part is determined on the assumption that the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of this embodiment uses such steam.

A specific configuration of the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment is shown in FIGS.
The steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment includes a substantially octagonal frame-shaped steam chamber 3 that follows the outline of the main body c of the polisher P, a steam pipe 4 attached in the steam chamber 3, steam, The caster 5 is provided to support the steam chamber 3 so as to move freely by rolling on the floor surface while supporting the chamber 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the steam chamber 3 has a rectangular cross-section with an open bottom surface, and its internal space functions as a steam reservoir for steam ejected from the steam pipe 4. The inner dimension D of the steam chamber 3 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main body c of the polisher P, and in the state where the steam chamber 3 includes the main body c and is disposed on the outside thereof, the gap between them is increased. A predetermined clearance s is secured, and the main body portion c of the polisher P can freely move relative to the steam chamber 3 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction within the range of the clearance s and can be inclined.
In addition, as a raw material of the steam chamber 3, metal plates, such as stainless steel, aluminum, and a steel plate, can be employ | adopted suitably. The shape of the vapor chamber 3 may be set in accordance with the specification of the polisher P to which the vapor chamber 3 is to be attached, particularly the outer diameter of the main body c, but a part of the shape (the polisher P is based on an octagon as shown in the figure). It is preferable to make a shape that cuts off the position (interfering with the handle d). However, the shape of the steam chamber 3 is not limited to the octagonal shape as long as it conforms to the outer contour of the main body c, and may of course be an arbitrary polygon or circle including a quadrangle.
The dimensions of each part of the steam chamber 3 are as long as the clearance s is ensured between the steam chamber 3 and the body part c, the outer diameter of the polisher P, the amount of steam injected from the steam pipe 4, the type of caster 5 to be described later, The dimensions may be appropriately set in consideration of the dimensions, etc. However, as one example of dimensions suitable for application to the 12-inch polisher P, the internal dimension D is about 360 mm, the width dimension d is about 80 mm, and the height. The dimension h is preferably about 70 mm, and if it is such a dimension, it can be commonly applied to a polisher that is smaller than the 12-inch type. Of course, if the inner dimension D is made larger, it can be applied to a larger polisher exceeding the 12-inch type.

The steam pipe 4 attached in the steam chamber 3 extends over both ends of the steam chamber 3 on the inner upper surface of the steam chamber 3, and the steam is passed through a connecting pipe 6 penetrating the upper surface of the steam chamber 3 at an intermediate portion thereof. A number of steam jets connected to the hose 2 and supplied with steam from a steam generator (not shown) via the steam hose 2 and the connecting pipe 6 are formed on the lower surface side of the steam pipe 4 at predetermined intervals. Steam is blown out from the mouth 7 toward the floor surface.
For example, the steam pipe 4 is preferably made of stainless steel having a diameter of 2 ″ / 8 to 3 ″ / 8 inches, the diameter of the steam injection port 7 is 2.0 to 3.0 mm, and the amount of steam injection from each steam injection port 7 Is preferably about 0.125 L / min, and the vapor injection pressure is about 0.1 to 0.06 MPa. The number and installation interval of the steam injection ports 7 may be set according to the length of the steam pipe 4, the internal volume of the steam chamber 3, etc., but the number is preferably about 30 at the maximum.

The caster 5 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of each side of the steam chamber 3 via a bracket 8. Each caster 5 freely rolls on the floor surface and supports the steam chamber 3 (that is, the entire steam cleaning / drying unit 1) so as to be freely movable in any direction on the floor surface. At the same time, the height H from the floor surface of the steam injection port 7 formed in the steam pipe 4 is defined, and it also functions as an interval defining member for always spraying steam onto the floor surface from a certain distance.
The height dimension H defined by the casters 5 may be fixed to an optimum value according to the cleaning work content, floor surface specifications, etc. If necessary, an appropriate height adjustment mechanism is provided and the height dimension is set. It may be possible to fix after adjusting H. In any case, if the height dimension H is fixed, even if the main body portion c of the polisher P is inclined during the operation as shown in FIG. 4A, or as shown in FIG. Even if the position of the main body part c is lowered by exchanging it with the rotating pad b, the height dimension H from the floor surface of the steam injection port 7 is always kept constant regardless of that, Therefore, it is possible to always inject steam from the optimum distance and always work under optimum conditions.

  It should be noted that the mounting position and number of casters 5 are arbitrary as long as they can move while stably supporting the steam chamber 3, and are not limited to the illustrated examples. Further, instead of attaching the caster 5 to the outer peripheral surface of the steam chamber 3 via the bracket 8 as shown in the drawing, the caster 5 is attached to the inside of the steam chamber 3 via the bracket 8 as shown in FIG. Therefore, since the protrusion to the outside of the caster 5 is eliminated, the overall size can be reduced. However, in this case, since it is necessary to determine the mounting position and size of the caster 5 so as not to hinder the steam injection, a small bearing type caster as illustrated can be suitably employed. is there.

By the way, in the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment, the steam chamber 3 has a substantially octagonal shape so as to surround the main body part c, so that in a state where it is arranged outside the main body part c of the polisher P, Although the main body portion c is somewhat loose within the range of the clearance s inside the steam cleaning / drying unit 1, the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 is dropped from the main body portion c unless the main body portion c is lifted greatly. There is no such thing. Therefore, normally, it is not necessary to connect or fix the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 to the main body c just by arranging the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 outside the main body c, but if necessary, for example, FIG. 1 or FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, it may be simply connected by an appropriate connector 9, and a hook 10 for that purpose may be attached to an appropriate position on the upper surface of the steam chamber 3.
However, in this case, if the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 is firmly fixed to the main body c so that it cannot be displaced relatively, the free movement and inclination of the main body c with respect to the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 are impaired. The efficiency is reduced, and the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 is displaced together with the main body portion c to change the height dimension H of the steam injection port 7. Therefore, as described above, the main body is within the range of the clearance s. It is necessary to keep the part c in a freely movable state, and for this purpose, it is preferable to use an elastically stretchable member such as a rubber band as the connecting tool 9.

The steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment described above is mounted on the outside of the main body c of the polisher P and easily performs steam cleaning and steam drying operations on the floor surface by operating the handle d of the polisher P. It is possible to obtain an excellent cleaning effect by steam and a drying effect in a short time.
Of course, the steam cleaning operation and the drying operation by the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment can be performed simultaneously with the cleaning operation, the wiping operation, and the polishing operation with water or hot water by the polisher P. It is possible to perform only the steam cleaning and steam drying work with only the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 in a state where the steam cleaning is stopped, and of course, use it even when the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 is mounted. Therefore, it is possible to perform cleaning and drying operations in various patterns by combining the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment and the general-purpose polisher P. The most efficient pattern can be selected according to the surface condition and work content.

  Moreover, since the conventional auxiliary | assistant apparatus for floor cleaning shown by patent document 1 hold | maintains a steam supply device in the state fitted with respect to the main-body part of a polisher, the height of polisher P is high. When changing or tilting, the height of the steam injection port also changes. However, the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the present embodiment is directly arranged on the floor surface by the caster 5 of itself. Therefore, even if the polisher P is tilted or lifted as shown in FIG. 4, the height of the main body c changes due to replacement of parts such as the rotating brush a and the rotating pad b attached to the main body c. Regardless of this, the position of the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 itself is unchanged, and naturally the position of the steam injection port 7 is also unchanged from the position of the height dimension H defined by the caster 5. Steam from always optimal distance can be sprayed on the floor, you can always work under optimum conditions.

In addition, the internal dimension D of the steam chamber 3 is made larger than the outer diameter of the main body c, and a clearance s for allowing relative movement and inclination of the main body c inside the steam chamber 3 is secured. Therefore, the position of the polisher P can be freely changed by moving or tilting the polisher P. Therefore, since the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 is mounted, the polisher P becomes difficult to use and the work efficiency is lowered. The most efficient cleaning operation is possible.
Further, the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 can be easily mounted simply by placing it outside the main body c, or the polisher P is lifted to place the main body c inside the steam cleaning / drying unit 1. It can be easily installed as well.
Further, as long as the main body part c can be accommodated in the steam chamber 3, it can be used in common for the polishers P of various sizes, shapes and specifications, and in that respect, dedicated to the polishers of specific specifications. Compared to a conventional detachable floor cleaning auxiliary device, which is regarded as a machine, it is superior in versatility.

“Second Embodiment”
A steam cleaning / drying unit 11 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The steam cleaning / drying unit 11 of the present embodiment is used by being mounted on a general-purpose deck brush B which is the simplest cleaning tool. Since it is configured in the same manner as the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the embodiment and functions in the same manner, the components common to the both will be described with the same name and the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified.

The steam chamber 3 in the second embodiment is formed into a horizontally long three-sided frame shape according to the outline of the brush e that is the main body of the deck brush B that is a cleaning tool, and two pieces are provided on both sides of the frame. Four casters 5 are attached, and are arranged outside the brush e so as to enclose the brush e. At the same time as or after the cleaning work by the brush e by the operation of the handle f, the caster 5 The steam is sprayed onto the floor surface while freely moving on the floor surface to perform cleaning and drying operations with the steam.
Similarly to the steam cleaning / drying unit 1 of the first embodiment, the steam cleaning / drying unit 11 of the second embodiment is also related to the position of the brush e because the height of the steam injection port 7 is defined by the caster 5. It is always maintained optimally, and the cleaning operation by the brush e is not hindered by ensuring a clearance s that allows the brush e and the handle f to be freely moved inside the steam chamber 3. Of course, it can be easily applied to the deck brush B, and can be applied to various deck brushes B as long as the size and shape can be accommodated inside the steam chamber 3. The present invention can be similarly applied not only to the deck brush B but also to other cleaning tools such as a circular brush and a mop only by changing the dimensions corresponding to the outline of the main body of the cleaning tool.

In the case where the steam chamber 3 has a three-sided frame shape as shown in the drawing, the deck brush B may be pulled out to the outside of the steam chamber 3 in that case. It is preferable that the steam cleaning / drying unit 11 is connected to the handle f by a connecting tool 9 such as.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the steam chamber 3 is extended inward also on the rear side of the deck brush B, or the steam chamber 3 is formed in a rectangular frame shape surrounding the entire brush e (in this case, the first embodiment). In the same manner as described above, the portion that interferes with the handle f may be cut out in a slit shape), so that it does not fall off without being particularly connected.
Further, the position and the number of casters 5 are arbitrary, and a small bearing type caster as shown in FIG. 5 may be installed in the steam chamber 3 as a modification of the first embodiment.

It is a figure which shows the state which mounted | wore the polisher with the steam cleaning and drying unit which is 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the same top view and bottom view. FIG. It is a front sectional view showing the use situation. It is the bottom view and partial enlarged view which show a modification similarly. It is a figure which shows the state which mounts | wears with the deck washing | cleaning / drying unit which is 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. FIG. It is a bottom view which shows a modification similarly.

Explanation of symbols

P polisher (floor cleaning machine)
a rotating brush b rotating pad c body part d handle 1 steam cleaning / drying unit 2 steam hose 3 steam chamber 4 steam pipe 5 caster 6 connecting pipe 7 steam injection port 8 bracket 9 connector (rubber band)
10 Hook B Deck brush (cleaning tool)
e Brush (main part)
f Handle 11 Steam cleaning / drying unit

Claims (4)

A floor having a structure that includes a rotating brush for cleaning the floor and a rotating pad for wiping or polishing the floor in a replaceable manner, and a motor for driving the body, and a handle for routing the body. Steam that is mounted on a polisher that is a surface cleaning machine, moves on the floor surface together with the main body by operating the handle, and is used for cleaning and drying by spraying steam supplied from a steam generator onto the floor surface A washing and drying unit,
It is a frame shape that follows the outer contour of the main body, and is an open bottom type that is disposed outside the main body while enclosing the main body and allowing relative movement and inclination of the main body inside. A steam chamber;
A steam pipe attached in the steam chamber and for blowing steam toward the floor surface from an injection port formed on the lower surface side;
The steam chamber is movably supported by rolling on the floor surface while supporting the steam chamber, and the height of the spray port from the floor surface is defined to be between the spray port and the floor surface. the distance will be provided with a caster to maintain a constant,
A steam cleaning / drying unit characterized by securing a predetermined clearance between the main body and the steam chamber to allow relative movement and inclination of the main body with respect to the steam chamber . It is mounted on a cleaning tool having a main body such as a brush or mop attached to the tip of the handle, and moves on the floor along with the main body by operating the handle, and the steam supplied from the steam generator is A steam cleaning / drying unit for spraying and cleaning and drying
An open bottom steam that is framed along the outer contour of the main body and is disposed outside the main body in a state that includes the main body and allows relative movement and inclination of the main body inside the main body. A chamber;
A steam pipe attached in the steam chamber and for blowing steam toward the floor surface from an injection port formed on the lower surface side;
The steam chamber is movably supported by rolling on the floor surface while supporting the steam chamber, and the height of the spray port from the floor surface is defined to be between the spray port and the floor surface. the distance will be provided with a caster to maintain a constant,
A steam cleaning / drying unit characterized by securing a predetermined clearance between the main body and the steam chamber to allow relative movement and inclination of the main body with respect to the steam chamber .   The steam cleaning / drying unit according to claim 1 or 2,
  A steam cleaning / drying unit, wherein the steam chamber is configured to be connectable by a connector in a state in which relative movement and inclination are allowed within the clearance within the range of the main body.   The steam cleaning / drying unit according to claim 3,
  The steam cleaning / drying unit, wherein the connector is elastically extendable and contractible.

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