Cleaner with hot plate for floors provided with a sandwich panel for heating and gradual releasing of the water to an underlying cleaning cloth

Abstract

Hot plate cleaner for floors including a handgrip, a handle, a tank for water, a main body shaped as a brush, a heating plate below the brush and a thermostat, and cleaning fabrics for the floor hooked below a sealing frame, adapted to be hooked and unhooked below the brush, with the interposition of a sandwich panel maintained in contact with the heating plate having a layer of polyurethane foam, placed between two polyester fabrics, and a waterproof element applied to the panel to let the water flow from the tank scatter on the sandwich panel to dampen it so to act as a tank in order to reach the same temperature as the heating plate and keep it unchanged until the panel dries and transmit the same temperature to the cleaning fabric.

Claims

1. A cleaner with hot plate for floors comprising: a handgrip (1), a handle (2), a tank (3) for containing water, a main body shaped as a brush (5), into which the handgrip (1) is pivoted by means of an universal joint (4); a heating plate (6) fixed below the body (5) and provided with a heating element (9) for heating the plate (6) and having a thermostat (10) for regulating temperature, as well as an electrical supplying cable (7) for the heating element (9); and cleaning fabrics (16) for the floor, applied to and supported below said heating plate (6), wherein said cleaning fabrics (16) are hooked below a sealing frame (13) below said body (5), said sealing frame connected to a sandwich panel (12) kept in direct contact with the heating plate (6); and wherein said sandwich panel (12) comprises at least a layer of polyurethane foam (18) having a suitable thickness and density, placed between two polyester fabrics (17) and coupled thereto, and a waterproof element (19) applied centrally to the sandwich panel (12) onto a surface coming in contact with the heating plate (6); the water coming from the tank (3) drains through a connection pipe (25) and at least a central passage (11) of the heating plate (6) in a scattered manner onto the sandwich panel (12), in such a way that the sandwich panel is wetted by the water drained uniformly on to the surface thereof; wherein said sandwich panel (12) is adapted to retain the water and heats to a same temperature of the heating plate (6); by maintaining the same temperature, the sandwich panel is dried at approximately 100° C. and transmits heat to the underlying cleaning fabric (16); and wherein said water tank (3) is provided with a plug (21) and a filter (22), into which a ball valve (23) is installed and is operated by gravity; when said ball valve is in a vertical position thereof, a water passage (24) from the tank (3) toward the connection pipe (25) prevents the sandwich panel (12) from becoming wet; wherein when said ball valve is in an oblique position and displaced from said vertical position thereof (23′), said water passage (24) allows the sandwich panel (12) to become wet.

2. The cleaner with said hot plate according to claim 1, wherein said water tank (3) is integral with said handle (2), so that when said handle is vertical, said ball valve (23) is in the vertical position thereof, and when said handle (2) is angled, said ball valve (23) is in the oblique position thereof.

Description

(1) As an explanation but with no limitations of the characteristics of this invention, an example is now described of construction of the system according to this invention with reference to the enclosed drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the entire hot plate cleaner consisting of:

(3) A handgrip (detail 1), a handle (detail 2), a tank (detail 3), a main body (detail 5), a universal joint (detail 4), a heating plate (detail 6), and a power supply cable (detail 7).

(4) FIG. 2 shows the inner part of the heating plate (detail 6) where (detail 8) is the aluminium body, (detail 9) the heating element, (detail 10) the thermostat, and (detail 11) the hole for water flow.

(5) FIG. 3 shows in this order the heating plate (detail 6) seen from below, the sandwich panel (detail 12), the frame holding the sandwich panel (detail 13) with the fastening elements (dr. 14) to be fastened to the brush (detail 5) and hooks along the lower edge (dr. 15) to hook the cleaning cloths (detail 16).

(6) FIG. 4 shows a section of the composition of the sandwich panel (detail 12) that is formed by two external fabric-non-fabric elements (detail 17) resistant to a temperature of at least 140° C. coupled with a central element made of open-cell polyurethane foam (detail 18) whose density and thickness are suitable to the purpose, and a waterproof element (detail 19) applied to the centre of said panel on its upper surface, i.e. the surface that gets in contact with the heating plate.

(7) FIG. 5 shows the water tank (detail 20), provided with a plug (detail 21) and a filter (detail 22) inside which a ball valve is installed (detail 23) that moves under gravity and prevents water from flowing when it is in vertical position (detail 24), while when it is in a slanted position (detail 23′) it moves and opens the hole (dr. 24).

(8) The device ready for use will be already equipped with the sandwich panel (detail 12) assembled to the brush (detail 5) by means of the frame (detail 13).

(9) The tank (detail 3) is filled with water up to the level marked on the same tank. The device is turned on by connecting the cable (detail 7) to the grid that energises the heating element (detail 9) located on the heating plate (detail 6). The plate temperature is adjusted by the thermostat (detail 10) fastened to the same plate. Once the system has reached the preset temperature, it will inform the user by means of a beeper and then the user can start the cleaning operations after applying the cleaning cloth (detail 16) under the sandwich panel (detail 12).

(10) When the user tilts the handle (detail 2) and the tank fastened to it at the same time and starts moving the device, the ball valve (detail 23) located in the tank (detail 3) will move under gravity and will thus open the hole (detail 23′/24) and the water will flow through the connection pipe (detail 25) towards the sandwich panel (detail 12) that is located under the heating plate (detail 6), which will get wet and reach the temperature of the plate very fast. The waterproof element (detail 19) located in the sandwich panel (detail 12) has the purpose to scatter the water coming from the tank (3) through the connection pipe (25) and the hole in the plate (11), along its edge, thus favouring the homogeneous dampening of the panel instead of concentrating the water only in the centre where there is the hole for the water flow (detail 11).

(11) The special composition of the sandwich panel shown in FIG. 4 allows retaining water, thus acting as a tank of the absorbed water, keeping it at the same temperature as the heated plate (detail 6) and gradually releasing it towards the cleaning cloth underneath (part. 16) at a temperature of about 100° C.

(12) The special features and advantages deriving from the use of the innovative sandwich panel can be summed up as follows:

(13) it absorbs the water coming from the tank in a homogeneous way on its entire surface

(14) it retains the water thus avoiding dripping on the floor

(15) it allows the fast heating of the entire panel

(16) it keeps the temperature unchanged for the entire cleaning cycle (about 100° C.) until the panel has dried up completely.

(17) it improves the adherence to the floor of the cleaning cloths

(18) the floors are not dampened more than necessary and get dry very rapidly

(19) it allows the use of any cleaning cloth including the single-use ones

(20) it has a more effective cleaning and sanitizing action on the surfaces thanks to the high and constant temperature transmitted to the cleaning cloth

(21) the panel can be easily removed to wash or replace it thanks to the removable frame.

(22) It also shows the following safety features:

(23) it prevents the direct contact with the hot plate thus avoiding unwanted burns

(24) when the panel is dry, it remains cold even when the plate is hot and therefore the device can remain on and in the same place on the surface without causing damage to it.

(25) This brief explanation is sufficient to an expert to build the invention and as a consequence, the actual application can show some variations that do not change the substance of the idea.