Squeegee assembly and method of using same

1. A portable floor scrubber having a cleaning solution tank and a recovery tank and a squeegee blade assembly comprising:

a squeegee blade;

an elongated guide having an interior region which engages a portion of the squeegee blade; and

a retainer connected to a chassis of the scrubber and defining at least a portion of a guide channel-receiving cavity, said elongated guide adapted to be inserted into the cavity during a squeegee blade exchange procedure, and said retainer including a protruding structure provided at one end of the retainer, wherein the protruding structure is sized to engage and deflect the guide and compress the blade as the blade and guide are inserted into or removed from the channel.

2. A method of exchanging a squeegee blade from a scrub head of a floor maintenance machine, said method comprising:

pulling on a blade and guide subassembly in a generally transverse direction relative to the direction of forward operational motion of the machine, said pulling causing the subassembly to deflect upon contact with a protruding structure while the subassembly is pulled out of a channel of the scrub head; and

inserting a new blade and guide subassembly into the channel of the scrub head, said inserting continuing until the subassembly engages a stop.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the channel is defined between a blade retainer and a chassis of the scrub head.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein subsequent to said inserting, the blade and guide subassembly freely slides within the channel during intended operation of the floor maintenance machine, with the stop and the protruding structure acting to retain the blade and guide subassembly within the channel.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said inserting results in a compression of the subassembly by the protruding structure prior to a release signaling to an operator that the subassembly has reached an intended position.

6. A scrub head for a floor maintenance machine comprising:

a chassis;

a retainer coupled to the chassis, said retainer and chassis defining a channel; and

a squeegee blade adapted to engage an interior structure of a guide, wherein the guide is significantly less compliant than the squeegee blade so as to provide a relatively rigid guide and blade subassembly, and wherein blade and guide subassembly is sized to be inserted into and retained within the channel prior to machine operation and to be removed from the channel during a blade exchange procedure, wherein a protruding structure is provided at one end of the retainer.

7. The scrub head of claim 6 further comprising a blade stop which limits a range of motion of the blade and guide subassembly within the channel.

8. The scrub head of claim 7 wherein the blade stop is a protrusion extending from a surface of the channel.

9. The scrub head of claim 6 wherein the protruding structure is sized to engage and deflect the guide and compress the blade as the blade and guide subassembly is inserted into or removed from the channel.

10. The scrub head of claim 6 wherein the guide is shorter in length than the blade and the protruding structure is at least partially exposed when the blade and guide subassembly is inserted into the channel.

11. The scrub head of claim 6 wherein the channel is generally G-shaped and with a portion of the channel engaging a groove of the blade.

12. The scrub head of claim 6 wherein the guide and blade are replaced together during a blade exchange procedure.

13. A scrub head for a floor maintenance machine comprising:

a chassis having a vacuum outlet;

a retainer coupled to the chassis, together said retainer and chassis defining a channel, with at least one end of the channel defining a protruding structure;

a squeegee blade adapted to engage an interior surface of a guide; and

wherein blade and guide are sized to be inserted into and retained within the channel, with the protruding structure tending to maintain the blade and guide within the channel, and said protruding structure tending to compress the blade and guide during a blade exchange procedure wherein the blade and guide are removed from the channel by a pulling motion directed substantially perpendicular to a direction of machine operation.

14. The scrub head for a floor maintenance machine of claim 13 wherein the protruding structure includes a pair of protrusions positioned at opposite ends of the channel.

15. The scrub head for a floor maintenance machine of claim 13 wherein the protruding structure is defined on a surface of the retainer.