MOBILE FLOOR CLEANER WITH CLEANING SOLUTION GENERATOR
A mobile floor cleaner that includes a moveable housing, a cleaning head operably supported by the moveable housing, one or more solution generators configured to receive a feed liquid and to generate a cleaning solution from the feed liquid by application of acoustic energy and/or nanobubble generation, and control electronics configured to operate the one or more solution generators.
1 . A mobile floor cleaner comprising:
a moveable housing;
a cleaning head operably supported by the moveable housing;
a liquid source configured to provide a feed liquid;
a conduit configured to relay the feed liquid from the liquid source;
one or more solution generators configured to receive the feed liquid from the conduit, and to generate a cleaning solution from the feed liquid by application of acoustic energy and nanobubble generation; and
control electronics configured to operate the one or more solution generators.
2 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the solution generators comprises:
a transducing unit configured to apply the acoustic energy; and
at least one of an electrolysis cell configured to generate the nanobubbles by electrolysis and a mechanical nanobubble generator configured to generate the nanobubbles through shear forces.
3 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic energy comprises ultrasonic waves.
4 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning head comprises a disc-type scrubbing brush, and wherein the mobile floor cleaner further comprises a motor configured to operably rotate the scrubbing brush.
5 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the one or more solution generators are secured to the cleaning head.
6 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the cleaning head further comprises a cover for the scrubbing brush, and wherein the one or more solution generators comprise a plurality of solution generators secured to the cover of the cleaning head.
7 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the one or more solution generators are secured to the cleaning head as one or more radial rows.
8 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the one or more solution generators are arranged at a location that is in front of the cleaning head in a primary direction of movement of the mobile floor cleaner.
9 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the one or more solution generators comprise a plurality of the solution generators arranged in a row.
10 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning head comprises a rotatable cylindrical member having a compressible outer surface, and wherein the one or more solution generators are located inside of the rotatable cylindrical member.
11 . A method for cleaning a surface, the method comprising:
providing a mobile floor cleaner having a cleaning head and a solution generator;
directing a flow of a feed liquid to the solution generator;
generating a cleaning solution by applying acoustic energy to and generating nanobubbles in the feed liquid in the solution generator;
dispensing the generated cleaning solution to the surface; and
agitating the dispensed cleaning solution with the cleaning head.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the acoustic energy is performed prior to generating the nanobubbles.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the nanobubbles is performed prior to applying the acoustic energy.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the acoustic energy to the feed liquid comprises inducing ultrasonic waves through the feed liquid.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the nanobubbles in the feed liquid comprises conducting electrolysis on the feed liquid.
16 . A mobile floor cleaner comprising:
a moveable housing;
a liquid source configured to provide a feed liquid;
a conduit configured to relay the feed liquid from the liquid source;
a scrubbing brush operably supported by the moveable housing, wherein the scrubbing brush comprises:
a backing portion;
one or more sub-units each configured to retain a set of bristles; and
one or more transducers supported by the backing portion and configured to vibrate the one or more sub-units and retained sets of bristles; and
control electronics configured to operate the one or more transducers.
17 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 16 , further comprising one or more solution generators configured to receive the feed liquid from the conduit, and to generate a cleaning solution from the feed liquid by application of acoustic energy and nanobubble generation.
18 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 16 , further comprising a motor configured to rotate the scrubbing brush.
19 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 18 , further comprising one or more solution generators configured to receive the feed liquid from the conduit, and to generate a cleaning solution from the feed liquid by application of acoustic energy and nanobubble generation.
20 . The mobile floor cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the one or more transducers are configured to vibrate the one or more sub-units and retained sets of bristles at an ultrasonic frequency.