Surface maintenance machines broadly encompass machines which will sweep commercial or industrial areas such as factory floors, hallways or the like, and machines which will perform a scrubbing function in that same environment. As such, surface maintenance machines include machines which are designed to perform either scrubbing or sweeping or both sweeping and scrubbing functions.
The size and dimensions of the surface maintenance machine used for a particular job relates to the type of location in which the machine will be used. However, in most cases, it is desirable for the machines to be able to clean surfaces along the edges of the floor, such as where the floors abuts with the wall, equipment, or other edges or obstructions. That is, the machine must be able to clean the entire floor surface, up to the outermost edges, without leaving any uncleaned gaps. In addition, it is desirable to clean a wide pathway with each pass of the machine. In order to perform these functions, the sweeping and scrubbing brushes of surface maintenance machines typically extend the full width of the machine. In addition, in order to allow the machines to pass directly against wall surfaces to avoid cleaning gaps, the machines typically do not include any parts which extend or project laterally beyond the sides of the machines but rather are relatively flat on their sides. In this way, the machines can run directly along a wall to clean the floor at the edges.
In addition to maintaining flat side surfaces, the width of the machine for a particular use must also take into consideration the physical space which is to be cleaned. For example, surface maintenance machines having a wider set of brushes can clean a wider pathway with each pass of the machine, allowing for fewer passes of the machine and therefore quicker cleaning. However, the machines must also be able to pass through certain narrow spaces, such as doorways or other restrictions, which may limit the width of the machines. As such, the size of the machines may be restricted due to physical requirements of the location in which they are used.
It is further desirable to for surface maintenance machines to be able to operate for as long as possible without needing to stop. For example, such machines need to periodically stop to empty their hoppers of waste, eliminate and replace water, replace cleaning solutions, and refuel the machines or recharge the batteries. In some cases, the machines may have to travel some distance from the surfaces to be cleaned to a separate area to perform these functions. As a result, time is lost in emptying and replenishing the machines as well as in travel to and from the locations to be cleaned. Therefore, to minimize this loss of time and inefficiency, surface maintenance machines attempt to maximize running time by maximizing the storage capacity of water, cleaning fluids and waste materials, as well as the fuel or battery storage, for example.
Space for the operational components of surface maintenance machines is limited by the dimensions of the machines, which are sized according to the spatial requirements of the location in which they are used. Therefore, while it is desirable for the surface maintenance machines to be continuously operable for as long as possible, the space for operational components required to extend the operation of the machines is limited by the dimensions of the machine. Surface maintenance machines therefore typically use all available space within the dimensions of the machine to maximize the running time of the machines. Typically, as much space as possible is used for the storage or water and the other components required to maximize the running time of the machines. As such, the space and volume restrictions make it difficult to incorporate other space occupying features into such machines.
One feature which is not typically provided in space limited surface maintenance machines is a storage compartment. Such compartments, if provided in the traditional manner, would occupy too much space in the machines and therefore have not been provided. Furthermore, they cannot be affixed to the outside of the machines as they would interfere with the ability of the machines to clean along floor edges directly against walls. However, it would be useful to include storage compartments for the storage or transportation of articles such a signs or for the removal of waste materials encountered by the operator while cleaning the surfaces but which cannot be removed by the machines.