초록 ▼

A floor cleaning system and method for use thereof is disclosed for facilitating removal of waste materials. The system includes and the method relies upon use of a floor base, a floor covering, a substrate spacing the floor base and the artificial grass surfacing apart from one another, and at leas

A floor cleaning system and method for use thereof is disclosed for facilitating removal of waste materials. The system includes and the method relies upon use of a floor base, a floor covering, a substrate spacing the floor base and the artificial grass surfacing apart from one another, and at least one fluid-carrying structure. The floor base receives the waste materials. The floor covering is spaced above the floor base, and is at least in part permeable to the waste materials and in liquid communication with the floor base. The fluid-carrying structure is adapted to provide cleaning fluid to the floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon. The cleaning fluid and waste materials flow along the floor base under the floor covering to facilitate evacuation thereof.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A floor constructed to support animals and human beings thereon, the floor comprising: a floor base including an impermeable liner being in fixed position relative to ground, said liner being impermeable to waste materials received thereon, the waste materials from animals on said floor including

1. A floor constructed to support animals and human beings thereon, the floor comprising: a floor base including an impermeable liner being in fixed position relative to ground, said liner being impermeable to waste materials received thereon, the waste materials from animals on said floor including urine;an artificial grass surfacing having a backing and blades extending upwardly from said backing, said artificial grass surfacing having an upper facing surface upon which the animals and human beings walking thereon will be in contact, said artificial grass surfacing being spaced above and in fixed relationship to said floor base, said backing of said artificial grass surfacing having a plurality of openings therethrough so that the urine of the waste materials can pass therethrough, said backing of said artificial grass surfacing being one of a knitted fabric and a unitary piece of polymeric material;a substrate positioned between said floor base and said artificial grass surfacing, said substrate having a first side oriented toward and at least in part contacting said floor base and a second side contacting said artificial grass surfacing and a maximum height between said first side and said second side, said substrate supporting said artificial grass surfacing above said floor base and having a plurality of openings extending from said first side to said second side for passing the waste materials passing through said artificial grass surfacing to said floor base, a majority of said plurality of openings of said substrate being larger than said plurality of openings through said backing of said artificial grass surfacing, said first side of said substrate having channels therein to permit the waste materials on said floor base to move along said floor base and between said floor base and said substrate, said second side of said substrate contacting said artificial grass surfacing having a surface area and said first side of said substrate contacting said floor base having a surface area less than the surface area of said second side, said substrate having an outer perimeter, said second side of said substrate extending under a middle portion of said artificial grass surfacing, said artificial grass surfacing being configured to block from view said floor base, said substrate, and the waste materials that have passed through said artificial grass surfacing, each of said plurality of openings at said second side of said substrate having a cross section in a plane parallel to said backing of said artificial grass surfacing, said each of said plurality of said openings of said substrate having a maximum dimension measured across said cross section in said plane, said surface area of said first side and said second side each having a minimum width between adjacent openings of said plurality of openings, said maximum dimension of one of said plurality of said openings being greater than said minimum width on said first side of said surface area surrounding said one of said plurality of said openings, said maximum height of said substrate being greater than said minimum width on said second side;a barrier adjacent an edge of said floor base, said barrier being secured to said floor base, said barrier inhibiting passage of liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials thereby, said artificial grass surfacing being secured to said barrier to maintain said artificial grass surfacing in position relative to said floor base;at least one fluid-carrying structure comprising a length of pipe having a plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures and at least one inlet connector, said at least one inlet connector configured for attaching said at least one fluid-carrying structure to a liquid cleaning fluid supply source and an air supply source such that said fluid carrying structure is adapted to provide either the liquid cleaning fluid to said floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon or the air across said floor base to dry said floor base through said plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures to spaced locations along said floor base, wherein the liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials flow along said floor base under said artificial grass surfacing to facilitate drainage thereof, said length of pipe being positioned between said floor base and said artificial grass surfacing, said artificial grass surfacing being configured to block from view said plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures;a controller configured for controlling at least one of the flow of the liquid cleaning fluid, an amount of the liquid cleaning fluid, a specific time to begin the flow of the liquid cleaning fluid, and duration of flow of the liquid cleaning fluid from the liquid cleaning fluid supply source adapted to provide the liquid cleaning fluid to said floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon; andat least one of a drainage trench and a drain passage for receiving the liquid cleaning fluid provided from said at least one fluid-carrying structure mixed with the waste materials. 2. The floor according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of said plurality of said openings is circular. 3. The floor according to claim 1, wherein said second side of said substrate forms a grid of spaced surfaces oriented in a first direction crossed by spaced surfaces in a second direction generally transverse to the first direction. 4. The floor according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is rigid. 5. The floor according to claim 1, wherein said substrate provides generally uniform support to said artificial grass surfacing via a repeating pattern of surfaces along said second side of said substrate. 6. A method for removing waste materials from flooring, the waste materials including urine from animals, the method comprising: fixing a floor base including an impermeable liner in position relative to ground, the liner being impermeable to waste materials received thereon, the waste materials from animals on the flooring including urine; fixing an artificial grass surfacing in relation to the floor base, the artificial grass surfacing having a backing and blades extending upwardly from the backing, the artificial grass surfacing having an upper facing surface upon which the animals and human beings walking thereon will be in contact, the backing of the artificial grass surfacing having a plurality of openings therethrough so that at least the urine of the waste materials can pass therethrough, the backing of the artificial grass surfacing being one of a knitted fabric and a unitary piece of polymeric material;supporting the artificial grass surfacing spaced above the floor base with a substrate, the substrate being positioned between the floor base and the artificial grass surfacing, the substrate having a first side oriented toward and at least in part contacting the floor base and a second side facing the artificial grass surfacing and a maximum height between the first side and the second side, the substrate having a plurality of openings extending from the first side to the second side for passing the waste materials that pass through the artificial grass surfacing to the floor base, a majority of the plurality of openings of the substrate being larger than the plurality of openings through the backing of the artificial grass surfacing, the first side of the substrate having channels therein to permit the waste materials on the floor base to move along the floor base and between the floor base and the substrate, the second side of the substrate contacting the artificial grass surfacing having a surface area and the first side of the substrate contacting the floor base having a surface area less than the surface area of the second side, the substrate having an outer perimeter, the second side of the substrate extending under a middle portion of the artificial grass surfacing, the artificial grass surfacing being configured to block from view the floor base, the substrate, and the waste materials that have passed through the artificial grass surfacing, each of the plurality of openings at the second side of the substrate having a cross section in a plane parallel to the backing of the artificial grass surfacing, the each of the plurality of the openings of the substrate having a maximum dimension measured across the cross section in the plane, the surface area of the first side and the second side each having a minimum width between adjacent openings of the plurality of openings, the maximum dimension of one of the plurality of the openings being greater than the minimum width on the first side of the surface area surrounding the one of the plurality of the openings, the maximum height of the substrate being greater than the minimum width on the second side;securing a barrier adjacent an edge of the floor base, the barrier being configured to inhibit passage of liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials thereby;securing the artificial grass surfacing to the barrier to maintain the artificial grass surfacing in fixed position relative to the floor base;positioning at least one fluid-carrying structure comprising a length of pipe having a plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures and at least one inlet connector between the floor base and the artificial grass surfacing such that the artificial grass surfacing blocks from view the plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures, the at least one inlet connector configured for attaching the at least one fluid-carrying structure to a liquid cleaning fluid supply source and an air supply source such that the fluid carrying structure is adapted to provide either the liquid cleaning fluid to the floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon or the air across the floor base to dry the floor base through the plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures to spaced locations along the floor base; exposing the artificial grass surfacing to the waste materials;passing at least the urine of the waste materials through the artificial grass surfacing and the substrate to the floor base;controlling at least one of the flow of the liquid cleaning fluid, an amount of the liquid cleaning fluid, a specific time to begin the flow of the liquid cleaning fluid, and duration of flow of the liquid cleaning fluid to the floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon;rinsing the waste materials from the floor base with the liquid cleaning fluid using the at least one fluid-carrying structure, wherein the liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials in contact with the floor base flow along the floor base under the artificial grass surfacing to facilitate drainage thereof;draining the liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials from the floor base; and flowing air across the floor base between the floor base and the artificial grass using the at least one fluid-carrying structure positioned below the artificial grass surfacing to change the temperature of the air proximate the floor base. 7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising simultaneously wetting the floor base with the cleaning fluid, and maintaining the floor covering dry of the cleaning fluid. 8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising for a specified time releasing the cleaning fluid on the floor base at a rate faster than the cleaning fluid and the waste materials are drained from the floor base to soak the floor base. 9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising opening a drain passage to drain the cleaning fluid and the waste materials from the floor base, and closing the drain passage to soak the artificial grass surfacing, the substrate, and the floor base with the cleaning fluid. 10. The method according to claim 6, wherein flowing air across the floor base between the floor base and the artificial grass using the at least one fluid-carrying structure positioned below the artificial grass surfacing to change the temperature of the air proximate the floor base further includes heating the air flowing across the floor base between the floor base and the artificial grass. 11. A floor constructed to support animals and human beings thereon, the floor comprising: an artificial grass surfacing having a backing and blades extending upwardly from said backing, said artificial grass surfacing being in fixed relationship to a floor base and including a surface upon which the animals and the human beings walking thereon will be in contact, said backing of said artificial grass surfacing having a plurality of openings therethrough so that waste materials including urine from the animals can pass therethrough to said floor base, said backing of said artificial grass surfacing being one of a knitted fabric and a unitary piece of polymeric material;said floor base including an impermeable liner being in fixed position relative to ground, said liner being impermeable to the waste materials passing through said artificial grass surfacing and received thereon, said impermeable liner including an upwardly facing surface and raised protrusions formed integrally with said upwardly facing surface, said raised protrusions directly contacting and supporting said artificial grass surfacing above said upwardly facing surface, said backing of said artificial grass between said raised protrusions being suspended over said upwardly facing surface so that each of said plurality of openings through said artificial grass between said raised protrusions can permit urine to fall therethrough directly onto said upwardly facing surface, said raised protrusions being positioned apart from one another to permit the removal of the waste materials received on said upwardly facing surface therebetween, said plurality of openings of said artificial grass surfacing being above and between said raised protrusions, said artificial grass surfacing being configured to block from view said floor base, and the waste materials that have passed through said artificial grass surfacing and into contact with said upwardly facing surface;a barrier adjacent an edge of said floor base, said barrier being secured to said floor base, said barrier inhibiting passage of a liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials thereby, said artificial grass surfacing being secured to said barrier to maintain said artificial grass surfacing in position relative to said floor base;at least one fluid-carrying structure comprising a length of pipe having a plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures and at least one inlet connector, said at least one inlet connector configured for attaching said at least one fluid-carrying structure to a liquid cleaning fluid supply source and an air supply source such that said fluid carrying structure is adapted to provide either the liquid cleaning fluid to said upwardly facing surface of said impermeable liner to rinse the waste materials received thereon or the air across said floor base to dry said floor base through said plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures to spaced locations along said upwardly facing surface, wherein the liquid cleaning fluid and the waste materials flow along said upwardly facing surfacing under said artificial grass surfacing to facilitate drainage thereof, said length of pipe being positioned between said floor base and said artificial grass surfacing, said artificial grass surfacing being configured to block from view said plurality of spaced apart outlet apertures;a controller configured for controlling at least one of the flow of the liquid cleaning fluid, an amount of the liquid cleaning fluid, a specific time to begin the flow of the liquid cleaning fluid, and duration of flow of the liquid cleaning fluid from the liquid cleaning fluid supply source adapted to provide the liquid cleaning fluid to said floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon; andat least one of a drainage trench and a drain passage for receiving the liquid cleaning fluid provided from said at least one fluid-carrying structure mixed with the waste materials. 12. The floor according to claim 11, further comprising a waste removal zone on said floor base defined between a first elevation and a second elevation lower than said first elevation, said at least one fluid-carrying structure being disposed proximate said first elevation, and at least one of a drainage trench and a drain passage being disposed proximate said second elevation.