EP2080469A2 - A floor-cleaning machine - Google Patents
A floor-cleaning machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2080469A2 EP2080469A2 EP08173006A EP08173006A EP2080469A2 EP 2080469 A2 EP2080469 A2 EP 2080469A2 EP 08173006 A EP08173006 A EP 08173006A EP 08173006 A EP08173006 A EP 08173006A EP 2080469 A2 EP2080469 A2 EP 2080469A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- floor
- cleaning
- group
- cleaning machine
- support trolley
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
- A47L11/4091—Storing or parking devices, arrangements therefor; Means allowing transport of the machine when it is not being used
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L11/29—Floor-scrubbing machines characterised by means for taking-up dirty liquid
- A47L11/30—Floor-scrubbing machines characterised by means for taking-up dirty liquid by suction
- A47L11/302—Floor-scrubbing machines characterised by means for taking-up dirty liquid by suction having rotary tools
- A47L11/305—Floor-scrubbing machines characterised by means for taking-up dirty liquid by suction having rotary tools the tools being disc brushes
Definitions
- the floor-cleaning machine is provided with magnetic means which block the floor-cleaning group in the rest position.
- the liquid mixed with dirt is then swept and collected by the flexible blades 70 which drag on the floor, and filters into the space 72, from where it is aspirated internally of the collecting reservoir 61.
Landscapes
- Cleaning In General (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The invention concerns a floor-cleaning machine, and in particular, a professional-type floor-cleaning machine which is mainly designed for cleaning relatively extensive floors, for example inside commercial and/or small industrial premises.
- Professional floor-cleaning machines are usually divided into two different categories. Machines mounted on self-propelled vehicles, which are designed to be driven by an operative, are usually called "man on board" machines, while machines mounted on trolleys which are manually propelled by an operator walking behind the machine are referred to as "walk-behind" machines.
- This invention concerns in particular "walk-behind" machines.
- As is known, floor-cleaning machines of the walk-behind type comprise operating groups which perform specific floor-cleaning operations, among which, one or more motorised rotating brushes which scrub the surfaces, a dispenser group which dispenses a detergent liquid, and a suction group to which a floor-wiping group is associated. The floor-cleaning group normally comprises one or more flexible rubber blades, which drag on the floor to collect the detergent liquid and the dislodged dirt.
- The operating groups are usually covered by suitable plastic or sheet-metal covers, and are mounted on board a sturdy, solid support trolley, usually of large dimensions, which is provided with handles or grips to be grasped by the operative in order to guide it in movement over the floor to be washed.
- A common requirement in all profession floor-cleaning machines is to enable the floor-cleaning group to move vertically between a lowered work position, in which the blades are in contact with the floor, and a raised rest position, in which the blades are distanced from the floor such as not to scrape on it.
- This movement is usually obtained by means of complicated kinematic activating systems, typically hinged systems having one or more jointed arms, which are mounted on the support trolley and to which the floor-cleaning group is coupled.
- A drawback of professional floor-cleaning machines is therefore that they are rather expensive, not only because of the presence of the above-mentioned kinematic activating systems, but also because of the presence of all the motorisation organs and control organs which the kinematic systems require in order to function.
- The aim of the present invention is to at least partly obviate the mentioned drawback, by providing a floor-cleaning machine which is so simple and ration as to enable a significant reduction in construction costs with respect to the floor-cleaning machines presently available.
- The aim is attained by the characteristics of the invention included in the independent claim. The dependent claims delineate preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.
- In particular, the invention provides a floor-cleaning machine which comprises a support trolley on which at least a floor-cleaning group is installed, which group is provided with at least a flexible blade, and is mobile on board the support trolley between a work position, in which the flexible blade is in contact with the floor, and a rest position, in which the flexible blade is distanced from the floor.
- The floor-cleaning machine is provided with magnetic means which block the floor-cleaning group in the rest position.
- Thanks to this solution, the user is effectively able to manually raise the floor-cleaning group, displacing it from the lowered work position into the raised rest position, where it is solidly blocked by magnetic means, without any need for complicated kinematic activating systems or motors or command organs therefor, making the constructional solution provided very simple and consequently very economical.
- Further, owing to the absence of the above-mentioned activating systems, the support trolley can advantageously be made smaller and less sturdy than the trolleys usually used for professional floor-cleaners, thus further contributing to the constructional simplicity and therefore to the relative inexpensiveness of the machine.
- Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following detailed description provided by way of a non-limiting example, with the aid of the appended figures of the drawings.
-
Figure 1 is a side view of a floor-cleaning machine of the invention, shown with the floor-cleaning group 7 in the rest position -
Figure 2 is a plan view of the floor-cleaning machine offigure 1 in which some components have been eliminated for better illustration of the aspects of the invention. -
Figure 3 is a larger-scale detail offigure 1 , in which the floor-cleaning group 7 is in the work position. -
Figure 4 is a schematic view of the transversal section of the floor-cleaning group 7 shown infigure 3 , in which a broken line indicates the flexion of theblades 70 during the dragging thereof on the floor. - The floor-
cleaning machine 1 comprises a rather compact,lightweight support trolley 2 which exhibits ahorizontal base 20 and is provided with three support wheels, two of which are coaxial, fixed-axle,forward wheels 21, and one of which is a pivotingrear wheel 22. - Two oppositely-positioned
salient side elements 23, which are identical in shape and preferably made of plastic, are fixed to themobile support trolley 2 and laterally delimit the loading space of themobile support trolley 2. - A
rigid frame 3, which is preferably made from sheet steel, is hinged to theside elements 23. - As shown in
figure 2 , theframe 3 has rounded corners and exhibits two transverse bars, a forwardtransverse bar 30 and a reartransverse bar 31, which are connected by two oppositely-positioned, identical, shapedlongitudinal bars 32. - The
rigid frame 3 is inserted externally on theside elements 23 of themobile support trolley 2, to whichmobile support trolley 2 it is hinged by means of twohinge joints 24 which singularly join arespective side element 23 to the adjacentlongitudinal bar 32. - The
hinge joints 24 are perfectly coaxial, such as to define a single axis of rotation A of therigid frame 3 with respect to themobile support trolley 2. - As shown in
figure 1 , the axis of rotation A is oriented such as to be horizontal when themobile support trolley 2 is resting on the floor, and is arranged in an intermediate position along thelongitudinal bars 32, such that therigid frame 3 is hinged to themobile support trolley 2 like a reciprocating lever. - The rear
transverse bar 31 functions as a grip for the user pushing the floor-cleaning machine 1. - A
support plate 33 is further attached to the rigid frame 3 (seefigure 2 ) at the forwardtransverse bar 30 position, an operating group denoted in its entirety byreference numeral 5 being installed upon thesupport plate 33; the operating group comprising a rotatingcleaning organ 50 to which agear reducer 51 is associated. - A suction group, denoted in its entirety by 6, is also mounted on the
support plate 33, whichsuction group 6 schematically comprises a pump with the relative activating motor. - The
suction group 6 is connected via a firstflexible pipe 60 to a closedcollecting reservoir 61, preferably made of plastic, which is arranged on board themobile support trolley 2, and is in turn connected, via a secondflexible pipe 62, to a floor-cleaning group 7. - The
collecting reservoir 61 rests upon alower reservoir 63, which is mounted on thebase 20 of themobile support trolley 2, whichreservoir 63 contains a washing liquid, typically water or possibly water mixed with a detergent substance. - The
lower reservoir 63 is connected via aflexible tube 64 to one or more dispensing nozzles of the cleaning liquid (not shown), which are attached to therigid frame 3 at thecleaning organ 50. - As illustrated in
figure 3 , the floor-cleaning group 7 comprises two thinflexible blades 70, made of a coherent material, preferably rubber, which are oriented vertically so as to be arranged with edges thereof against the floor. - The
flexible blades 70 are perfectly facing one another and have horizontal lower edges located substantially at a same height, such as to be contemporaneously in contact with the floor along the whole longitudinal development thereof. - As illustrated in
figure 2 , theflexible blades 70 develop transversally with respect to thetrolley 2, from which they project on both lateral flanks, and exhibit a plan profile which is substantially crossbow-shaped, with the concavity thereof facing in the forwards direction. - The
flexible blades 70 are joined together at the ends and are kept separate by arigid framework 71, which defines a space that is open at a bottom thereof and closed at the top thereof (seefigure 4 ). - A
connector 73 is associated to the rigid framework, whichconnector 73 terminates within thespace 72 and is connected to the secondflexible pipe 62 coming from thecollecting reservoir 61. - As shown in
figure 2 , therigid framework 71 is borne on acentral plate 74, to which it is removably joined in order to enable replacement of the floor-cleaning group 7 when theflexible blades 70 are worn. - A raised
block 75 is welded to thecentral plate 74, to which the ends of two superposedcon rods 76 are hinged, thecon rods 76 being of equal length and parallel to one another, opposite ends of which are hinged to asupport 77 fixed below thebase 20 in the rear part of the trolley 2 (seefigure 3 ). - The hinge axes of the
con rods 76 with theblock 75 and thesupport 77 are horizontal, such that thecon rods 76 define a four-bar hinge enabling the floor-wiping group 7 to perform vertical movements of the floor-cleaning group 7, keeping theflexible blades 70 parallel to themselves. - In detail, the four-bar hinge enables the floor-
wiping group 7 to be moved between a work position, in which theflexible blades 70 are in contact with the floor, and a rest position, in which theflexible blades 70 are raised and are not in contact with the floor (figure 1 ). - As illustrated in figure 5, a
permanent magnet 26 is fixed on thetrolley 2, which can be substituted by an electromagnet or like magnetic means, whichmagnet 26 is positioned such as to contactingly receive theupper con rod 76 of the four-bar hinge when the floor-cleaning group 7 is in the raised rest position. - In this way, the magnetic attraction exerted by the
magnet 26 on the ferro-magnetic material of thecon rod 76 enables the floor-cleaning group 7 to be effectively blocked in the rest position, for example when the floor-cleaning machine 1 is not being used. - Naturally the same result could be reached by mounting the
magnet 26 on thecon rod 76 and predisposing a ferro-magnetic stop on thetrolley 2; or by mounting two magnets having opposite polarity respectively on thecon rod 76 and thetrolley 2, such that the magnets come into contact when the floor-cleaning group 7 is in the rest position. - Finally, the floor-
cleaning group 7 comprises ashaped lever 78, which is fixed on therigid frame 71 and develops in an upwards direction, such as to make available a comfortable grip for a user who, by acting on theshaped lever 78, can overcome the magnetic force exerted by themagnet 26 and unblock the floor-cleaning group 7 from the rest position, leaving it to rest by force of gravity on the floor, thus moving into the work position. - In use, the floor-cleaning group is in the lowered work position illustrated in
figure 3 , with theflexible blades 70 both being in contact with the floor. The work position of the floor-cleaning group 7 is maintained thanks to the actual weight of thegroup 7 itself, which presses theflexible blades 70 onto the floor. - During the cleaning operations, the rotating
brush 50 is rotated by thegear reducers 51, and at the same time thesuction group 6 is activated, which places the collectingreservoir 61 in depression and, via theflexible conduit 62, also thespace 71 defined between theflexible blades 70 of the floor-cleaning group 7. - At the same time the command is given for the cleaning liquid to be dispensed from the
lower reservoir 63. - The liquid is dispensed directly onto to bristles of the rotating
brush 50 such that the scrubbing action of thebrush 50 and the detergent action of the liquid enable the dirt to be removed from the floor. - The liquid mixed with dirt is then swept and collected by the
flexible blades 70 which drag on the floor, and filters into thespace 72, from where it is aspirated internally of thecollecting reservoir 61. - When washing operations are terminated, the user grips the
lever 78 and raises the floor-cleaning group 7, returning it into the rest position in which it is blocked by themagnet 26. - Obviously, a person skilled in the art might bring numerous technical and applicational modifications to the invention without forsaking the ambit of the invention as claimed herein below.
Claims (6)
- A floor-cleaning machine comprising a support trolley (2), on which support trolley (2) at least a floor-cleaning group (7) is installed, which floor-cleaning group (7) is provided with at least a flexible blade (70) and is mobile on board the support trolley (2) between a work position, in which the flexible blade (70) is in contact with a floor, and a rest position, in which the flexible blade (70) is distanced from the floor, characterised in that it comprises magnetic means (26) which are destined to block the floor-cleaning group (7) in the rest position.
- The floor-cleaning machine of claim 1, characterised in that the magnetic means (26) comprise a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.
- The floor-cleaning machine of claim 1, characterised in that the magnetic means (26) are fixed on the support trolley (2).
- The floor-cleaning machine of claim 1, characterised in that the floor-cleaning group (7) is connected to the support trolley (2) by means of a four-bar hinge (76), and that the magnetic means (26) are destined to act on the four-bar hinge (76).
- The floor-cleaning machine of claim 1, characterised in that the floor-cleaning group (7) comprises a pair of flexible blades (70) separated by a space (72).
- The floor-cleaning machine of claim 5, characterised in that the space (72) is in communication with a suction group (6) via a collecting reservoir (61).
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IT000005A ITRE20080005A1 (en) | 2008-01-15 | 2008-01-15 | '' FLOOR WASHER '' |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2080469A2 true EP2080469A2 (en) | 2009-07-22 |
EP2080469A3 EP2080469A3 (en) | 2010-05-12 |
Family
ID=40290282
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP08173006A Withdrawn EP2080469A3 (en) | 2008-01-15 | 2008-12-29 | A floor-cleaning machine |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20090178227A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2080469A3 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101487239A (en) |
IT (1) | ITRE20080005A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU2014223616C1 (en) * | 2013-02-27 | 2016-11-24 | Tennant Company | Cleaning head assemblies having touch-free attachment and alignment technology |
US10251524B2 (en) | 2013-02-27 | 2019-04-09 | Tennant Company | Cleaning head assemblies having touch-free attachment and alignment technology |
CN105133532A (en) * | 2015-09-30 | 2015-12-09 | 梁金水 | Middle suction type ground cleaning turntable |
CN109349968B (en) * | 2018-10-30 | 2021-08-17 | 淮阴工学院 | Ground sweeping, washing and sucking integrated machine |
CN109303523B (en) * | 2018-10-30 | 2021-06-01 | 淮阴工学院 | Dust removal system of ground sweeping, washing and sucking integrated machine |
WO2022116212A1 (en) * | 2020-12-04 | 2022-06-09 | 南京溧水高新创业投资管理有限公司 | Vibration-type floor cleaning device |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19649962A1 (en) * | 1996-11-22 | 1998-05-28 | Hako Gmbh & Co | Mobile cleaning machine for floor |
WO2002062194A1 (en) * | 2001-02-07 | 2002-08-15 | Zucchetti Centro Sistemi S.P.A. | Automatic floor cleaning device |
US20030000549A1 (en) * | 2001-07-02 | 2003-01-02 | Joynt Daniel L. | Dual downforce mechanism for a cleaning head of a surface conditioning vehicle |
Family Cites Families (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2188390A (en) * | 1937-09-23 | 1940-01-30 | Hoover Co | Suction cleaner |
US4334335A (en) * | 1980-09-03 | 1982-06-15 | Tennant Company | Scrubber with hydraulic squeegee lift |
USD364012S (en) * | 1994-04-25 | 1995-11-07 | Windsor Industries, Inc. | Floor cleaning machine |
USD417045S (en) * | 1998-07-11 | 1999-11-23 | Breuer Electric Mfg. Co. | Floor cleaning device |
ES2266398T3 (en) * | 2001-05-31 | 2007-03-01 | Johnsondiversey, Inc. | MACHINE FOR SURFACE TREATMENT. |
US6710489B1 (en) * | 2001-08-30 | 2004-03-23 | Indigo Energy, Inc. | Axially free flywheel system |
US7533435B2 (en) * | 2003-05-14 | 2009-05-19 | Karcher North America, Inc. | Floor treatment apparatus |
US7597125B2 (en) * | 2003-09-30 | 2009-10-06 | Levi Deaton | Fresh dispense cleaning product |
EP1729622B1 (en) * | 2004-03-05 | 2012-05-09 | Tennant Company | Simplified rear squeegee linkage for surface cleaning equipment |
USD533320S1 (en) * | 2004-11-11 | 2006-12-05 | Castle Rock Industries, Inc. | Floor treatment device |
USD542988S1 (en) * | 2005-08-18 | 2007-05-15 | Alfred Kaercher Gmbh & Co. Kg | Cleaning apparatus |
USD544659S1 (en) * | 2006-02-01 | 2007-06-12 | Johnsondiversey, Inc. | Floor cleaning machine |
USD549405S1 (en) * | 2006-03-27 | 2007-08-21 | Alfred Kaercher Gmbh & Co. Kg | Vacuum trash collection vehicle |
USD571434S1 (en) * | 2006-12-14 | 2008-06-17 | Alfred Kaercher Gmbh & Co. Kg | Hand-operated spray gun for a high pressure washer |
USD580606S1 (en) * | 2007-06-26 | 2008-11-11 | Alfred Kaercher Gmbh & Co. Kg | Sweeping machine |
-
2008
- 2008-01-15 IT IT000005A patent/ITRE20080005A1/en unknown
- 2008-12-29 EP EP08173006A patent/EP2080469A3/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2009
- 2009-01-08 CN CNA2009100035211A patent/CN101487239A/en active Pending
- 2009-01-09 US US12/351,443 patent/US20090178227A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19649962A1 (en) * | 1996-11-22 | 1998-05-28 | Hako Gmbh & Co | Mobile cleaning machine for floor |
WO2002062194A1 (en) * | 2001-02-07 | 2002-08-15 | Zucchetti Centro Sistemi S.P.A. | Automatic floor cleaning device |
US20030000549A1 (en) * | 2001-07-02 | 2003-01-02 | Joynt Daniel L. | Dual downforce mechanism for a cleaning head of a surface conditioning vehicle |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2080469A3 (en) | 2010-05-12 |
CN101487239A (en) | 2009-07-22 |
ITRE20080005A1 (en) | 2009-07-16 |
US20090178227A1 (en) | 2009-07-16 |
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