EP3417756B1 - Floor cleaning machine with brush pressure adjustment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a floor cleaning machine with a machine frame, with a chassis attached to the machine frame for moving the floor cleaning machine over a floor surface to be cleaned and with a cleaning head which is mounted on the machine frame in a height-adjustable manner, so that the cleaning head can be lowered towards the floor surface and lifted off .

Such floor cleaning machines are used to clean large floor areas, for example in public buildings or supermarkets. For this purpose, the machines are operated in such a way that when driving over such a floor surface to be cleaned, dirt present on the floor surface is first loosened with the help of the cleaning head and the preferably driven brushes provided thereon with liquid applied by the cleaning head. With the help of a suction base, the dirt-laden liquid is then sucked off again. In particular, the cleaning head is attached to the machine frame of the floor cleaning machine in a height-adjustable manner in order to ensure that the cleaning head is not necessarily in contact with the floor surface. Furthermore, the cleaning head can be lowered onto the floor surface to be cleaned. In the prior art, an actuator is generally used to raise and lower the cleaning head.

When operating a floor cleaning machine, it is desirable for an operator to be able to choose between at least two levels of pressure of the cleaning head on the floor surface, depending on the degree of contamination of the floor surface. For example, in the case of normal soiling, the cleaning head can be operated with a lower contact pressure (low contact pressure) on the floor surface than in the case of a heavily soiled floor surface (high contact pressure). Usually a large contact pressure is generated by the high weight of the cleaning head. However, in order to be able to lift it from the floor surface, a correspondingly large actuator is necessary. Thus, the high weight of the cleaning head or its weight determines a lower force limit of the actuator. In this context, the dimensioning of an actuator is understood to mean a choice of a technical design or the technical design of the actuator with which a certain force is generated.

In order to be able to optimally use the force of the actuator for the lifting work or the contact force, a vertical arrangement of the actuator is desirable. However, such an arrangement is often not possible due to a lack of space above the brush head, since a battery is typically arranged in this area. In the prior art, this space problem is therefore often solved by installing it at an angle, ie installing the actuator neither horizontally nor vertically. However, the disadvantage of this arrangement of the actuator is that the actuator generates a horizontal force component in order to achieve the required total force. This means that the actuator must be dimensioned to be larger than the weight of the cleaning head in order to achieve the necessary total force and thus the corresponding vertical force component. Furthermore, the horizontal force component is unused. A solution that avoids installing the actuator at an angle is described EP 2 954 817 A1

The EP 2 954 817 A1 discloses a floor cleaning machine with a machine frame, a drive designed as an electromechanical linear drive being held on the machine frame, the piston rod of which can be moved in a straight line in a horizontal direction that runs parallel to the floor surface. An adjusting element is provided at a free end of the piston rod, which is guided in a straight line in a guide fixed to the machine frame, so that the adjusting element carries out a purely rectilinear movement. A guide track is formed in an adjusting plate of a cleaning head and has a first section and a second section. The adjusting element engages in the guideway with a pin provided thereon. Due to the course of the guideway, a rectilinear movement of the piston rod and thus of the adjusting element leads to an up and down movement of the adjusting plate and thus to a pivoting movement of the holder, so that the cleaning head is raised or lowered by the rectilinear movement of the piston rod or the adjusting element.

The US 2013/212814 A1 discloses a floor cleaning machine with a hanging and lifting mechanism. The suspension and lifting mechanism is attached to a frame of the floor cleaning machine with various components, including a frame bracket pivotable about the frame via a vertical pivot axis and a frame bracket connected to a linear actuator.

The US 3,790,981 A discloses a floor cleaning machine with a broom holder. The broom holder is attached to a machine frame of the floor cleaning machine via a bracket. A disc broom is rotatably mounted on the broom holder.

Accordingly, a floor cleaning machine is known from the prior art, which has a machine frame, a chassis attached to the machine frame for moving the floor cleaning machine over a floor surface to be cleaned, a cleaning head which is mounted on the machine frame in a height-adjustable manner, so that the cleaning head is lowered towards the floor surface and can be lifted from it, an actuating element which is movably mounted on the machine frame between a first and a second end position and which is coupled to the cleaning head in such a way that the cleaning head is lowered when the actuating element moves towards the first end position and pressed towards the floor surface is and that the cleaning head is lifted from the floor surface when the actuating element moves towards the second end position, and has an actuator which has a first and a second coupling end, the actuator having a drive which is designed so that the distance of the first and second coupling ends can be adjusted between a first actuator end position and a second actuator end position.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to design a floor cleaning machine described above in such a way that the corresponding actuator can be dimensioned as small as possible for positioning the cleaning head and generating the required contact pressure on the cleaning head.

The task is solved by a floor cleaning machine with a machine frame, with a chassis attached to the machine frame for moving the floor cleaning machine over a floor surface to be cleaned, with a cleaning head which is mounted on the machine frame in a height-adjustable manner, so that the cleaning head can be lowered towards the floor surface and lifted off can, with an actuating element which is movably mounted on the machine frame between a first and a second end position and which is coupled to the cleaning head in such a way that the cleaning head is lowered when the actuating element moves towards the first end position and pressed towards the floor surface and that the cleaning head is lifted from the floor surface when the actuating element moves towards the second end position, with an actuator which has a first and a second coupling end, the actuator having a drive which is designed so that the distance between the first and second Coupling end can be adjusted between a first actuator end position and a second actuator end position, and wherein preferably the distance in the first actuator end position is smaller than in the second actuator end position, the first coupling end of the actuator being coupled to the actuator in such a way that when the first one moves Coupling end towards the first actuator end position, the actuating element is acted upon with a force which drives the actuating element towards the first end position, and wherein the second coupling end of the actuator is coupled to the actuating element in such a way that when the second coupling end moves towards the second actuator end position the actuating element is subjected to a force which drives the actuating element towards the second end position.

Thus, according to the invention, the floor cleaning machine has an adjusting element which is movably mounted on the machine frame between a first and a second end position. The mounting of the adjusting element on the machine frame can be carried out, for example, by a lever element or a linearly adjustable element. The actuating element is coupled to the cleaning head in such a way that when the actuating element moves towards the first end position, the cleaning head is lowered and pressed onto the floor surface to be cleaned. Furthermore, the actuating element is coupled to the cleaning head in such a way that the cleaning head is lifted off the floor surface when the actuating element moves towards the second end position.

In addition, the floor cleaning machine according to the invention has an actuator which has a first and a second coupling end. The actuator in turn has a drive which is designed such that the distance between the first and second coupling ends can be adjusted between a first actuator end position and a second actuator end position. The distance in the first actuator end position is preferably smaller than in the second actuator end position. The drive can be, for example, an electrical, mechanical, pneumatic or any other drive that is suitable for adjusting the distance between the two coupling ends. A purely illustrative example of an actuator is a pneumatic cylinder, in which an inner section moves or extends against an outer section when the pneumatic cylinder is subjected to a suitable pressure. Both the inner and the outer sections have a coupling end. Preferably, the pneumatic cylinder is retracted in the first actuator end position and has a minimum length, and in the second actuator end position the pneumatic cylinder is extended and has a maximum length. It is also conceivable that the actuator is designed differently and has a structure and/or shape that differs from the pneumatic cylinder. For example, the actuator can be designed as an electrically driven linear actuator.

The first coupling end of the actuator is further coupled to the actuating element in such a way that when the first coupling end moves towards the first actuator end position, the actuating element is subjected to a force which drives the actuating element towards the first end position.

In other words, the actuating element is moved towards the first actuator end position by the first coupling end in such a way that the cleaning head coupled to the actuating element is lowered onto the floor surface in the first end position and pressed against it.

The second coupling end of the actuator is coupled to the actuating element in such a way that when the second coupling end moves towards the second actuator end position, the actuating element is subjected to a force which drives the actuating element towards the second end position. In other words, the actuating element is moved towards the second actuator end position by the coupling end in such a way that the cleaning head coupled to the actuating element is lifted off the floor surface during the movement into the second end position.

The functionality of the floor cleaning machine according to the invention, in particular the function of lowering and raising the cleaning head in relation to the floor surface being cleaned, will now be described below.

In the second end position of the actuating element, ie the second actuator end position, the cleaning head coupled to the actuating element is lifted off the floor surface. In this position, the two coupling ends of the actuator are preferably furthest apart. In order to lower the cleaning head onto the floor surface and press it against it, the first coupling end of the actuator is moved to the second coupling end of the actuator by means of the drive. When carrying out this movement, the cleaning head is first placed in an intermediate position on the floor surface without any additional contact pressure, ie only by its own weight. If the coupling ends of the actuator are now moved further towards each other, ie the actuator is moved into the first actuator end position, the actuating element is increasingly subjected to a force. This force leads to increasing contact pressure of the cleaning head on the floor surface. The contact pressure reaches its maximum value when the actuator has reached the first actuator end position. In order to lift the cleaning head off the floor surface again, the procedure is reversed and the two coupling ends of the actuator are moved towards the second actuator end position. It is also conceivable that the distance between the coupling ends increases when the actuator moves from the second actuator end position to the first actuator end position. In any case, however, both the first coupling end and the second coupling end are coupled to the actuating element connected to the cleaning head.

In the floor cleaning machine according to the invention, the weight of the cleaning head can be chosen to be lower than in the prior art. This means that the positioning and control of the contact pressure of the cleaning head no longer takes place with a high weight of the cleaning head, but essentially with a pressure force. In the structure according to the invention, the actuator raises and lowers the light cleaning head and enables the cleaning head to be additionally pressed against the floor surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head is raised in a first direction of movement of the actuator and lowered and pressed in a second direction of movement. In the structure according to the invention, there is no addition of a high weight of the cleaning head with the contact pressure of the cleaning head on the floor surface. Furthermore, due to the lower weight of the cleaning head, only a correspondingly low force from the actuator is required for lifting. This allows the actuator to be dimensioned smaller.

In one embodiment, the actuator is a linear actuator whose longitudinal axis extends between the first coupling end and the second coupling end. The longitudinal axis also describes the axis along which the linear actuator can be moved. An example of a linear actuator is a pneumatic cylinder, in which an inner section moves or extends against an outer section when the pneumatic cylinder is subjected to a suitable pressure. Both the inner and the outer sections each have a coupling end. In the first actuator end position, the pneumatic cylinder is retracted and has a minimum length, and in the second actuator end position, the pneumatic cylinder is extended and has a maximum length. Alternatively, an electrically or hydraulically driven linear actuator can also be used.

The advantage of using linear actuators is that they are typically inexpensive and robust components. The use of linear actuators therefore leads to a further simplification of the structure.

In one embodiment, the linear actuator is slidably mounted on the machine frame in such a way that it can move along its longitudinal axis relative to the machine frame between two end positions. Such a bearing that can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the machine frame can also be described as a “floating” bearing of the linear actuator. The floating bearing makes it easy to move two coupling ends relative to each other with just one linear actuator. In other words, floating storage of the linear actuator allows the cleaning head to be raised and lowered on the floor surface to be cleaned and applying a variable contact force to the cleaning head.

In one embodiment, the distance between the coupling ends in the first actuator end position is smaller than in the second actuator end position, and the machine frame has a stop element which points towards the second coupling end and a movement of the second coupling end along the longitudinal axis in a direction pointing towards the first coupling end limited. The stop element serves as an abutment for the actuator when moving towards the first actuator end position. This limitation of the movement of the second coupling end allows the actuator to exert a force on the actuating element in the direction of the first end position via the first coupling end on the way to the first actuator end position.

In an embodiment that forms an alternative to the aforementioned variant, the distance between the coupling ends in the first actuator end position is greater than in the second actuator end position, and the machine frame has a stop element that points to the second coupling end and a movement of the second coupling end along the longitudinal axis in a direction pointing away from the first coupling end. Here too, the stop element serves as an abutment for the actuator during the movement towards the first actuator end position, so that the actuator can also exert a force on the actuator in the direction of the first end position via the first coupling end on the way to the first actuator end position.

In a further embodiment, the actuating element has a lever element, the lever element being pivotally connected to the machine frame about a pivot axis between the first and the second end position, the pivot axis preferably running parallel to the floor surface to be cleaned, the cleaning head being spaced from the pivot axis is held on the lever element, wherein the lever element is coupled to the first coupling end at a distance from the pivot axis in such a way that when the first coupling end moves towards the first actuator end position, a force is exerted on the lever element towards the first end position, and wherein the lever element is coupled to the second coupling end at a distance from the pivot axis in such a way that when the second coupling end moves towards the second actuator end position, a force towards the second end position is exerted on the lever element.

The lever element can be designed, for example, as a one-armed or two-armed lever. It is also conceivable that the pivot axis is not aligned parallel to the floor surface.

The use of a lever element has the advantage that it further simplifies the entire structure.

In a further embodiment, the connection between the first coupling end of the actuator and the lever element has a biasing element which is designed to bias the lever element towards the first end position when the first coupling element moves towards the first actuator end position. The biasing element can, for example, have a spring which applies a tensile or compressive force to the lever element. The prestressing element fulfills two functions. On the one hand, the lever element is subjected to the maximum contact pressure specified by the prestressing element. On the other hand, the flexibility of the biasing element allows the cleaning head to quickly adjust its vertical position. Such an adjustment may be necessary, for example, on very uneven floor surfaces in order to be able to move the cleaning head over the floor surface without causing damage.

In a further embodiment, the cleaning head is a brush head and the floor cleaning machine is a scrubber dryer. But it is also conceivable that the cleaning head is a brush head of a sweeper or another type of floor cleaning machine. It is also conceivable that the cleaning head is a work unit of a polishing machine. Both the scrubber dryer, the sweeper and the polishing machine can be hand-operated or have a driver's seat and/or stand from which the floor cleaning machine can be operated, or they can work autonomously.

Fig. 1

eine seitliche Ansicht einer Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Bodenreinigungsmaschine zeigt,

Fig. 2

einen seitlichen Ausschnitt einer Bürstenandruckverstellung der Ausführungsform in einer abgehobenen Stellung zeigt,

Fig. 3

einen seitlichen Ausschnitt der Bürstenandruckverstellung der Ausführungsform in einer abgesenkten, aber nicht angepressten Stellung zeigt,

Fig. 4

einen seitlichen Ausschnitt der Bürstenandruckverstellung der Ausführungsform in einer abgesenkten und angepressten Stellung zeigt,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Zeichnung der Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Bürstenandruckverstellung in einer abgehobenen Stellung zeigt,

Fig. 6

eine schematische Zeichnung der Ausführungsform der Bürstenandruckverstellung in einer abgesenkten, aber nicht angepressten Stellung zeigt und

Fig. 7

eine schematische Zeichnung der Ausführungsform der Bürstenandruckverstellung in einer abgesenkten und angepressten Stellung zeigt.

The method according to the invention is described below using only exemplary schematic drawings, where:

Fig. 1

shows a side view of an embodiment of the floor cleaning machine according to the invention,

Fig. 2

shows a side section of a brush pressure adjustment of the embodiment in a lifted position,

Fig. 3

shows a side section of the brush pressure adjustment of the embodiment in a lowered but not pressed position,

Fig. 4

shows a side section of the brush pressure adjustment of the embodiment in a lowered and pressed position,

Fig. 5

shows a schematic drawing of the embodiment of the brush pressure adjustment according to the invention in a lifted position,

Fig. 6

shows a schematic drawing of the embodiment of the brush pressure adjustment in a lowered but not pressed position and

Fig. 7

shows a schematic drawing of the embodiment of the brush pressure adjustment in a lowered and pressed position.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a floor cleaning machine according to the invention. The floor cleaning machine has a machine frame 1 on which a chassis is provided, of which only the rear wheels 3 are shown in the figures, so that the floor cleaning machine can drive over a floor surface 5 to be cleaned. In the rear area, a suction device designed as a suction base 7 is attached to the machine frame 1, with which liquid can be sucked off the floor surface 5 to be cleaned.

Above the suction cup 7, a dirty water tank 9 is attached to the machine frame 1, which has an inlet 11, and the inlet 11 and the suction cup 7 are connected to one another via a dirty water supply line 13.

The dirty water tank 9 has a lid, and an upward-pointing opening is closed by means of the lid 14 of the dirty water tank 9, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis S, but can be opened by pivoting the lid 14. Above the inner volume of the dirty water tank 9, a suction 15 is provided on the lid 14, the suction side of which is connected to the inner volume of the dirty water tank 9 via a suction line 17 and a connection 19 in the lid 14. However, it is also conceivable that the connection is mounted in a side wall of the dirty water tank 9.

Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 On the machine frame 1, a cleaning head 21 is held in a height-adjustable manner on a brush pressure adjustment 23. With the help of the brush pressure adjustment 23, it is possible to lower the cleaning head 21 towards the floor surface and lift it away from it. The first end position denotes the state in which the cleaning head 21 or an adjusting element, which is movably mounted on the machine frame 1 and is coupled to the cleaning head 21, is lowered onto the floor surface 5 and pressed. The second end position denotes the state in which the cleaning head 21 or the adjusting element is lifted off the floor surface. The cleaning head 21 is in this exemplary embodiment a scrubber dryer driven in rotation via a motor (not shown) and has brush elements 25 which can engage with the floor surface 5. The cleaning head 21 is therefore the brush head of a scrubber dryer. However, it is also conceivable that the cleaning head 21 represents a sweeping device of a sweeper or the work unit of a polishing machine.

Figs. 2a and 2b show a side view of the embodiment of the brush pressure adjustment 23, in which the cleaning head 21 is arranged in the second end position, ie in a raised position. Fig. 2a shows a holding frame 27 of the brush pressure adjustment, which is adapted to be mounted on the machine frame 1 and on which the in Fig. 2b shown means for raising and lowering the cleaning head 21 are attached.

Shows in detail Fig. 2a the holding frame 27 with a first and second guide groove 29, 31, which are aligned parallel to one another and to a longitudinal axis L of the holding frame 27 and spaced apart from one another. A first and a second guide element 33, 35 are slidably guided in the guide grooves 29, 31. The first guide member 33 is adapted to be connected to a first coupling end (not shown) of an actuator (not shown). The second guide member 35 is adapted to be connected to a second coupling end (not shown) of the actuator. The actuator has a drive that is designed so that the distance between the first and second coupling ends can be adjusted between a first actuator end position and a second actuator end position. The distance in the first actuator end position is smaller than in the second actuator end position. The actuator can, for example, be a linear actuator whose longitudinal axis extends between the first coupling end and the second coupling end. An example of a linear actuator is a pneumatic cylinder. In addition, the linear actuator is slidably mounted on the machine frame 1 or the holding frame 27 in such a way that it can move, for example, along its longitudinal axis relative to the machine frame between two end positions. The free movement of the actuator is limited by stop elements in the form of the horizontal limitation of the guide grooves 29, 31. As a result, for example, one end of the second guide groove 31 points as a stop element towards the first coupling element in the first guide groove 29 and limits a movement of the second coupling element along the longitudinal axis in a direction pointing towards the first coupling element.

In Fig. 2b it can be seen how the holding frame 27 and the cleaning head 21 are attached. The cleaning head 21 has a cable pull at its upper end 37 with a first end 39a 39 coupled. The cable pull 39 is guided over a deflection roller 41 and is coupled to the holding frame 27 at a second end 39b via an eyelet member 43 with an eyelet and a spring 45. The spring 45 keeps the cable 39 under tension in all positions of the second guide element 35. The eyelet member 43 in turn is guided displaceably in the eyelet Ö by the second guide element 35. The cleaning head 21 is further coupled at its upper end 37 to a free end 47 of a one-armed lever element 49. Furthermore, a fixed end of the lever element 49 is pivotally connected, for example, to the machine frame 1 at a pivot point D, the axis of rotation or pivot axis at the pivot point D preferably running parallel to the floor surface 5 to be cleaned. The cleaning head 21 is thus held on the lever element 49 at a distance from the pivot axis D. The lever element 49 has an element 53 in an area between its free end 47 and its fixed end 51, which is coupled to the second guide element 33 via a biasing element in the form of a lever spring 55.

The upper end 37 of the cleaning head 21 and the lever element 49 form an actuating element to which the cleaning head 21 is coupled. The actuating element is movably mounted on the machine frame 1 between a first and a second end position and is coupled to the cleaning head 21 in such a way that when the actuating element moves towards the first end position, the cleaning head 21 is lowered and pressed towards the floor surface 5 and that the cleaning head 21 is lifted from the floor surface 5 when the actuating element moves towards the second end position.

In the following, the term first and second end position of the actuating element is used synonymously with a position of the cleaning head 21 in the embodiment described here. This direct transferability results from the direct coupling of the actuating element with the cleaning head 21, which has the upper end of the cleaning head 37.

To move into the first end position, the actuating element is coupled to the first coupling end of the actuator via the first guide element 33 in such a way that when the first coupling end moves towards the first actuator end position, the actuating element is subjected to a force that moves the actuating element towards the first final position. To move into the second end position, the actuating element is coupled to the second coupling end of the actuator via the second guide element 35 in such a way that when the second coupling end moves towards the second actuator end position, the actuating element is subjected to a force which moves the actuating element towards the second final position.

In Fig. 2 the actuating element and the cleaning head 21 coupled to it are positioned in its lifted position, ie in its second end position. This second end position results directly from the second actuator end position, in which the coupling ends of the actuator are maximally extended relative to one another. As a result, the guide elements 33, 35 coupled to the coupling ends are also positioned in the guide grooves 29, 31 at a maximum distance A _max from one another.

As a result of the arrangement of the guide elements 33, 35 in the second actuator end position, the actuating element or the upper end 37 of the cleaning head 21 is subjected to a total force, which results from two essentially the same directed but different strong partial forces with different points of application on the holding frame 27 . The first partial force results from the coupling of the second guide element 35 with the eyelet member 43 and the resulting loading of the eyelet member 43 with a force which acts parallel to the spring force of the spring 45 and which acts counter to that coupled by means of the cable 39 via the deflection roller 41 The weight of the cleaning head 21 acts and lifts the cleaning head 21.

The second partial force results from the coupling of the upper end 37 of the cleaning head 21 with the lever element 49. The weight of the lever element 49 leads to a torque directed in the direction of the bottom surface 5 about the pivot point D, although the lever spring 55 produces this torque depending on the Position of the first guide element 33 and the position of the upper end 37 of the cleaning head 21 is influenced. Both partial forces add up in the second actuator end position to form a total force, which results in the cleaning head 21 being lifted off the floor surface 5 to be cleaned.

Fig. 3 shows the same structure as in Fig. 2 in an intermediate position of the cleaning head 21. This intermediate position occurs when the cleaning head 21 moves from the second end position into the first end position, ie the cleaning head 21 is lowered and pressed, or the cleaning head 21 moves from the first end position into the second end position , that is, is withdrawn. In the intermediate position the actuator is partially retracted. This has how Fig. 3a shows, as a result, that the guide elements 33, 35 connected to the coupling ends have a distance A from one another that is smaller than the distance A _max in the second actuator end position. The main difference to the second actuator end position Fig. 2 is the position of the second guide element 35 and thus the position of the eyelet member 43, to which the cleaning head 21 is connected via the cable pull 39. The position of the first

Guide element 33 is essentially the same. The cleaning head 21 is in the intermediate position, as in Fig. 3b shown, lowered onto the floor surface 5, but not pressed.

As in the second end position, the total force results from the weight of the cleaning head 21 and the torque of the lever element 49. However, the now lowered position of the cleaning head 21 and the unchanged position of the first guide element 33 means that the spring 45 and not the guide element 35 generates a tensile force in the cable 39. In comparison with the second end position, the guide element 35 therefore no longer acts in the intermediate position. Overall, this results in a reduced overall force compared to the second end position.

Fig. 4 shows the same structure as Fig. 2 and 3 in the first end position of the cleaning head, ie the first actuator end position. In the first actuator end position, the actuator is adjusted with the help of the drive in such a way that the two coupling ends and thus the two guide elements 33, 35 in Fig. 4a, b have a minimum distance A _min from one another. The main difference to the intermediate position is the position of the first guide element 33, which is now positioned such that it applies a tensile force to the element 53 by stretching the second lever spring 55. The result of this is that the partial force resulting from the torque of the lever element 49 on the upper end 37 of the cleaning head 21 is increased in comparison to the intermediate position and the actuating element or the cleaning head 21 is pressed against the floor surface 5 to be cleaned in such a way that the brush elements 25 can intervene more strongly with the floor surface 5. This is achieved in that the second guide element 35 rests on the end of the second guide groove 31 pointing towards the first coupling end, this end forming a stop which prevents the second coupling end connected to the second guide element from moving towards the first coupling end . This prevents the entire floating actuator from moving, and the first coupling end carries out a relative movement to the machine frame 1 when moving into the first actuator end position. This in turn tensions the lever spring 55.

In other words, this means that the lever element 49 is coupled to the first coupling end at a distance from the pivot axis in such a way that when the first coupling end moves towards the first actuator end position, a force towards the first end position is exerted on the lever element 49. For this purpose, the connection between the first coupling end of the actuator and the lever element 49 has a biasing element in the form of the lever spring 55 on, which is designed to bias the lever element 49 towards the first end position when the first coupling element moves to the first actuator end position.

In the following Fig. 5 to 7 The embodiment according to the invention is generally explained using schematic principle sketches. The Figures 5 to 7 show the three positions that the brush pressure adjustment assumes when the cleaning head 21 is moved from a raised position (second end position) into a lowered and pressed position (first end position). When transitioning from the first end position to the second end position, the brush pressure adjustment assumes the positions in the reverse order.

Fig. 5 shows an actuator 57 with a first and second coupling end 59, 61. The first coupling end 59 is connected to the first guide element 33 and movably received in the first, stationary guide groove 29. A fixed connection can be, for example, the connection to the machine frame 1. The first guide element 33 is further connected via a first biasing element or the lever spring 55 to an actuating element 63, which has a lever element 49 and the upper end 37 of the cleaning head 21. The lever element 49 is designed as a one-armed lever and is mounted stationary at the pivot point D, but pivotable about an axis of rotation about the pivot point D. As already explained, the axis of rotation can, for example, be parallel or essentially parallel to the bottom surface 5. The lever element 49 is further rotatably coupled to the upper end 37, preferably rotatable about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the lever element 49 at the pivot point D.

The second coupling end 61 is connected to the second guide element 35. The second guide element 35 is also movably accommodated in the second guide groove 31 in a second receptacle 31. The second receptacle 31 'is fixed in place via the second spring 45. The second receptacle 31 'is also connected to the adjusting element 63 at its upper end 37 via the pull cable 39.

In Fig. 5 is the embodiment of the brush pressure adjustment 23 in the second actuator end position, in which the first and second coupling ends 59, 61 have a maximum distance A _max from each other. In the second actuator end position, the first guide element 33 is in a position relative to the first guide groove 29 in which the movement of the first guide element 33 with the first coupling end 59 is limited by the first guide groove 29. Furthermore, the second guide element 35 is in a position relative to the second guide groove 31, which is determined by the maximum travel of the second coupling end 61 of the actuator 57. In this Position, the actuating element or the upper end 37 and thus the cleaning head 21 is subjected to a force via the connection 39, so that the cleaning head 21 is lifted off the floor surface 5. The control element is now in the second end position.

Fig. 6 shows the structure schematically Fig. 5 in an intermediate position. In the intermediate position, the first and second coupling ends 59, 61 are arranged at a distance A from one another which is smaller than the maximum distance A _max but larger than the minimum distance A _min of the first actuator end position. In the intermediate position, the guide elements 33, 35 are arranged relative to the guide grooves 31, 33 and/or the actuator 57 in such a way that the cleaning head 21 is placed on the bottom surface 5 but is not pressed. In this position, the pressure of the cleaning head 21 can be reduced by the spring 45 if the spring 45 is dimensioned accordingly.

Fig. 7 finally shows the structure schematically Fig. 6 in the first actuator end position. In this position, the first and second coupling ends 59, 61 are arranged at a minimum distance A _min from one another. The position of the actuator 57 is determined in the first actuator end position by the stop 65, against which the second coupling end 61 rests, so that the second coupling end 61 is prevented from moving towards the first coupling end 59. In this actuator position, the first guide element 33 is positioned relative to the first guide groove 29 in such a way that the first biasing element 55 applies a force to the actuating element 63 or its lever element 49, which presses the cleaning head 21 against the floor surface 5. The control element is now in the first end position. Since the second coupling element 61 rests on the stop 65, when the actuator 57 is moved towards the first actuator end position, it cannot move relative to the machine frame 1 towards the first coupling end 59. This means that only the first coupling end 59 can move, which then deforms the lever spring 55 and thus determines the force with which the cleaning head 21 is pressed towards the floor surface 5.

In the embodiment according to the invention, the vertical position that the cleaning head 21 assumes relative to the floor surface 5 is determined solely by the position of the actuator 57, and the force with which the cleaning head 21 is pressed against the floor surface 5 is set. The force that the actuator 57 itself exerts does not have to be controlled. To set this force, it is sufficient to specify the position that the actuator should assume, which also simplifies the structure in terms of control technology.

Reference symbols

1

Machine frame

3

rear wheel

5

floor area

7

Suction cup

9

dirty water tank

11

inlet

13

Dirty water supply line

14

Lid

15

suction

17

suction line

19

Connection

21

Cleaning head

23

Brush pressure adjustment

25

Brush element

27

Holding frame

29

first guide groove

31

second guide groove

33

first leadership element

35

second leadership element

37

upper end of the cleaning head

39

pulley

41

pulley

43

eye link

45

Feather

47

free end of the lever element

49

Lever element

51

fixed end of the lever arm

53

element

55

Lever spring

57

actuator

59

first coupling end

61

second coupling end

63

Control element

65

attack

Claims (8)

1. A floor cleaning machine

   having a machine frame (1),

   having a chassis attached to the machine frame (1) for moving the floor cleaning machine over a floor surface (5) to be cleaned,

   having a cleaning head (21), which is mounted on the machine frame (1) in a height-adjustable manner, such that the cleaning head (21) can be lowered toward the floor surface (5) and lifted away from it,

   having an adjusting element which is movably mounted on the machine frame (1) between a first and a second end position and which is coupled to the cleaning head (21) in such a way that on movement of the adjusting element to the first end position the cleaning head (21) is lowered and is pressed toward the floor surface (5) and that, on movement of the actuating element toward the second end position, the cleaning head (21) is lifted from the floor surface (5),

   having an actuator (57) which has a first and a second coupling end (59, 61), the actuator (57) having a drive which is designed such that the spacing of the first and second coupling ends (59, 61) between a first actuator end position and a second actuator end position can be set, characterized in that

   the first coupling end (59) of the actuator (57) is coupled to the actuating element in such a way that on movement of the first coupling end (59) toward the first actuator end position, the actuating element is subjected to a force which drives the actuating element toward the first end position, and

   wherein the second coupling end (61) of the actuator (57) is coupled to the actuating element in such a way that on movement of the second coupling end (61) toward the second actuator end position, the actuating element is subjected to a force which drives the actuating element toward the second end position.
2. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a linear actuator whose longitudinal axis extends between the first coupling end (59) and the second coupling end (61).
3. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 2, wherein the linear actuator (57) is slidably mounted on the machine frame (1) in such a way that it can move along its longitudinal axis relative to the machine frame (1) between two end positions.
4. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein the spacing between the first coupling end (59) and the second coupling end (61) is smaller in the first actuator end position than in the second actuator end position, wherein the machine frame (1) has a stop element (65) which points to the second coupling end (61) and limits movement of the second coupling end (61) along the longitudinal axis in a direction pointing toward the first coupling end (59).
5. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein the spacing between the first coupling end (59) and the second coupling end (61) in the first actuator end position is greater than in the second actuator end position, wherein the machine frame (1) has a stop element (65) which points to the second coupling end (61) and limits movement of the second coupling end (61) along the longitudinal axis in a direction pointing away from the first coupling end (59).
6. The floor cleaning machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuating element has a lever element (49), wherein the lever element (49) is pivotably connected to the machine frame (1) about a pivot axis (D) between the first and the second end positions, wherein the pivot axis (D) preferably runs parallel to the floor surface (5) to be cleaned,

   wherein the cleaning head (21) is mounted on the lever element (49) at a distance from the pivot axis (D),

   wherein the lever element (49) is coupled to the first coupling end (59) at a distance from the pivot axis (D) in such a way that, on movement of the first coupling end (59) toward the first actuator end position, a force toward the first end position is exerted on the lever element (49), and

   wherein the lever element (49) is coupled to the second coupling end (61) at a distance from the pivot axis (D) in such a way that, on movement of the second coupling end (61) toward the second actuator end position, a force toward the second end position is exerted on the lever element (49).
7. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 6, wherein the connection between the first coupling end (59) of the actuator (57) and the lever element (49) has a biasing element (55) which, on movement of the first coupling element (59) toward the first actuator end position, is designed to bias the lever element (49) toward the first end position.
8. The floor cleaning machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning head (21) is a brush head of a scrubber dryer.

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