EP3804600B1

EP3804600B1 - Floor scrubber drier

Info

Publication number: EP3804600B1
Application number: EP20200730.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuliano RIGO; Renato GIUPPONI
Original assignee: Adiatek Srl
Current assignee: Adiatek Srl
Priority date: 2019-10-11
Filing date: 2020-10-08
Publication date: 2023-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2040-10-08
Also published as: EP3804600C0; EP3804600A1; IT201900018527A1

Description

The present invention relates to a floor scrubber dryer.
Floor scrubber dryers are known and widely used which are constituted by a supporting frame, provided with optionally motorized traction wheels and provided, in its lower part directed toward the floor, with a washing and drying assembly.
The washing and drying assembly is typically constituted by at least one nozzle for dispensing the washing liquid, by one or more rotating brushes, generally with a vertical axis.
To the rear of the brushes and the nozzle, with respect to the forward travel direction of the machine, there is at least one suction port and a floor wiper for collecting the dispensed liquid and the dirt.
Typically, the floor wiper has a curvilinear extension which is extended around a vertical axis of the floor wiper, said axis being arranged to the rear of, or coinciding with, the axis of the brushes with respect to the forward travel direction of the machine.
The floor wiper is supported so that it can rotate about its own axis so as to be arranged always to the rear of the forward travel direction of the machine, so as to ensure correct drying.
Known floors scrubber dryers are provided with means for moving the washing and drying assembly between an active lowered position, in which the brush and the floor wiper rest on the floor, and a raised or inactive position, in which the brush and the floor wiper are raised with respect to the floor. US2015/359397 discloses such a floor scrubber dyer.
Although this solution is widely used, it is not however free from drawbacks.
In particular, it is necessary to lift all of the washing and drying assembly also if it is necessary to perform maneuvers that provide for reversal of the direction of travel.
Furthermore, this solution is not fully effective in some situations of dirt that is extremely difficult to remove.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a floor scrubber dryer that is capable of improving the background art in one or more of the aspects indicated above.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a floor scrubber drier that is highly maneuverable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a floor scrubber dryer that is extremely compact, especially in a longitudinal direction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a floor scrubber dryer that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and at competitive costs.
This aim, as well as these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a floor scrubber dryer according to claim 1, optionally provided with one or more of the characteristics of the dependent claims.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the floor scrubber dryer according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a lateral elevation view of a floor scrubber dryer according to the invention with the cleaning means in the active position and with the floor wiper in the lowered position;
Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1, but with the floor wiper in the raised position;
Figure 3 is a top view of the cleaning means and of the rear wheels, with the floor wiper in a first angular position;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cleaning means and of the rear wheels, with the floor wiper in a first angular position with the floor wiper in the lowered position;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cleaning means and of the rear wheels, with the floor wiper in a second angular position with the floor wiper in a lowered position;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cleaning means and of the rear wheels, with the floor wiper in a first angular position and in a raised position.

With reference to the figures, the floor scrubber dryer according to the invention, designated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprises a base frame 2 which is provided, in its lower region 2a directed toward the floor, with cleaning means 10.
The cleaning means 10 comprise a brush 11, which can rotate on command about a rotation axis 100 that is substantially perpendicular to the floor, means for dispensing a washing liquid, and means 20 for picking up the dirty liquid.
The means 20 for picking up the dirty liquid comprise a suction assembly 21 and a floor wiper 22.
The floor wiper 22 is arranged to the rear of the brush 11 along the direction of forward travel of the base frame 2 on the floor.
The floor wiper 22 is extended around the brush 11 and can move along a movement trajectory that is extended around the axis of rotation 100 of the brush 11.
The floor scrubber dryer is provided with first means for the movement of the cleaning means 10 in order to move said cleaning means 10 between an active lowered position, in which the brush 11 and the floor wiper 22 rest on the floor, and a raised or inactive position, in which the brush 11 and the floor wiper 22 are raised with respect to the floor.
According to the present invention, the floor scrubber dryer 1 comprises second movement means 30, which act on the floor wiper 22, at least with the cleaning means 10 in the lowered position.
The second movement means 30 are adapted to move on command the floor wiper 22, independently of the brush 11, between a lowered position, in which the floor wiper 22 rests on the floor, and a raised position, in which the floor wiper 22 is in a raised position with respect to the floor.
Preferably, the second movements means 30 can be actuated manually by the user, for example by means of a lever or an actuation device in general.
In this manner, the user, if he finds this necessary, can actuate directly and effectively the transition of the floor wiper 22 from the lowered position to the raised position and vice versa.
In this regard, the user can for example act on the actuation device in order to lift the floor wiper 22 before reversing.
Conveniently, the floor scrubber dryer 1 is provided with a safety sensor element that is adapted to prevent reversing motion if the floor wiper 22 is in the lowered position.
The sensor element is associated with an acoustic and/or visual signaling device so that if the user engages the reverse gear without first lifting the floor wiper 22 there is a signal such as to suggest the user to act on the actuation device.
In particular, the second movement means 30 allow to lift from the floor exclusively the floor wiper 22, keeping the brush 11 in the lowered position.
According to a particularly important aspect of the present invention, the second movement means 30 comprise angular orientation means 40 which are adapted to allow the movement of the floor wiper 22 between the lowered position and the raised position and vice versa, keeping unchanged the angular position of the floor wiper 22 with respect to the rotation axis 100.
Conveniently, the angular orientation means 40 comprise at least one engagement element 41 which is supported by the floor wiper 22 and can engage an abutment element 42 that is supported by the brush 11 and is extended along the movement trajectory.
With reference to the practical embodiment shown in the figure, the engagement element 41 comprises a hook-shaped element and the abutment element 42 comprises an elongated body that extends below the hook-shaped element along the movement trajectory.
In this case, the second movement means comprise means for lifting the elongated body with respect to the brush 11 in order to lift the hook-shaped element and consequently the floor wiper 22.
Conveniently, the elongated body has a substantially semicircular extension and is hinged to a fixed frame 44 which supports the brush 11 about a first tilting axis 101 that is arranged close to the axis 100 of the brush 11.
In this manner, an upward or downward rotation of the elongated body about the first tilting axis 101 causes the lifting and lowering of the hook-shaped element, regardless of its angular position about the axis 100 of the brush 11.
Advantageously, the floor wiper 22 is connected to a supporting arm 23 that is extended radially with respect to the axis 100 of the brush 11.
The supporting arm 23 is supported rotatably, at a first free end, at the base frame 2 in order to allow the rotation of the floor wiper 22 about the axis 100 of the brush 11 along the movement trajectory.
The supporting arm 23 is furthermore articulated about a second tilting axis 102, at the second free end that is opposite the first free end, to the floor wiper 22.
The second tilting axis 102 is substantially parallel to the first tilting axis 101 and substantially corresponds to a centroid axis of the floor wiper 22.
The floor wiper 22 is associated with at least one adjustment wheel 24 which pivots about an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis 100 of the brush 11.
Advantageously, the floor wiper 22 is associated with two or more adjustment wheels 24.
The or each adjustment wheel 24 is designed to rest slidingly on the floor when the floor wiper 22 is in the lowered position.
The adjustment wheels 24 are associated with means for lifting/lowering with respect to the floor wiper in order to adjust the position of the lower edge of the floor wiper 22 with the cleaning means in the lowered active position.
In particular, the floor scrubber dryer 1 comprises a pair of rear wheels 50 which are arranged to the rear of the floor wiper 22 along the advancement direction of the base frame 2 on the floor.
Preferably, the second movement means comprise a cable element 43, which is connected to an actuation element and acts between a portion of the abutment element 42 and of the base frame 2, in order to lift and lower the rear end of said abutment element 42.
Conveniently, the abutment element 42 has, when the floor wiper 22 is in the lowered position, an extension away from the ground from the rear end to the front end with respect to the advancement direction.
This allows to lift by the same height the engagement hook regardless of its angular position about the axis 100 of the brush 11.
The operation of the floor scrubber dryer 1 according to the invention is as follows.
The user, by acting on the first movement means, moves on command the cleaning means 10, constituted moreover by the brush 11 and by the floor wiper 22, between an active lowered position, in which the brush 11 and the floor wiper 22 rest on the floor, and a raised or inactive position, in which the brush 11 and the floor wiper 22 are raised with respect to the floor.
When the cleaning means 10 are in the active lowered position, the operator may, by actuating the second movement means, lift and optionally lower exclusively the floor wiper 22, keeping the brush 11 in the active position, and optionally operating together with the dispenser of the washing liquid.
The presence of the angular orientation means 40 allows, during the lifting (and subsequent lowering) step of the floor wiper 22, to keep unchanged the angular position of the floor wiper 22 with respect to the axis 100 of the brush 11.
In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, providing a floor scrubber dryer that has an extremely high performance and is extremely maneuverable.
The possibility to lift the floor wiper 22 independently of the brush 11 allows to increase maneuverability and to also use the machine with a dispensing and washing function, subsequently providing drying at a later time, in a subsequent pass after the lowering of the floor wiper 22.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A floor scrubber drier (1) comprising a base frame (2) provided, in its lower region (2a) directed toward the floor, with cleaning means (10) which comprise a brush (11) which can rotate on command about an axis of rotation (100) that is substantially perpendicular to the floor, means for dispensing a washing liquid, means (20) for picking up the dirty liquid which comprise a suction assembly (21) and a floor wiper (22) arranged to the rear of said brush (11) along the forward travel direction of said base frame (2) on the floor, said floor wiper (22) being extended around said brush (11) and being movable along a movement trajectory that extends around the axis of rotation (100) of said brush (11), first means being provided for the movement of said cleaning means (10) between an active lowered position, in which said brush (11) and said floor wiper (22) rest on the floor, and a raised or inactive position, in which said brush (11) and said floor wiper (22) are raised with respect to the floor, wherein the floor scrubber drier (1) further comprises second movement means (30) which act on said floor wiper (22), at least with said cleaning means (10) in the active lowered position, and are adapted to move on command said floor wiper (22), independently of said brush (11), between a lowered position, in which said floor wiper (22) rests on the floor, and a raised position, in which said floor wiper (22) is in a raised position with respect to said floor characterized in that said second movement means (30) can be actuated manually by the user by means of an actuation device or lever.
The floor scrubber drier according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a safety sensor element adapted to prevent reversing motion if said floor wiper (22) is in the lowered position.
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said second movement means comprise angular orientation means (40) which are adapted to allow the movement of said floor wiper (22) between said lowered position and said raised position and vice versa, keeping unchanged the angular position of said floor wiper (22) with respect to the axis of rotation (100) of said brush (11).
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said angular orientation means (40) comprise at least one engagement element (41) which is supported by said floor wiper (22) and can engage an abutment element (42) supported by said brush (11) and extending along said movement trajectory.
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said engagement element (41) comprises a hook-shaped element and said abutment element (42) comprises an elongated body which extends below said hook-shaped element along said movement trajectory, said second movement means comprising means for lifting said elongated body with respect to said brush (11) in order to lift said hook-shaped element and consequently said floor wiper (22).
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said elongated body has a substantially semicircular extension and is hinged to a fixed frame, which supports said brush, about a first tilting axis (101) which is arranged close to said axis (100) of said brush (11).
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said floor wiper (22) is connected to a supporting arm (23) which is extended radially with respect to the axis (100) of said brush (11) and is supported rotatably, at a first free end, to said base frame (2) in order to allow the rotation of said floor wiper (22) about the axis (100) of said brush (11) along said movement trajectory, said supporting arm (23) being articulated about a second tilting axis (102), at the second free end which is opposite the first free end, to said floor wiper (22), said second tilting axis (102) substantially corresponding to a centroid axis of said floor wiper (22).
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said floor wiper (22) is associated with at least one adjustment wheel (24) which pivots about an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis (100) of said brush (11), said at least one adjustment wheel (24) being designed to rest slidingly on the floor with said floor wiper (22) in the lowered position.
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a pair of rear wheels (50) which are arranged to the rear of said floor wiper (22) along the forward travel direction of said base frame (2) on the floor.
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said second movement means comprise a cable element (43) for the lifting and lowering of the lower end of said abutment element (42).
The floor scrubber drier (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said abutment element (42) has, when said floor wiper (22) is in the lowered position, an extension away from the ground from the rear end to the front end with respect to the forward travel direction of said base frame (2) on said floor.