GB2028115A

GB2028115A - Floor cleaning device

Info

Publication number: GB2028115A
Application number: GB7927232A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-08-14
Filing date: 1979-08-03
Publication date: 1980-03-05
Also published as: FR2433329B1; GB2028115B; DE2928808C2; CH632143A5; DE2928808A1; FR2433329A1

Abstract

A floor cleaning device comprises a holding plate 1 from which bristles 7 project downwardly and penetrate into a floor cleaning pad 3, the bristles being of different length, and the longest bristles having enlarged heads 6. This arrangement ensures that the cleaning pad can be held springily, so that it can follow irregularities in the floor, and that the cleaning pad does not fall off when the holding plate is lifted up from the floor. The plate may be circular and rotated, or it may be rectangular and reciprocated by means of a motor. Alternatively, the device may be operated manually. The pad may be made of plastics fibre fleece, and may contain an abrasive material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Floor cleaning equipment The invention relates to floor cleaning equipment of the kind having a holding plate from the lower face of which there projects a multiplicity of bristles with small heads, distributed over the lower surface of the plate, for supporting a cleaning pad.

A disadvantage of this kind of floor cleaning equipment lies in the fact that the cleaning pad supported by the bristles cannot follow irregularities in the floor satisfactorily, and the use of a compressible intermediate layer does not afford a substantial improvement.

An object of the invention is to solve the problem of producing floor cleaning equipment of the kind described in the introduction, and to improve it in such a way that the cleaning pad can follow irregularities in the floor better. Also, the invention makes it possible to manufacture such holding plates equipped with bristles in a simpler and more economical manner than hitherto.

According to the invention, floor cleaning equipment of the kind described is characterised in that there are a number of tufts of bristles distributed over and projecting from said lower face of the holding plate, the bristles of which are of different lengths.

Since the cleaning pad, which normally consists of a plastics fibre fleece, now rests on a large number of bristles which are flexible and can also penetrate to different depths in the fleece, the cleaning pad as a whole can follow any irregularities on the floor much better. In addition, the manufacture of such plates equipped with tufts of bristles is relatively simple and can be carried out with automatic industrial machines.

A construction example of the subject of the invention is shown in the Drawing.

Figure 1 is a side view of the cleaning equipment with a rotatable holding plate, partially in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a bore with a tuft of bristles secured in it.

The cleaning device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a circular holding plate 1 made of a plastics material, plywood sheet or the like, for example. To the holding plate 1 a shaft 2 is rigidly connected and can be connected via a releasable connection to a cleaning machine equipped with a drive motor and known per se, so that the shaft 2 and the holding plate 1 together carry out a rotary movement. At a short distance from the lower face 9 of the plate a floor cleaning pad 3 is secured with the aid of bristles 7. The floor cleaning pad 3 normally consists of a plastics fibre fleece of a known type, possibly incorporating an abrasive material.

A multiplicity of tufts 5 of bristles is inserted in the holding plate 1, distributed over its entire surface. The lower face 9 of the plate contains a large number of approximately conical or truncated cone-shaped bores 4 which accommodate the tufts 5 of bristles which are secured to the base of the bore in a known way by a wire loop 8. Each tuft 5 of bristles consists preferably of three to five individual springy bristles of different lengths, which are bent round at the base of the bore, and the ends of which project beyond the lower face 9 of the plate. The longest bristle is provided at its outer end with a small head 6 which is preferably produced by singeing. The bristle concerned penetrates into the cleaning pad 3 via this small head 6 and holds the pad securely when the plate is lifted up from the floor.The cleaning pad 3 can be released from the bristles by a gentle downwards tug.

The bores in the central region of the plate have a longitudinal axis which extends at right angles to the lower face 9 of the plate. At the outer edge these longitudinal axes may be inclined slightly outwards, however.

As the bores 4 are conical, the inserted bristles 7 extend along the wall of the bore so that they diverge outwards from the base of the bore, as shown in the Drawing.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the bristles are of different length. The length of these bristles which projects beyond the lower face 9 of the plate amounts to 6-20 mm. There are 100-400, and preferably approximately 200-300, tufts 5 of bristles per dm2 of plate surface. The individual bristles, which are made of plastics material, preferably of a polyamide, have a thickness of 0.4-0.8 mm, and preferably approximately 0.6 mm.

instead of a circular rotating holding plate, an approximately rectangular plate could also be used, for to-and-for movements by a drive motor or for manual cleaning purposes.

1. Floor cleaning equipment of the kind having a holding plate from the lower face of which there projects a multiplicity of bristles distributed over the lower face and equipped with small heads, for carrying along a cleaning pad, characterised in that there are a number of tufts of bristles distributed over and projecting from said lower face of the holding plate, the bristles of which are of different lengths.

2. Floor cleaning equipment according to Claim 1, characterised in that the lower face of the holding plate has a number of conical bores in each of which a tuft of bristles is secured by means of a loop, the bristles of each diverging outwardly from their respective bore.

3. Floor cleaning equipment according to Claim 2 characterised in that each tuft of bristles consists of at least two bristles of different length, bent round at the base of the bore.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Floor cleaning equipment The invention relates to floor cleaning equipment of the kind having a holding plate from the lower face of which there projects a multiplicity of bristles with small heads, distributed over the lower surface of the plate, for supporting a cleaning pad. A disadvantage of this kind of floor cleaning equipment lies in the fact that the cleaning pad supported by the bristles cannot follow irregularities in the floor satisfactorily, and the use of a compressible intermediate layer does not afford a substantial improvement. An object of the invention is to solve the problem of producing floor cleaning equipment of the kind described in the introduction, and to improve it in such a way that the cleaning pad can follow irregularities in the floor better. Also, the invention makes it possible to manufacture such holding plates equipped with bristles in a simpler and more economical manner than hitherto. According to the invention, floor cleaning equipment of the kind described is characterised in that there are a number of tufts of bristles distributed over and projecting from said lower face of the holding plate, the bristles of which are of different lengths. Since the cleaning pad, which normally consists of a plastics fibre fleece, now rests on a large number of bristles which are flexible and can also penetrate to different depths in the fleece, the cleaning pad as a whole can follow any irregularities on the floor much better. In addition, the manufacture of such plates equipped with tufts of bristles is relatively simple and can be carried out with automatic industrial machines. A construction example of the subject of the invention is shown in the Drawing. Figure 1 is a side view of the cleaning equipment with a rotatable holding plate, partially in section. Figure 2 is a vertical section through a bore with a tuft of bristles secured in it. The cleaning device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a circular holding plate 1 made of a plastics material, plywood sheet or the like, for example. To the holding plate 1 a shaft 2 is rigidly connected and can be connected via a releasable connection to a cleaning machine equipped with a drive motor and known per se, so that the shaft 2 and the holding plate 1 together carry out a rotary movement. At a short distance from the lower face 9 of the plate a floor cleaning pad 3 is secured with the aid of bristles 7. The floor cleaning pad 3 normally consists of a plastics fibre fleece of a known type, possibly incorporating an abrasive material. A multiplicity of tufts 5 of bristles is inserted in the holding plate 1, distributed over its entire surface. The lower face 9 of the plate contains a large number of approximately conical or truncated cone-shaped bores 4 which accommodate the tufts 5 of bristles which are secured to the base of the bore in a known way by a wire loop 8. Each tuft 5 of bristles consists preferably of three to five individual springy bristles of different lengths, which are bent round at the base of the bore, and the ends of which project beyond the lower face 9 of the plate. The longest bristle is provided at its outer end with a small head 6 which is preferably produced by singeing. The bristle concerned penetrates into the cleaning pad 3 via this small head 6 and holds the pad securely when the plate is lifted up from the floor.The cleaning pad 3 can be released from the bristles by a gentle downwards tug. The bores in the central region of the plate have a longitudinal axis which extends at right angles to the lower face 9 of the plate. At the outer edge these longitudinal axes may be inclined slightly outwards, however. As the bores 4 are conical, the inserted bristles 7 extend along the wall of the bore so that they diverge outwards from the base of the bore, as shown in the Drawing. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the bristles are of different length. The length of these bristles which projects beyond the lower face 9 of the plate amounts to 6-20 mm. There are 100-400, and preferably approximately 200-300, tufts 5 of bristles per dm2 of plate surface. The individual bristles, which are made of plastics material, preferably of a polyamide, have a thickness of 0.4-0.8 mm, and preferably approximately 0.6 mm. instead of a circular rotating holding plate, an approximately rectangular plate could also be used, for to-and-for movements by a drive motor or for manual cleaning purposes. CLAIMS

4. Floor cleaning equipment according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that only the longest bristles are equipped with small heads.

5. Floor cleaning equipment according to Claim 2 or 3 characterised in that the longitudinal axes of the bores are variously inclined.

6. Floor cleaning equipment according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the length of the bristles projecting from the lower face of the holding plate is 6-20mm.

7. Floor cleaning equipment according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that there are 100-400, and preferably 200-300, tufts of bristles per dm2 of lower plate surface.

8. Floor cleaning equipment according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that the bristles have a thickness of 0.4-0.8mm, and preferably 0.6 mm, and are made of a plastics material.

9. Floor cleaning equipment according to Claim 8, characterised in that the bristles are made of a polyamide.

10. Floor cleaning equipment constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.