GB2262219A

GB2262219A - Floor cleaning machine

Info

Publication number: GB2262219A
Application number: GB9225805A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Gansow
Original assignee: Gansow Maschbau Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Gansow Maschbau Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 1991-12-11
Filing date: 1992-12-10
Publication date: 1993-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 2012-12-10
Also published as: DE4140853C2; ITMI922811A1; GB9225805D0; FR2685864A1; DE4140853A1; ITMI922811A0; GB2262219B; CH685916A5; FR2685864B1

Description

1 Floor cleaning machine 2262219 The invention relates to a floor cleaning

machine comprising at least one motor-driven rotatable disc-shaped brush, a tank for cleaning fluid and/or water and a pipe for cleaning fluid and/or water leading from the tank, the pipe leading to a region of the disc-shaped brush at a rear side of the disc-shaped brush and ending at a distance from the latter, which region is located between the middle axis of the disc-shaped brush and a circular line in the latter in which a plurality of holes are formed through the disc-shaped brush parallel to its middle axis, there being arranged above the disc-shaped brush a liquid-retaining edge which surrounds the holes on the outside radially relative to the middle axis of the brush.

Such floor cleaning machines are known in the state of the art. The rotational speeds of the motor-driven rotatable disc-shaped brushes therein are relatively high in order to obtain good cleaning of the floor. The water and/or cleaning fluid is supplied through a rigid pipe system which leads to the rear side of the disc-shaped brush. The pipe system ends at a short distance from the rear side of the disc-shaped brush. In order to lead the emerging water or cleaning fluid to the surface on which the disc-shaped brush is operating, holes are made through the discshaped brush through which the liquid can pass to the bristle-comprising side of the disc-shaped brush. Since, because of the relatively high rotational speed of the disc-shaped brush the water or the cleaning fluid, respectively, is for the most part thrown off the disc-shaped brush without the liquid being able to pass through the holes, it has already been suggested to equip the rear side of the disc-shaped brush with a liquid-retaining edge which surrounds the holes radially on the outside. As a result of this construction, at relatively low speeds of rotation of the disc-shaped brush the desired effect is in fact obtained, namely the supply of water or cleaning fluid into the holes, and with the relatively high rotational speeds customarily employed nowadays this supply of water is not guaranteed but instead the water or the cleaning fluid passes over the free peripheral edge of the liquid-retaining edge and is spun off radially outwards. Consequently the water or cleaning fluid is sprayed radially outwards and thus is not used for the cleaning process proper and, moreover, liquid which is present on the floor for example in front of the disc-shaped brush in the direction of movement of the floor cleaning machine is likewise spun away radially by the rotation of the disc-shaped brush and cannot be used for the cleaning process. This results in the occurrence of a relatively high usage of water and cleaning fluid for cleaning surfaces with the said floor cleaning machine, where this water or cleaning fluid can be only incompletely used for cleaning.

Starting from this state of the art the basic aim of the invention is to provide a floor cleaning machine, in particular a floor cleaning machine having a movement drive, which makes possible cleaning of a comparatively large surface area with a comparatively small usage of water and cleaning fluid.

To achieve this objective it is proposed that the liquid-retaining edge comprises a liquid-retaining ring which, on its peripheral edge directed away from the rear side of the brush, comprises a peripheral liquidretaining collar directed substantially radially towards the middle axis of the disc-shaped brush.

Because of this design, the water or cleaning fluid emerging from the pipe is not spun away radially as a result of the rotational speed of the disc-shaped brush; the said liquid is caught by the liquid-retaining ring and the liquid-retaining collar directed radially towards the middle axis and is led to the holes which pass through the disc-shaped brush so that the liquid is guided substantially completely radially inside the bristles of the disc-shaped brush. Consequently all the liquid can be used for cleaning the floor surface area and this is reflected by a relatively low liquid usage for a high surface cleaning performance. In order to improve the guidance of cleaning fluid or water to the holes even more, it is proposed that the liquid-retaining ring comprises, preferably approximately semicircular, wall portions projecting relative to the holes in the disc-shaped brush, each of which is located in the region of a hole and forms a liquid-retaining edge which in the direction of rotation of the disc-shaped brush and the liquid-retaining ring fixed thereon seals off the rear side edge of the hole.

In this manner an approximately tangential liquid-retaining surface is formed which additionally guides the cleaning fluid or water to the holes, whereby the desired effect is further improved.

To avoid leaks and to simplify mounting it is p roposed that the semicircular wall portions are inserted in the holes.

Thereby, on the one hand, the correct arrangement can be obtained easily when positioning the liquid-retaining ring comprising a liquid-retaining collar, because this element only has to be attached by insertion of the corresponding semicircular wall portions in the holes of the disc-shaped brush. Moreover the desired effect of guiding the water and cleaning fluid is further improved thereby.

In this connection it is preferably arranged that the wall portions inserted in the holes have a radially elastic structure and in particular are slit in the region located in the hole.

In addition it is arranged that at the free ends of the wall Portions which engage through the holes, retaining lugs are formed which engage behind the edge of the hole in the disc-shaped brush.

Thereby it is possible to fix the appropriate element on the disc-shaped brush by means of the retaining lugs alone without additional fastening means being required.

Additionally or alternatively it can also be arranged that the liquidretaining ring comprises a peripheral flanged edge extending radially outwards which can be fixed by means of screws to the rear of the discshaped brush.

Preferably it is also arranged that the depth of the retaining ring and/or the radial length of the liquid-retaining collar is equal to or greater than the diameter of the holes in the disc-shaped brush.

Furthermore it is preferably arranged that the holes are formed radially nearer the inside than the rows of bristles of the disc-shaped brush and there are no bristles in the middle region of the disc-shaped brush.

The holes can also be arranged so that most of the rows of bristles are located radially on the outside and only a few rows of bristles are located radially on the inside near the ring formed by the holes on rotation of the disc-shaped brush.

One possible embodiment example is envisaged in which the liquidretaining ring is an integral part of the discshaped brush.

However this is somewhat more expensive because different disc-shaped brushes must then be used for devices rotating to the right or to the left respectively. Otherwise it is only necessary to design the appropriate liquid-retaining ring element for rotation to the right or to the left.

An embodiment of the invention is described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a disc-shaped brush of a floor cleaning machine according to the invention seen in cross-section along the line I-I of Figure 2; Figure 2 shows the disc-shaped brush in plan view seen from behind; Figure 3 shows the liquid-retaining ring seen in cross-section along the line III-III of Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a cross-section through a detail as seen along the line IV- 1V of Figure 3.

This particular motor-driven floor cleaning machine comprises at least one rotatable disc-shaped brush I which is shown in the drawings. A coupling to a drive shaft is provided in the middle of the disc-shaped brush. A pipe system is provided on the floor cleaning machine which connects a tank for cleaning fluid and/or water to the rear side of the disc-shaped brush 1. In order to be able to guide the cleaning fluid and/or water to the bristles 2 of the disc-shaped brush 1, the disc- shaped brush is provided with holes 3. The said holes 3 (in the embodiment example three such holes) are surrounded by a radially extending liquid-retaining ring 4 which on its peripheral edge directed away from the brush comprises a peripheral liquid-retaining collar 5 directed substantially radially relative to the middle axis of the brush. In addition the liquid-retaining ring 4 comprises approximately semicircular wall portions 6, projecting relative to the holes 3 in the disc-shaped brush, each of which is located in the region of a hole 3 and forms a liquid-retaining edge which in the direction of rotation 7 of the disc-shaped brush 1 and the liquid-retaining ring 4 fixed thereon seals off the rear side edge of the hole 3. In the embodiment example the semicircular wall portions 6 are inserted in the holes 3. The said semicircular wall portions 6 inserted in the holes 3 are formed radially elastic and in particular contain slits in the region located in the holes 3, as can be seen in particular in Figures 3 and 4. At the free ends of the wall portions which pass through the holes 3, retaining lugs 8 are formed which engage behind the edge of the holes 3 in the disc- shaped brush 1.

In addition the liquid-retaining ring 4 comprises a flanged edge 9 extending radially outwards which can be fixed by means of screws for example to the rear of the disc-shaped brush 1. The depth of the retaining ring 4 and the radial length of the liquid-retaining collar 5 is equal to or greater than the radius of the holes 3 in the disc-shaped brush 1. As can be seen in particular in Figure 1, the holes 3 are i f formed in a radially inwardly located region relative to which only a few rows of bristles are located radially inwards and most of the rows of bristles are located radially outwards relative to the circular line in which the holes 3 are made.

As a result of the structure in accordance with the invention, the cleaning fluid or water delivered on the rear side of the disc-shaped brush 1 is advantageously caught by the liquid-retaining ring 4 and the liquid-retaining collar 5 and guided to the wall portions 6 by means of which the water can then enter the holes 3. Consequently, with little liquid usage, a very large surface area cleaning capacity of a floor cleaning machine equipped in this manner can be obtained.

Claims

1 1. A floor cleaning machine comprising at least one motor-driven rotatable disc-shaped brush (1), a tank for cleaning fluid and/or water and a pipe for cleaning fluid and/or water leading from the tank, wherein the pipe leading to a region of the disc-shaped brush at a rear side of the disc-shaped brush and ending at a distance from the latter, which region is located between the middle axis of the disc-shaped brush and a circular line in the latter in which a plurality of holes are formed through the disc-shaped brush parallel to its middle axis, there being a liquid-retaining edge arranged above the disc-shaped brush which surrounds the holes, on the outside radially relative to the middle axis of the brush, wherein in that the liquid-retaining edge comprises a liquid-retaining ring (4) which, on its peripheral edge directed away from the rear side of the brush, comprises a peripheral liquid-retaining collar (5) directed substantially radially towards the middle axis of the disc-shaped brush (1).

2. A floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the liquid-retaining ring (4) comprises, preferably approximately semicircular, wall portions (6) projecting relative to the holes (3) in the disc-shaped brush (1), each of which is located in the region of a hole (3) and forms a liquid-retaining edge which in the direction of rotation (7) of the disc-shaped brush (1) and the liquid-retaining ring (4) fixed thereon seals off the rear side edge of the hole.

3. A floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the semicircular wall portions (6) are inserted in the holes (3).

4. A floor cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the semicircular wall portions (6) inserted in the holes (3) have a radially elastic structure and in particular are slit in the region located in the hole (3).

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5. A floor cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that at the free ends of the wall portions which engage through the holes (3) retaining lugs (8) are formed which engage behind the edge of the hole (3) in the disc-shaped brush (1).

6. A floor cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the liquid-retaining ring (4) comprises a peripheral flanged edge (9) extending radially outwards which can be fixed by means of screws to the rear of the disc-shaped brush (1).

7. A floor cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the depth of the retaining ring (4) and/or the radial length of the liquid-retaining collar (5) is equal to or greater than the radius of the holes (3) in the disc-shaped brush (1).

8. A floor cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that the holes (3) are formed located radially inwars in front of the rows of bristles (2) of the disc-shaped brush (1) and there are no bristles in the middle region of the disc-shaped brush (1)

9. A floor cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the liquid-retaining ring (4) is an integral part of the disc-shaped brush (1).

10. A floor cleaning machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.