GB2327037A

GB2327037A - Adjustable suction foot for a floor cleaning machine

Info

Publication number: GB2327037A
Application number: GB9813654A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Gansow
Original assignee: Gansow Maschbau Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Gansow Maschbau Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 1997-07-09
Filing date: 1998-06-24
Publication date: 1999-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-24
Also published as: FR2765793A1; SE9801577D0; FR2765793B1; SE9801577L; ITMI981401A1; GB2327037B; DE19729307C1; SE513906C2; IT1301752B1; GB9813654D0

Abstract

A floor cleaning machine 1 is provided with an adjustable suction foot 2 being swivellable about a vertical axis and swivellable from the working position into a raised rest position around a horizontal axis directed parallel to the axis of the running rollers 5 of the machine. The suction foot 2 is adjustable by means of a multi-articulated lever relative to the machine and contact plane. It is possible to align the suction foot 2 relative to the contact surface 7 in a simple manner. The suction foot 2 is intended to be attached behind the machine 1 to suck up cleaning fluid.

Description

2327037 - 1 Drivable floor-cleaning machines The invention relates to a

drivable floor-cleaning machine having floor- treatment tools, a device for dispensing cleaning fluid and a suction foot by means of which the fluid can be sucked up, the suction foot at the tail of the machine, which suction foot lags behind the latter, being swivellable around a vertical axis and being swivellable from the working position into a raised rest position around a horizontal axis directed parallel to the axis of the running rollers of the machine.

In the prior art, such floor-cleaning machines are widely known. The suction foot, which serves to collect the cleaning fluid after the floortreatment operation, is disposed at the tail of the machine and has a length such that the entire width of the machine and even more is covered at the suction foot. So that the suction foot can follow the steering movements of the machine and can also pick up fluid deposited in corner regions, it is swivellably mounted around a vertical axis around which the suction foot can swing. Normally, the suction foot can be raised by means of a chain or the like from the working position into a raised rest position, the chain or the like then being hung on the machine so that the rest position is fixed. A problem with the present arrangement is that the position of the suction lips or suction lamellae disposed on the bottom of the suction foot constantly changes during wear of the latter, resulting in unfavourable positions of the suction lips, which is disadvantageous for the cleaning operation and, in particular, for the collection of the fluid.

Proceeding from this prior art, the object of the invention is to provide a drivable f loor-cleaning machine of the generic kind, in the case of which an alignment of the suction foot relative to the contact surface to be treated is made possible in a simple manner.

To achieve this object, the invention proposes that the suction 2 foot is adjustable by means of a multiarticulated lever relative to the machine and to the contact plane.

Preferably, provision is made that the suction foot is connected to the machine by means of a first lever which is swivellably mounted by means of a bearing eye around a vertically directed bearing bolt attached to the machine at the rear end (viewed in the driving direction) relatively near to the contact plane of the machine, in that there is hinged on the bearing eye a second lever whose articulated axis is directed horizontally and parallel to the suction foot and preferably intersects that of the bearing eye, in that the swivelling movement of the second lever around the horizontal axis is adjustably limited, and specifically in its downwards swivelling movement directed towards the contact plane, by means of a first setting means, in that, at that end region of the second lever remote from the bearing eye, there is swivellably mounted around an axis directed parallel to the horizontal swivelling axis of the second lever a third lever whose swivelling movement is adjustably limited, and specifically in the opposite swivelling direction to the swivelling path limitation of the second lever by a second setting means mounted on the second lever, the suction foot being fixed at that end of the third lever which projects from the second lever.

As a result of this arrangement it is possible, on the one hand, to adjust the inclination setting of the bracket holding the suction foot and comprising a plurality of levers relative to the machine and to align it in the correct position, it also being possible, on the other hand, to adjust, while retaining this basic setting, the inclined position of the suction foot with respect to the surface to be treated and to align it so that this position can be matched to the wear of the suction lips or suction lamellae disposed on the suction foot. In addition, as 3 a result of the arrangement according to the invention, the suction foot can be transferred as a whole to a rest position without the set inclination with respect to the machine or with respect to the floor being altered when the suction foot is lowered again from the rest position into the working position.

Preferably, provision is made in this connection that the first lever is formed by an angled lever whose end connected to the bearing eye is directed horizontally, from which bearing eye the other end projects so as to be directed at an obtuse angle with respect to the contact surface.

Furthermore, it is preferable that there is mounted by means of a threads on the second lever above the angled end of the first lever a setting screw (setting means) whose unsupported contact end is applied to the upper side of the end of the first lever and whose head has a turning handle.

It is also preferable that the third lever is an obtuse angled lever which is mounted by means of screw threads underneath the second lever in the region of its line of inflection at an articulation bolt a setting screw (setting means) whose unsupported shank end is applied to the underside of that end of the angled lever pointing towards the first lever, the suction foot being attached to the other end of the angled lever.

It is advantageous, in addition, that there is disposed on top of the third lever near its swivelling axis a holding means which is coupled to a pulling device for lifting the entire suction foot together with the second and third levers.

Furthermore, provision is made in a manner known per se that the suction foot has at least two suction lips or suction lamellae which are spaced apart from one another and which rest on the contact plane, the intervening space being connected to a suction connection of the machine.

- 4 An exemplary embodiment is shown diagrammatically in the drawing and described in greater detail below. In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a part of a drivable floor-cleaning machine in side view; Figure 2 shows a detail seen in the viewing direction of the arrow II in Figure 1.

The drawing shows a part of a drivable floor-cleaning machine 1. This machine has floor-treatment tools, for example disc brushes which are driven by electric motors. Contained in a reservoir in the machine is cleaning fluid which is dispensed onto the floor area and then processed by the floor-treatment tools. The fluid is then sucked up. For this purpose, there is disposed at the rear end of the machine 1 a suction foot 2 by means of which fluid can be sucked up. For this purpose, the actual suction foot 2 is connected to the suction unit of the machine 1 by means of a hose line. The suction foot 2 is disposed at the tail of the machine 1 so as to lag behind it and is swivellable around a vertical axis 3. Furthermore, the suction foot is swivellable from the working position, which is shown in Figure 1, into a raised rest position around a horizontal axis directed parallel to the axis 4 of the running rollers 5.

The suction foot is connected to the machine 1 by means of a lever system. For this purpose, the suction foot 2 is connected to the machine 1 by means of a f irst lever 6 which is swivellably mounted by means of a bearing eye 8 around a vertically directed bearing bolt 9 which is attached to the rear end (viewed in the driving direction) relatively near the contact plane and forms, as it were, the vertical axis 3.

Hinged (at 11) on the bearing eye 8 is a second lever 10 whose articulation axis (11) is directed horizontally and parallel to the suction foot 3 and preferably intersects the axis 3 of the bearing eye 8. The swivelling movement of the second lever 10 around the horizontal axis 11 is adjustable and limited by a first setting means 12, and specifically, in its swivelling movement directed downwards towards the contact plane 7. Swivellably mounted around an axis 14 directed parallel to the horizontal swivelling axis 11 of the second lever 10 at that end region of the second lever 10 remote from the bearing eye 8 is a third lever 13 whose swivelling movement is adjustable and limited by means of a second setting means 15 mounted on the second lever 10, and specifically in the opposite swivelling direction to the swivelling capability limitation of the second lever 10. Fixed on that end of the third lever 13 projecting from the second lever 10 is the actual suction foot which comprises a body 16 from which suction lips 17 project downwards.

The first lever 6 is formed by an angled lever whose end connected to the bearing eye 8 is directed horizontally, from which bearing eye the other end projects at an obtuse angle with respect to the contact plane 7. Mounted by means of threads on the second lever 10 above the angled end of the first lever 6 is a setting screw as setting means 12 whose unsupported shank end is applied to the upper side of the end of the first lever 6 and whose head has a turning handle. The third lever 13 is likewise an obtuse angled lever which is hinged by means of an articulation bolt (at 14) in the region of its line of inflection to the second lever (10), there being mounted on the bottom of the second lever 10 by means of threads a setting screw (setting means 15) whose unsupported shank end is applied to the underside of that end of the angled lever 13 which points towards the first lever. Attached to the other end of said angled lever 13 is the suction foot 2.

Disposed on top of the third lever 13 near its articulation axis 14 is a holding means 18 in the form of an annular eyelet which is coupled to a pulling device, for example a chain, not shown in the drawing for lifting the entire suction foot 2 together with the second and third levers 10, 13. The suction foot has in a manner known per se two suction lips 17 or suction lamellae 6 spaced at a distance from one another and resting on the contact plane 17, a connection for a hose which is connected to the suction unit of the machine 1 opening into the intervening space between the lamellae and the body of the suction foot.

To adjust the suction foot, the relative inclination of the second lever 10 with respect to the machine 1 can first be adjusted by operating the setting means 12, as a result of which the inclination of the second lever 10 can be adjusted. Said setting means becomes operative only if the suction foot with the levers 10 and 13 is lowered from the rest position into the working position, which is shown in Figure 1. The raising of the suction foot 2 from the working position into a rest position in which the suction foot is swivelled upwards around the axis 11 can be carried out without obstruction, the end of the setting means 12 then lifting from the first lever 6.

To adjust the inclination of the suction foot provided with the suction lips 17, the second setting means 15 can be operated, as a result of which a realignment can be carried out, for example, in the event of wear of the suction lips 17 without the desired position of the suction lips relative to the contact plane 7 being altered. Optionally, both setting means 12 and 15 can be operated in order also to be able to adjust the position precisely, for example, in the event of wear of the suction lips 17, as shown in the drawing figure.

The third lever 13 is displaced by the setting means anticlockwise in the drawing so that the suction lip 17 is increasingly pressed against the floor when the setting means 15 is screwed in. If the suction foot 2 is raised from the contact plane 7, the lever 13 can be moved freely anticlockwise around the axis 14 without the end of the setting means 15 being applied to the corresponding part of the lever 13. On the other hand, the lever 13 is swivellable away from the end of the setting means is.

7 The set inclined position also remains intact if the suction foot 2 is to be transferred to the rest position, for which purpose the eyelet 18 is pulled, for example, by means of a pulling cable and the entire unit is swivelled upwards. If the suction foot 2 is subsequently lowered again into the working position, as shown in Figure 1, the angles and inclinations are automatically established again, as shown in Figure 1.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment, but widely variable within the scope of the disclosure.

is All novel individual and combined features disclosed in the description and/or drawing are regarded as essential to the invention.

8

Claims

Claims:

1. Drivable floor-cleaning machine having floor-treatment tools, a device for dispensing cleaning fluid and a suction foot by means of which the fluid can be sucked up, the suction foot at the tail of the machine, which suction foot lags behind the latter, being swivellable around a vertical axis and being swivellable from the working position into a raised rest position around a horizontal axis directed parallel to the axis of the running rollers of the machine, characterized in that the suction foot (2) is adjustable by means of a multiarticulated lever relative to the machine and to the contact plane.

2. Floor-cleaning machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the suction foot (2) is connected to the machine (12) by means of a first lever (6) which is swivellably mounted by means of a bearing eye (8) around a vertically directed bearing bolt (9) attached to the machine at the rear end (viewed in the driving direction) relatively near to the contact plane (7) of the machine (1), in that there is hinged on the bearing eye (8) a second lever (10) whose articulation axis (11) is directed horizontally and parallel to the suction foot (2) and preferably intersects that of the bearing eye (8), in that the swivelling movement of the second lever (10) around the horizontal axis (11) is adjustably limited, and specifically in its downwards swivelling movement directed towards the contact plane (7), by means of a first setting means (12), in that, at that end region of the second lever (10) remote f rom the bearing eye (8), there is swivellably mounted around an axis (14) directed parallel to the horizontal swivelling axis (11) of the second lever (10) a third lever whose swivelling movement is adjustably limited, and specifically in the opposite swivelling direction to the swivelling path limitation of the second lever (10) by a second setting means (15) mounted on the second lever (10), the suction foot (2) being fixed at that end of the third 9 - lever (13) which projects from the second lever (10).

3. Floor-cleaning machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first lever (6) is formed by an angled lever whose end connected to the bearing eye (8) is directed horizontally, from which bearing eye the other end projects so as to be directed at an obtuse angle with respect to the contact surface (7).

4. Floor-cleaning machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that there is mounted by means of a thread on the second lever (10) above the angled end of the first lever (6) a setting screw (setting means 12) whose unsupported contact end is applied to the upper side of the end of the first lever (6) and whose head has a turning handle.

5. Floor-cleaning machine according to one of Claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the third lever (13) is an obtuse angled lever which is mounted by means of screw threads underneath the second lever (10) in the region of its line of inflection at articulation bolt (14), a setting screw (setting means 15) whose unsupported shank end is applied to the underside of that end of the angled lever (13) pointing towards the first lever (6), the suction foot (2) being attached to the other end of the angled lever.

6. Floor-cleaning machine according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that there is disposed on top of the third lever (13) near its swivelling axis (14) a holding means (18) which is coupled to a pulling device for lifting the entire suction foot (2) together with the second and third levers (10, 13).

7. Floor-cleaning machine according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the suction foot (2) has at least two suction lips (17) or suction lamellae which are spaced apart from one another and which rest on the contact plane, the intervening space being connected to a suction connection of the machine (1).