IE44953B1

IE44953B1 - A floor sweeper having a main brush and an auxiliary brush

Info

Publication number: IE44953B1
Application number: IE99477A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Leifheit International
Priority date: 1976-05-17
Filing date: 1977-05-16
Publication date: 1982-05-19
Also published as: DE2621925A1; GB1557091A; CH617843A5; FR2390932A1; FR2390932B1; IE44953L

Abstract

The floor-sweeping machine has a housing (10) in which are arranged sweeping brushes driven by running wheels. Arranged in the two front corners of the housing (10) are additional rotating brushes (15) whose axles are inclined relative to the vertical plane. Part of the ring of bristles (16) protrudes below the frame (11) of the housing. The drive of the two additional brushes (15) is provided by a ring (20) made of rubber or plastic which protrudes conically down from the brush body (17) and rests on the floor surface to be cleaned in a partial circumferential region to the side of the housing. The drive of the additional brushes (15) is thus extremely simple.

Description

'Tha invention relates to a floor sweeper having a main . brush and.an auxiliary brush, the auxiliary brush being rotat- able about a generally upright.axis and comprising a body which mounts a ring of outwardly and. downwardly directed bristles protruding below and beyond the adjacent side wall of a housing of fche floor' sweeper, the generally upright.rotation axis extending at such an angle of inclination that the ring of bristles - of the auxiliary brush has .a part of its peripheral sone which projects laterally outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall of the housing resting, in use, on the floor surface to be cleaned.

According to the invention in a floor sweeper of the kind referred to, the auxiliary brush body comprises an upper part which carries the ring of bristles and a lowar part, the upper face of the lower part and the lower face of the Upper part : sloping: downwardly outwardly, and, secured between said upper part and said, lower part, a drive ring of elastomeric material cut from a flat sheet but forced by said faces of said upper and lower parts into a frusto-conical shape and having its outer edge projecting from tha auxiliary brush body with, a part of the peripheral zone of the ring edge which underlies said part of the peripheral sone of said ring of bristles resting, in use, on the floor surface to be cleaned.

Thus, the drive ring secured between the two parts of the brush body drives the auxiliary, brush since, due to the inclined axis, the outer edge of the ring rolls on the surface of the floor to be cleaned.

In order that the ring does not twist in the auxiliary brush body the upper face of the lower part and the lower face of the upper part., between which faces ths ring is secured, preferably have projections which are pressed into the ring. The projections which are pressed into the ring advantageously comprise radially staggered circular ribs.

The lower part of the auxiliary brush body can have an upwardly directed projection which engages in a central opening in tha upper part and which also serves for mounting the auxiliary brush body on the floor sweeper. Αε a result the two parts of the auxiliary brush body can ba reliably interconnected.

The auxiliary brush body can have a locating projection for the inner edge of the ring. This permits in simple manner a central location of the ring. The locating projection can comprise a circular locating rib on ths upper face of the lower part, permitting a particularly inexpensive manufacture of the brush body.

The circular locating rib can engage in a circular groove formed in the- lower face of the upper part.

The circular locating rib on the lower part can have a cylindrical outer surface which engages with the cylindrical outer side wall of the circular groove. This provides a further guidance together of tha two parts of the brush body.

The two parts of the brush body can is& interconnected by force fitting, adhesive, a screw cr a rivet.

Advantageously the ring of bristles is mounted in a frusto-conical outer surface of the upper part of the auxiliary brush body and comprises bundles of bristles.

The invention, is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:Figure 1 a diagrammatic representation of a floor sweeper according to the invention having two auxiliary brushes: Figure 2 a front view of the floor sweeper of Figure 1? and Figure 3 shows one of the auxiliary brushes of Figure 1 in cross-section and on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, a floor sweeper has a housing 10 which in per se known manner comprises a frame 11 and a casing 12 fixed thereto and covering the top of the sweeper. The outside of frame 11 serves to receive a handle bail 13 to which can be fitted a handle (not shown) for moving the sweeper over a floor surface to be cleaned. On the inside of the frame 11 is mounted a roller brush arid wheels on which the sweeper can be moved over a floor surface and which drive the roller brush. The height of the roller brush can be adjusted by means of a regulating member 14. The wheels frictionally engage, in pairs, increased diameter end portions of the roller brush shaft. On either side of the roller brush are provided dirt collecting chambers into which dirt is swept from the floor. Since, viewed in the direction of movement of the sweeper, one dirt collecting chamber is arranged in front of and the other behind the roller brush, depending on the direction of movement, the dirt can always pass into one of the chambers during conventional backwards and forwards movement of the sweeper over the floor to be cleaned, whereby in each case a rotation reversal takes place of the roller brush driven by the wheels. 448S3 As the roller brush can only have an effective sweeping action up to a certain distance from side wall portions of the sweeper, auxiliary brushes 15 are provided which are able to sweep areas outside the sphere of action of the roller brush, thus permitting a complete cleaning of a floor surface, even adjacent walls and in corners, In the embodiment show a respective auxiliary brush 15 is arranged in each of the front corner areas of the sweeper and each can rotate about a generally upright axis with its ring of bristles 16, arranged in cup-like manner, overlapping the effective range of the roller brush on the one hand and the side wall and front wall area of the housing of the sweeper on the other.

An auxiliary brush body 17 mounts an outwardly and downwardly directed ring of bristles 16 which projects beneath and beyond the adjacent side wall of the floor sweeper housing.

The generally upright rotation axis is actually inclined by about 7. S' outwardly and upwardly, so that the ring of bristles 16 of the brush 15, has a part o£ its peripheral zone which is laterally outwardly of the housing resting on the floor surface to be cleaned.

The brush body 17 comprises a lower part 18 and an upper part 19, the upper part 19 carrying the ring of bristles IS. Between the two parts 18 and 19 is fixed a ring 20 of elastomeric material such as rubber or a plastics material cut from a flat sheet, and so dimensioned that ths outer edge of tha ring 20 projects out from the brush body 17. The upper face of tha lower part IS and the lower face of the upper part 19 which between them secure the ring 20, are inclined in an outward and downwards direction so that the outer edge of the ring 20 which projects from the brush body 17 is inclined outwardly and downwardly so that the peripheral sone of the ring 20 which is laterally outwardly of the floor sweeper rests on the floor surface to be cleaned. The brush body 17 and consequently the brush 15 are thus reliably rotated in use of the sweeper since the edge of the ring 20 frictionally engages the floor surface to be cleaned.

The upper face of the lower part 18 and the lower face of the upper part 19 which between them secure the ring 20, have projections which are pressed into the ring 20. In the embodiment shown such projections are formed by circular ribs 21. Two radially spaced ribs 21 are provided on the lower part 18, whilst on the upper part 19 one rib 21 is provided between the two ribs 21 of the lower part 18. Thus, the ring 20 is reliably secured between the lower part 18 and the upper part 19.

The lower p^rt 18 has an upwardly directed projection 22 engaged in a central opening 24 in the upper part 19 and which at the same time serves for the mounting of additional brush body 17 by means of a bearing bore 25 in the projection 22 through which passes a pivot pin 26.

The brush body 17 has a locating projection 27 for the inner edge of tha ring 20. The locating projection 27 is formed by a circular locating rib 28 on the upper face of the lower part 18 engaged in a circular groove 29 on the lower face of the upper part 19. The circular rib 28 has a cylindrical outer surface 30 which engages the cylindrical outer side wall 31 Of the groove 29.

The two parts 18, 19 of the brush body 17 can be interconnected by force fitting, adhesive, a screw or a rivet.

The outwardly and downwardly directed ring of bristles 49S3 - 7 16 is mounted in a frusto-conical outer surface 32 of the upper part 19 of the brush body 17. The ring of bristles 16 is formed by a plurality of bundles of bristles 23. Twenty bundles of bristles 23 are distributed over the surface 32.

The ring 20 which serves to drive the auxiliary brush is arranged within the ring of bristles 16, so that the tips of the bristles have a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of the outer edge of the ring 20 and thus have movements relative to the floor to be cleaned upon roll ing of the ring edge on tha floor, so that a sweeping action is obtained.

Claims

1. A floor sweeper having a main brush and an auxiliary brush, the auxiliary brush being rotatable about a generally upright axis and comprising a body whioh mounts a ring of outwardly and downwardly directed bristles protruding below and beyond the adjacent side wall of a housing of the floor sweeper, the generally upright axis of rotation extending at such an angle of inclination that the ring of bristles of the auxiliary brush has a part of its peripheral zone which projects laterally outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall Of the housing resting, in use, on the floor surface to be cleaned, the auxiliary brush body comprising an upper part which carries the· ring of bristles and a lower part, the upper face of the lower part and the lower face of the upper part sloping downwardly outwardly, and, secured between said upper part and said lower part, a drive ring of elastomeric material cut from a flat sheet but forced by said faces of said upper and lower parts into a frusto-conical shape and having its outer edge projecting from the auxiliary brush body, with a part of the peripheral zone of the ring edge which underlies said part of the peripheral zone of said ring of bristles resting, in use, on the floor surface to be cleaned.

2. A floor sweeper according to claim 1, in which the upper face of the lower part and the lower face of the upper part, between whioh faces the ring is secured, have projections which are pressed into the ring. 3. A. floor sweeper according to claim 7, in whieh tha 15 circular locating rib has a cylindrical outer surface with which engages the cylindrical outer side wall of the circular groove. 3, in which the lower part has an upwardly directed projection which engages in a central opening irs the upper part and which also serves for mounting the auxiliary brush body on the floor sweeper.

3. A floor sweeper according to claim 2, In which the projections comprise radially staggered circular ribs. 4. 49 S3

4. A floor sweeper according to any one of claims T to

5. 5. A floor sweeper a.'•cording to any of claims 1 to 4, in which the body has a locating projection for the inner edge of the ring.

6. A floor sweeper according tn claim 5» in which tha locating projection is formed by a circular locating rib

7. A floor sweeper according to claim 5, in which the circular locating rib engages in a circular groove formed, in the lower face of the upper part.

8. , in which the upper part and the lower part of the body are 20 secured together by fores fitting, adhesive, a screw or a rivet. 9. , in whieh the ring of bristles is mounted in a frusto conical outer surface of the upper part (>£ tiie auxiliary brush body 25 and comprises bundles of bristles.

9. & floor sweeper according to any one of claims 1 to -9-.

10. A floor sweeper according to any one cf claims 1 to 10 formed on the upper face of the lower part.

11. A floor sweeper substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.