Ultraviolet floor curing device

• US 20120009351A1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jelight Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jelight Company, Inc.
• Inventors: MacKinnon, Andrew J., Amen, Dick
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/487
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/10 with more than four wheels tractors of the low ground pressure type B62D49/002

Abstract

A floor curing apparatus is disclosed, including a housing, an ultraviolet lamp, and an offset wheel arrangement including a pair of inner drive wheels configured to rotate and alternately be driven about a first common axis and a pair of outer drive wheels configured to rotate and alternately be driven about a second common axis. Each of the pair of outer drive wheels are positioned a first predetermined distance outward from each of the pair of inner drive wheels, and the first axis is offset from said second axis by a second predetermined distance. The floor curing apparatus also includes a shutter device a linear actuator configured to drive a support element in a direction away from the ultraviolet lamp, the support element affixed to a plurality of rods configured to draw the shutter device away from the ultraviolet lamp.

Claims

1. A floor curing apparatus having an irradiator source and a drive assembly comprising:

a primary driveshaft configured to drive a pair of inner drive wheels rotating about a common first axis; and

a secondary driveshaft arrangement configured to drive a pair of outer drive wheels rotating about a common second axis;

wherein the common first axis is linearly offset from the common second axis by a first predetermined distance, and further wherein the pair of outer drive wheels are offset outward from the pair of inner drive wheels by a second predetermined distance.

2. The floor curing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bearings arranged with each inner drive wheel and each outer drive wheel to enable nonuniform rotation of the pair of outer drive wheels and the pair of inner drive wheels.

3. The floor curing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shutter assembly configured to selectively move a shutter to expose the irradiator source to a surface upon which the floor curing apparatus operates.

4. The floor curing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly is housed within a housing and the floor curing apparatus further comprises a power cord and a movable element configured to receive the power cord to maintain a portion of the power cord at an adjustable height above the housing.

5. The floor curing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an operator control panel disposed above the drive assembly on an adjustable angle rigid element configured to be rotationally repositioned and locked using a pin and slot arrangement.

6. The floor curing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of rear wheels positioned behind the drive assembly and irradiator source.

7. The floor curing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the irradiator source comprises an ultraviolet light source.

8. A floor curing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

an ultraviolet lamp located at a movable position relative to the housing; and

an offset wheel arrangement comprising;

a pair of inner drive wheels configured to rotate and alternately be driven about a first common axis;

a pair of outer drive wheels configured to rotate and alternately be driven about a second common axis;

wherein each of the pair of outer drive wheels are positioned a first predetermined distance outward from each of the pair of inner drive wheels, and the first axis is offset from said second axis by a second predetermined distance.

9. The floor curing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of bearings arranged with each inner drive wheel and each outer drive wheel to enable nonuniform rotation of the pair of outer drive wheels and the pair of inner drive wheels.

10. The floor curing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a shutter assembly configured to selectively move a shutter to expose the ultraviolet lamp to a surface upon which the floor curing apparatus operates.

11. The floor curing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the floor curing apparatus further comprises a power cord and a movable element configured to receive the power cord to maintain a portion of the power cord at an adjustable height above the housing.

12. The floor curing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an operator control panel disposed above the offset wheel arrangement on an adjustable angle rigid element configured to be rotationally repositioned and locked using a pin and slot arrangement.

13. The floor curing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of rear wheels positioned behind the offset wheel arrangement and ultraviolet lamp.

14. A floor curing apparatus configured to cure a floor surface using an ultraviolet lamp, the floor curing apparatus comprising:

a shutter device configured to selectively cover and expose the ultraviolet lamp to selectively direct and prevent transmission of UV energy from the ultraviolet lamp toward the floor surface; and

a linear actuator configured to drive a support element in a direction away from the ultraviolet lamp, the support element affixed to a plurality of rods configured to draw the shutter device away from the ultraviolet lamp.

15. The floor curing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an offset wheel arrangement comprising:

a pair of inner drive wheels configured to rotate and alternately be driven about a first common axis; and

a pair of outer drive wheels configured to rotate and alternately be driven about a second common axis.

16. The floor curing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of bearings arranged with each inner drive wheel and each outer drive wheel to enable nonuniform rotation of the pair of outer drive wheels and the pair of inner drive wheels.

17. The floor curing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the shutter device is positioned below a housing and the floor curing apparatus further comprises a power cord and a movable element configured to receive the power cord to maintain a portion of the power cord at an adjustable height above the housing.

18. The floor curing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an operator control panel disposed above the offset wheel arrangement on an adjustable angle rigid element configured to be rotationally repositioned and locked using a pin and slot arrangement.

19. The floor curing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of rear wheels positioned behind the offset wheel arrangement and ultraviolet lamp.