Floor-sweeping machine

• US 4,484,371 A
• Filed: 09/08/1982
• Issued: 11/27/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leifheit AG Leifheitstrasse
• Original Assignee: ITT Industries Inc (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patzold, Dieter, Tiwi, Peter, Schreiber, Alfons
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knick, Michael
• Application Number:
  US06/422,974
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 15/41, 15/42, 15/43, 15/44, 15/45, 15/48, 16/119, 16/123, 16/126, 16/DIG. 24
• US Class Current: 15/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels

Abstract

A floor-sweeping machine consisting of a housing with a revolving brush which is mounted rotatably therein and is driven by means of running wheels and which is located between two dirt-collecting spaces, the two dirt-collecting spaces being formed by dirt-collecting containers which can be taken out of the housing upwards, and the dirt-collecting container having a resilient locking device which secures it in its operating position and which can be transferred by hand into its release position, and in which, to make it substantially easier to operate and especially to take out and empty the dirt-collecting containers, the two dirt-collecting containers 24, 25 are connected to one another and have a common top side 27 in which, approximately centrally, there is a part 35 which is to be grasped by the operator and is to be moved to a limited extent in the lifting-out direction and which, when moved in the lifting-out direction, transfers the resilient locking device 36 into the release position.

Claims

1. In a floor-sweeping machine of the type including a housing having an opening in the top portion thereof, brush means rotatably mounted in the housing, means for supporting the housing for movement on a surface to be cleaned and means for moving the housing, the combination comprising:

a dirt collecting container removably positioned in the opening;

a lid connected to and covering said container; and

means for releasably securing said dirt collecting container in the housing including

a lever located in said lid and movable between a locking and an unlocking position,

legs extending from said lever in said container and movably mounted on the inside thereof,

projections extending from said lever, and

resilient locking and unlocking means attached to said lid and having end portions which retractably engage the housing and an intermediate portion which is in sliding contact with said projections so that when said lever is in the unlocking position said projections compress said locking and unlocking means to retract said end portions from the housing.

2. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 1, wherein said legs have first and second end portions and intermediate portions joining said end portions, said first end portions extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said lever and said intermediate portions extending substantially parallel to said lever.

3. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 2 wherein the housing has wall portions and further including a bearing journal positioned on each of said second end portions and mounted on each of said wall portions.

4. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 1, wherein said lever rests on said lid when said lever is in the locking position and wherein at least a portion of said lever is raised from said lid and a portion of said legs contacts said lid when said lever is in the unlocking position.

5. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 2, wherein said resilient locking means is a spring wire, and wherein said intermediate portion of said locking means is U-shaped.

6. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 1, wherein said projections have side surfaces facing one another, said surfaces being sloped.

7. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 6, wherein the distance between said side surfaces decreases in a direction opposite to said lever.

8. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 1, wherein said projections have ends, each of which bounds an end stop for receiving said locking and unlocking means when said lever is in the unlocking position.

9. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 1, wherein said locking means has angled end portions, each of said end portions having a first part which extends obliquely inwardly in a direction opposite to said lid and a second part continuing from said first part and extending inwardly.

10. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 1 wherein said dirt-collecting container has two sections between which the revolving brush is positioned.

11. In a floor-sweeping machine of the type including a housing having an opening in the top portion thereof, brush means rotatably mounted in the housing, means for supporting the housing for movement on a surface to be cleaned and means for moving the housing, the combination comprising:

a lid covering the top portion and having a lower surface facing the opening when in a mounted position;

a dirt-collecting container attached to said lid and extending into said opening;

resilient locking means mounted on said lid at said lower surface thereof for displacement between a relaxed locking position in which it engages and a tensioned unlocking position in which it disengages the housing, the resiliency of said locking means urging the latter into said locking position; and

actuating means mounted in said lid operative for displacing said locking means into said tensioned unlocking position and for releasing said locking means for return into said relaxed locking position.

12. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 11 further including projections mounted on the lower surface of said actuating means for slidably retaining said locking means when said locking means is urged into said unlocking position.

13. The floor-sweeping machine according to claim 11, wherein said locking means is a spring wire, said wire having a central U-shaped section which engages said projections.