Cleaning machine

• US 5,129,125 A
• Filed: 10/29/1990
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna Zenoah Co., Ltd. (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Zenoah Co. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gamou, Akira, Koizumi, Hideo, Sakai, Shoji, Kanoh, Yoshiaki, Terai, Akio, Osonoe, Kenichi, Tsuchiya, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/605,803
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 15/347, 15/352, 15/353
• US Class Current: 15/352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/20 combined with vacuum cleaning devices
• 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 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1418 Impermeable dust collecting bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0836 Apparatus dislodging all of the dirt by suction liquids or semi-liquids E01H1/108; combined with loosening by blowing E01H1/0863; for cleaning rails E01H8/105, E01H8/125; removing snow by suction E01H5/106, E01H8/08; Suction nozzles independent suction nozzles in mechanical dislodging-cleaning devices E01H1/0827; suction and blowing nozzles E01H1/0863

Abstract

A cleaning machine includes a frame having wheels, a suction blower having an inlet and an outlet mounted on the frame, an intake opening communicated with the inlet of the suction blower for sucking dirt containing relatively large dirt such as fallen leaves and relatively small dirt such as dust together with air, a main separator for separating the relatively large dirt, a subseparator for separating the relatively small dirt from the air having passed through the main separator, and a dirt receptacle made of an air-impermable material detachably attached under the main separator through a pivoting rod which is pivotably mounted to the frame so as to support the receptacle to the main separator and a clamp member for securing the dirt receptacle to the main separator.

Claims

1. A cleaning machine comprising:

a frame;

a suction blower mounted on the frame and having an inlet and an outlet, for generating an air flow for entraining dirt in an air stream, and for drawing the air-entrained dirt into the cleaning machine;

an intake opening communicating with the inlet of the suction blower for receiving the air stream and entrained dirt, including relatively large dirt and relatively small dirt such as dust;

a main separator for receiving the air stream and entrained dirt from the suction blower outlet, and for separating the relatively large dirt from the air stream and for discharging the air stream and entrained dust;

a subseparator for receiving the air stream and entrained dust discharged from the main separator, and for separating the dust from the air stream;

a dirt receptacle made of an air-impermeable material detachably attached under the main separator for receiving the dirt separated from the air stream, the dirt receptacle having an upper edge defining an opening, the upper edge having a catch portion;

a pivoting rod having top and bottom ends, the pivoting rod being pivotally mounted at its bottom end to the frame, and being engageable at its top end with the catch portion of the receptacle;

a clamp for detachably securing the dirt receptacle by its upper edge to the main separator, the clamp located at a position opposite the dirt receptacle catch portion, whereby the dirt receptacle is detachably secured to the main separator; and

the pivoting rod, while being engaged at its top end with the receptacle upper edge catch portion, being pivotable between a first position in which the pivoting rod supports the dirt receptacle under the main separator and a second position in which the receptacle is removed from the main separator to land on the ground at a point which is laterally displaced from the first receptacle position.

2. The cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivoting rod is connected to the frame by a chain for restricting the pivotal range of the pivoting rod.

3. The cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dirt receptacle includes a bottom portion having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereto.

4. The cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises the dirt receptacle having a hole formed in a bottom portion thereof, and a foraminous dirt bag disposed inside the dirt receptacle.

5. The cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suction blower includes an engine and a fan drivably coupled to the engine, and wherein the inlet of the suction blower is eccentric with the rotation axis of the fan.

6. The cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main separator comprises a shielding cover for preventing the upward flow of dirt which has been collected in the dirt receptacle.

7. The cleaning machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shielding cover has a substantially conical shape, and the shielding cover is disposed within a cylindrical portion of the main separator so as to form a space therebetween.