Floor surface cleaning machine
First Claim
1. Vacuum system comprising, in combination:
- a vacuum assembly including an inlet and an outlet for passage of air and including a drive having a free end;
a socket of a size for receipt of the vacuum assembly and having a socket wall and an open end, with the inlet of the vacuum assembly passing through the socket wall in a sealed manner to generally prevent entry of solution into the socket around the inlet, with the outlet passing through the open end of the socket;
a mount of a size for closing the open end of the socket in a sealed manner to generally prevent entry of solution into the socket through the open end and around the outlet; and
means for removably securing the mount to the socket.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floor scrubber (10) is disclosed including a drive lug (62) for removably connecting a scrubbing member (64) to a drive (60) and having a trough for receipt and catching of solution for passage to the surface. The mount (58) for the drive (60) is biased by a spring (67) to pivot relative to a linkage plate (46) in turn pivotably mounted to the chassis (12) at an acute angle to the forward movement direction. The vacuum assembly (92) is sandwiched in a socket (100) formed in the bottom wall of a recovery tank (90) by a mount (106) to deaden the sound generated thereby and to allow air communication inside of the socket (100) but generally preventing entry of solution therein. The squeegee assembly (152) is biased by a gas spring (150) to engage the surface at a constant force independent of the pivotal position of the squeegee mount (148). The batteries (68, 70) can be easily electrically connected and disconnected to each other in series and to the scrubber (10) by polarity type connectors (80, 82, 84, 86) for ease of removal, replacement, and interchange of the batteries (68, 70) in the scrubber (10) without requiring the use of tools. The bumper wheels (30) are secured to a first plate (32) of a pocket (28) by a pin connector (36) passing therethrough and through the legs of a U-shaped bracket (42) having a central portion flushly abutting with a second plate (38) of the pocket (28) for transferring forces thereto.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. Vacuum system comprising, in combination:
- a vacuum assembly including an inlet and an outlet for passage of air and including a drive having a free end;
a socket of a size for receipt of the vacuum assembly and having a socket wall and an open end, with the inlet of the vacuum assembly passing through the socket wall in a sealed manner to generally prevent entry of solution into the socket around the inlet, with the outlet passing through the open end of the socket;
a mount of a size for closing the open end of the socket in a sealed manner to generally prevent entry of solution into the socket through the open end and around the outlet; and
means for removably securing the mount to the socket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- a vacuum assembly including an inlet and an outlet for passage of air and including a drive having a free end;
-
16. Machine for treating a floor surface comprising, in combination:
- a chassis for movement on the floor surface in a forward direction, with the chassis including at least a first wall;
a linkage plate pivotably mounted to the chassis about a linkage axis which is at an acute angle to the forward direction;
a first mount pivotably mounted to the linkage plate about a first mount axis which is parallel to but spaced from the linkage axis;
a drive mounted to the first mount;
a floor surface treating member;
a drive lug for removably connecting the floor surface treating member to the drive for rotation thereby, with rotation of the floor surface treating member on the floor surface tending to assist the movement of the chassis on the floor surface;
means for biasing the first mount to pivot about the first mount axis in a direction to move the portion of the floor surface treating member opposite the linkage plate towards the floor surface and the portion of the floor surface treating member adjacent the linkage plate away from the floor surface and thereby engage the floor surface treating member with a cleaning pattern on the floor surface extending over substantially the full diametric width of the floor surface treating member perpendicular to the forward direction;
a bracket mounted to the chassis;
a second mount pivotably mounted to the bracket about a second mount axis generally parallel to the surface;
means secured to the second mount for picking up solution from the surface;
a gas spring having a first end pivotably mounted relative to the bracket and a second end pivotably mounted relative to the second mount about axes parallel to and spaced from the second mount axis to thereby engage the picking means with the surface at a force which is constant independent of the pivotal position of the second mount about the second mount axis;
a pocket extending from the first wall, with the pocket including a first plate extending parallel to the surface and a second plate extending generally perpendicular to the surface;
a wheel having a periphery and an axis;
a U-shaped bracket having first and second legs extending parallel to each other and from a central portion;
a fastener extending through the first leg, the axis of the wheel, and the second leg and secured to the first plate, with the central portion having a shape for flushly abutting with the second plate, with the periphery of the wheel extending beyond the first wall, with the central portion transferring forces to the second plate in the event that the periphery of the wheel engages an obstacle; and
a vacuum system;
wherein the drive lug comprises, in combination;
a hub portion for receipt on and for rotation with the drive, a cylindrical portion of a diametric size larger than the hub portion, means for securing the cylindrical portion to the hub portion concentric to the drive and defining at least one opening, an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical portion and rotatable therewith, and a plurality of ears integrally extending radially from the cylindrical portion and axially spaced from the flange; and
wherein the vacuum system comprises, in combination;
a vacuum assembly including an inlet and an outlet for passage of air and including a drive having a free end, a socket of a size for receipt of the vacuum assembly and having a socket wall and an open end, with the inlet of the vacuum assembly passing through the socket wall in a sealed manner to generally prevent entry of solution into the socket around the inlet, with the outlet passing through the open end of the socket, a third mount of a size for closing the open end of the socket in a sealed manner to generally prevent entry of solution into the socket through the open end and around the outlet, and means for removably securing the third mount to the socket to sandwich the vacuum assembly between the socket and the third mount.
- a chassis for movement on the floor surface in a forward direction, with the chassis including at least a first wall;
Specification