Collection system for a floor polishing machine

• US 5,974,626 A
• Filed: 03/26/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nilfisk A/S (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: Nilfisk-Advance Incorporated (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Wood, David, Allen, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/824,680
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 15/385, 15/347, 55/419, 55/361, 55/374
• US Class Current: 15/385
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/20 combined with vacuum cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/403 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4077 Skirts or splash guards

Abstract

A dust collection/control system is disclosed utilized in a floor polishing machine (10) in the most preferred form. A polishing member (16) for maintaining a floor surface as it is moved along the floor is located and rotated within a housing or shield (186) including a circular, planar portion (92) terminating at its periphery in a downwardly extending flange (94) including a flexible skirt (95) which engages the floor. The rotation of the polishing member (16) within the housing (186) passively generates an air current contained within the housing (186). The air current engages first and second air barriers (190, 191) which extend downwardly from the planar portion (92) and generally radially inwardly from the flange (94) to create high pressure areas upstream of the air barriers (190, 191) with high pressure air being allowed to escape through separate air outlets (188, 189) into a single filter and collection bag (148) and to create a vacuum inside of the housing (186) to draw air around the skirt (95) to entrain the dust and air in the circling air current. In the preferred form, the air barriers (190, 191) are circumferentially spaced at a angle in the order of 20° from each other and are sized so that the flow rates through the air outlets (188, 189) are generally equal.

Claims

1. In a machine for maintaining a work surface including a planar member for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the work surface in a plane substantially parallel to the work surface and a housing including a planar portion located on the opposite side of the planar member from the work surface and having a periphery, with the housing further including a flange extending from the periphery of the planar portion towards and adjacent to the work surface, with the planar member located within the planar portion and flange of the housing, an improved system comprising, in combination:

first and second air barriers extending from the planar portion of the housing towards but spaced from the planar member, with the air barriers being circumferentially spaced from each other and extending from the periphery of the planar portion towards the axis of the planar member; and

an air outlet associated with each air barrier and extending from the housing adjacent the periphery of the planar portion and the air barrier, with the air outlet positioned on the side of the air barrier opposite to the direction of rotation of the planar member, with the air barriers being circumferentially adjacent at a relatively small acute angle from each other relative to the axis of the rotation of the planar member.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second air barrier is located after the first air barrier in the direction of rotation of the planar member, with the size of the first air barrier being smaller than the size of the second air barrier.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the radial extent of the first air barrier is less than the radial extent of the second air barrier.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each of the air barriers include a first face extending generally perpendicular to the work surface, with the first face having a configuration concentric to the air outlet.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the air outlet is cylindrical in shape having circular cross sections.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the air barriers are at an angle in the order of 20°

from each other relative to the axis of the rotation of the planar member.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the air stream through the air outlets associated with the first and second air barriers have generally equal flow rates.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the air barriers include a first face extending generally perpendicular to the work surface, with the first face having a configuration concentric to the air outlet.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the air barriers have a radial extent relatively close to the periphery of the planar portion.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the radial extent of the air barriers from the periphery of the planar portion does not exceed the radial extent of the air outlet from the periphery of the planar portion.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the air outlets extend in a direction parallel to the axis of the planar member.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the air barriers are integrally formed with the planar portion.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the planar portion is flexible to allow the housing to deform engaging the flange with the work surface.

14. The system of claim 2 wherein the first and second air barriers have an equal axial extent from the planar portion.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising, in combination:

device for filtering and collecting dust simultaneously from first and second, separate air streams flowing through the air outlets of the first and second air barriers comprising, in combination;

a bag including a closed interior, with the bag being formed of filter material allowing the escape of pressurized air from the closed interior while generally preventing dust from passing from the closed interior to outside the bag;

first means for receiving the first air stream into the closed interior of the bag; and

second means for receiving the second air stream into the closed interior of the bag, with the second receiving means being separate from the first receiving means, with the closed interior simultaneously receiving the first and second air streams.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein each of the air outlet have a free end;

and wherein the bag includes a bottom, with the receiving means each comprising, in combination;

means for allowing-the spout to be passed through the bottom of the bag in a sealing relation with the bag and with the free end located in the closed interior of the bag.

17. Device for filtering and collecting dust simultaneously from first and second, separate air streams comprising, in combination:

a bag including a closed interior, with the bag being formed of filter material allowing the escape of pressurized air from the closed interior while generally preventing dust from passing from the closed interior to outside the bag;

first means for receiving the first air stream into the closed interior of the bag; and

second means for receiving the second air stream into the closed interior the bag, with the second receiving means being separate from the first receiving means, with the closed interior simultaneously receiving the first and second air streams;

wherein the first and second air streams pass through first and second spouts, respectively, with each of the spouts having a free end; and

wherein the bag includes a bottom, with the receiving means each comprising, in combination;

means for allowing the spout to be passed through the bottom of the bag in a sealing relation with the bag and with the free end located in the closed interior of the bag.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the allowing means each comprise, in combination:

an annular gasket secured to the bottom of the bag and including an aperture of a size for slidable, sealable receipt on the spout, with the bottom of the bag including an orifice inside of the aperture of the annular gasket allowing the spout to be passed therethrough.

19. The device of claim 18 further comprising, in combination:

a stiffener secured to the bottom of the bag outside of the closed interior, with the stiffener including first and second openings of a size and location for receipt around the first and second spouts, with the gaskets secured intermediate the stiffener and the bottom of the bag.