Riding floor scrubber

• US 6,397,429 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nilfisk A/S (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: Nilfisk-Advance Incorporated (Nilfisk Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Mueller, Paul T., Legatt, Donald J., Lehmann, Wolfgang C., Enzler, Patrick, Swenson, Galen
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/607,247
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 153/20, 153/401, 154/01, 153/39, 180/12, 180/13, 180/211, 180/43, 180/214
• US Class Current: 15/401
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4052 Movement of the tools or the like perpendicular to the cleaning surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices

Abstract

A riding floor scrubber (10) is disclosed having a relatively narrow cleaning width for passing through relatively narrow passages such as conventional doorways. The riding floor scrubber (10) includes a recovery tank (16) that is vertically and laterally arranged and removably attached to the back of a clean solution tank (14). The clean solution tank (14) includes spaced parallel side portions (26, 28) and the recovery tank (16) extends between the rear ends of the side portions (26, 28). The recovery tank (16) is secured by first and second brackets (42) that extend into recesses (44) on the clean solution tank (14), with the bottom of the recovery tank (16) including a lip portion (46) resting on a metal plate (20) of a chassis (18), with a battery pack (52) being supported on the plate (20) between the side portions (26, 28) of the clean solution tank (14). The clean solution tank (14) includes a middle portion (29) and a lower portion (24) integrally extending forwardly of the middle portion (29), with the left side portion (26) extending to the same longitudinal extent as the lower portion (24). The clean solution tank (14) is molded into a complex shape to maximize capacity, with the bottom of the clean solution tank (14) being recessed to receive the chassis (18) of a tricycle type to define triangular-shaped volumes (88).

Claims

1. A machine for treating floor surfaces utilizing a solution comprising, in combination:

a chassis movably supported on the floor surface, with the chassis including a chassis plate spaced from and generally parallel to the floor surface and having first and second sides;

first and second side tank portions extending on opposite sides of the chassis plate adjacent to the first and second sides of the chassis plate and having first ends, with the first and second side tank portions defining a hollow interior for containing the solution for treating the floor surface, with the first side portion having a vertical height slightly greater than the vertical height of the second side portion, with the first side portion including a recess defining a shoulder at the vertical height of the second side portion;

a middle portion extending between the first and second side portions and spaced from the first ends, with the middle portion including an upper surface having a vertical height equal to the vertical height of the second side portion;

an operator seat having a first side, a second side and an edge extending between the first and second sides; and

an ear integrally extending from the first side of the seat in a direction opposite to the second side and spaced from the edge of the seat, with the ear and the recess having a length considerably shorter than the first side of the seat, with the edge of the seat being pivotally supported on the middle portion, with the second side of the seat being supported on the second side tank portion, with the first side of the seat being supported by the abutment of the ear with the shoulder of the recess, with the seat spanning the first and second side tank portions.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein the middle portion is a tank portion and integrally extends between the first and second side tank portions, with the first, second, and middle portions defining a single volume.

3. The machine of claim 1 wherein the first side portion includes provisions for adding solution to the hollow interior at a height above the second side portion and the upper surface of the middle portion.

4. The machine of claim 1 wherein the first side portion includes an expansion extending longitudinally past the middle portion and the second side portion terminates in the middle portion.

5. The machine of claim 4 further comprising, in combination:

a lower tank portion extending from the middle portion and the expansion and which is generally parallel to the floor surface.

6. The machine of claim 4 with the expansion including a wall, with at least a first recess being integrally formed in the wall and extending into the hollow interior, with the recess defining an open face extending generally coplanar with the wall;

with the machine further comprising, in combination;

electrical components associated with operating the machine for treating the floor surface, with the electrical components including at least a first electrical harness;

at least a first panel removably secured to the expansion for closing the open face of the first recess, with the electrical components being received in the first recess and enclosed in the first recess by the first panel; and

at least a first passage integrally extending from the first recess for allowing routing of the first electrical harness through the hollow interior of the expansion.

7. The machine of claim 3 further comprising, in combination:

a battery pack for providing power to the machine and supported on the chassis plate between the first and second side portions.

8. A machine for treating a floor surface comprising, in combination:

a chassis movably supported on the floor surface;

a solution tank carried by the chassis and having a hollow interior for containing a solution for treating the floor surface, with the hollow interior being defined by a wall, with at least a first recess being integrally formed in the wall and extending into the hollow interior, with the recess defining an open face extending generally coplanar with the wall of the tank;

electrical components associated with operating the machine for treating the floor surface, with the electrical components including at least a first electrical harness;

at least a first panel removably secured to the tank for closing the open face of the first recess, with the electrical components being received in the first recess and enclosed in the first recess by the first panel, and at least a first passage integrally extending from the first recess for allowing routing of the first electrical harness through the hollow interior of the tank.

9. A machine for treating a floor surface comprising, in combination:

a chassis movably supported on the floor surface by first and second rear wheels independently rotatable about an axis and at least a first front wheel spaced from the axis;

an assemblage carried by the chassis for treating the floor surface, with the chassis, the wheels, and the assemblage having a generally rectangular profile parallel to the floor surface, with the generally rectangular profile having first and second sides, a front, and a rear;

a steering mechanism carried by the chassis and located within the generally rectangular profile for steering the front wheel between a forward direction position generally perpendicular to the axis and a maximum turning position generally parallel to the axis, with a rotation pivot point being defined on the axis when the front wheel is in the maximum turning position and about which the chassis rotates when the front wheel is in its maximum turning position, with the rotation pivot point being generally equidistant between the first and second rear wheels and spaced parallel to the axis from the sides of the rectangular profile by a lateral spacing; and

a seat carried by the chassis within the generally rectangular profile for supporting an operator, with the axis being positioned in the rectangular profile wherein any location in the rectangular profile on the opposite side of the axis from the front wheel is within an arc from the rotation pivot point of a radius generally equal to the lateral spacing, with the front of the generally rectangular profile having a maximum spacing from the rotation pivot point, with the axis being positioned in the rectangular profile so that the rectangular profile can be turned 180 degrees in a turn width generally equal to the sum of the radius and the maximum spacing.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein the front wheel is driven.

11. The machine of claim 10 wherein the radius is within a range of 100 to 102 percent of the lateral spacing.

12. The machine of claim 9 wherein the front and rear of the rectangular profile are spaced a machine length, with the machine length being generally equal to the turn width.

13. The machine of claim 9 wherein the turn width is within a range of 100 to 105 percent of the machine length.

14. The machine of claim 9 wherein the maximum spacing of the front is at a front location located generally perpendicular from the axis from the rotation pivot point;

and wherein the front of the generally rectangular profile is radiused from the front location to the first and second sides to be spaced from the rotation pivot point less than the maximum spacing.

15. The machine of claim 14 wherein the generally rectangular profile includes radiused intersections between the rear and the first and second sides, with the radiused intersections defining the greatest spacing of the rectangular profile on the opposite side of the axis from the front wheel.

16. The machine of claim 15 wherein the rear of the generally rectangular profile is spaced generally perpendicular from the axis a distance less than the radius.

17. The machine of claim 9 wherein the assemblage includes at least a first tank for holding a solution for treating the floor surface, with the at least first tank having an outer perimeter parallel to the floor surface, with the outer perimeter including first and second sides, a front, and a rear, with the chassis, the wheels, the seat, and the steering mechanism being located within the outer perimeter of the tank, with the second side, front and rear of the outer perimeter defining the second side, front and rear of the generally rectangular profile.

18. The machine of claim 17 wherein the assemblage includes a solution pickup assembly carried by the chassis on the opposite side of the axis than the front wheel and having an end, with the solution pickup assembly being movable relative to the chassis so that the end of the solution pickup assembly extends beyond the first side of the outer perimeter in a cleaning mode and so that the end of the solution pickup assembly is generally coextensive with the first side of the outer perimeter in a turning mode.

19. The machine of claim 17 wherein the assemblage includes a floor surface treating member carried by the chassis intermediate the rear wheels and the front wheel and having an end extending beyond the first side of the outer perimeter, with the end of the floor surface treating member defining the first side of the generally rectangular profile.

20. The machine of claim 19 wherein the floor surface treating member is a floor scrubbing member.

21. The machine of claim 17 with the tank having a hollow interior defined by a wall, with at least a first recess being integrally formed in the wall and extending into the hollow interior, with the recess defining an open face extending generally coplanar with the wall, with the machine further comprising, in combination:

electrical components associated with operating the machine for treating the floor surface, with the electrical components including at least a first electrical harness;

at least a first panel removably secured to the tank for closing the open face of the first recess, with the electrical components being received in the first recess and enclosed in the first recess by the first panel; and

at least a first passage integrally extending from the first recess for allowing routing of the first electrical harness through the hollow interior of the tank.