Apparatus for floor cleaning

• US 6,553,609 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zyrus BeteiligungsGmbH & Company Patente I KG
• Original Assignee: Andreas Kistner, Christian Neumann, Dieter Tremmel, Holger Sandner, Markus Merkl, Michael Kotz, Peter Belkhofer
• Inventors: Kistner, Andreas, Neumann, Christian, Sandner, Holger, Kotz, Michael, Tremmel, Dieter, Belkhofer, Peter, Merkl, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/836,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 153/20, 153/403, 153/404, 153/85
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• 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 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for floor cleaning, with several wheels 4, 5, 6 being attached to a frame R in such a way that a curve movement about a momentary center MP, MP1, MP2 can be performed and all momentary centers MP, MP1, MP2 form a momentary center axis MA extending substantially transversally to the frame R, and with a cleaning device 24a, 24b being received in the frame R, which cleaning device forms a cleaning surface area RF which is delimited by a circumferential edge. In order to reduce uncleaned residual surfaces when moving along contours it is provided in accordance with the invention that the momentary center axis MA forms at least one point of intersection S1, S2 in a section of the circumferential edge disposed in the zone of the longitudinal side of the frame R.

Claims

1. An apparatus for floor cleaning, said apparatus having a plurality of wheels (4, 5, 6) attached to a frame (R) such that a curve movement can be selectively performed about any one of a plurality of momentary centers (MP, MP1, MP2), wherein each of the wheels has an axis of rotation and each of the plurality of momentary centers (MP, MP1, MP2) is located at an intersection of a momentary center axis (MA), which extends substantially transverse to the frame (R), and the axes of rotation of the plurality of wheels, said apparatus also having a cleaning device (3, 17a, 17b, 24, 25) that is received in the frame (R), said cleaning device forming a cleaning area that is delimited by a circumferential edge, wherein the momentary center axis (MA) forms at least one point of intersection (S1, S2) with a section of the circumferential edge that is disposed along a longitudinal side of the frame (R).

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a center of gravity (SP) and the momentary center axis (MA) extends in the vicinity of a vertical projection of the center of gravity (SP).

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one non-steerable wheel (4) is attached to the frame along the momentary center axis (MA) in the vicinity of the vertical projection of the center of gravity (SP).

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wheels (4, 5, 6) include at least two wheels (5, 6) that are attached to the frame (R), and wherein said at least two wheels (5, 6) are selected from the group consisting of swivelable and steerable wheels.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein two wheels (4a, 4b ) are arranged on the momentary center axis (MA), and wherein the two wheels are driven wheels.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the driven wheels (4a, 4b ) are adapted to be driven at different speeds and/or in different directions of rotation.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises at least one circular brush (3, 24, 24a, 24b ).

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises at least one cleaning roller (25).

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a supply unit (V), said supply unit being an exchangeable module and comprising a tank (15), a device for receiving dirty water, and a power supply unit (16).

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the several wheels include at least one non-steerable wheel (4) and swivel wheels (5,6), said at least one non-steerable wheel being attached to the frame in a vertically movable fashion relative to the swivel wheels (5, 6).

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one non-steerable wheel (4) is received in a lifting apparatus (11) or a resiliently held rocker (7).

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus has a weight, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a device (9, 10, 11) for adjusting distribution of the weight between the at least one non-steerable wheel (4) and the swivel wheels (5, 6).

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a motor (21, 21a, 21b) is provided for driving the at least one non-steerable wheel (4).

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein stop wheels are provided on a brush cover (18).

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the stop wheels are arranged with an axial offset Δ

y in front of the momentary center axis, with the following applying;

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing having a peripheral contour, wherein at least portions of the peripheral contour falls upon a circle centered on a central momentary center (MP2).

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one point of intersection (S1, S2) is disposed on an outermost lateral section of the circumferential edge that projects beyond the longitudinal side of the frame.