Brush roll arrangement for a floor cleaning tool

• US 7,805,795 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stein & Co GmbH
• Original Assignee: Stein & Co GmbH
• Inventors: Stein, Thomas, Liffers, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III; Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANIEL, JAMAL D
• Application Number:
  US11/234,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 15/411, 153/92, 153/89, 153/90, 15/23, 153/91, 15/521, 16 18 R- 18 B, 511/76
• US Class Current: 15/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0455 Bearing means therefor

Abstract

A brush roll is rotatably supported by bearings in a housing of a cleaning brush tool. One of the bearings is incorporated in a removable bearing arrangement that can be rotationally fastened and removed as needed on a cylindrical end of the housing. Preferably collar elements protruding cylindrically from the removable bearing arrangement form bayonet-type catch hooks that selectively engage with bayonet-type catch elements protruding radially outwardly from the cylindrical end sleeve of the housing. A detent on the housing engages a securing element on the removable bearing arrangement to secure the engaged bayonet-type fastening arrangement against rotational release thereof.

Claims

1. A cleaning brush tool comprising:

a brush housing having an axially open end portion defining an opening at an axial end of said brush housing in an axial direction;

a brush roll arranged in said brush housing such that said brush roll is rotatable about a rotation axis and extends longitudinally along said rotation axis in said axial direction;

a first bearing that rotatably supports a first end of said brush roll relative to said brush housing so that said first end of said brush roll is rotatable about said rotation axis; and

a removable bearing arrangement that includes a second bearing and a bearing mount which carries said second bearing;

wherein;

said second bearing rotatably supports a second end of said brush roll to be rotatable about said rotation axis;

said bearing mount is removably connected to said axially open end portion of said brush housing proximate to said second end of said brush roll such that said bearing mount covers said opening defined by paid axially open end portion of said brush housing;

said bearing mount includes a first rotational fastening structure configured along a cylinder about said rotation axis, and a first securing element;

said end portion of said brush housing includes a second rotational fastening structure configured along said cylinder about said rotation axis, and a second securing element;

said bearing mount and said end portion of said brush housing are so configured and cooperate with one another so that said bearing mount can be selectively connected to said end portion of said brush housing so as to cover said opening and can be selectively removed from said end portion of said brush housing so as to uncover said opening, by said bearing mount being rotated about said rotation axis and moved relative to said housing in said axial direction along said rotation axis;

said bearing mount and said end portion of said brush housing are so configured and cooperate with one another so that when said bearing mount is arranged in or on said end portion of said brush housing so as to cover said opening, said first and second rotational fastening structures selectively cooperate and engage with one another to fasten said removable bearing arrangement to said end portion of said brush housing by rotation of said bearing mount about said rotation axis relative to said housing; and

said bearing mount and said end portion of said brush housing are so configured and cooperate with one another so that when said removable bearing arrangement is fastened to said end portion of said brush housing by engagement of said first and second rotational fastening structures with one another, said first and second securing elements engage with one another to secure said bearing mount against rotation about said rotation axis relative to said brush housing in a rotation direction that would disengage said first and second rotational fastening structures from one another.

2. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 1, wherein said first and second rotational fastening structures comprise a bayonet coupling including a bayonet catch and a bayonet hook that is configured and arranged to selectively hook onto said bayonet catch by rotation of said bearing mount about said rotation axis.

3. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 2, wherein said first rotational fastening structure comprises said bayonet hook on said bearing mount, and said second rotational fastening structure comprises said bayonet catch on said end portion of said brush housing.

4. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 1, wherein said end portion of said brush housing protrudes at least partially cylindrically along said cylinder, said bearing mount comprises a bearing mount cup including an end cap and collar elements protruding at least partially cylindrically along said cylinder from said end cap, and said collar elements fit coaxially about said rotation axis outside onto said end portion of said brush housing.

5. The cleaning brush according to claim 1, wherein said brush roll is arranged in said brush housing, and said brush housing and said removable bearing arrangement are configured and cooperate so that said brush roll can be removed out of said brush housing axially through said opening without use of any tool by manually pulling said brush roll along said rotation axis through said opening and out of said end portion of said brush housing after manually completely separating and removing said removable bearing arrangement from said brush housing.

6. A cleaning brush tool comprising:

a brush housing having an axially open end portion defining an opening at an axial end of said brush housing in an axial direction;

a brush roll arranged in said brush housing such that said brush roll is rotatable about a rotation axis and extends longitudinally along said rotation axis in said axial direction;

a first bearing that rotatably supports a first end of said brush roll relative to said brush housing so that said first end of said brush roll is rotatable about said rotation axis; and

a removable bearing arrangement that includes a second bearing and a bearing mount which carries said second bearing;

wherein;

said second bearing rotatably supports a second end of said brush roll to be rotatable about said rotation axis;

said bearing mount is removably connected to said axially open end portion of said brush housing proximate to said second end of said brush roll such that said bearing mount covers said opening defined by said axially open end portion of said brush housing;

said bearing mount and said end portion of said brush housing are so configured and cooperate with one another so that said bearing mount can be selectively connected to said end portion of said brush housing so as to cover said opening and can be selectively removed from said end portion of said brush housing so as to uncover said opening, by said bearing mount being rotated about said rotation axis and moved relative to said housing in said axial direction along said rotation axis;

said bearing mount includes at least one collar element that extends along a cylinder about said rotation axis and that fits onto or into said end portion of said brush housing;

said at least one collar element or said end portion has at least two bayonet coupling catch grooves therein;

said end portion or said at least one collar element has thereon at least two bayonet coupling catch elements that are configured and positioned to be selectively engageable into said catch grooves by relative rotation between said bearing mount and said end portion of said brush housing about said rotation axis; and

said bearing mount and said brush housing further have respective latch elements that are configured and positioned to selectively engage one another and prevent rotation of said bearing mount relative to said brush housing about said rotation axis in at least a rotation direction that would disengage said catch elements from said catch grooves.

7. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 6, wherein said at least one collar element fits externally onto said end portion of said brush housing.

8. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 6, wherein said catch elements are provided on said end portion of said brush housing and said catch grooves are provided on said at least one collar element of said removable bearing arrangement.

9. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 6, wherein said at least one collar element or said end portion further has at least two helically sloping guide surfaces that slope helically about said rotation axis respectively into said catch grooves, and said catch elements respectively have helically sloping guide walls that slope helically about said rotation axis and that are arranged and configured to face, contact and slide along said sloping guide surfaces during rotation of said bearing mount relative to said end portion of said brush housing about said rotation axis to engage said catch elements in said catch grooves.

10. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 6, wherein said latch elements include a securing element provided on said bearing mount and a deflectable detent that is provided on said brush housing so as to selectively engage said securing element when said bearing mount is rotated relative to said end portion of said brush housing about said rotation axis.

11. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 10, wherein said securing element comprises an undercut or protruding rim or a ratchet groove, and said deflectable detent comprises a pawl that selectively engages under, behind or into said rim or ratchet groove.

12. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 10, wherein said deflectable detent is pivotably connected to said brush housing so as to be manually pivotally deflectable out of engagement with said securing element.

13. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 10, wherein said deflectable detent is flexible so as to be manually flexibly deflectable out of engagement with said securing element.

14. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 10, wherein said deflectable detent includes a manual press button that can be manually pressed to deflect said detent out of engagement with said securing element.

15. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 6, wherein said removable bearing arrangement can be selectively mounted on and completely removed from said end portion of said brush housing in a direction along said rotation axis entirely manually without use of any tool.

16. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 15, wherein said brush roll can be removed out of said brush housing axially through said opening without use of any tool by manually pulling said brush roll in said axial direction along said rotation axis through said opening and out of said end portion of said brush housing after manually removing said removable bearing arrangement.

17. A cleaning brush tool comprising:

a brush housing having an axially open cylindrical end portion defining an opening at an axial end of said brush housing in an axial direction;

a brush roll arranged in said brush housing such that said brush roll is rotatable about a rotation axis and extends longitudinally along said rotation axis in said axial direction;

a first bearing that rotatably supports a first end of said brush roll relative to said brush housing so that said first end of said brush roll is rotatable about said rotation axis; and

a removable bearing arrangement that includes a second bearing and a bearing mount which carries said second bearing;

wherein;

said second bearing rotatably supports a second end of said brush roll to be rotatable about said rotation axis;

said bearing mount is configured to be mounted in said axial direction along said rotation axis into or onto said cylindrical end portion of said brush housing proximate to said second end of said brush roll, such that said bearing mount covers said opening defined by said end portion of said brush housing;

said bearing mount and said cylindrical end portion are configured and cooperate with one another so that said bearing mount is removably fastened in or on said cylindrical end portion by rotation of said bearing mount relative to said cylindrical end portion about said rotation axis; and

said bearing mount is externally manually removable from said cylindrical end portion in said axial direction so as to uncover said opening, and then said brush roll is manually removable out of said brush housing in said axial direction through said opening.

18. The cleaning brush tool according to claim 17, wherein said bearing mount is releasable from said cylindrical end portion by rotation of said bearing mount about said rotation axis by 90°

relative to said cylindrical end portion.