Floor treatment apparatus

• US 8,438,685 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karcher North America Incorporated (Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Karcher North America Incorporated (Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Pedlar, Roger, Doll, Brian J., Simmon, Rusty, Green, Nevin, Pearson, Daniel, Tran, Loi X., Gorsky, Robert S., Shark, Eric L., Venard, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US13/554,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20120291218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 15/491, 15/501, 15/78, 15/98, 153/20, 153/21, 153/401, 153/403, 154/01, 180/6.2, 180/211, D12/85
• US Class Current: 15/49.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/145 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/16 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/20 combined with vacuum cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/292 having rotary tools A47L11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/305 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/0217 Use of a detergent in high pressure cleaners; arrangements for supplying the same
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/027 Pump details
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/026 Cleaning by making use of hand-held spray guns; Fluid preparations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2018 : for braking on a slope
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 : Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/142 : acoustic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 : Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 : Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 : with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating a floored surface that includes a platform adapted to support the weight of an operator. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is capable of generally performing 360° turns to facilitate the treatment of difficult to access portions of the floored surface.

Claims

1. A floor treatment apparatus, comprising:

a chassis having a front and a back and a lower surface, a front surface adjacent the front, a rear surface adjacent the back, a left side and right side and a platform;

at least a first wheel, a second wheel and a third wheel which at least partially support the weight of the chassis;

a floor treatment mechanism interconnected to the lower surface;

a power source interconnected to at least one of the wheels;

a mechanism operably interconnected to at least one of the wheels to allow an operator to steer the apparatus and wherein the chassis is allowed to rotate 360 degrees without substantially moving in other directions;

wherein the platform is located substantially below the steering mechanism and substantially directly above an axis extending between the center of the first and second wheels, which are located substantially toward the back of the apparatus; and

wherein the platform includes a throttle, an operator present switch that interrupts the throttle when not depressed, and a platform switch which must be engaged in order for the throttle to be effective.

2. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the floor treatment mechanism is at least one of a brush, a burnisher, a squeegee, a vacuum and a debris collection device.

3. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chassis has a maximum outside envelope of about 50 inches high, 26 inches wide and 51 inches long.

4. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, further including a debris collection device connected adjacent to the lower surface of the chassis.

5. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, further including a fluid storage compartment, a chemical storage compartment and a control mechanism which will selectively mix fluid from the fluid storage compartment with fluid from the chemical storage compartment to form a cleaning fluid.

6. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an electric monowheel drive motor interconnected to the power source and at least one of the first wheel, the second wheel, and the third wheel.

7. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the maximum vertical distance between the platform and the floor is 200 millimeters.

8. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first wheel and second wheel are independently driven by the drive motor.

9. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the third wheel is a steered wheel driven by the drive motor.

10. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wheel and second wheel are independently suspended.