Floor cleaning apparatus

• US 8,887,340 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• 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, Pearson, Daniel, Shark, Eric L., Venard, Daniel C., Doll, Brian J., Green, Nevin, Tran, Loi X., Gorsky, Robert S., Tucker, Steven W., Leifheit, Todd, Simmons, Rusty
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US14/133,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20140130292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 15/491, 15/501, 15/78, 15/98, 153/20, 153/401, 153/403, 154/01, 180/6.2, 180/211, D12/85
• US Class Current: 15/49.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• 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 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine

Abstract

A floor treatment apparatus is provided that includes a chassis that supports at least one cleaning element. The chassis is supported by a plurality of wheels, one which is steerable via a steering wheel interconnected to a housing also associated with the chassis. The chassis provided includes a plurality of movable housing members, one of which is associated with the steering wheel. To access the internal components of the floor treatment apparatus, the front housing is rotated or moved away from the other housings wherein the steering wheel does not require disconnection to allow this movement.

Claims

1. A floor treatment apparatus comprising:

a chassis having a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface and a lower surface, the chassis supporting a clean fluid tank, a spent fluid tank, an electric drive motor associated with a drive wheel and a plurality of batteries associated with the electric drive motor, and a vacuum motor;

wherein the vacuum motor is operably connected to the one or more of the batteries and is part of a vacuum assembly comprising at least one hose running from the vacuum assembly to a member associated with a squeegee, and a second hose running from the vacuum assembly to the spent fluid tank;

a first wheel operably interconnected to the lower surface adjacent to the left surface and located closer to the rear surface than the front surface;

a second wheel operably interconnected to the lower surface adjacent the right surface and located closer to the rear surface than the front surface;

wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are not interconnected;

wherein the drive wheel is operably interconnected to the lower surface and located closer to the front surface than the rear surface;

a multi-part housing comprising a primary housing, a front housing portion, and a rear housing portion, the multi-part housing including a plurality of hand holds, and wherein at least the primary housing is associated with the chassis;

a steering wheel operably interconnected by a shaft to an assembly associated with the drive wheel, wherein the steering wheel is associated with the front housing portion, which hingedly rotates relative to the primary housing about a first axis that is parallel to an axis extending between a center of the first wheel and a center of the second wheel, the front housing portion including a control panel, and wherein the steering wheel maintains a position relative to the control panel when the front housing portion is rotated away from the primary housing;

wherein at least a portion of the rear housing portion is located adjacent the rear surface of the chassis and is substantially connected to at least one of the primary housing and the chassis by one or more hinge members such that the rear housing portion hingedly rotates relative to the primary housing about a second axis that is parallel to the axis extending between a center of the first wheel and a center of the second wheel, and the one or more of the hinge members are located closer to the lower surface of the chassis than to a top portion of the primary housing;

wherein the spent fluid tank is fixedly connected to the rear housing portion and rotates with the rear housing portion;

a platform which is substantially associated with at least a portion of the rear housing portion and located substantially between at least a portion of the right surface of one of the chassis or the multi-part housing and at least a portion of the left surface of one of the chassis or the multi-part housing and extending from at least a portion of the rear surface of one of the chassis or the multi-part housing, wherein a portion of the platform is positioned substantially adjacent to the axis extending between the center of the first wheel and the center of the second wheel and at least a portion of the platform penetrates a three-dimensional cylindrical volume that is defined by an outer surface of the first wheel and the second wheel, wherein the platform includes a substantially horizontal portion adapted to receive the feet of an operator, the platform also including a device that is in operable communication with a hand operated speed range switch and the electric drive motor, the device operable to control locomotion of the apparatus within a selected speed range, and an operator presence device which is operatively connected to and which selectively interrupts operation of the device;

a brake which is operative to perform a braking function when the device is disengaged;

a scrub brush, wherein the scrub brush and the squeegee are operably connected to and located substantially adjacent to the lower surface of the chassis; and

wherein the floor treatment apparatus rotates 360 degrees without substantially moving in other directions.

2. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the brake is activated when the operator presence device is not depressed.

3. The floor treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the platform includes at least one of a left sidewall, a right sidewall, and a forward wall, which is adjacent to the chassis rear surface, wherein the at least one of a left sidewall, a right sidewall, and a forward wall extend above a surface that receives the operator'"'"'s feet.