Surface cleaning machine

• US 10,362,920 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Moser, Fabian, Martinkenas, Saulius, Buchmann, Johanna, Mueller, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US15/485,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/202 having separate drive for the cleaning brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• 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 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• 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: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor

Abstract

A surface cleaning machine is provided, including a cleaning roller holder, at least one cleaning roller which is arranged on the cleaning roller holder, a drive device for driving the at least one cleaning roller in rotation, and a sweeping element which is associated with the at least one cleaning roller and which feeds swept material to the at least one cleaning roller, wherein the sweeping element, at least during a cleaning operation, projects with a front region into a jacket of the at least one cleaning roller, wherein a front face end of the sweeping element is arranged on the front region.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning machine, comprising:

a cleaning roller holder;

at least one cleaning roller which is arranged on the cleaning roller holder;

a drive device for driving the at least one cleaning roller in rotation; and

a sweeping element which is associated with the at least one cleaning roller and which feeds swept material to the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the sweeping element, at least during a cleaning operation, is in contact with a surface to be cleaned and projects with a front region into a jacket of the at least one cleaning roller; and

wherein a front face end of the sweeping element is arranged on the front region.

2. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front region is of elastic form such that, when the surface cleaning machine is set down on a surface for cleaning by means of the at least one cleaning roller, the inherent weight of the surface cleaning machine causes said front region to project into the jacket.

3. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at least during cleaning operation of the surface cleaning machine, the front face end projects at a spacing to an outer side of the jacket in a range between 5 percent and 80 percent of a thickness of the jacket.

4. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweeping element is formed in at least two parts with a first part and a second part, wherein the second part has greater elasticity than the first part and the front region is arranged or formed on the second part.

5. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first part has no elasticity that is functional for the sweeping element.

6. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second part has a Shore hardness in the range between 70 and 90.

7. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sweeping element is formed such that a sweeping edge always abuts against the second part during cleaning operation.

8. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second part follows the first part in a circumferential direction, and in particular the second part is connected to the first part.

9. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first part has a cylindrical surface facing toward the cleaning roller.

10. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweeping element is produced by means of a multi-component injection molding process, and in particular a two-component injection molding process.

11. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the front region or in a partial section of the front region, a thickness of the sweeping element tapers toward the front face end.

12. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front region is formed such that, at least during cleaning operation, a spacing between an outer side, facing toward the at least one cleaning roller, of the front region and an axis of rotation of the cleaning roller decreases, at least in a partial section, toward the front face end.

13. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweeping element has a first region and a second region which follow one another along an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller, wherein at least one through-recess is arranged between the first region and the second region.

14. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one cleaning roller is formed in at least two parts with a first part, which is associated with the first region of the sweeping element, and a second part, which is associated with the second region of the sweeping element, wherein one or more coupling elements of the drive device which couple the drive device to the at least one cleaning roller extend through the at least one through-recess.

15. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first region and the second region are connected by means of a web.

16. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein a sliding surface is formed on the web, wherein, in particular, an associated counterpart sliding surface has no jacket.

17. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during cleaning operation of the surface cleaning machine in which the at least one cleaning roller is set down on a surface for cleaning, the front face end projects into the jacket of the at least one cleaning roller and does not abut against the surface for cleaning, and in particular a sweeping edge which abuts against the surface for cleaning is spaced apart from the front face end.

18. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweeping element is arranged fixedly on the cleaning roller holder and is arranged in particular in non-displaceable and non-rotatable manner on the cleaning roller holder.

19. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweeping element is arranged in movable manner on the cleaning roller holder.

20. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a suction device with a suction apparatus and at least one suction mouth which is fluidically connected to the suction apparatus and which is directed toward the at least one cleaning roller for removing fluid by suction from the at least one cleaning roller.

21. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 20, wherein, during cleaning operation, the sweeping element is positioned between a surface for cleaning, onto which the at least one cleaning roller is set down, and the at least one suction mouth.

22. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during cleaning operation, the surface cleaning machine is set down or supported on a surface for cleaning exclusively by means of the at least one cleaning roller, and in particular a single cleaning roller.

23. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during cleaning operation with the surface cleaning machine being pushed forward, a direction of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller is clockwise.

24. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the case of the surface cleaning machine with at least one cleaning roller set down on a surface for cleaning being pushed in a forward direction, the sweeping element, facing away from the forward direction, covers the at least one cleaning roller in the rearward direction, and lies against the surface for cleaning at least over a length of the at least one cleaning roller.

25. The surface cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a wetting device for the at least one cleaning roller.