Floor cleaning machine

• US 10,786,130 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kaercher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Braendle, Alexander, Schulze, Manuel, Moser, Fabian, Irion, Moritz, Sorgenfrei, Swen
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Nguyen, Dung
• Application Number:
  US15/985,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20180263453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/204 having combined drive for brushes and for vacuum cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/26 Floor-scrubbing machines, hand-driven A47L11/29 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• 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 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/322 for hand-supported suction cleaners

Abstract

A floor cleaning machine is provided, in particular a hand-guided and/or hand-held floor cleaning machine, including a support device, at least one cleaning roller arranged on the support device, capable of being driven in rotation and provided with a cleaning substrate, said cleaning substrate being made of a textile material; and at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller that includes a first and a spaced second mouth wall having a mouth opening therebetween, wherein the first mouth wall is positioned above the second mouth wall relative to the direction of gravity, wherein the first and/or second mouth wall protrude(s) into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning machine, comprising:

a support device;

a user holding unit comprising a stick device;

wherein the stick device has a handle located thereon;

wherein the support device is arranged on the user holding unit; and

wherein the floor cleaning machine is hand-guided and the stick device has a length such that the floor cleaning machine is adapted to be operated by a user standing on the floor to be cleaned;

at least one cleaning roller which is arranged on the support device, is capable of being driven in rotation and is provided with a cleaning substrate, said cleaning substrate being made of a textile material; and

at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the at least one mouth comprises a first mouth wall and a spaced second mouth wall having a mouth opening formed therebetween, wherein the first mouth wall is positioned above the second mouth wall relative to the direction of gravity when the at least one cleaning roller is placed on a floor that is to be cleaned;

wherein at least one of the first mouth wall and the second mouth wall protrudes into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller.

2. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of an end face of the first mouth wall and an end face of the second mouth wall is at least approximately parallel to an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller.

3. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate or protrudes thereinto and the second mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller or is spaced therefrom or protrudes thereinto, or wherein the second mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate or protrudes thereinto and the first mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate or protrudes thereinto or is spaced therefrom.

4. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mouth has arranged thereat a contact element which is in contact against or protrudes into the cleaning substrate and projects transversely away from the first mouth wall or the second mouth wall, wherein a fluid seal is present between the contact element and the corresponding mouth wall.

5. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein the contact element is located at the first mouth wall.

6. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein the contact element has, on a side thereof facing towards the at least one cleaning roller, a curved contour which is adapted to the at least one cleaning roller.

7. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein the contact element has a first end which is spaced from the mouth and has a second end which is positioned at the mouth and wherein the contact element is configured such that a resultant negative pressure is less at the first end than at the second end.

8. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 7, wherein the contact element has a first area comprising the first end and has a second area comprising the second end, wherein a distance of the contact element from an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller is larger at the first area than at the second area.

9. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second mouth wall is arranged upstream of the first mouth wall with respect to a direction of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller.

10. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a distance of an end face of the first mouth wall from an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller is less than a distance of an end face of the second mouth wall from said axis of rotation.

11. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mouth opening of the at least one mouth is at least approximately rectangular in cross-section.

12. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning liquid container is provided which is operatively connected for fluid communication with the at least one cleaning roller.

13. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 12, wherein the at least one cleaning liquid container is arranged on a user holding unit.

14. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a dirty liquid container is provided, said dirty liquid container being associated with a separator device.

15. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a pivot axis of the joint is oriented parallel to an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller.

16. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in a cleaning process, the floor cleaning machine is supported on the floor via the at least one cleaning roller alone.

17. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a direction of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller is from a line of contact with the floor to be cleaned towards the second mouth wall and then towards the first mouth wall.

18. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one sweeping lip is associated with the at least one cleaning roller.

19. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 18, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is arranged and configured such that coarse dirt between the at least one sweeping lip and the at least one cleaning roller is picked up by the at least one cleaning roller and delivered to the at least one mouth.

20. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 18, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is at least one of movably arranged and movably configured.

21. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 18, wherein a supplementary air device to be provided by way of which a supply of supplementary air is provided to the at least one cleaning roller.

22. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 21, wherein the supplementary air device comprises at least one channel having at least one outlet-side mouth for supplementary air that is oriented towards the at least one cleaning roller.

23. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 22, wherein the at least one channel has at least one inlet-side mouth for supplementary air via which supplementary air is capable of being coupled in.