FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE

• US 20150359397A1
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hako GmbH
• Original Assignee: Hako GmbH
• Inventors: Ruiz-Porath, Ricardo, Protz, Carsten, Schmidt, Anatoliy
• Granted Patent: US 10,064,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/305 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• 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 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools

Abstract

A floor cleaning machine having a movable adjustment element, a suction foot, a cleaning head and a drive. The adjustment element is coupled to the cleaning head, the suction foot and the drive. The drive is configured to move the adjustment element between a first position, in which the cleaning head and suction foot are raised, a second position, in which the cleaning head is raised and the suction foot is lowered, and a third position in which the cleaning head and suction foot are lowered.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning machine comprising:

a machine frame (3),

a chassis mounted on the machine frame (3), the chassis being adapted for moving the floor cleaning machine (1) over a floor area (7) that is to be cleaned,

a cleaning head (13) that is height-adjustably secured to the machine frame (3) for movement between an engagement position, in which the cleaning head (13) engages with the floor area floor area (7), and a raised head position,

a suction foot (23), which is adapted to suction fluid from the floor area (7), the suction foot being height-adjustably secured to the machine frame for movement between a contact position, in which the suction foot (23) rests on the floor area (7), and a raised foot position,

a movable adjustment element (43), which is coupled to the cleaning head (13) and to the suction foot (23), and

a drive (39), which is selectively operable to move the adjustment element (43) between a first position, a second position and a third position,

wherein, when the adjustment element (43) is in the first position, the cleaning head (13) is raised out of the engagement position and the suction foot (23) is raised out of the contact position,

wherein, when the adjustment element (43) is in the second position, the cleaning head (13) is raised out of the engagement position and the suction foot (23) is lowered into the contact position and

wherein, when the adjustment element (43) is in the third position, the cleaning head (13) is lowered into the engagement position, and the suction foot (23) is lowered into the contact position.

3. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the suction foot (23) and the adjustment element (43) are coupled with one another in such a way that an elastic element (45, 65) is disposed between the suction foot (23) and the adjustment element (43).

4. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment element (43) is movable along a vertical axis in a linear manner.

5. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the suction foot (23) has a retainer (27), which is pivotably secured to the machine frame (3), so that the suction foot (23) can be raised out of the contact position and lowered into the contact position by pivoting the retainer (27), and wherein the retainer (27) has a lever arm (33) with a free end (35) that is connected to the adjustment element (43).

6. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 5, wherein a spring element (45) is disposed between the free end (35) of the lever arm (33) and the adjustment element (43).

7. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the suction foot (23) has a retainer (27), which is pivotably secured to the machine frame (3), so that the suction foot (23) can be raised out of the contact position and lowered into the contact position by pivoting the retainer (27),

wherein the retainer (27) has a lever arm (33),

wherein a pivotably mounted coupling element (59) is connected to a free end (35) of the lever arm (33), and

wherein the coupling element (59) has a first guide track (67), with which the adjustment element (43) engages and in which said adjustment element can be moved, so that a pivot position of the coupling element (59) is changed when the adjustment element (43) is moved along the first guide track (67).

8. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein an elastic connecting element (65) is provided between the free end (35) of the lever arm (33) and the coupling element (59).

9. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning head (13) has a connection plate (21), in which a second guide track (47) is formed, with which the adjustment element (43) engages and in which said adjustment element can be moved, so that a position of the connection plate (21) relative to the machine frame (3) is changed when the adjustment element (43) is moved along the second guide track (47).

10. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning head (13) has a retainer (17), which is pivotably secured to the machine frame (3), and wherein the connection plate (21) is affixed to the retainer (17), so that when the adjustment element (43) is moved, the retainer (17) is pivoted to cause corresponding motion of the cleaning head (13) between the engagement position and the raised head position.

11. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning head (13) is connected to the adjustment element (43) via a cable element (53).

12. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 11, wherein the adjustment element (43) is provided at a free end of a piston rod (41) of an electromechanical linear drive (39).

13. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning head (13) has brushes (15) that are adapted to engage with the floor area (7) when in the lowered position.

14. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 13, wherein the suction foot (23) has a suction area, which is delimited by a sealing strip (28) and a slotted strip (28′

), said sealing and slotted strips being adapted to contact with the floor area (7) when the suction foot (23) is in the contact position, and wherein floor cleaning machine (1) further comprises a negative pressure source that is coupled in fluid connection with the suction area.

15. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning head (13) has a connection plate (21), in which a guide track (47) is formed, with which the adjustment element (43) engages and in which said adjustment element can be moved, so that a position of the connection plate (21) relative to the machine frame (3) is changed when the adjustment element (43) is moved along the guide track (47).

16. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning head (13) is connected to the adjustment element (43) via a cable element (53).

17. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the adjustment element (43) is provided at a free end of a piston rod (41) of an electromechanical linear drive (39).

18. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head (13) has brushes (15) that are adapted to engage with the floor area (7) when in the lowered position.

19. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the suction foot (23) defines a suction area, which is delimited by a sealing strip (28) and a slotted strip (28′

), said sealing and slotted strips being adapted to contact with the floor area (7) when the suction foot (23) is in the contact position, and wherein floor cleaning machine (1) further comprises a negative pressure source that is coupled in fluid connection with the suction area.

2. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 0, wherein the adjustment element (43) is selectively movable into a fourth position, and wherein when the adjustment element (43) is in the fourth position, the cleaning head (13) is lowered into the engagement position, and the suction foot (23) is raised out of the contact position.