Sweeper with hopper heat shield

• US 5,884,353 A
• Filed: 12/01/1997
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Wilmo, Michael S., Berg, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US08/980,798
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 15/41.1, 15/82-87, 15/340.1, 15/340.2, 15/340.3, 15/340.4
• US Class Current: 15/83
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0854 Apparatus in which the mechanically dislodged dirt is partially sucked-off, e.g. dislodging- sweeping apparatus with dirt collector in brush housing or dirt container mechanical dislodging machines with independent suction nozzles E01H1/0827; combined with blowing and suction E01H1/0872

Abstract

A surface maintenance machine includes a body, wheels for supporting the body, a sweeping brush and a debris hopper adjacent the sweeping brush and positioned to receive debris swept by the brush. The hopper has a floor, walls, and a top, all formed of a plastic material, preferably one rated as not supporting combustion in a horizontal direction. There is a heat shield attached to the underside of the hopper top, with the heat shield being formed of a non-combustible material.

Claims

1. A surface maintenance machine including a body, wheels for supporting said body, a sweeping brush, a debris hopper adjacent said sweeping brush and positioned to receive debris swept by said brush, said hopper having a floor, walls and a top, all formed of a plastic material, and a heat shield attached to the underside of said hopper top, said heat shield being formed of a non-combustible material.

2. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 wherein said plastic material is rated as only supporting combustion in a horizontal direction.

3. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 wherein said heat shield is of a size and shape to be generally coextensive with said hopper top and is formed of a metallic material.

4. The surface maintenance machine of claim 3 wherein said head shield is formed of sheet steel.

5. The surface maintenance machine of claim 1 wherein said hopper top has a pair of longitudinally extending channels formed therein, said heat shield being attached to the underside of said channels and being generally coextensive with the area of said hopper top.