Floor cleaning machine

• US 9,999,332 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Braendle, Alexander, Schulze, Manuel, Moser, Fabian, Irion, Moritz, Sorgenfrei, Swen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US15/179,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 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, a fan device for creating a suction flow, and a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides a suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller, wherein the suction channel has a 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 are/is in contact against or protrude(s) into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning machine, comprising:

a support device;

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;

a fan device for creating a suction flow; and

a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides at least one suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the at least one suction channel has at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller and 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 the at least one suction channel has a configuration that tapers in cross-section towards a separator device.

13. 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.

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

15. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of (i) the fan device is arranged on the support device and (ii) the suction channel device is arranged on the support device.

16. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the suction channel device comprises a housing in which the at least one suction channel is arranged or formed.

17. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein an elastic device is provided by way of which the suction channel device is elastically urged against the at least one cleaning roller.

18. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 17, wherein the elastic device has a first side thereof supported on the support device.

19. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 17, wherein the elastic device has a first side thereof supported on the fan device or on a separator device.

20. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 18, wherein the elastic device has a second side thereof supported on the suction channel device.

21. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 18, wherein the elastic device has a second side thereof supported on the fan device or on the separator device, wherein the fan device is connected to the suction channel device or the separator device, wherein said connection is a direct connection or a force-locking connection.

22. 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.

23. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 22, wherein the dirty liquid container is arranged at the suction channel device.

24. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support device has arranged thereon a user holding unit.

25. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 24, wherein a pivot axis of the joint is oriented parallel to an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller.

26. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 24, wherein the user holding unit comprises a stick device, said stick device having a handle located thereon.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one cleaning roller is provided with grooves for generating pulses of air in a suction flow.

30. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 29, wherein a groove is formed by an area that is free of cleaning substrate or reduced in cleaning substrate.

31. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 29, wherein a plurality of spaced-apart grooves are provided, these being spaced apart in an axial direction of the at least one cleaning roller and in a circumferential direction of the at least one cleaning roller.

32. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 29, wherein a groove has a length that is no more than 10% of an axial length of the at least one cleaning roller.

33. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 29, wherein a groove has a width that is no more than 5% of a circumferential length of the at least one cleaning roller.

34. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one sweeping lip is arranged at the suction channel device.

35. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 34, 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.

36. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 34, wherein the at least one sweeping lip isolates a space behind the at least one cleaning roller and below the suction channel device towards the floor to be cleaned from the at least one cleaning roller when the at least one cleaning roller is placed on the floor.

37. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 34, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is at least one of movably arranged and movably configured.

38. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 34, 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.

39. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 38, 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.

40. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 39, wherein the at least one outlet-side mouth for supplementary air is arranged between the at least one mouth for suction flow and the at least one sweeping lip.

41. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 39, 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.

42. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 41, wherein the at least one inlet-side mouth is arranged on an underside of the suction channel device.

43. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 41, wherein the at least one channel is routed along the suction channel device.

44. The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 41, wherein the at least one channel is routed to the fan device.

45. A floor cleaning machine, comprising:

a support device;

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;

a fan device for creating a suction flow; and

a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides at least one suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the at least one suction channel has at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller and 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 is in contact against or protrudes into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller; and

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.

46. A floor cleaning machine, comprising:

a support device;

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;

a fan device for creating a suction flow; and

a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides at least one suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the at least one suction channel has at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller and 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 is in contact against or protrudes into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller; and

wherein an elastic device is provided by way of which the suction channel device is elastically urged against the at least one cleaning roller.

47. A floor cleaning machine, comprising:

a support device;

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;

a fan device for creating a suction flow; and

a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides at least one suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the at least one suction channel has at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller and 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 is in contact against or protrudes into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller; and

wherein the at least one cleaning roller is provided with grooves for generating pulses of air in a suction flow.

48. A floor cleaning machine, comprising:

a support device;

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;

a fan device for creating a suction flow; and

a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides at least one suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller;

wherein the at least one suction channel has at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller and 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 is in contact against or protrudes into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller; and

wherein at least one sweeping lip is arranged at the suction channel device.