CA1278921C - Floor treatment machine - Google Patents
Floor treatment machineInfo
- Publication number
- CA1278921C CA1278921C CA000560953A CA560953A CA1278921C CA 1278921 C CA1278921 C CA 1278921C CA 000560953 A CA000560953 A CA 000560953A CA 560953 A CA560953 A CA 560953A CA 1278921 C CA1278921 C CA 1278921C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- floor treatment
- floor
- machine
- implement
- steering wheel
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
- A47L11/4061—Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L11/02—Floor surfacing or polishing machines
- A47L11/10—Floor surfacing or polishing machines motor-driven
- A47L11/14—Floor surfacing or polishing machines motor-driven with rotating tools
- A47L11/16—Floor surfacing or polishing machines motor-driven with rotating tools the tools being disc brushes
- A47L11/162—Floor surfacing or polishing machines motor-driven with rotating tools the tools being disc brushes having only a single disc brush
Landscapes
- Soil Working Implements (AREA)
- Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
- Jib Cranes (AREA)
- Grinding Of Cylindrical And Plane Surfaces (AREA)
- Shovels (AREA)
- Finish Polishing, Edge Sharpening, And Grinding By Specific Grinding Devices (AREA)
- Earth Drilling (AREA)
- Silver Salt Photography Or Processing Solution Therefor (AREA)
- Guiding Agricultural Machines (AREA)
- Crushing And Grinding (AREA)
- Disintegrating Or Milling (AREA)
Abstract
INVENTOR: PETER BRUNNER
INVENTION: FLOOR TREATMENT MACHINE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The machine housing is equipped with travel wheels and a control or manipulating handle. A floor treatment or work implement has a central throughpassage and a treatment or working surface which, in the operating position of the floor treatment machine, bears with essentially its entire treatment surface upon the floor to be treated. This floor treatment implement is rotatable by an electric motor mounted at the machine housing. A steering wheel is disposed within the space bounded by the central throughpassage and the steering axis of this steering wheel substantially coincides with the rotational axis of the floor treatment implement. The steering wheel is displaceably mounted in the direction of its steering axis and is exposed to the action of a pressure spring element which presses the steering wheel against the floor. To ensure that the floor treatment machine can be moved in random directions and that the floor treatment implement can be operated at high rotational speeds also with moderate motor power requirements, the travel wheels are lifted off the floor in the operating position of the floor treatment machine, while the steering wheel presses against the floor with a force which, except for a so-called residual weight or force, corresponds to the inherent weight of the floor treatment machine. The residual weight or force produces a specific contact pressure of the floor treatment implement upon the floor which at most amounts to about 0.25 N/cm2.
INVENTION: FLOOR TREATMENT MACHINE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The machine housing is equipped with travel wheels and a control or manipulating handle. A floor treatment or work implement has a central throughpassage and a treatment or working surface which, in the operating position of the floor treatment machine, bears with essentially its entire treatment surface upon the floor to be treated. This floor treatment implement is rotatable by an electric motor mounted at the machine housing. A steering wheel is disposed within the space bounded by the central throughpassage and the steering axis of this steering wheel substantially coincides with the rotational axis of the floor treatment implement. The steering wheel is displaceably mounted in the direction of its steering axis and is exposed to the action of a pressure spring element which presses the steering wheel against the floor. To ensure that the floor treatment machine can be moved in random directions and that the floor treatment implement can be operated at high rotational speeds also with moderate motor power requirements, the travel wheels are lifted off the floor in the operating position of the floor treatment machine, while the steering wheel presses against the floor with a force which, except for a so-called residual weight or force, corresponds to the inherent weight of the floor treatment machine. The residual weight or force produces a specific contact pressure of the floor treatment implement upon the floor which at most amounts to about 0.25 N/cm2.
Description
1;~789~
, BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention broadly relates to a new and ¦
improved construction of a floor treatment machine, such as typically although not exclusively a floor polishing machine.
In its more specific aspects the present invention relates to a new and improved construction o~ a floor treatment machine comprising a housing equipped with travel wheel means or travel wheels and a control or manipulating handle for controlling or manipulating the maneuvering or movement of the floor treatment machine along the surface of the floor or other surface being treated. There is also provided a floor treatment implement or tool provided with a central throughpassage or opening and a substantially planar or flat treatment or working surface which, in the operating or working position of the floor treatment machine, is intended to bear or contact, essentially across its full surface area or with its entire substantially planar or flat treatment surface, upon the floor or the like to be treated. This floor treatment ¦
implement or tool is rotatabiy driveable by means of an ¦
electric motor mounted at the machine housing. The s~eering axis of a steering wheel or caster mounted for displacement in ', the direction of its steering axis is substantially coaxially i disposed with respect to the axis of rotation or rotational axis of the floor treatment implement or tool. The steering ~ .
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wheel is supported at the housing by means of a pressure spring element acting in the direction of the steering axis.
A floor treatment machine of this type is generally known, for example, from United States Patent No. 4,365,377, granted December 28/ 1982. The floor treatment implement or tool described therein can be composed, for example, of a felt, a coarse, tangled and irregular non-woven fabric, stiff curly or ruffled filaments or fibers, or of a disc brush. The floor treatment implement, there a floor polishing pad~ has a limited compressibility by virtue of its special texture and/or structure. The plane of this prior art floor treatment machine which is defined by the treatment surface of the floor treatment implement constitutes a plane which is tangent to the travel wheels arranged coaxially to each other. This floor treatment machine is thus, in the operating position thereof, I
supported with at least a part of its own or inherent weight byj means of the coaxial travel wheels at the floor to be treated.
- In this manner, it is possible to position the heaviest par~ of the machine, namely the electric motor, such that the weight of the electric motor is supported to a very large extent upon the travel wheels. On the other hand, this ¦
has the disadvantage that the floor treatment machine in the operating or working position can normally only be moved in a i direction substantially perpe~dicular to the common axis of the t `, 1~789'~
travel wheels. The caster arranged in the center of the Eloor treatment implement and biased downwardly by a pressure spring, has no other function but to reduce the lateral drifting or migration of the machine and with that the rubbing or scuffing motion of the travel wheels, and to spare the operator the need to exert considerable forces to keep the floor treatment machine on a set course or travel path by means of the control handle. This tendency for the floor treatment machine to laterally drift or migrate apparently only occurs when the prior art floor treatment machine is accelerated or decelerated in the direction of motion governed by the travel wheels. This is because of the limited compressibility of the floor treatment implement and thus the greater frictional engagement with the floor when the floor treatment implement is compressed.
A further drawback of this prior art floor treatment machine resides in the fact that provisions are not made to take into account the inevitable wear of the floor treatment implement during machine operation and the attendant reduction in thickness of the treatment implement resulting therefrom. Therefore, after a relatively short operating time of this prior art floor treatment machine, the floor treatment implement is no longer able to bear, across its entire or full surface area, upon the floor to be treated. Consequently, the specific contact or bearing pressure of the floor treatment `.
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789~
implement upon the floor is not uniformly distributed~ This will intensify more than ever the tendency of the floor treatment machine to laterally drift or migrate despite the presence of the caster.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction of a floor treatment machine which does ¦
not exhibit the aforementioned drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art.
i A further important objPct of the present invention is to provide a floor treatment machine of the aforementioned type which can beneficially exploit the aforedescribed properties considered as shortcomings for such prior art floor treatment machine, and which can be guided by a dexterious or rather skillful operator so as to move in any desired or random direction, and in which the specific bearing or contact pressure of the floor treatment implement or tool and, accordinglyj also the braking moment or torque to be overcome by the electric motor are, on the one hand, substantially uniformly or regularly distributed and, on the other hand, practically independent of the inherent weight of the floor treatment machine and, furthermore, practically independent of ~ 7~
the wear or abrasion of the floor treatment implement or tool.
This makes it possible to run the floor treatment implement or tool at high speeds in the order of magnitude of 1000 rpm and more in contrast to the speeds in the range of 400 to 500 rpm as is the custom so far. This increase in speed, particularly desirable for polishing floors with smooth surfaces, is moreover possible with such a low rated power or output of the electric motor that the current requirements of the electric motor can be supplied from a conventional wall socket.
Now in order to implement these and further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the floor treatment machine of the present invention is manifested by the features that the travell wheel means or travel wheels are raised with respect to the plane defined by the treatment surface of the floor treatment implement or tool in the operating or working position of the machine. Moreover, the pressure spring element presses the steering wheel against the floor to be treated with a force which, in the operating or working position of the machine, compensates the inherent weight of the machine except for a so-called remnant or residual force or weight which produces or results in a specific contact or bearing pressure of the floor treatment implement or tool of about 0.25 N/cm at the most, such that the floor treatment implement or tool which is ;
~789~31 subject to the action of a restoring force is able to wobble to a limited extent relative to its axis of rotation, i In the operating or working position of the floor I
treatment machine, the travel wheel means or travel wheels are !
lifted off the floor to be treated. In other words, they only ¦
serve as transport wheels when the floor treatment machine is ¦
upwardly tilted. By skillfully so-to-speak "twisting" or exerting "torsion" upon the control or manipulating handle or the like to the one or other side by the operator, the floor treatment machine can be made to automatically move or maneuver forwards and backwards. The lateral drifting or migration of the floor treatment machine thus becomes a welcome or beneficial advantage, without the uniformity of the contact or bearing pressure being substantially impaired thanks to the wobbling or tumble motion capability of the floor treatment implement or tool. Moreover, this specific contact or bearing pressure is no longer dependent on the total weight of the floor treatment machine, but only on the rssidual or remnant force or weight not compensated by the pressure spring element.
In the floor treatment machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the steering wheel or caster and the pressure spring element associated -therewith are thus assigned the task of continuously partially supporting the weight of the floor treatment machine.
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- ~ '' ~ ' ' 89;~1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein throughout the various figures of the drawings there have been generally used the same reference characters to denote the same or analogous components and wherein:
Figure 1 schematically shows a vertical partially sectional view through an exemplary embodiment of a floor treatment machine in the operating or working position thereof and constructed according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, a section through the central part or portion of the floor treatment machine; and Figure 3 shows a side view of the floor treatment , machine in the upward tilted transport position thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Describing now the drawings, it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof, only enou~h of the '' .
, ~789~
structure of the floor treatment machine, such as for instance a polishing machine, has been illustrated therein as is needed , to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of the present invention.
Turning now specifically to Figure l of the drawings, the floor ¦
treatment machine illustrated therein by way of example and not~
limitation and generally indicated in its entirety by reference¦
numeral lO, will be seen to comprise a machine housing or frame~
structure 11 which is provided at one end thereof with travel wheel means, here shown as, for instance, a pair of freely rotating travel wheels 12 arranged coaxially to one another and of which only one travel wheel is particularly visible in Figure 1. At the same end of the machine housing or housing 11, a control or manipulating handle or shaft 14 or equivalent structure is pivotably arranged in selectively lockable or arrestable manner at a pivot axis 13 or equivalent pivot and support structure. An electric motor 15 with a substantially .
vertically extending axis, for example, a double capacitor motor for single-phase connection, is flanged or otherwise connected at the upper side of the housing 11 which, for instance, could be made of die-cast metal. The associated capacitor bank 16 composed of starting and motor-operating capacitors is also anchored at the upper side of the housing 11.
.
, ~ ' ' ~ 78 The drive or driving shaft 17 of the electric motor 15 extends downwardly through the housing 11 and carries a thereto keyed toothed belt pulley 18. This toothed belt pulley 18 is positively or form-lockingly coupled by means of a toothed belt 19 with a further toothed belt pulley 20. As shown in Figure 2, this toothed belt pulley 20 is rotatably mounted by means of a roller bearing 21 or the like at a hollow or tubular stub shaft 22 containing a terminal or end flange 23. This terminal or end flange 23 is fixedly fastened or anchored to the housing 11 in any suitable and thus here not further shown manner.
A driving flange or flange member 24, also serving as a cla~np collar or ring for the outer race of the roller bearing 21, is fastened by, for instance, threaded bolts or screws to the underside of the toothed belt pulley 20 and sealed against the lower end region of the hollow or tubular stub shaft 22 by means of an annular or ring seal 25 or the like.
A drive element, such as a substantially ring-shaped or annular drive pulley 27 is operatively rigidly coupled for rotation with the driving flange 24 by means of a ;
coupling ring or ring member 26. An elastic compressible layer 28 is fastened, for example, by an adhesive bondj to the substantially ring-shaped or annular dri.ve pulley 27. Thls 78~
elastic compressible layer 28 can, for example, be composed of foam material or expanded rubber, and possesses substantially the same thickness as the substantially ring-shaped or annular drive pulley or element 27. Furthermore, this elastic compressible layer 28 is bounded by a marginal flange or border 29 extending upwardly from the circumference of a substantially ring-shaped or annular disc or disc member 30. The upper substantially planar or flat side or face of this annular disc 30 is fastened, for example, by an adhesive bond, to the lower side or face of the elastic compressible layer 28. The ring-shaped or annular disc 30 is thus able to wobble or tumble to a limited extent relative to the axis of rotation 31 and against the restoring force emanating from the elastic compressible layer 28.
A floor treatment implement or tool 33, such as a polishing or buffing pad, is exchangeably fixed to the underside of the ring-shaped or annular disc 30 to rotate and wobble therewith. The releasable fastening of ~he floor treatment implement or tool 33 to the ring-shaped or annular disc 30 is, for the sake of simplicity in the illustration, depicted as a layer, and can, for instance, be a hook and loop or burr-type fastener or closure, such as a Velcro fastener 32.
As mentioned hereinbefore, the floor treatment implement or tool 33 can consist of coarse, tangled and irregular non-woven * a trade mark 1~7~39~1 fabric with or without embedded abrasive or polishing material, .
or of a disc brush.
There can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that the substantially ring-shaped or annular drive pulley or element 27, the elastic compressible layer 28, the annular disc 30, the~
Velcro fastener 32 and the floor treatment implement or tool 33 each possess a central throughpassage or opening coaxial with the axis of rotation 31. These five throughpassages or openings define throughpassage means in the form of a chamber '.
or space 34. A steering wheel or caster 35 is shown mounted within this chamber or space 34 and the steering axis of this steering wheel or caster 35 essentially coincides with the axis of rotation 31. A longitudinally displaceable shank 36 of the steering wheel 35 is guided in a through bore or continuous bore 37 of the hollow or tubular stub shaft 22. The shank 36, .
in turn, is provided with a blind-end or blind hole bore 3B.
A cylinder 40 of a pressure or force-exerting device or element, here a pre-biased pressure or gas sprlng element 39 is inserted into this blind hole bore 38. A piston rod 41 of this pressure or gas spring element 39 is supported in a bore at the lower side of the housing 11~ It is to be understood that this gas spring element 39 can also be reversibly mounted. The pressure or gas spring element 39 is structured and dimensioned such that, in the operational or ~ ' ', . I
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working position of the floor treatment machine illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, i.e. with the treatment surface 42 of the floor treatment implement or tool 33 contacting or baaring, essentially across its full or entire surface area or substantially the entirety of its substantially flat treatment ¦
surface 42, upon the floor or the like to be treated, the steering wheel or caster 35 is pressed against the floor 43 i.e. the surface 43a of the floor 43 with a force which corresponds to the total or inherent weight of the floor treatment machine except for a so-called remnant or residual or remainder force or weight, whereby this remnant or residual or remainder force or weight is supported by way of the floor treatment implement or tool 33 areally or in surface-like manner with a bearing or contact pressure which at the most amounts to about ~.25 N/cm .
Purely by way of example, let it be assumed that the total weight of the floor treatment machine 10 is about 400 N and the floor treatment implement or tool 33 has an external diameter of 43 cm. and an internal diameter of 12 cm. If the , pressure or gas spring element 39 or equivalent structure were , now designed to press the steering wheel or caster 35 against , the floor 43 with a force of ahout 200 N, then the average or , mean specific bearing or contact pressure of the floor treatment implement or tool 33 against -the floor 43 would amount to about 0.15 N/cm .
8~
The pressure or gas spring element 39 affords the advantage of a practically constant spring force in the range of the spring characteristic. In order to prevent the pressure or gas spring element ~9 from pressing the shank 36 of the non-loaded or non-biased steering wheel or caster 35 out of the through bore or continuous bore 37 of the hollow tubular stub , shaft 22, the upper end 36a of the shank 36 of the steering wheel or caster 35 is secured by means of a securing element or spring ring 44 or the like which abuts against a shoulder 45 of the terminal or end flange 23 when the steering wheel or caster 35 is not loaded.
When the control or manipulating handle 14 is secured or locked in a position relative to the housing or frame 11 as shown in Figure 3, then the complete floor treatment machine 10 can be upwardly tilted from the floor 43 until the travel wheels 12 engage the floor 43. In this tilted position, the floor treatment machine 10 can be easily and conveniently transported.
The elastic compressible layer 28 serves as a shock~
ahsorber which prevents vibrations, originating from unevenness and roughness of the surface of the floor 43 or other surface to be treated and which have been transmitted to the floor treatment implement or tool 33, from being further transmitted ;
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to the housing 11 provided with the electric motor 15 and then to the control or manipulating handle 14.
The width and the material of the wheel tread of the steering wheel or caster 35 should be selected such that the steering wheel 35 leaves no wheel traces or marks on the floor 43 to be treated. A double-wheel steering wheel or caster has been found to be effective and practical.
; The floor treatment machine 10 hereinbefore described and, for instance, equippad with a floor treatment implement 33 having an external diameter of ~3 cm. can be run :
at an operating speed of about 1000 rpm without overloading the electric motor with a power or output of only 1100 W. This floor treatment machine 10 is thus particularly suitable for polishing work. ~.
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While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may , be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. ACCORDINGLY,
, BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention broadly relates to a new and ¦
improved construction of a floor treatment machine, such as typically although not exclusively a floor polishing machine.
In its more specific aspects the present invention relates to a new and improved construction o~ a floor treatment machine comprising a housing equipped with travel wheel means or travel wheels and a control or manipulating handle for controlling or manipulating the maneuvering or movement of the floor treatment machine along the surface of the floor or other surface being treated. There is also provided a floor treatment implement or tool provided with a central throughpassage or opening and a substantially planar or flat treatment or working surface which, in the operating or working position of the floor treatment machine, is intended to bear or contact, essentially across its full surface area or with its entire substantially planar or flat treatment surface, upon the floor or the like to be treated. This floor treatment ¦
implement or tool is rotatabiy driveable by means of an ¦
electric motor mounted at the machine housing. The s~eering axis of a steering wheel or caster mounted for displacement in ', the direction of its steering axis is substantially coaxially i disposed with respect to the axis of rotation or rotational axis of the floor treatment implement or tool. The steering ~ .
3 ~ ;
3L'C:78~
wheel is supported at the housing by means of a pressure spring element acting in the direction of the steering axis.
A floor treatment machine of this type is generally known, for example, from United States Patent No. 4,365,377, granted December 28/ 1982. The floor treatment implement or tool described therein can be composed, for example, of a felt, a coarse, tangled and irregular non-woven fabric, stiff curly or ruffled filaments or fibers, or of a disc brush. The floor treatment implement, there a floor polishing pad~ has a limited compressibility by virtue of its special texture and/or structure. The plane of this prior art floor treatment machine which is defined by the treatment surface of the floor treatment implement constitutes a plane which is tangent to the travel wheels arranged coaxially to each other. This floor treatment machine is thus, in the operating position thereof, I
supported with at least a part of its own or inherent weight byj means of the coaxial travel wheels at the floor to be treated.
- In this manner, it is possible to position the heaviest par~ of the machine, namely the electric motor, such that the weight of the electric motor is supported to a very large extent upon the travel wheels. On the other hand, this ¦
has the disadvantage that the floor treatment machine in the operating or working position can normally only be moved in a i direction substantially perpe~dicular to the common axis of the t `, 1~789'~
travel wheels. The caster arranged in the center of the Eloor treatment implement and biased downwardly by a pressure spring, has no other function but to reduce the lateral drifting or migration of the machine and with that the rubbing or scuffing motion of the travel wheels, and to spare the operator the need to exert considerable forces to keep the floor treatment machine on a set course or travel path by means of the control handle. This tendency for the floor treatment machine to laterally drift or migrate apparently only occurs when the prior art floor treatment machine is accelerated or decelerated in the direction of motion governed by the travel wheels. This is because of the limited compressibility of the floor treatment implement and thus the greater frictional engagement with the floor when the floor treatment implement is compressed.
A further drawback of this prior art floor treatment machine resides in the fact that provisions are not made to take into account the inevitable wear of the floor treatment implement during machine operation and the attendant reduction in thickness of the treatment implement resulting therefrom. Therefore, after a relatively short operating time of this prior art floor treatment machine, the floor treatment implement is no longer able to bear, across its entire or full surface area, upon the floor to be treated. Consequently, the specific contact or bearing pressure of the floor treatment `.
`~
789~
implement upon the floor is not uniformly distributed~ This will intensify more than ever the tendency of the floor treatment machine to laterally drift or migrate despite the presence of the caster.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction of a floor treatment machine which does ¦
not exhibit the aforementioned drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art.
i A further important objPct of the present invention is to provide a floor treatment machine of the aforementioned type which can beneficially exploit the aforedescribed properties considered as shortcomings for such prior art floor treatment machine, and which can be guided by a dexterious or rather skillful operator so as to move in any desired or random direction, and in which the specific bearing or contact pressure of the floor treatment implement or tool and, accordinglyj also the braking moment or torque to be overcome by the electric motor are, on the one hand, substantially uniformly or regularly distributed and, on the other hand, practically independent of the inherent weight of the floor treatment machine and, furthermore, practically independent of ~ 7~
the wear or abrasion of the floor treatment implement or tool.
This makes it possible to run the floor treatment implement or tool at high speeds in the order of magnitude of 1000 rpm and more in contrast to the speeds in the range of 400 to 500 rpm as is the custom so far. This increase in speed, particularly desirable for polishing floors with smooth surfaces, is moreover possible with such a low rated power or output of the electric motor that the current requirements of the electric motor can be supplied from a conventional wall socket.
Now in order to implement these and further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the floor treatment machine of the present invention is manifested by the features that the travell wheel means or travel wheels are raised with respect to the plane defined by the treatment surface of the floor treatment implement or tool in the operating or working position of the machine. Moreover, the pressure spring element presses the steering wheel against the floor to be treated with a force which, in the operating or working position of the machine, compensates the inherent weight of the machine except for a so-called remnant or residual force or weight which produces or results in a specific contact or bearing pressure of the floor treatment implement or tool of about 0.25 N/cm at the most, such that the floor treatment implement or tool which is ;
~789~31 subject to the action of a restoring force is able to wobble to a limited extent relative to its axis of rotation, i In the operating or working position of the floor I
treatment machine, the travel wheel means or travel wheels are !
lifted off the floor to be treated. In other words, they only ¦
serve as transport wheels when the floor treatment machine is ¦
upwardly tilted. By skillfully so-to-speak "twisting" or exerting "torsion" upon the control or manipulating handle or the like to the one or other side by the operator, the floor treatment machine can be made to automatically move or maneuver forwards and backwards. The lateral drifting or migration of the floor treatment machine thus becomes a welcome or beneficial advantage, without the uniformity of the contact or bearing pressure being substantially impaired thanks to the wobbling or tumble motion capability of the floor treatment implement or tool. Moreover, this specific contact or bearing pressure is no longer dependent on the total weight of the floor treatment machine, but only on the rssidual or remnant force or weight not compensated by the pressure spring element.
In the floor treatment machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the steering wheel or caster and the pressure spring element associated -therewith are thus assigned the task of continuously partially supporting the weight of the floor treatment machine.
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:.
- ~ '' ~ ' ' 89;~1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein throughout the various figures of the drawings there have been generally used the same reference characters to denote the same or analogous components and wherein:
Figure 1 schematically shows a vertical partially sectional view through an exemplary embodiment of a floor treatment machine in the operating or working position thereof and constructed according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, a section through the central part or portion of the floor treatment machine; and Figure 3 shows a side view of the floor treatment , machine in the upward tilted transport position thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Describing now the drawings, it is to be understood that to simplify the showing thereof, only enou~h of the '' .
, ~789~
structure of the floor treatment machine, such as for instance a polishing machine, has been illustrated therein as is needed , to enable one skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of the present invention.
Turning now specifically to Figure l of the drawings, the floor ¦
treatment machine illustrated therein by way of example and not~
limitation and generally indicated in its entirety by reference¦
numeral lO, will be seen to comprise a machine housing or frame~
structure 11 which is provided at one end thereof with travel wheel means, here shown as, for instance, a pair of freely rotating travel wheels 12 arranged coaxially to one another and of which only one travel wheel is particularly visible in Figure 1. At the same end of the machine housing or housing 11, a control or manipulating handle or shaft 14 or equivalent structure is pivotably arranged in selectively lockable or arrestable manner at a pivot axis 13 or equivalent pivot and support structure. An electric motor 15 with a substantially .
vertically extending axis, for example, a double capacitor motor for single-phase connection, is flanged or otherwise connected at the upper side of the housing 11 which, for instance, could be made of die-cast metal. The associated capacitor bank 16 composed of starting and motor-operating capacitors is also anchored at the upper side of the housing 11.
.
, ~ ' ' ~ 78 The drive or driving shaft 17 of the electric motor 15 extends downwardly through the housing 11 and carries a thereto keyed toothed belt pulley 18. This toothed belt pulley 18 is positively or form-lockingly coupled by means of a toothed belt 19 with a further toothed belt pulley 20. As shown in Figure 2, this toothed belt pulley 20 is rotatably mounted by means of a roller bearing 21 or the like at a hollow or tubular stub shaft 22 containing a terminal or end flange 23. This terminal or end flange 23 is fixedly fastened or anchored to the housing 11 in any suitable and thus here not further shown manner.
A driving flange or flange member 24, also serving as a cla~np collar or ring for the outer race of the roller bearing 21, is fastened by, for instance, threaded bolts or screws to the underside of the toothed belt pulley 20 and sealed against the lower end region of the hollow or tubular stub shaft 22 by means of an annular or ring seal 25 or the like.
A drive element, such as a substantially ring-shaped or annular drive pulley 27 is operatively rigidly coupled for rotation with the driving flange 24 by means of a ;
coupling ring or ring member 26. An elastic compressible layer 28 is fastened, for example, by an adhesive bondj to the substantially ring-shaped or annular dri.ve pulley 27. Thls 78~
elastic compressible layer 28 can, for example, be composed of foam material or expanded rubber, and possesses substantially the same thickness as the substantially ring-shaped or annular drive pulley or element 27. Furthermore, this elastic compressible layer 28 is bounded by a marginal flange or border 29 extending upwardly from the circumference of a substantially ring-shaped or annular disc or disc member 30. The upper substantially planar or flat side or face of this annular disc 30 is fastened, for example, by an adhesive bond, to the lower side or face of the elastic compressible layer 28. The ring-shaped or annular disc 30 is thus able to wobble or tumble to a limited extent relative to the axis of rotation 31 and against the restoring force emanating from the elastic compressible layer 28.
A floor treatment implement or tool 33, such as a polishing or buffing pad, is exchangeably fixed to the underside of the ring-shaped or annular disc 30 to rotate and wobble therewith. The releasable fastening of ~he floor treatment implement or tool 33 to the ring-shaped or annular disc 30 is, for the sake of simplicity in the illustration, depicted as a layer, and can, for instance, be a hook and loop or burr-type fastener or closure, such as a Velcro fastener 32.
As mentioned hereinbefore, the floor treatment implement or tool 33 can consist of coarse, tangled and irregular non-woven * a trade mark 1~7~39~1 fabric with or without embedded abrasive or polishing material, .
or of a disc brush.
There can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that the substantially ring-shaped or annular drive pulley or element 27, the elastic compressible layer 28, the annular disc 30, the~
Velcro fastener 32 and the floor treatment implement or tool 33 each possess a central throughpassage or opening coaxial with the axis of rotation 31. These five throughpassages or openings define throughpassage means in the form of a chamber '.
or space 34. A steering wheel or caster 35 is shown mounted within this chamber or space 34 and the steering axis of this steering wheel or caster 35 essentially coincides with the axis of rotation 31. A longitudinally displaceable shank 36 of the steering wheel 35 is guided in a through bore or continuous bore 37 of the hollow or tubular stub shaft 22. The shank 36, .
in turn, is provided with a blind-end or blind hole bore 3B.
A cylinder 40 of a pressure or force-exerting device or element, here a pre-biased pressure or gas sprlng element 39 is inserted into this blind hole bore 38. A piston rod 41 of this pressure or gas spring element 39 is supported in a bore at the lower side of the housing 11~ It is to be understood that this gas spring element 39 can also be reversibly mounted. The pressure or gas spring element 39 is structured and dimensioned such that, in the operational or ~ ' ', . I
78~
working position of the floor treatment machine illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, i.e. with the treatment surface 42 of the floor treatment implement or tool 33 contacting or baaring, essentially across its full or entire surface area or substantially the entirety of its substantially flat treatment ¦
surface 42, upon the floor or the like to be treated, the steering wheel or caster 35 is pressed against the floor 43 i.e. the surface 43a of the floor 43 with a force which corresponds to the total or inherent weight of the floor treatment machine except for a so-called remnant or residual or remainder force or weight, whereby this remnant or residual or remainder force or weight is supported by way of the floor treatment implement or tool 33 areally or in surface-like manner with a bearing or contact pressure which at the most amounts to about ~.25 N/cm .
Purely by way of example, let it be assumed that the total weight of the floor treatment machine 10 is about 400 N and the floor treatment implement or tool 33 has an external diameter of 43 cm. and an internal diameter of 12 cm. If the , pressure or gas spring element 39 or equivalent structure were , now designed to press the steering wheel or caster 35 against , the floor 43 with a force of ahout 200 N, then the average or , mean specific bearing or contact pressure of the floor treatment implement or tool 33 against -the floor 43 would amount to about 0.15 N/cm .
8~
The pressure or gas spring element 39 affords the advantage of a practically constant spring force in the range of the spring characteristic. In order to prevent the pressure or gas spring element ~9 from pressing the shank 36 of the non-loaded or non-biased steering wheel or caster 35 out of the through bore or continuous bore 37 of the hollow tubular stub , shaft 22, the upper end 36a of the shank 36 of the steering wheel or caster 35 is secured by means of a securing element or spring ring 44 or the like which abuts against a shoulder 45 of the terminal or end flange 23 when the steering wheel or caster 35 is not loaded.
When the control or manipulating handle 14 is secured or locked in a position relative to the housing or frame 11 as shown in Figure 3, then the complete floor treatment machine 10 can be upwardly tilted from the floor 43 until the travel wheels 12 engage the floor 43. In this tilted position, the floor treatment machine 10 can be easily and conveniently transported.
The elastic compressible layer 28 serves as a shock~
ahsorber which prevents vibrations, originating from unevenness and roughness of the surface of the floor 43 or other surface to be treated and which have been transmitted to the floor treatment implement or tool 33, from being further transmitted ;
~ ~.789~
to the housing 11 provided with the electric motor 15 and then to the control or manipulating handle 14.
The width and the material of the wheel tread of the steering wheel or caster 35 should be selected such that the steering wheel 35 leaves no wheel traces or marks on the floor 43 to be treated. A double-wheel steering wheel or caster has been found to be effective and practical.
; The floor treatment machine 10 hereinbefore described and, for instance, equippad with a floor treatment implement 33 having an external diameter of ~3 cm. can be run :
at an operating speed of about 1000 rpm without overloading the electric motor with a power or output of only 1100 W. This floor treatment machine 10 is thus particularly suitable for polishing work. ~.
;
While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may , be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. ACCORDINGLY,
Claims (9)
1. A floor treatment machine possessing an inherent weight, comprising:
a machine housing;
travel wheel means rotatably mounted at said machine housing;
a control handle operatively connected to said machine housing for maneuvering the floor treatment machine;
at least one floor treatment implement possessing a substantially flat treatment surface which, in an operating position of said floor treatment machine, contacts throughout substantially the entirety of said substantially flat treatment surface upon a surface of the floor to be treated;
an electric motor mounted at said machine housing for rotatably driving said at least one floor treatment implement for rotation about a predetermined axis of rotation;
a steering wheel having a steering axis;
means for displaceably mounting said steering wheel at said machine housing;
said steering axis of said steering wheel being disposed substantially coaxially with respect to said predetermined axis of rotation of said at least one floor treatment implement;
a pressure spring element cooperating with said steering wheel and effective in the direction of said steering axis of said steering wheel;
said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement defining a plane in the operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said travel wheel means being raised with respect to said plane defined by said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement in said operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said pressure spring element pressing said steering wheel in the operating position of said floor treatment machine against the surface of the floor to be treated with a force which compensates the inherent weight of said floor treatment machine except for a residual weight thereof;
means for exerting a restoring force upon said at least one floor treatment implement; and said residual weight producing a specific contact pressure of said at least one floor treatment implement of at the most about 0.25 N/cm2 against the surface of the floor to be treated such that said at least one floor treatment implement is able to perform wobble movements to a limited extent against the action of said restoring force.
a machine housing;
travel wheel means rotatably mounted at said machine housing;
a control handle operatively connected to said machine housing for maneuvering the floor treatment machine;
at least one floor treatment implement possessing a substantially flat treatment surface which, in an operating position of said floor treatment machine, contacts throughout substantially the entirety of said substantially flat treatment surface upon a surface of the floor to be treated;
an electric motor mounted at said machine housing for rotatably driving said at least one floor treatment implement for rotation about a predetermined axis of rotation;
a steering wheel having a steering axis;
means for displaceably mounting said steering wheel at said machine housing;
said steering axis of said steering wheel being disposed substantially coaxially with respect to said predetermined axis of rotation of said at least one floor treatment implement;
a pressure spring element cooperating with said steering wheel and effective in the direction of said steering axis of said steering wheel;
said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement defining a plane in the operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said travel wheel means being raised with respect to said plane defined by said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement in said operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said pressure spring element pressing said steering wheel in the operating position of said floor treatment machine against the surface of the floor to be treated with a force which compensates the inherent weight of said floor treatment machine except for a residual weight thereof;
means for exerting a restoring force upon said at least one floor treatment implement; and said residual weight producing a specific contact pressure of said at least one floor treatment implement of at the most about 0.25 N/cm2 against the surface of the floor to be treated such that said at least one floor treatment implement is able to perform wobble movements to a limited extent against the action of said restoring force.
2. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 1, wherein:
said at least one floor treatment implement contains throughpassage means; and said steering wheel being arranged in said throughpassage means.
said at least one floor treatment implement contains throughpassage means; and said steering wheel being arranged in said throughpassage means.
3. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 1, wherein:
said travel wheel means comprise at least two coaxially arranged travel wheels.
said travel wheel means comprise at least two coaxially arranged travel wheels.
4. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 1, wherein:
said pressure spring element is pre-biased to an at least approximately constant spring force.
said pressure spring element is pre-biased to an at least approximately constant spring force.
5. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 4, wherein:
said pressure spring element comprises pre-biased gas spring means.
said pressure spring element comprises pre-biased gas spring means.
6. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 1, further including:
an annular disc at which said at least one floor treatment implement is exchangeably fastened;
a drive element;
said means for exerting said restoring force comprising an elastic compressible element defining an intermediate layer between said drive element and said annular disc; and said annular disc being operatively connected to said drive element by means of said elastic compressible element.
an annular disc at which said at least one floor treatment implement is exchangeably fastened;
a drive element;
said means for exerting said restoring force comprising an elastic compressible element defining an intermediate layer between said drive element and said annular disc; and said annular disc being operatively connected to said drive element by means of said elastic compressible element.
7. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 6, wherein:
said elastic compressible element comprises an element formed of foam material.
said elastic compressible element comprises an element formed of foam material.
8. The floor treatment machine as defined in claim 6, wherein:
said element formed of foam material comprises an expanded rubber element.
said element formed of foam material comprises an expanded rubber element.
9. A floor treatment machine possessing an inherent weight, comprising:
housing means;
travel wheel means rotatably mounted at said housing means;
control means operatively connected to said housing means for maneuvering the floor treatment machine;
at least one floor treatment implement possessing a substantially flat treatment surface which, in an operating position of said floor treatment machine, contacts throughout substantially the entirety of said substantially flat treatment surface upon a surface of the floor to be treated;
drive means for rotatably driving said at least one floor treatment implement for rotation about a predetermined axis of rotation;
a steering wheel having a steering axis;
means for displaceably mounting said steering wheel at said housing means;
said steering axis of said steering wheel being disposed substantially coaxially with respect to said predetermined axis of rotation of said at least one floor treatment implement;
force-exerting means generally effective in the direction of said steering axis of said steering wheel;
said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement defining a plane in the operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said travel wheel means being raised with respect to said plane defined by said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement in said operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said force-exerting means pressing said steering wheel in the operating position of said floor treatment machine against the surface of the floor to be treated with a force which compensates the inherent weight of said floor treatment machine except for a predeterminate remainder weight thereof;
means for exerting a restoring force upon said at least one floor treatment implement; and said predeterminate remainder weight producing a predeterminate contact pressure of said at least one floor treatment implement of at most about 0.25 N/cm2.
housing means;
travel wheel means rotatably mounted at said housing means;
control means operatively connected to said housing means for maneuvering the floor treatment machine;
at least one floor treatment implement possessing a substantially flat treatment surface which, in an operating position of said floor treatment machine, contacts throughout substantially the entirety of said substantially flat treatment surface upon a surface of the floor to be treated;
drive means for rotatably driving said at least one floor treatment implement for rotation about a predetermined axis of rotation;
a steering wheel having a steering axis;
means for displaceably mounting said steering wheel at said housing means;
said steering axis of said steering wheel being disposed substantially coaxially with respect to said predetermined axis of rotation of said at least one floor treatment implement;
force-exerting means generally effective in the direction of said steering axis of said steering wheel;
said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement defining a plane in the operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said travel wheel means being raised with respect to said plane defined by said substantially flat treatment surface of said at least one floor treatment implement in said operating position of said floor treatment machine;
said force-exerting means pressing said steering wheel in the operating position of said floor treatment machine against the surface of the floor to be treated with a force which compensates the inherent weight of said floor treatment machine except for a predeterminate remainder weight thereof;
means for exerting a restoring force upon said at least one floor treatment implement; and said predeterminate remainder weight producing a predeterminate contact pressure of said at least one floor treatment implement of at most about 0.25 N/cm2.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH00935/87-0 | 1987-03-12 | ||
| CH93587 | 1987-03-12 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1278921C true CA1278921C (en) | 1991-01-15 |
Family
ID=4198598
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000560953A Expired - Lifetime CA1278921C (en) | 1987-03-12 | 1988-03-09 | Floor treatment machine |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0282707B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH0651017B2 (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE76729T1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1278921C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3871565D1 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2031934T3 (en) |
| FI (1) | FI84228C (en) |
| NO (1) | NO171663C (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB8922598D0 (en) * | 1989-10-06 | 1989-11-22 | Numatic Int Ltd | Floor polishing machine |
| EP0563432B1 (en) * | 1992-04-01 | 1999-07-28 | Penguin Wax Co., Ltd. | Floor treating machine |
| GB2402046B (en) * | 2003-05-27 | 2006-09-13 | Dyson Ltd | A cleaning appliance |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH103622A (en) * | 1923-09-15 | 1924-03-01 | Gaudard Robert | Floor processing machine. |
| FR1061953A (en) * | 1952-05-19 | 1954-04-16 | Device for cleaning large surfaces | |
| US4074385A (en) * | 1976-07-06 | 1978-02-21 | Howard Lawrence F | Carpet cleaning brush |
| US4365377A (en) * | 1981-01-13 | 1982-12-28 | H. B. Fuller Company | Floor polishing machine |
| FR2572641B1 (en) * | 1984-11-07 | 1987-10-02 | Nilfisk Sa Aspirateurs | REMOVABLE LINING TRAY FOR FLOOR CLEANING |
-
1988
- 1988-01-29 ES ES198888101283T patent/ES2031934T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-01-29 AT AT88101283T patent/ATE76729T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1988-01-29 EP EP88101283A patent/EP0282707B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-01-29 DE DE8888101283T patent/DE3871565D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-03-07 JP JP63053429A patent/JPH0651017B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-03-09 CA CA000560953A patent/CA1278921C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1988-03-10 FI FI881133A patent/FI84228C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1988-03-11 NO NO881095A patent/NO171663C/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FI84228C (en) | 1991-11-11 |
| NO881095L (en) | 1988-09-13 |
| ATE76729T1 (en) | 1992-06-15 |
| EP0282707B1 (en) | 1992-06-03 |
| FI881133A (en) | 1988-09-13 |
| ES2031934T3 (en) | 1993-01-01 |
| DE3871565D1 (en) | 1992-07-09 |
| JPH0651017B2 (en) | 1994-07-06 |
| NO171663C (en) | 1993-04-21 |
| NO171663B (en) | 1993-01-11 |
| FI84228B (en) | 1991-07-31 |
| FI881133A0 (en) | 1988-03-10 |
| EP0282707A1 (en) | 1988-09-21 |
| JPS63230136A (en) | 1988-09-26 |
| NO881095D0 (en) | 1988-03-11 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |