Floor cleaning machine, in particular vacuum scrubbing machine

p0001The invention relates to a floor cleaning machine, in particular a scrubber, comprising a housing consisting of a bottom part and a contrast hinged, hood-like upper part, with a plurality of attached to the underside of the base wheels, with a shaft mounted on the lower part by means of a vertically movable support brush unit derived from a arranged at the bottom of brush driving motor through a brush gear can be driven, with a strip-shaped suction nozzle which is connected to a suction pump, with a two chambered tank and having a plurality of batteries and / or other power supply units.

p0002In such Scrubber (see US Pat. No. 3,277,511) is the lower part usually from a welded together from several steel profiles frame structure, which carries externally a panel of sheet metal or plastic. In the lower part of the frame construction of the brush driving motor, the suction pump, the carrier for the brush unit, etc. are arranged. These parts are indeed largely invisible by side panels, but exposed to heavy contamination, since the frame structure is open downward. The aforementioned parts are difficult to access for cleaning, maintenance and repair purposes. The brush gear is located directly above the bristle unit. To protect it against dust and water, it must be encapsulated accordingly. The same applies to the brush drive motor which is mounted directly on the brush unit with many other constructions. There is connected to the brush unit at least the brush gear, but many by the brush drive motor, one can not brush unit simply replace it with a different brush unit, for example with a different working width, or with a new one. Probable for the base frame structure including cladding is relatively expensive to manufacture and difficult. In the known machine further tank is arranged in the lower part. The batteries are placed on the over side of the lower part. The cleaning of the tank is very difficult and only after removal of possible batteries. In addition, a relatively low-lying tank has the disadvantage that the tank content can not be emptied easily into a spout which is spaced from the floor. Therefore, it is usually an additional drain pump required.

p0003In the previously known, with one or more circular brushes working Scrubber is either the brush unit, seen in the direction, arranged in front of the wheels or behind the wheels. Both systems have certain advantages but also disadvantages. However, all the known scrubbing machines have in common that the arrangement of the brush unit relative to the wheels it can not subsequently be changed, that is, a scrubber with the front arranged brush unit can not be rebuilt in such arranged with rear brush unit in a simple manner.

p0004The invention is based on the object of a floor cleaning machine, especially scrubbing machine of the type mentioned at the outset to create, which is simpler in construction, in which most of the components housed optimally protected, yet easily accessible in case of need, and that is also easy to clean.

p0005This is achieved according to the invention in that the lower part is designed as a self-supporting, open at the top and bottom of the substantially closed trough whose vertical side walls extend at least over one third of the total height of the housing and in which at least the brush driving motor, the brush gear, a lifting motor for the carrier, essential parts thereof and the batteries are arranged, and that the upper part contains the tank.

p0006With the new machine of the self-supporting trough is of essential importance. Namely, they will replace the existing frame structure and its cladding. The tub can be manufactured economically, it forms a support structure and a covering in one. At the same time it also forms an effective protection against contamination of the major machine components, since it is closed not only to the side but also down substantially. The most important machine components are optimally protected housed inside the tub. This applies not only to the brush motor, the brush gear, the lifting motor and main parts of the carrier, but also for the machine may be mounted in an advantageous manner in the tub batteries and in particular the electronic control. After opening the tank containing the upper part all, contained in the tub components to service and Reparaturzuecken freely and easily accessible. They can easily be dissolved in case of need from their mountings in the bath and removed upwards. At the bottom of the tub, the wheels are mounted directly. Since most parts of the brush drive, namely the brush motor, the brush gear and the lifting motor and essential parts of the support are arranged protected inside the trough from contamination, the cleaning of the machine is very simple. It need only become virtually the brush unit and the wheels are cleaned. The smooth outer walls of the trough and the upper part can also be cleaned easily and quickly. Since, are housed in the tub at the new machine essential parts of the brush drive, in particular of the brush driving motor and the brush gear, the new machine also has the advantage that the motorless brush units can be easily replaced in case of need. In case of damage of such a motorless brush unit these can be easily replaced with a new or refurbished or one having a different working width. The arrangement of the tank in the upper part has the advantage that the tank is relatively high and therefore its contents can be emptied easily without draining pump in a spout.

p0007it when the upper part is designed as a self-supporting tank is particularly advantageous. For this purpose, the upper part suitably consist of glass-fiber reinforced plastic. Due to the configuration of the via part as self-supporting tank, the structure is simplified and thus the manufacturing cost and reduces the weight.

p0008Another particularly advantageous embodiment is that a control panel with the essential operating and display elements disposed on the guide handle, and that the guide handle with either the one or the other end of the machine, especially the pan, is connectable.

p0009This makes it possible to convert with a relatively small mounting effort a machine with front-lying brush unit in such a lying with rear brush unit. In particular, the machine manufacturer can offer both types of machines without creating increasing the manufacturing or storage costs.

p0010Further advantageous embodiments are characterized in the remaining subclaims.

p0011The invention is explained in more detail in the following, using an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it:<dl id="dl0001" compact="compact"><dt>figure 1</dt><dd>a side view of the machine with the back arranged brush unit,</dd><dt>figure 2</dt><dd>an end view of the machine in the direction II of Figure 1,</dd><dt>figure 3</dt><dd>a cross-section according to the line III-III of Figure 1,</dd><dt>figure 4</dt><dd>a horizontal section along the line IV-IV of Figure 1,</dd><dt>figure 5</dt><dd>a longitudinal section of the machine, according to the line VV of Figure 2, but with disassembled brush unit</dd><dt>figure 6</dt><dd>a side view of the machine with opened shell,</dd><dt>figure 7</dt><dd>a partial cross section according to the line VII-VII of Figure 1,</dd><dt>figure 8</dt><dd>a side view of the machine in a rebuilding phase,</dd><dt>figure 9</dt><dd>a side view of the machine after an extensive renovation, arranged with the front brush unit, </dd><dt>figure 10</dt><dd>a plan view of the mounting of the guide handle and the upper part with locked steering handle,</dd><dt>figure 11</dt><dd>a partial plan view with dissolved guide handle.</dd></dl>

p0012The scrubber shown in the drawing comprises a housing 1 consisting of a base 2 and a comparatively hinged upper part 3. The lower part 2 is provided as a self-supporting, open at the top and bottom of the substantially closed ends is formed and is therefore in the following also as a tub 2 designated. The pan 2 and the upper part 3 have an essentially rectangular ground plan, as can be seen from FIG. 4 The vertical side walls 2a and 2b of the tray should extend over at least one third of the total height of the housing 1, on the one hand, to the sink, the essential components of the machine to accommodate protected and on the other hand, to give a corresponding stability to the pan, so that the pan even without an additional frame structure also forms a stable base. However, the height of the tray 2 depends essentially on the amount of components accommodated therein, which are described in more detail below.

p0013On the underside of the bottom 2c of the tub 2, the traction drive 4 that drives the main wheels 5, screwed and protected by a cover from contamination. Further, the steering rollers 6 are attached to the bottom 2c.

p0014The tub 2 expediently consists of metal, in particular stainless steel. In the interior of the tub 2, the brush driving motor 7, the brush gear unit 8 serving as a carrier for the brush unit 9 supporting column 10, an elevation motor 11 for the support column, a fresh water pump 12, optionally a recycling pump 13, the batteries 14 and especially the control electronics and maintain housed in a clean and protected environment. After opening of the upper part 3 are, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, for maintenance purposes, all of the aforementioned components and, if necessary, easily accessible for repair or replacement. However, when the upper part 3, as shown in FIG 1-5, folded down, then the upper part 3 covers the upwardly open trough 2 off completely, so that accommodated in the tub 2 components are protected from dirt and also against splashes. In this context, it is expedient if the lower edge 3d of the shell 3 to the upper edge 2d of the tub 2 comprises from the outside, as shown in FIG. 3

p0015The tub 2 may be expediently provided with a transverse wall 16, which separates the battery compartment from the rest of the interior of the tub and also also to stiffen the tray 2 is used.

p0016The upper part 3 is suitably designed as a self-supporting tank 17th The tank 17 has in this case a fresh water chamber 17a and a muddy water chamber 17b, which are separated by a rigid partition 18 or (not shown) by a movable membrane, either from each other. Expediently, the upper part 3 of glass fiber reinforced plastic, in particular glass fiber reinforced polyester. The upper part 3 has on top of a large area, not shown in the drawings cover.

p0017This provides good accessibility to the tank 17 for filling with water and also for tank cleaning.

p0018In a central cavity 19 of the upper part 3 of the suction pump (suction turbine) is suitably 20 housed. The cavity 19 is surrounded on all sides of the tank sections 17a, 17b, which are wholly or partly filled with water. Through these measures and the fact that the upper part 3 consists of glass fiber reinforced plastic, the noise of the suction pump 20 are strongly attenuated.

p0019The suction pump 20 is connected via a suction hose 21 having a strip-shaped suction nozzle 22 of known design. The suction hose 22 and further serves for cooling purposes, the suction pump 20 aeration hoses 23 are advantageously carried out on the underside of the tank bottom 17c along. The ventilation tubes 23 but are only shown in FIG. 3

p0020From the suction pump 20, an exhaust pipe 24 leads downwards. With a closed upper part 3 of this is aligned with the upper end 25a of which is arranged in the tub 2 exhaust pipe 22, opens the lower end on the bottom 2c of the tub 2 to the outside. The connection between the exhaust pipes 24, 25 is sealed automatically when the upper part 3 is closed.

p0021As support for the brush unit 9, a sliding support column 10 is suitably provided. This supporting column 10 comprises, as is apparent from Figure 7, a square or, if appropriate, also of rectangular cross-section. It extends through a recess 26 in the bottom 2c of the tray downwards. The greater part of the support column 10, however, is arranged inside of the tub 2, as well as their guide that may be formed by a plurality of guide rollers 27th The guide rollers 27 are, of course, in corresponding holders, not shown, which are connected to the bottom 2c of the tub mounted. still a seal, not shown, may be disposed between the recess 26 and the supporting column 10th

p0022With the upper end 10a of the supporting column 10, an arm 28 is connected, to which the lifting motor 11 engages. With the lifting motor 11 the supporting column 10 can not only in the vertical direction V will be moved up and down, but by the lift motor 11 may also be the contact pressure of the circular brushes 29 or Padscheiben be regulated to the ground.

p0023With the upper end 10a of the support column 10 is a support plate 30 is connected, on the one hand carries the formed as a belt drive 8 and the brush gear on the other hand also the brush drive motor. 7 The latter and the brush gear 8 are therefore lifted and lowered together with the whole bearing column 10th Inside the support column 10 which is driven by the brush gear 8 drive shaft 31 is mounted. At the lower end of which is one half 32 of a dog clutch or the like. Arranged, the other half 33 with a shaft mounted in the brush housing 34 output shaft 35 is plugged together. From the output shaft 35 accommodated in the brush housing 34. Disc brushes 29 are driven via an unillustrated transfer gearbox in a known manner.

p0024to be able to use the brush housing 34 easily detach from the supporting column 10 and mounted again, as it is particularly illustrated in Figure 7, 10, two support straps 36 attached to the brush housing 34 at two opposite sides of the support column, each of which is a cross bore 37th At the lower end 10b of the support column two transverse bores 38 are provided also at the said opposite sides, which are aligned in the connecting position of the supporting column 10 and the brush housing 34 with each other, as shown in FIG. 7 In this cross-holes 37, 38, the connecting pin 39 can be inserted, which can be locked by means of the tabs 36 pivotally mounted latch 40th

p0025To disassemble a brush unit 9 of the support column 10, this is driven by the lifting motor 11 down until the circular brushes 29 are supported on the ground. Latches 40 are unlocked and the connecting pin 39 can then be easily pulled out of the transverse bores 37, 38th The support column 10 can then be moved to a slightly upwards and you can pull out the entire brush unit side or foot under the sink. 2 It can then be pushed under the machine another brush unit. Conversely, the support column 10 is then lowered and brought back between the tabs 36 of the new brush unit. Once the cross-bores 38 of the support column 10 in alignment with the transverse bores 37 of the tab 36, the connecting pins 39 can be inserted in each case both transverse bores 36, 37 and secured by means of the bolt 40th When lowering of the support column of the claw coupling automatically join the two halves 32, 33 is again engaged with each other, whereby the driving connection between drive shaft 31 and output shaft is manufactured 35th In this way, you can easily replace a brush unit with a working width of 550 mm, for example, against another brush unit with a working width of 700 mm for example, and vice versa. In addition, you can, thanks to the simple assembly and disassembly possibility also decrease the brush unit for cleaning and maintenance purposes slightly and then clean in a comfortable working height on a workbench, service or repair.

p0026If the cross-bores 37, 38, as is the case in the embodiment shown, are disposed in the machine longitudinal direction LL, the axis A of the connecting pins 39 serves as a pivot shaft for the brush housing 34. Thanks to this swinging suspension of the brush housing 34 can be the two disc brushes 29 better adapt to the bottom geometry.

p0027To guide and user's manual, a guide handle 41 is also provided, which is appropriately constructed as a substantially U-shaped bracket. The removed from the machine, closed end 41a of this temple is angled upwards. This upwardly angled portion 41a encloses expedient, as can be seen from Figure 2, an operation panel 42 having the essential operating elements and display elements 43 44th The bracket 41 is not only ergonomically designed in this way, but the controls 43 are also easily accessible, without that one would have to let go the arm part 41a thereto. The control panel 42 is suitably secured to a cross member 45 of the bail 41st However, the arrangement of the operation panel 42 with all major operating and display elements 43, 44 on the bracket 41 is also essential if the scrubber is to be modified so that the brush unit 9 not as in Figures 1 - 6 is shown, is to be arranged at the rear of the machine front, but, as shown in FIG. 9 This will be described in more detail below.

p0028The intended as a guide handle U-shaped bracket 41 has two claims to the machine leg 41b. These two arms 41b are pivotally mounted B and fixable to the bearing pieces 46 about a horizontal and transverse to the machine longitudinal direction LL extending axis. The bracket 41 and the pivot axis B is arranged on one of the two narrow sides of the machine, wherein the bearing pieces 46 may be fastened by means of screws 47 on one of the narrow sides 2a of the tub 2, as shown in FIG 10th

p0029By pivoting of the bracket 41 around the axis B of the bracket 41 can be adjusted not only in height but it can also be the distance of the strap part 41a with respect to the narrow side of the machine are changed. In this way, the bracket 41 can be easily brought into the ergonomically correct working position. To determine the bracket 41 opposite the one bearing piece 46, one half 48a is fixed a Hirth gear on this. The other half 48b is attached to one leg 41b. The cam 49 is provided with a locking lever 50 holds the two halves 48a, 48b of the Hirth gear normally engaged, whereby the bracket is held in the adjusted height position 41st To change this height position of the locking lever 50 is pivoted in the direction C. The spring force of the yoke 41 forces the two halves 48a, 48b apart, so that then the bracket 41 can be pivoted upward or downward. The renewed locking takes place in reverse manner by the lock lever 50 is moved counter to the direction of the arrow C.

p0030The two bearing pieces 46 are advantageously also simultaneously for supporting the pivot axis of the upper part 3, which coincides in this case with the axis B. For this purpose a bearing bush 51 is rotatably supported on the two bearing pieces 46th The two swivel arms 52 are firmly connected on the one hand with this bearing bush 51 and the other part to the upper part. 3 In this way the upper part 3 can about the axis B, which is arranged on a narrow side 2a of the tub 2, are folded upwards, as shown in FIG. 6 The components contained in the tub 2 are then easily accessible.

p0031Thus, the upper part 3 can be easily open, despite its weight, at least one relief spring 55 is provided between the two parts, which is constructed in this case as a leg spring. Suitably such relief springs 55 are connected to the two long sides 2b of the tub 2 and provided the top part. 3

p0032With reference to FIGS 1, 8 and 9 will now be described how the machine with the front arranged brush unit 9 can with rear arranged brush unit 9 according to Figure 1 in a machine according to Figure 9 in a simple manner to rebuild. For this purpose, first the trailing arm 53, which carries the suction nozzle 22, released from the bath. 2 There are 46 then removes the screws 47 of the bearing pieces. One can now all, 22 consisting of upper part 3, bracket 41, suction tube 21 and suction nozzle unit stand out from the tub 2 and rotate it 180 °, as is shown by dot-dash lines in FIG. 8 Before removing this unit still have some electrical cables in the one bearing piece 46 are guided into the interior of the tub from the control panel through one of the hollow leg 41b of the bracket 41 and through a channel and are connected via plug connections to the control unit 15, dissolved will. The bearing pieces 46 are then attached to the opposite narrow side 2a of the tub, where appropriate bores for the screws 47 and also for the electrical cables are already prepared previously for fastening a bumper 59 were used, which is now appropriate to the end wall, on which before the stock pieces were mounted 46. After fastening the support pieces on the opposite end wall 2a, it is only necessary to reconnect the electrical lines to the control unit 15th Still further, the exhaust pipe 24 has to be brought in a different position relative to the upper part 3 so that it then re-aligned with the exhaust pipe 25 in the tub second Optionally, it is also necessary to replace the trailing arm 53 by a slightly differently shaped trailing arm 53 '. After the conversion of the machine is now the brush unit 9 is arranged at the front end of the machine, that is, before the wheels. 5

p0033For the conversion of the machine from behind arranged brush unit disposed on the front brush unit is among other things important that the suction pump 20 is arranged in the upper part and that the upper part 3 is turned together with the bracket 41st It can stay connected 17 then that the suction hose 21 and other tubing connections to the suction pump 20 and the tank. For this purpose, the suction hose 21 is at the guide handle or bail 41 associated narrow side 3a of the shell 3 introduced in this and guided along the underside of the tank bottom 17c to the suction pump 20th

p0034For the same reason is also the linear motor 54, which is used with a cable 56 for raising and lowering the suction nozzle 22, arranged on the underside of the tank bottom 17c, as is apparent from FIG. 8 For the conversion of the machine from the rear forwardly disposed brush unit 9, and vice versa, it is therefore essential that the bracket 41, the upper part 3, its pivot bearing and the suction nozzle 22, together with the suction hose 21 and lifting device are summarized for the trailing arm 53 to a feasible unit ,

p0035There are also floor cleaning machines that are operated via a power cable from the normal electricity network. Since no batteries are required in such machines, a voltage converter and power supply for the other serving units are housed in the tub 2 in place thereof.