Floor cleaning apparatus and method of cleaning a floor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071431-B2
Application number	US-201816194493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning a floor includes a housing, chassis, wheels, motor, steering mechanism, cleaning assembly, optionally a squeegee assembly, and at least one of a side sweeping system, front sweeping system, and pick-up system. The side sweeping system includes a turntable with central axis, a drive wheel disposed in coaxial relationship with the turntable, a sweeper motive device in communication with the drive wheel, a plurality of brushes distributed radially around the drive wheel and adapted to be driven by rotation of the drive wheel, and a pivoting connector configured to enable the side sweeping system to pivot laterally in response to contact with a wall while at least one of the brushes maintains contact with the floor adjacent the wall while the apparatus is in operation, and the brushes move debris disposed on the floor adjacent the wall toward the front of the apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of cleaning a floor comprising:
a) providing a floor cleaning apparatus, the apparatus adapted to traverse a path of travel, comprising
i) a housing;
ii) a chassis;
iii) a plurality of wheels by which the floor cleaning apparatus is adapted to move across the floor in a direction of travel, the direction of travel at least partially defining a front end, a back end, and first and second lateral sides of the floor cleaning apparatus;
iv) a motive device for moving the apparatus across the floor;
v) a steering mechanism;
vi) a cleaning assembly for cleaning the floor; and
vii) a side sweeping system comprising
(a) a turntable having a central axis, and being freely rotatable about said central axis,
(b) a drive wheel, the drive wheel disposed in coaxial relationship with the turntable,
(c) a sweeper motive device rotating the drive wheel,
(d) a plurality of brushes each having a central axis, the brushes distributed radially around the drive wheel and driven by rotation of the drive wheel, and
(e) a pivoting connector configured to bias the side sweeping system away from the vehicle into a neutral position and to enable the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from the neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface while at least one of the plurality of brushes maintains contact with the floor adjacent the vertical surface while the floor cleaning apparatus is in operation; and

b) actuating the motive device to move the apparatus across the floor and causing the brushes to move debris that is disposed on the floor adjacent the vertical surface toward the front of the floor cleaning apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the side sweeping system further comprises a plurality of edge rollers that are non-driven and extend laterally beyond the turntable, each edge roller mounted under or above the turntable and positioned above and coaxially aligned with a respective brush and wherein the turntable is also not driven and is able to rotate independent of the drive wheel in response to the edge rollers contacting a vertical surface, the method further comprising moving the apparatus and causing one of the plurality of edge rollers to contact the vertical surface thereby causing the turntable to rotate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the pivoting connector comprises a deflection biasing member that urges the side sweeping system back to the neutral position when the side sweeping system pivots laterally away from the neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface, the method further comprising
a) moving the apparatus and causing one of the plurality of edge rollers to contact the vertical surface thereby causing the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from the neutral position, and
b) further moving the apparatus and causing the one of the plurality of edge rollers to move away from the vertical surface thereby allowing the deflection biasing member to urge the side sweeping system back towards the neutral position.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the floor cleaning apparatus further comprises a front sweeping system comprising a segmented brush holder comprising a first segment and a second segment, a plurality of front sweeper brushes distributed along the length of the brush holder, and a first biasing member attaching the first segment to the second segment, such that in operation the first segment can swing away from the second segment in response to debris caught by the brushes, the method further comprising moving the apparatus across the floor and causing the brushes to move debris that is disposed on the floor adjacent the vertical surface into the front sweeping system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the floor cleaning apparatus further comprises a pick- up system comprising a suction hose connected to a debris collection bin, a suction motor, and a pick-up hose in communication with the collection bin, the method further comprising activating the suction motor and picking up debris from the floor through the pick-up hose and depositing the debris in the collection bin.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising supporting a weight of the side sweeping system so that the brushes are suspended at a desired position above the floor.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of supporting a weight of the side sweeping system is performed by a biasing system providing a lifting force from above the side sweeping system or by a low-friction body disposed under the side sweeping system and in contact with the floor.

8. A method of cleaning a floor comprising:
a) providing a floor cleaning apparatus, the apparatus adapted to traverse a path of travel, comprising
i) a housing;
ii) a chassis;
iii) a plurality of wheels by which the floor cleaning apparatus is adapted to move across the floor in a direction of travel, the direction of travel at least partially defining a front end, a back end, and first and second lateral sides of the floor cleaning apparatus;
iv) a cleaning assembly for performing a desired function upon the floor; and
v) a side sweeping system comprising
(a) a turntable having a central axis, and being freely rotatable about said central axis,
(b) a drive wheel, the drive wheel disposed in coaxial relationship with the turntable,
(c) a sweeper motive device rotating the drive wheel,
(d) a plurality of brushes each having a central axis, the brushes distributed radially around the drive wheel and driven by rotation of the drive wheel, and
(e) a pivoting connector configured to bias the side sweeping system away from the vehicle into a neutral position and to enable the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from the neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface while at least one of the plurality of brushes maintains contact with the floor adjacent the vertical surface while the floor cleaning apparatus is in operation; and

b) moving the apparatus across the floor and causing the brushes to move debris that is disposed on the floor adjacent the vertical surface toward the front of the floor cleaning apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the side sweeping system further comprises a plurality of edge rollers that are non-driven and extend laterally beyond the turntable, each edge roller mounted under or above the turntable and positioned above and coaxially aligned with a respective brush and wherein the turntable is also not driven and is able to rotate independent of the drive wheel in response to the edge rollers contacting a vertical surface, the method further comprising moving the apparatus and causing one of the plurality of edge rollers to contact the vertical surface thereby causing the turntable to rotate.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the pivoting connector comprises a deflection biasing member that urges the side sweeping system back to the neutral position when the side sweeping system pivots laterally away from the neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface, the method further comprising
a) moving the apparatus and causing one of the plurality of edge rollers to contact the vertical surface thereby causing the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from the neutral position, and
b) further moving the apparatus and causing the one of the plurality of edge rollers to move away from the vertical surface thereby allowing the deflection biasing member to urge the side sweeping system back towards the neutral position.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the floor cleaning apparatus further comprises a front sweeping system comprising a segmented brush holder comprising a first

Assignees

• Diversey Inc

Inventors

• Windmeisser Dieter
• Bahr Thomas
• Müller Markus
• Forster Martin
• Stofer Markus
• Ryssen Laurent
• Tement Thomas

Classifications

• A47L11/24 Primary

  Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven · CPC title

• A47L11/4088

  Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits · CPC title

• A47L11/28

  Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven (A47L11/29 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E01H1/053

  having vertical axes · CPC title

• A47L11/293

  the tools being disc brushes · CPC title