Surface cleaning machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018228331-A1
Application number	US-201815949863-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 16, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surface cleaning machine is provided, including a device body having a housing, a suction unit device having a fan, said suction unit device being arranged in the housing, a cleaning head which is arranged at the device body outside of the housing and comprises at least one cleaning roller and is operatively connected to the suction unit device for fluid communication therewith, an air-cooled drive motor for rotatingly driving the at least one cleaning roller, and a process air routing device for process air of the suction unit device, wherein the drive motor is arranged outside of the housing of the device body and wherein a cooling air routing device for cooling air of the drive motor comprises at least one fluid path which is arranged at or in the housing and/or wherein the cooling air routing device is coupled to the process air routing device.

First claim

1 . A surface cleaning machine, comprising:
a device body having a housing; a suction unit device having a fan, said suction unit device being arranged in the housing; a cleaning head which is arranged at the device body outside of the housing and comprises at least one cleaning roller and is operatively connected to the suction unit device for fluid communication therewith; an air-cooled drive motor for rotatingly driving the at least one cleaning roller; and a process air routing device for process air of the suction unit device; wherein the drive motor is arranged outside of the housing of the device body and wherein at least one of (i) a cooling air routing device for cooling air of the drive motor comprises at least one fluid path which is arranged at or in the housing and (ii) the cooling air routing device is coupled to the process air routing device.

2 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the process air routing device and the cooling air routing device comprise at least one common fluid path.

3 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cooling air routing device comprises a cooling air inlet and a cooling air outlet and wherein the process air routing device comprises a process air inlet and a process air outlet and wherein at least one of (i) the cooling air inlet and the process air inlet coincide and (ii) the cooling air outlet and the process air outlet coincide.

4 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 3 , wherein at least one of (i) the process air outlet forms the cooling air outlet and (ii) the process air inlet forms the cooling air inlet.

5 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 3 , wherein a cooling air inlet, a process air inlet and a common outlet for cooling air and process air are provided.

6 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the cooling air inlet is arranged at the cleaning head or at a transition region from the cleaning head to the housing of the device body.

7 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the process air inlet is formed by one or more suction mouths at the cleaning head.

8 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the cooling air inlet is arranged at a distance from the process air inlet.

9 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the process air outlet is arranged at the device body.

10 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the drive motor is arranged in a motor housing.

11 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the cooling air routing device comprises at least one fluid path through the motor housing.

12 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the motor housing is arranged in a sleeve.

13 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the cooling air routing device comprises at least one fluid path which at least one of (i) is located along the sleeve and (ii) is located between the sleeve and the, or a, motor housing.

14 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the cooling air routing device comprises a first fluid path which extends along the sleeve and is located at an exterior side of the sleeve, and comprises a second fluid path which extends along the sleeve at an interior side of the sleeve facing towards the motor housing.

15 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the motor housing extends along an axial direction between a first end and a second end and wherein a cooling air inlet of the cooling air routing device is positioned at the surface cleaning machine, between the first end and the second end relative to the axial direction.

16 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cleaning head is pivotable relative to the drive motor.

17 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the sleeve is connected to the device body in rotationally fixed relation therewith.

18 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cooling air routing device is coupled to a suction area of the process air routing device.

19 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 18 , wherein at least one fluid path of the cooling air routing device opens out into at least one suction path of the process air routing device.

20 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the at least one fluid path comprises at least one rib which is associated with a mouth of the at least one fluid path of the cooling air routing device into the at least one suction path.

21 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 19 , wherein a blocking element for blocking the ingress of droplets from the at least one suction path into the cooling air routing device is arranged at a mouth of the cooling air routing device into the at least one suction path.

22 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 21 , wherein the blocking element comprises an area with which it projects into the at least one suction path.

23 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the at least one suction path has opening thereinto at least one drain channel for liquid.

24 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the at least one fluid path of the cooling air routing device which opens into at least one suction path of the process air routing device is arranged downstream of the drive motor with respect to a cooling air flow.

25 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the at least one suction path of the process air routing device into which the at least one fluid path of the cooling air routing device opens is located upstream of the fan.

26 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction unit device comprises a fan motor for the fan which is arranged in the housing.

27 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the drive motor is positioned at the cleaning head or is positioned at a transition region from the cleaning head to the housing.

28 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a drive axis of the drive motor and a rotary axis of the at least one cleaning roller are oriented transversely.

29 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a gear device is provided for transmitting torque from the drive motor to the at least one cleaning roller.

30 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cleaning head is located at the device body via a joint for pivotal movement about a pivot axis.

31 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 30 , wherein at least one of (i) the pivot axis is oriented transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the device body and (ii) a drive axis of the drive motor is at least approximately parallel to or coaxial with the pivot axis.

32 . The surface cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a wetting device for wetting the at least one cleaning roller with cleaning liquid is provided.

Assignees

• Kaercher Gmbh & Co Kg Alfred

Inventors

• Moser Fabian
• Rufenach Christoph
• Kurmann Rainer
• Mueller Andreas
• Schulze Manuel

Classifications

• A47L11/4013

  Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like · CPC title

• A47L7/0004

  Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners (floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30) · CPC title

• A47L11/145

  with supply of cleaning agents · CPC title

• A47L11/201 Primary

  with supply of cleaning agents · CPC title

• A47L11/202 Primary

  having separate drive for the cleaning brushes · CPC title