Device and method for removing dirt from a floor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9288963-B2
Application number	US-201213682893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2012
Priority date	Nov 21, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A device for removing dirt from a floor includes a carrier frame moveable over the floor, a motor mounted on the carrier frame, and a rotating body drivable by the motor and connected with the carrier frame. Several shovel-holders for shovelling dirt from the floor are mounted on the rotating body spaced apart from each other in the peripheral direction, are moveable along a path along the floor, and each have an open end in the rotation direction of the rotating body. A sweeper device for sweeping dirt out of one of the shovel-holders is arranged along the path of the shovel-holders on the carrier frame at a position substantially stationary in relation to the carrier frame, and is fitted with a sweeper element which, on rotation of the rotating body, moves between the shovel-holders and sweeps through one of the shovel-holders in order to sweep out dirt therefrom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for removing dirt from a floor, comprising:
a carrier frame moveable over the floor,
a motor mounted on the carrier frame,
a rotating body rotatable in one direction of rotation about a first substantially horizontal rotation axis and connected with the carrier frame, the rotating body being drivable by the motor,
several shovel-holders for shovelling the dirt from the floor, the shovel-holders are mounted on the rotating body spaced apart from each other in the peripheral direction and the shovel-holders on rotation of the rotating body move along a path which runs at least partly along the floor, and the shovel-holders each comprise a trough-shaped wall which delimits an internal receiving cavity for receiving the shovelled dirt, and the shovel-holders each comprise an open end which is substantially oriented in the rotation direction of the rotating body,
a sweeper device for sweeping the dirt in each case out of one of the shovel-holders on rotation of the rotating body, the sweeper device is arranged along the path of the shovel-holders on the carrier frame at a position which is substantially stationary in relation to the carrier frame, the sweeper device is fitted with a sweeper element that is moveable and driveable such that the sweeper element, on rotation of the rotating body, for each shovel-holder which passes the sweeper device, moves from a starting position outside the path of the shovel-holders into the path of the shovel-holders, through the open end of the passing shovel-holder into the internal receiving cavity of the passing shovel-holder and then on through the internal receiving cavity of the passing shovel-holder in order to sweep out at least a quantity of the dirt shovelled up by the passing shovel-holder, and the sweeper element then moves out of the passing shovel-holder and then away out of the path of the shovel-holders in order to allow the passing shovel-holder to pass by the sweeper device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the sweeper element is moveable and driveable such that the sweeper element on rotation of the rotating body, for each shovel-holder which passes the sweeper device, in each case moves back through the path of the shovel-holders to the starting position outside the path of the shovel holders after the passing shovel-holder has passed by the sweeper device.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the shovel-holders are arranged substantially in a circle spaced apart in a peripheral direction, and wherein the path of the shovel-holders is substantially circular.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is a vehicle and wherein the carrier frame travels in a direction of travel over the floor.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the shovel-holders, on rotation of the rotating body, swivel from a lower shovel position to an upper release position and back, and wherein the sweeper device is arranged at the upper release position of the shovel-holders.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is fitted with a catchment tray for catching the dirt swept from each shovel-holder on passing by the sweeper device, and wherein the catchment tray is fitted with a catchment opening arranged below the sweeper device.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the device is fitted with a storage tank which is connected with the catchment tray via a passage opening, and wherein the catchment tray is fitted with a displacement element for moving the dirt captured in the catchment tray to the storage tank.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the catchment tray has a substantially cylindrically peripheral wall in which a side opening is provided to form the catchment opening on the top of the catchment tray, and wherein the displacement element comprises a transport screw to push the dirt captured in the catchment tray through the passage opening to the storage tank.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotation axis of the rotating body runs substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier frame on its side facing the floor is fitted with collection bars for collecting the dirt present on the floor on movement of the device over the floor, and wherein the path of the shovel-holders runs between the collection bars.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the sweeper element is drivable by the motor.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the sweeper element is rotatable about a second rotation axis and is connected with the sweeper device, wherein the sweeper element is moveable and driveable such that the sweeper element, on its rotation about the second rotation axis and on rotation of the rotating body about the first rotation axis, for each shovel-holder which passes the sweeper device, performs one complete revolution in each case from the starting position outside the path of the shovel-holders.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the rotating body and the sweeper element are driveably connected with the motor such that, when the rotating body and the sweeper element are driven by the motor, the sweeper element rotates N x as fast about the second rotation axis as the rotating body rotates about the first rotation axis, wherein N is the number of shovel-holders of the rotating body.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the sweeper element is driveable for performing a uniform rotation movement.

15. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the trough-shaped wall of each shovel-holder has a curved inner surface, the curvature of which is such that the sweeper element, on its rotation about the second rotation axis and on rotation of the rotating body about the first rotation axis, moves through the internal receiving cavity of the passing shovel-holder at a substantially constant distance from the curved inner surface in order to sweep out at least a quantity of the dirt shovelled up by the passing shovel-holder.

16. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the device comprises a vertical longitudinal plane which is determined by a vertical plane through the first horizontal rotation axis of the rotating body, and wherein the centre of rotation of the sweeper element which is determined by the second rotation axis is arranged at a distance which is greater than 0 from the vertical longitudinal plane.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the second rotation axis of the sweeper element runs obliquely in relation to the vertical.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the second rotation axis of the sweeper element is arranged at a first angle (α) which is greater than 0 in relation to the vertical longitudinal plane, and wherein the first angle (α) is such that the second rotation axis, viewed from the vertical and viewed in a vertical transverse plane standing perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal plane, is tilted in relation to the rotation direction of the rotating body.

19. The device according to claim 18 , wherein the first angle (α) is between 0 and 30°.

20. The device according to claim 18 , wherein the second rotation axis runs at a second angle (β) which is greater than 0 in relation to the vertical transverse plane, and wherein the second angle (β) is such that the second rotation axis, viewed in the displacement direction of the device, runs obliquely downwards.

21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the second an

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Hillforth Mikael
• Van Den Beukel Huibrecht Johannes Arjen
• Clements Peter Henry

Classifications

• E01H1/106

  in which the loosened or dislodged dirt is picked up, e.g. shoveling carts (E01H1/108 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E01H5/09

  the elements being rotary or moving along a closed circular path, e.g. rotary cutter, digging wheels · CPC title

• A01C3/04

  Manure loaders · CPC title

• E01H15/00

  Removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land, not otherwise provided for (gatherers for removing stones, roots or the like from the soil A01B43/00) · CPC title

• A01K1/01 Primary

  Removal of dung or urine {; Removal of manure from stables}(A01K1/015 takes precedence) · CPC title