Drivable floor cleaning machine and method for operating a floor cleaning machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9456727-B2
Application number	US-201414168444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 2, 2011
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A drivable floor cleaning machine is provided, including a chassis, at least one cleaning head, and a holding device capable of holding the cleaning head on the chassis and lifting it relative to the chassis, the holding device including a first rod device rotatably held by a first bearing device on the chassis, a second rod device rotatably held on the chassis by means of a second bearing device, a third bearing device rotatably holding the cleaning head on the first rod device, and including a fourth bearing device rotatably holding the cleaning head on the second rod device, wherein the cleaning head is supported on a stop when a specific lifting position of the cleaning head relative to the chassis is reached, and on which stop the cleaning head can be rotated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drivable floor cleaning machine, comprising:
a chassis;
at least one cleaning head; and
a holding device, by means of which the at least one cleaning head is held on the chassis and is liftable relative to the chassis, the holding device comprising a first rod device, which is rotatably held by a first bearing device on the chassis, a second rod device, which is rotatably held on the chassis by means of a second bearing device, a third bearing device, by means of which the at least one cleaning head is rotatably held on the first rod device, and a fourth bearing device, by means of which the at least one cleaning head is rotatably held on the second rod device;
wherein a stop is associated with the at least one cleaning head, on which stop the at least one cleaning head is supported when a specific lifting position of the at least one cleaning head relative to the chassis is reached, and on which stop the at least one cleaning head is rotatable by means of the support relative to the chassis.

2. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein an angular orientation of a lower side of the at least one cleaning head with respect to the chassis remains the same until the specific lifting position of the at least one cleaning head is reached independently of a rotational position of the first rod device.

3. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the second rod device and the second bearing device is flexible in such a way that an inclination movement of the at least one cleaning head is made possible upon support on the stop.

4. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second bearing device comprises a rotary-slide bearing or is configured as a rotary-slide bearing.

5. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein a counter-face, which is arranged or formed on a housing of the at least one cleaning head, is associated with the stop.

6. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein a stop face of the stop is arranged between the first rod device, the second rod device and the at least one cleaning head.

7. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 6 , wherein the stop face in relation to the first bearing device, second bearing device, third bearing device and fourth bearing device is arranged closest to the third bearing device.

8. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein upon rotation of the at least one cleaning head by means of support on the stop, a lower side of the at least one cleaning head is at an acute angle with respect to a floor when the floor cleaning machine is placed on a level floor, and wherein a front end of the at least one cleaning head, in relation to a forward travel direction of the floor cleaning machine, has a greater spacing from the floor than a rear end of the at least one cleaning head.

9. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the third bearing device is arranged at or close to a front end, in relation to a forward travel direction of the floor cleaning machine, of the first rod device.

10. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 9 , wherein the first bearing device is arranged between the front end and a rear end of the first rod device.

11. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 9 , wherein the first rod device comprises a lever arm, which is arranged between a rear end and the first bearing device.

12. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 11 , wherein the lever arm forms an actuating device for a rotary movement of the first rod device on the first bearing device or has an operative connection to an actuating device.

13. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth bearing device is arranged at or close to a front end, in relation to a forward travel direction of the floor cleaning machine, of the second rod device.

14. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 13 , wherein the second bearing device is arranged at or close to a rear end of the second rod device.

15. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein a spacing of rotational axes of the first bearing device and the third bearing device is fixed.

16. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein a spacing of rotational axes of the first bearing device and the second bearing device is variable, this spacing remaining fixed.

17. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein a position of a rotational axis of the first bearing device relative to the chassis is fixed.

18. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein a spacing between rotational axes of the second bearing device and fourth bearing device is fixed.

19. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 18 , wherein a maximum displacement path on the second rod device is in a range between 15 mm and 40 mm.

20. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the specific lifting position is provided when the at least one cleaning head is lifted at a spacing in the range between 15 mm and 35 mm over a floor when the floor cleaning machine stands on a level floor.

21. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein connecting lines between the rotational axes of the first bearing device and the third bearing device, the third bearing device and the fourth bearing device, the fourth bearing device and the second bearing device and the second bearing device and the first bearing device form a parallelogram when the at least one cleaning head is not supported on the stop.

22. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , said drivable floor cleaning machine comprising a fixing device, by means of which one or more rotational positions of the first rod device is fixable.

23. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second rod device is arranged in a region of a wheel of the floor cleaning machine.

24. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 23 , wherein the fourth bearing device, in relation to a forward travel direction of the floor cleaning machine, is arranged in a region in front of the wheel and the second bearing device is arranged in a region behind the wheel.

25. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , said drivable floor cleaning machine having a configuration as a self-propelled floor cleaning machine.

26. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 25 , said drivable floor cleaning machine having a configuration as a walk-behind machine.

27. The drivable floor cleaning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cleaning head is driven.

Assignees

• Kaercher Gmbh & Co Kg Alfred

Inventors

• Merz Juergen
• Nonnenmann Frank

Classifications

• A47L11/4061

  Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated · CPC title

• A47L11/302

  having rotary tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4052 Primary

  Movement of the tools or the like perpendicular to the cleaning surface · CPC title

• A47L11/4055 Primary

  for lifting the tools to a non-working position · CPC title

• A47L11/4069

  Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools · CPC title