JP3254038U - Floor cleaning machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a floor washer capable of widening the movable range of a vacuum motor so that dirty water does not enter the vacuum motor even when the main body is tilted relative to the vertical direction.
[Solution] The floor scrubber of this invention has a handle 27 that the user grasps and a vacuum motor on the main body, a wastewater tank 24 on the base, and the base and main body are connected by a connector with rotating shafts 28 and 29. The wastewater tank 24 on the base will not tilt significantly even if the user grasps the handle and tilts the main body significantly from the vertical. Even if the user tilts the main body significantly, the wastewater collected in the wastewater tank 24 will not enter the vacuum motor, significantly reducing corrosion of the vacuum motor and extending its lifespan.
[Selected figure] Figure 5

Description

This invention relates to a floor scrubber that prevents sewage from entering the vacuum motor even when the main body is tilted from the vertical, thereby reducing corrosion of the vacuum motor and extending its lifespan.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a conventional floor scrubber. Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a conventional floor scrubber. First, the basic configuration of this machine will be described. This machine consists of three parts: a main body, a connecting part, and a base. The main components of the main body are a fresh water tank 5, a dirty water tank 6, a tank base cover 3, a vacuum motor, a vacuum motor cover 7, a vacuum pipe 13, an electrical control panel 8, and a handle 9, with the vacuum motor mounted inside the vacuum motor cover 7. The connecting part is composed of a left-right rotation shaft 10 that holds the main body so that it can move left and right, and a front-rear rotation shaft 11 that holds the main body so that it can move back and forth. The main components of the base are a rotating brush 1, a base cover 2, a motor, a sprinkler pump, a battery 4, and a squeegee 12, with the motor and sprinkler pump mounted inside the base cover 2.

Next, we will explain the basic operation of this machine. In this machine, the sprinkler pump sprays water from the clean water tank 5 or a cleaning solution made by mixing water with detergent (hereinafter referred to as cleaning water) onto the floor, and the rotating brush 1 uses the sprayed cleaning water to scrub the floor surface and remove dirt from the floor. The removed dirt mixes with the cleaning water to become dirty water, which is collected by the squeegee 12 and sucked into the vacuum pipe 13 by the suction force created by the vacuum motor, where it accumulates in the dirty water tank 6. Electrical components such as the motor, sprinkler pump, and vacuum motor are powered by DC power supplied from the battery 4. During cleaning work, the user operates the electrical control panel 8 while holding the handle 9 to decide whether to spray cleaning water onto the floor (turning the sprinkler pump on/off), change the amount of cleaning water sprayed (changing the sprinkler pump drive speed), and whether to collect dirty water (turning the vacuum motor on/off).

When the wastewater tank 6 is full (wastewater has accumulated up to the full line 18) or when cleaning work is completed, the wastewater 16 in the wastewater tank 6 is quickly drained, and when the cleaning water in the fresh water tank 5 is empty, cleaning water can be added to continue cleaning work. The fresh water tank 5 and wastewater tank 6 can be easily attached and detached from the tank base and support pillar of the main body with a single touch.

Next, we will explain how to move this machine during cleaning work. When the brush motor is driven and the rotating brush 1 rotates, friction between the rotating brush 1 and the floor decreases, allowing the user to easily move the main body by moving the handle 9 left and right or front and back. The connecting part is equipped with a left and right rotation shaft 10 and a front and back rotation shaft 11, so when the handle 9 is turned left, the base part faces left, and when turned right, the base part faces right. The user can easily move the machine by moving the handle back and forth, left and right, or turning it left and right, so cleaning near walls is also easy.

Figure 3 is a diagram explaining the wastewater collection operation of a conventional floor scrubber, showing the state of the wastewater tank 6. When the wastewater tank 6 is set in the main body, piping 14 is connected to the air suction port of the vacuum motor via internal piping, and piping 15 is connected to the vacuum pipe 13 and then to the wastewater suction port of the squeegee 12.

When the vacuum motor is driven, air is sucked from inside the wastewater tank 6 through the pipe 14, creating a negative pressure inside the wastewater tank 6. As a result, the wastewater collected by the squeegee 12 is sucked up from the bottom to the top of the pipe 15, and the wastewater falls into the wastewater tank 6, where it accumulates as wastewater 16.

Figure 4 is a diagram used to explain the issues with a conventional floor scrubber, showing the state of the wastewater tank 6 when the main body is tilted significantly from the vertical, beyond the allowable range of movement. When the main body of this machine is tilted significantly, the wastewater tank 6 also tilts significantly, and the wastewater 16 accumulated inside is sucked through the pipe 14 and enters the vacuum motor. Depending on the type and amount of wastewater, if wastewater enters the vacuum motor, it can corrode the vacuum motor and shorten its lifespan.

Floor scrubbers consisting of main components such as a rotating brush, squeegee, vacuum motor, and wastewater tank have been previously disclosed in patent documents, etc., but the structure for preventing wastewater from entering the vacuum motor and the specific layout of these components have not been disclosed, and the problem has not been solved.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-035220

The problem we are trying to solve is that dirty water gets into the vacuum motor when the main unit is tilted too much.

This device comprises a holding part that is grasped by the user's hand, a rotating body consisting of a rotating brush or rotating pad, a rotary motor that drives the rotating body, a squeegee that collects wastewater on the floor, a vacuum motor that sucks up the collected wastewater, a wastewater tank that accumulates the sucked up wastewater, and an electrical control operation unit for controlling the rotary motor and the vacuum motor.The rotating body, rotary motor, squeegee, and wastewater tank are provided on a base part, and the holding part, vacuum motor, and electrical control operation unit are provided on a main body part.The base part and the main body part are connected by a connecting part having a rotation axis, and the device is configured so that the wastewater tank provided on the base part will not tilt significantly even if a user grasps the holding part with their hand and tilts the main body part significantly from the vertical. By placing the vacuum motor in the main body and the wastewater tank in the base, which is connected to the main body via a connecting part with a rotating shaft, the range of movement can be expanded so that wastewater does not enter the vacuum motor even when the main body is tilted relative to the vertical direction.

This device places the vacuum motor in the main body and the wastewater tank in the base, which is connected to the main body via a connector. This allows for a wider range of movement, preventing wastewater from entering the vacuum motor even when the main body is tilted from the vertical. This significantly reduces corrosion of the vacuum motor and extends its lifespan.

In addition, since this device ensures that there is always space above the wastewater tank, a connecting pipe can be attached to the top of the wastewater tank and then connected to an extension pipe or cleaner head, allowing it to function as a wet cleaner.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a conventional floor cleaning machine. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a conventional floor scrubber. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the wastewater recovery operation of a conventional floor washer, showing the state of the wastewater tank 6. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the problems with a conventional floor washer, showing the state of the wastewater tank 6 when the main body is tilted. FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the floor cleaning machine of the present invention (Embodiment 1). FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the floor cleaning machine according to the present invention (Embodiment 1). FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the wastewater recovery operation of the floor washer according to the present invention (Embodiment 1). FIG. 8 is an enlarged view for explaining the piping connection between the wastewater tank 24 and the base of the floor washer according to the present invention (Embodiment 1). FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the floor cleaning machine according to the present invention (Embodiment 2). FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the floor washer of the present invention (Embodiment 2).

This device places the vacuum motor in the main body and the wastewater tank in the base, so wastewater does not get into the vacuum motor even when the main body is tilted.

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the floor scrubber of the present invention. Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of the floor scrubber of the present invention. First, the basic configuration of the machine will be described. The machine is composed of three parts: a main body, a connecting part, and a base. The main components of the main body are the battery 22, vacuum motor, vacuum motor cover 25, vacuum pipe 31, electrical control panel 26, and handle 27. The vacuum motor is mounted inside the vacuum motor cover 25. The connecting part is composed of a left-right rotation shaft 28 that holds the main body so that it can move left and right, and a front-rear rotation shaft 29 that holds the main body so that it can move forward and backward. The main components of the base are a rotating brush 19, a fresh water tank 23, a waste water tank 24, a brush motor 20, a watering pump, a base frame 21, and a squeegee 30. The brush motor 20 is mounted at the bottom of the fresh water tank 23 and connected to the base frame 21, and the watering pump is mounted in the center of the bottom of the fresh water tank 23.

Next, we will explain the basic operation of this machine. This machine uses a sprinkler pump to spray cleaning water from the clean water tank 23 onto the floor, and a rotating brush uses the sprayed cleaning water to scrub the floor surface and remove dirt from the floor. The removed dirt mixes with the cleaning water to become dirty water, which is collected by the squeegee 30 and sucked in by the suction force created by the vacuum motor and accumulates in the dirty water tank 24. Electrical components such as the brush motor 20, sprinkler pump, and vacuum motor are powered by DC power supplied from the battery 22. The user operates the electrical control panel 26 to decide whether to spray cleaning water during operation (turning the sprinkler pump ON/OFF), change the amount of cleaning water sprayed when spraying, and whether to collect dirty water (turning the vacuum motor ON/OFF).

When the dirty water tank 24 is full or when cleaning work is completed, the dirty water 34 in the dirty water tank 24 is drained, and when the cleaning water in the fresh water tank 23 is empty, cleaning water can be added to continue cleaning work. The fresh water tank 23 and dirty water tank 24 can be attached and detached from the base frame 21 of the base section with a single touch.

Next, we will explain how to move this machine during cleaning work. When the brush motor 20 is driven and the rotating brush 19 rotates, friction between the rotating brush 19 and the floor is reduced, allowing the user to easily move the main unit by moving the handle 27 left and right or front and back. The connecting part is equipped with a left-right rotation shaft 28 and a front-back rotation shaft 29, so turning the handle 27 to the left causes the base part to face left, and turning it to the right causes the base part to face right, making it easy to clean near walls.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the wastewater recovery operation of the floor scrubber of the present invention, showing the state of the wastewater tank 24. Figure 8 is an enlarged view illustrating the piping connection between the wastewater tank 24 and the base of the floor scrubber of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the fresh water tank 23 and wastewater tank 24 removed from the base. When the wastewater tank 24 is set on the base, piping 32 connects to piping 32 connection part 39 and is connected to the air suction port of the vacuum motor, and piping 33 connects to piping 33 connection part 40 and is connected to the wastewater suction port of the squeegee 30. Similarly, when the fresh water tank 23 is set on the base, power is supplied to the sprinkler pump via the electrical contact terminals.

When the vacuum motor is driven, air is sucked from the wastewater tank 24 through the pipe 32, creating a negative pressure inside the wastewater tank 24. As a result, the wastewater collected by the squeegee 30 is sucked up from the bottom to the top of the pipe 33, and falls into the wastewater tank 24 where it accumulates (wastewater 34). In this embodiment, a rotating brush 19 is used as a member to scrub dirt off the floor, but a rotating pad, which is used to polish the floor, can also be used. Nylon is a common material for brushes and pads, but the material is not limited to polymeric materials such as nylon and cloth-based materials can also be used.

As described above, in this device, the vacuum motor is located in the main body and the wastewater tank 24 is located in the base. Therefore, even if the user tilts the main body, the wastewater surface 35 does not tilt, and the wastewater 34 collected in the wastewater tank 24 is not sucked up through the piping 32 and enters the vacuum motor. Preventing wastewater from entering the vacuum motor significantly reduces corrosion of the vacuum motor, extending its lifespan.

Figure 9 is a front perspective view of the floor cleaning machine of this invention. By removing the connecting pipe connection cover 38, inserting the connecting pipe 41 into the connecting pipe connection 37, and sequentially connecting the bellows hose 42, extension pipe 43, and cleaner head 44, a wet cleaner is realized. The cleaner head 44 in this embodiment is T-shaped, but since it can suck up dirty water as long as the tip is open, cleaner heads with tips of any shape, such as crevice nozzles, round heads, or square heads, can be used.

Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the effect of the floor scrubber of this invention. When the vacuum motor is driven, negative pressure is created inside the wastewater tank 24, and wastewater sucked from the cleaner head 44 passes through the extension tube 43, bellows hose 42, and connecting tube 41, falls into the wastewater tank 24, and accumulates there. With this device, even if the main body is tilted, space is always maintained above the wastewater tank 24, so wastewater 34 accumulated in the wastewater tank 24 is sucked up through the piping 32 and does not enter the vacuum motor.

The floor scrubber of this invention prevents dirty water from entering the vacuum motor even when the main body is tilted, significantly reducing corrosion of the vacuum motor and extending its lifespan. Furthermore, because the main body can be tilted significantly, the range of movement of the main body is wide, allowing for free and easy cleaning work, and even cleaning the floors deep under desks and chairs, which were previously inaccessible. Furthermore, by connecting a connecting pipe to the top of the dirty water tank and connecting it to a bellows hose or cleaner head, it can be used as a wet cleaner.

1, 19 Rotating brush (rotating body)
2 Base cover 3 Tank base cover 4, 22 Battery 5, 23 Fresh water tank 6, 24 Waste water tank 7, 25 Vacuum motor cover 8, 26 Electrical control panel (electrical control operation section)
9, 27 Handle (holding part)
10, 28 Left and right rotation axis (part of the connecting part)
11, 29 Forward/backward rotation axis (part of the connecting part)
12, 30 Squeegee 13, 31 Vacuum pipe 14, 32 Piping 15, 33 Piping 16, 34 Sewage 17, 35 Sewage surface 18, 36 Full water line 20 Brush motor (rotating motor)
21 Base frame 37 Connection pipe connection part 38 Connection pipe connection part cover 39 Pipe 32 connection part 40 Pipe 33 connection part 41 Connection pipe 42 Corrugated hose 43 Extension pipe 44 Cleaner head

Claims (2)

This floor scrubber includes a holder that the user holds by hand, a rotor consisting of a rotating brush or pad, a rotary motor that drives the rotor, a squeegee that collects wastewater on the floor, a vacuum motor that sucks up the collected wastewater, a wastewater tank that stores the sucked-up wastewater, and an electrical control unit that controls the rotary motor and vacuum motor. The rotor, rotary motor, squeegee, and wastewater tank are located on a base, while the holder, vacuum motor, and electrical control unit are located on a main body. The base and main body are connected by a connector with a rotation axis, and the wastewater tank on the base does not tilt significantly even if the user holds the holder by hand and tilts the main body significantly relative to the vertical. 2. The floor cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that an opening is provided at the top of the wastewater tank, and by connecting a connecting pipe to the opening, a cleaner head (T-shaped, square, round, etc.) with an open tip can be connected.