WO2008022699A2 - Hand-held sweeping machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand-held sweeping machine comprising a housing that covers a rotatable sweeping roller and can be moved along a floor area by means of two rotatably mounted running wheels. The sweeping roller can be rotatably driven by at least one running wheel. The sweeping machine further comprises a U-shaped pushing frame and a sweepings container located next to the sweeping roller. In order to make said sweeping machine more user-friendly and easier to handle, the free ends of the pushing frame are each attached to one bearing plate while a running wheel is rotatably mounted on the bearing plates.

Description

 HAND-HELD SWEEPING MACHINE

The invention relates to a hand-held sweeper with a housing which covers a rotatable sweeping roller and which is movable by means of two rotatably mounted wheels on a bottom surface to be cleaned, wherein the sweeping roller is rotatably driven by at least one impeller, and with a U-shaped push bar for Method of sweeper and with a arranged next to the sweeping roller hopper.

Such sweepers are known for example from DE 4120871 Al. They can be moved by the operator by means of the push bar along a floor surface. Dirt is transferred from the bottom surface by means of the rotating sweeping roller in the hopper. The sweeping roller is driven via at least one of the wheels.

Hand-held sweeping machines of the type mentioned above are also known from EP 1531202 A2.

Object of the present invention is to design a hand-held sweeper of the type mentioned user-friendly and to simplify the handling of the sweeper.

This object is achieved in a hand-held sweeper of the generic type according to the invention that the free ends of the push bar are each held on a bearing plate on which an impeller is rotatably mounted. Such a configuration has the advantage that the thrust force exerted by the operator can be transmitted from the push bar on the bearing plates directly to the wheels. The steering behavior of the sweeper is thereby improved. In addition, the sweeper is inexpensive to produce, since the number of components made of metal, can be reduced. It can namely be provided that only the two bearing plates are made of metal, whereas the remaining components of the sweeper from non-metallic materials, preferably made of plastic, are made.

It is advantageous if the push bar is pivotally supported on the bearing plates, because this can further improve the handling of the sweeper, because the operator can customize the orientation of the push bar individually.

The push bar can be releasably connected by means of locking screws with the bearing plates.

In order to simplify the assembly, it is advantageous if the two bearing plates are releasably connectable to the housing. The two bearing plates can accommodate the housing between them.

Preferably, a bearing member is held on the bearing plates and the sweeping roller is rotatably mounted on the bearing parts and coupled via transmission elements with at least one impeller. The two bearing parts can each be designed, for example, in the form of a plastic shell which is screwed or latched to a bearing plate and a bearing element for the sweeping having roller. Bearing element and bearing part can be integrally connected to each other, in particular they can form a one-piece plastic molding.

On the two bearing plates, a frame of the sweeper is held in an advantageous embodiment, which surrounds the hopper. The frame may be integrally connected to the housing and in combination with the housing form a support on which the hopper is placed.

In order to design the aforementioned sweeper user-friendly, especially easy to maintain, according to the invention also provides that the sweeping roller has a roller body which carries at least one stub axle, the stub axle is connected via a freewheel with a drive wheel which is rotatably driven by an impeller , wherein the freewheel and the drive wheel are arranged in the axial direction in alignment and offset from one another. The freewheel makes it possible to rotate the roller body relative to the drive wheel when the over the freewheel and the associated drive wheel coupled to the roller body impeller is not rotated. This is the case, in particular, on the curve-inside wheel, when the sweeper performs a cornering. When cornering, the inside of the curve wheel is moved at a significantly lower speed than the outside of the curve wheel, it may even happen that the inside of the curve wheel is stationary. If, in such a drive, the roller body is driven by the outside wheel on the outside of the curve, dirt can also be picked up from the bottom surface during cornering and transferred to the dirt hopper by the Roll body performs a corresponding rotational movement. The freewheel and drive wheel are axially offset from one another with respect to the axis of rotation of the roller body. It can be provided, for example, that the stub axle engages through the freewheel and facing away from the roller body at its free end, the drive wheel carries. A continuous axis for the sweeping roller can also be omitted in the embodiment according to the invention as an additional subframe for the sweeping roller, which is coupled to the axis of rotation of the wheels.

It is advantageous if the cylindrical roller body carries on both end faces a stub axle, which is connected via a freewheel with a drive wheel which is rotationally driven by the adjacently arranged impeller. This gives the possibility to set the roller body not only in a straight-ahead driving, but also in any cornering in rotation, wherein the roller body is driven in each case by the outside wheel impeller. The two stub axles can each be designed in the form of a pipe section which is rotatably connected to the roller body. For non-rotatable connection, for example, a locking bolt can be used. This allows a particularly simple assembly of the stub axle on the roller body.

Preferably, the drive wheel is designed as a toothed wheel, which meshes with an internal or external toothing of the associated impeller. The gear can be placed on the stub axle, wherein the rotation in a rotationally fixed coupling between the gear and the stub axle is ensured by the associated freewheel. The freewheel can have a freewheeling pawl held in a rotationally fixed manner on the stub axle and an associated freewheeling contour, wherein the freewheeling contour is arranged on the inside of a freewheel sleeve integrally connected to the drive wheel. Drive and freewheel sleeve thus form a single component that can be placed on the stub axle after previously the freewheel pawl was fixed to the stub axle.

The drive wheel forms in a particularly advantageous embodiment of the free end of the stub axle receiving, frontally closed end cap, to which the freewheel sleeve integrally connected. The design of the drive wheel in the form of an end cap has the advantage that the freewheel can be protected from dust in a structurally simple manner, since the end cap connected in one piece with the freewheel sleeve forms an end closure, so that no dust is deposited in the shaft over the free end of the axle stub Freewheel can penetrate.

Preferably, a bearing element connects to the side facing away from the drive wheel of the freewheel sleeve for rotatably supporting the stub axle. The bearing element may be integrally connected to the already mentioned bearing part, which is held on the bearing plate associated with the impeller. Preferably, the bearing element forms a bearing sleeve, in which the freewheel sleeve dips, and preferably a bearing bush is arranged between the bearing sleeve and the stub axle. On the side facing away from the freewheel sleeve of the bearing sleeve, a sealing element is arranged in a preferred embodiment, which surrounds the stub axle in the circumferential direction and which closes the inner region of the bearing sleeve dust-tight. It is particularly favorable when the axle stub is rotatably mounted on a bearing part, for example a shell formed of plastic, the bearing part being held on the bearing plate and forming a labyrinth seal with the adjacently arranged running wheel. This allows a simple design dust protection for the drive wheel and the freewheel.

In order to simplify the assembly of the sweeping machine according to the invention in addition, it is advantageous if the impeller, which is coupled to the formed in the form of an end cap drive wheel, forms an end wall which limits the axial mobility of the end cap. Such a configuration has the advantage that the end cap must be placed only on the free end of the stub axle during assembly of the sweeper, an axial fixation of the end cap can be omitted since it is held captive on the stub axle of the front wall of the impeller.

To improve the handling of the aforementioned sweeper is also provided according to the invention that the sweeper has at least one additional weight, which consists of a mineral composite material, in particular of an artificial rock. By providing an additional weight, it is possible to prevent the sweeping roller from slipping on the ground surface to be cleaned while advancing the sweeping machine without being set in rotation. The additional weight increases the frictional force between the sweeping roller and the bottom surface, so that when sweeping the sweeper the sweeping roller is reliably rotated by at least one impeller. The production of the at least one additional weight from a mineral composite material makes it possible to Keeping costs of the sweeper low. The additional weight may for example be made of an artificial rock, in particular of concrete or a sand-lime brick or in the form of a brick.

It is advantageous if the at least one additional weight is arranged above the sweeping roller. Thereby, the power of the additional weight can be easily transferred to the sweeping roller.

To increase the ease of use of the sweeper mentioned above, it is also provided that the hopper is connected via at least one vibration-damping element to the housing. The vibration damping element connected between the housing and the hopper allows a great reduction of the noise generated when using the sweeper. When moving the sweeper along the bottom surface of the housing is vibrated. These vibrations are transmitted due to the at least one vibration damping element only to a small extent on the hopper, so that a resonant excitation of the hopper is avoided. The sweeper can therefore be operated very quietly.

It can be provided, for example, that the sweeper has a frame into which the hopper is inserted, wherein between the hopper and the frame at least one vibration damping element is arranged. The latter can be made for example of a rubber-elastic material. The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention serves in conjunction with the drawings for further explanation. Show it :

Figure 1: a perspective view of a sweeping machine according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the sweeper without side brush;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in Figure 2;

FIG. 5: an enlarged partial sectional view of the sweeping machine according to FIG. 4;

Figure 6: a perspective view of a drive wheel of the sweeper in the form of an end cap and

Figure 7: a plan view of the sweeper without side brush and with removed hopper.

In the drawing, a hand-held sweeper 10 is shown schematically with a housing 11. The housing 11 covers a sweeping roller 15, which is rotatable about a rotation axis 16 and which passes through a bottom opening of the housing 11 in order to contact a bottom surface 18 to be cleaned.

The housing 11 is integrally connected to a U-shaped frame 20, to which at a distance from the housing 11, a lateral arm 21 is formed, which carries a side brush 22. The frame 20 defines in combination with the housing 11 in plan view approximately trapezoidal receptacle 24, in which a hopper 25 can be used. The latter, facing the sweeping roller 15, has an opening 26, on which, facing the bottom surface 18, a sweeping threshold 27 is arranged. About the Kehrschwelle 27 dirt can be transferred from the sweeping roller 15 in the interior of the hopper 25.

At the edge of the receptacle 24 a rubber seal 29 is disposed in the region of the housing 11 and the frame 20 carries at the edge of the receptacle 24 at a distance from each other several rubber pads 31. If the debris container 25 is inserted from above into the receptacle 24, he sits on the rubber seal 29 and the rubber pads 31, which form vibration damping elements, so that mechanical vibrations of the housing 11 and the frame 20 are transferred to the hopper 25 only to a very small extent.

To process along the bottom surface 18, the sweeper 10 has two wheels 33, 34, which are each adjacent to an end face of the cylindrical sweeping roller 15, and a support wheel 35 which is rotatably supported at a distance from the housing 11 on the underside of the frame 20. The wheels 33, 34 are each rotatably mounted on a metallic bearing plate 37 and 38, respectively. For this purpose, the wheels 33 and 34 each have a hub 40, which is penetrated by a running axle 41 held on the bearing plate 37 or 38. The wheels 33 and 34 are each equipped with a tire 43, and between the tire 43 and the hub 40, the wheels 33 and 34 each form an annular end wall 45, to which an external toothing 46 connects in the direction of the hub 40.

With the bearing plates 37 and 38, respectively, a bearing part in the form of a bearing shell made of plastic 48 is detachably connected, which forms a bearing element in the form of a bearing sleeve 49. This becomes clear in particular from FIG. The housing 11 is detachably connected to the bearing plates 37, 38, for example screwed.

The sweeping roller 15 has a roller body 51, from which a plurality of sweeping bristles 52 protrude in the radial direction. In each case a stub axle 54, which is designed in the form of a pipe section and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the roller body 51 by means of a bolt 55, emerges into the end faces of the roller body 51. The axle stub 54 passes through the respective associated bearing sleeve 49, wherein between the stub axle 54 and the bearing sleeve 49, a bearing bush 57 is arranged. The free end portions of the two stub axles 54 are each covered by an end cap 59, to which a freewheel sleeve 60 integrally connects in the direction of the bearing sleeve 49, which dips into the bearing sleeve 49 at the end face. The freewheel sleeve 60 forms on the inside a known per se and therefore not shown in the drawing freewheeling contour and cooperates with a rotationally fixed to the stub axle 54 held freewheeling pawl 61, which they completely in the circumferential direction um-. gives. The freewheeling pawl 61, in combination with the freewheeling contour, enables a rotationally fixed coupling of the freewheeling sleeve 60 to the axle stub 54 in one rotational direction, whereas a relative movement between the stub axle 54 and the freewheeling sleeve 60 is ensured against this direction of rotation.

The end cap 59 forms a gear 63, which meshes with the external teeth 46 of the associated impeller 33 and 34, respectively. The end cap 59 with integrally formed freewheel sleeve 60 is shown in perspective in FIG.

When moving the sweeping machine 10 along the bottom surface 18, the wheels 33 and 34 rotatably mounted on the bearing plates 37 and 38, respectively, are rotated. About the respective external teeth 46, the rotational movement of the wheels 33, 34 is transmitted to the respective adjacent gear 63, which is integrally connected to the freewheel sleeve 60. This has the consequence that the rotational movement of the gear 63 can be transmitted via the freewheel sleeve 60 and the freewheeling pawl 61 on the non-rotatably connected to the roller body 51 stub axle 54. Freewheel sleeve 60 and freewheeling pawl 61 thus form a freewheel, which ensures that the rotational movement of the wheels 33, 34 can be transferred to the roller body 51, but also a relative movement between the roller body 51 and the wheels 33, 34 is possible, as when cornering the sweeper 10 is required for the curve inside wheel.

To exert a pushing force on the sweeper 10, a U-shaped push bar 65 is provided with two legs 66, 67, which via a handle 68th connected to each other. The push bar 65 is connected directly to the bearing plates 37 and 38. The bearing plates 37, 38 have for this purpose on the outer edge of the wheels 33 and 34 projecting extension 70 which is bolted to the free end of a leg 66 and 67, respectively. The force exerted by an operator on the push bar 65 thrust force is thus transmitted from the push bar 65 directly to the bearing plates 37 and 38, with which the housing 11 is screwed and to each of which an impeller 33 and 34 is rotatably mounted. This allows a particularly simple steering of the sweeper 10th

The one-piece connection of the formed in the form of an end cap gear 63 with the freewheel sleeve 60, which dips into the bearing sleeve 69, allows a structurally simple way, the inside of the freewheel sleeve 60 arranged freewheeling contour and the associated freewheeling pawl 61 to protect against dust. Another dust protection is ensured by the fact that the bearing shell 48 in combination with the associated impeller 33 and 34 forms a labyrinth seal 64. By means of the labyrinth seal 64 not only the freewheel sleeve 60 and the freewheeling pawl 61 are protected from dust, but the labyrinth seal 64 also forms a dust cover for the external teeth 46 and the meshing with this gear 63rd

Another dust protection of the freewheeling pawl 61 and the associated freewheeling contour is achieved by a sealing ring 72 which is disposed on the freewheel sleeve 60 side facing away from the bearing bush 57 between the stub axle 54 and the bearing sleeve 49.

As is clear in particular from FIG. 5, the toothed wheel 63 and the freewheel sleeve 60 are arranged in the axial direction between the bearing sleeve 49 and the annular end wall 45 of the respective associated impeller 33 or 34. The gear 63 can thus not unintentionally detach from the stub axle 64, the axial mobility of the gear 63 with integrally formed freewheel sleeve 60 is rather limited by the end wall 45.

The bearing of the roller body 51 via the stub axle 54, and the coupling of the axle stub 54 with the respectively adjacent impeller 33 and 34 via the freewheeling pawl 61 and the freewheel sleeve 60 and the integrally connected to the freewheel sleeve 60 gear 63, with the external teeth 46 combs.

To increase the contact pressure of the wheels 33, 34 and the sweeping roller 15 against the bottom surface 18, the sweeper 10 has two made of a mineral composite material, such as concrete or brick material, manufactured additional weights 74, 75, above the sweeping roller 15 in the housing 11th are arranged. The production of a mineral composite material makes it possible to produce the additional weights 74, 75 very inexpensively, and by providing the additional weights 74, 75 it is ensured that the method of the sweeper 10 along the bottom surface 18, the brush roller 15 is set for dirt pickup in rotation. The determination of the additional weights 74, 75 in the housing 11 by means of a support plate 77 which is connected to the frame 20.

Claims

1. Hand-held sweeper with a housing which covers a rotatable sweeping roller and which is movable by means of two rotatably mounted wheels on a floor surface to be cleaned, wherein the sweeping roller is rotatably driven by at least one impeller, and with a U-shaped push bar for the process of Sweeper and with a arranged next to the sweeping roller hopper, characterized in that the free ends of the push bar (65) are each held on a bearing plate (37, 38) on which an impeller (33, 34) is rotatably mounted. 2. Sweeper according to claim 1, characterized in that the push bar (65) on the bearing plates (37, 38) is pivotally supported. 3. Sweeper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two bearing plates (37, 38) with the housing (11) are detachably connectable. 4. Sweeper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the bearing plates (37, 38) each have a bearing part (48) is held, and that the sweeping roller (15) rotatably mounted on the bearing parts (48) and via transmission elements (46 , 63) with at least an impeller (33, 34) is coupled. 5. Sweeper with the features of the preamble of claim 1, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sweeping roller (15) has a roller body (51) carrying at least one stub axle (54), wherein the stub axle (54) is connected via a freewheel (60, 61) with at least one drive wheel (63) which is drivable by an impeller (33, 34), wherein the freewheel (60, 61) and the drive wheel (63) aligned and offset in the axial direction are arranged to each other. 6. Sweeper according to claim 5, characterized in that the cylindrical roller body (51) carries at both end faces a stub axle (54) which is connected via a freewheel (60, 61) with a drive wheel (63), which is arranged from the adjacent Impeller (33, 34) is rotationally driven. 7. Sweeper according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the drive wheel is designed as a toothed wheel (63) which meshes with an inner or outer toothing (46) of the associated impeller (33, 34). 8. Sweeper according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that the freewheel rotatably on the stub axle (54) held freewheeling pawl (61) and having an associated freewheeling contour, wherein the freewheeling contour on the inside of an integral with the Drive wheel (63) connected freewheel sleeve (60) is arranged. 9. Sweeper according to claim 8, characterized in that the drive wheel (63) forms a free end of the stub axle (54) receiving, end-side closed end cap (59) to which the freewheel sleeve (60) integrally connected. 10. Sweeper according to claim 9, characterized in that the drive wheel (63) coupled to the impeller (33, 34) forms an end wall (45) which limits the axial mobility of the drive wheel (63). 11. Sweeper according to claim 10, characterized in that the stub axle (54) is rotatably mounted on a bearing part (48) which is held on the bearing plate (37, 38) and with the adjacently arranged impeller (33, 34) a Labyrinth seal (64) is formed. 12. Sweeper with the features of the preamble of claim 1, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sweeper (10) has at least one additional weight (74, 75) made of a mineral composite material, in particular concrete or a brick material , is made. 13. Sweeper according to claim 12, characterized in that the at least one additional weight (74, 75) above the sweeping roller (15) is arranged. 14. Sweeper with the features of the preamble of claim 1, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hopper (25) via at least one vibration-damping element (29, 31) is connected to the housing (11). 15. Sweeper according to claim 14, characterized in that the sweeper (10) has a frame (20) into which the hopper (25) can be inserted, wherein between the hopper (25) and the frame (20) at least one vibration-damping element (29, 31) is arranged.