Floor polishing device

Abstract

The present invention provides a brush assembly for increasing the effective area and improving the uniformity of operation in a grinding floor polishing application given the size of the brush mount. The brush assembly includes a base having a slot for receiving a grinding blade. The base includes a variable protrusion to provide variable support for the grinding blade. The blade has a trapezoidal body shape. The blade includes a grinding component, which includes an abrasive material such as diamond. In some embodiments, the grinding component includes a metal material, such as a copper material. In some embodiments, the grinding component includes a phenolic material.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 888,847, filed on August 19, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Concrete is commonly used in floors in residential and commercial applications due to its durability and economic advantages. Depending on the specific situation, concrete can be unfinished, partially finished, or fully finished to provide a high-gloss finish.

[0004] In warehouses, factories, etc., concrete floors are polished by rotary drive machines using brushes located on the underside of the machine, which moves back and forth across the floor to provide a clean surface. In general, the efficiency of the polishing operation depends on any or all of, for example, the type of brush required (e.g., different grit values), the number of passes over the floor required, the area cleaned by the brush, the uniformity of the brush operation, and the durability of the brush.

[0005] It is therefore desirable to maximize the effective area of ​​substantially uniform floor treatment of the brush assembly within the normal operating range of a conventional cleaning machine, such as a Tennant or Advance brand scrubber. It is also desirable to use durable materials to provide uniform operation and relatively high material removal capacity to minimize the number of passes and brush assemblies that may be required. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a grinding brush in the prior art.

[0007] Figure 2A is a perspective view of a floor portion through which a pair of conventional sanding brushes having segmented active areas have been passed, leaving a strip of less processed floor in the middle.

[0008] Figure 2B A perspective view of another floor portion through which a pair of conventional sanding brushes having segmented effective areas have passed, leaving a strip of less processed floor in the middle.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a perspective cross-sectional view of a polishing device according to the principle of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 4 It is a partial perspective view of a polishing device according to the principle of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 5is a perspective view of a floor portion through which a pair of polishing devices according to the principles of the present invention have been passed to provide a substantially continuous and uniform active treatment area.

[0012] Figure 6 A top view of a ground portion in which a pair of polishing devices have been put into static operation.

[0013] Figures 7A-7E Included are perspective and side views of a blade assembly in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0014] Figures 8A-8E Included are perspective and side views of another blade assembly in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a base member in accordance with the principles of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Conventional floor cleaning machines typically use a pair of fixed, staggered brush arrangements. The brushes are typically positioned to provide overlap in the effective area of ​​the pair of brushes and provide the machine with a larger single effective area - for many floor machines, this configuration corresponds to a minimum overlap of scrubbing or sweeping brushes.

[0017] Using conventional floor cleaning machines in more applications can provide their inherent efficiency. Abrasive brush devices have been developed to be compatible with conventional floor scrubbing machines while providing new functionality. However, different brushes may have different effective areas, and thus, a machine designed for one type of brush may result in gaps between the effective areas for different types of brushes. In particular, since the forces acting on the brush increase with improved abrasive performance, it is relatively difficult to provide abrasive brushes with the same effective area as sweeping or mopping brushes when brushes of the same size are mounted on a floor polisher, since the effects of the greater forces are most pronounced at the outer edges of the brush area.

[0018] Some grinding brush devices (e.g. Figure 1 In some embodiments, the grinding element extends above or beyond the footprint of the brush base to provide a larger active area than the base. However, for example, the outer portion of such a device may be less efficient and less uniform - as the grinding element moves away from the base, the base provides less direct support, and the outer portion of the brush may bend or lift, resulting in uneven pressure distribution along the grinding element. In this case, the effective area over which the individual brushes operate uniformly is reduced. In addition, referring to Figure 2A-2BIn some machines, a pair of active brush areas B1 and B2 with overlapping coverage areas parallel to the floor in the stationary state leaves a strip of untreated or significantly less treated floor surface S between them. The higher the material removal performance of the brush, the more pronounced this inconsistent result may be. In this case, more passes over the floor area may be required to obtain a uniform result.

[0019] In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, an improved polishing apparatus 10 provides an increased effective area of ​​operation in a sanding floor polishing application for a given brush mount size. Figure 3-4 and Fig. 9 , the polishing device 10 includes a circular base 12 having a plurality of blades 14 held in a slot 16 of the base 12. The base 12 has an inner diameter 18 operable to receive a drive shaft of a rotary machine, the rotary machine comprising an automatic floor machine (not shown). The floor machine may be of a type known in the art that is commonly used for cleaning concrete floors, wherein the circular face of the base is positioned substantially parallel to the floor. The drive shaft may transmit motion to the base 12 at a speed of about 125 to 200 revolutions per minute while applying a total pressure of about 150 to 200 pounds to the base. The polishing device 10 may be used under low speed, low pressure conditions. However, the various devices disclosed herein may also be utilized in high speed applications where higher pressures are encountered. For example, if desired, the present invention may be used in a machine operating at a speed in the range of 125-1500 revolutions per minute (RPM) and a head pressure in the range of 50-800 pounds per square inch (PSI). The polishing devices 10 may be used in pairs in a staggered configuration, which is typical of such floor machines.

[0020] The base 12 has a diameter of about 6 to 20 inches, and in some embodiments, is made of one or more corrosion-resistant materials (e.g., plastic) while still having sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape under the operating conditions of the polishing device 10 (e.g., the rotational speed and head pressure ranges disclosed herein). In some embodiments, the base 12 includes a composite material.

[0021] The slots 16 open at the bottom surface 17 of the base 12. The slots 16 extend radially inward from the radially outer edge region 19 of the base 12. In some embodiments, the slots 16 extend along equal radial lengths and are radially identically positioned relative to the center 20 of the base 12. The slots 16 are circumferentially spaced around the base 12. In some embodiments, the slots 16 are circumferentially equally spaced around the base 12. In an exemplary embodiment, the base 12 includes 24 slots 16, each having equal radial lengths, and each slot 16 is radially identically positioned between the outer edge region 19 and the center 20. The slots 16 engage the blade 14 to removably secure the blade 14 relative to the base 12. For example, in some embodiments, along the direction axially inward from the bottom surface 17 of the base 12, the slots 16 at least partially widen in the circumferential direction to receive corresponding protrusions 28 on the blade 14, thereby securing the blade 14 to the base 12 at least in the axial direction and the circumferential direction. With this configuration, the blade 14 engages the base 12 via the protrusion 28, and the blade 14 extends beyond the bottom surface 17 of the base 12 outside the slot 16. In some embodiments, the slot 16 is closed at its radially outer end, and the blade 14 can be radially secured in a known manner, such as by a snap fit, by fasteners, etc.

[0022] The base 12 also includes a varying protrusion 29 extending from the bottom surface 17. In some embodiments, the varying protrusion 29 is an angled ridge, and in some such embodiments, the protrusion extends in a straight line from one end to the other end. The varying protrusion 29 extends at least partially around the slot 16, wherein the ridge has a top end 91 and a bottom end 92, and the top end 91 extends axially farther from the bottom surface 17 than the bottom end 92. The ridge is oriented so that the top end 91 is located radially outward of the slot 16.

[0023] Each blade 14 includes a joint end 30, a trapezoidal body 32, and a grinding end 34. Each of the joint end 30, the trapezoidal body 32, and the grinding end 34 substantially maintains its shape over its thickness. The surfaces of the joint end 30, the trapezoidal body 32, and the grinding end 34 are parallel to each other and are coplanar to the extent that their thicknesses correspond to each other. It should be understood that the joint end 30, the trapezoidal body 32, and the grinding end 34 can have a variety of configurations and materials. For example, in some embodiments, the joint end 30, the trapezoidal body 32, and a portion of the grinding end 34 are integrally made of plastic, and as further disclosed herein, the grinding end 34 also includes components having different materials (e.g., metal sintered with diamond).

[0024] The joint end 30 has a generally rectangular shape and is configured to engage with one of the slots 16 to removably secure the corresponding blade 14 to the base 12. The joint end 30 has a top rectangular portion 42 extending along one of the slots 16, an opposing bottom rectangular portion 44, and side rectangular portions 46, 48 extending axially away from the bottom surface 17 of the base 12. The side rectangular portions 46, 48 are spaced apart transversely across the joint end 30. In some embodiments, the protrusions 28 extend outwardly in opposite directions along the top rectangular portion 42 of the joint end 30. Therefore, the joint end 30 is thicker at the top rectangular portion 42 and engages with the axially inward and circumferentially wider portion of the corresponding one of the slots 16. As the joint end 30 is secured to the base 12 axially inward of the bottom surface 17, the trapezoidal body 32 and the grinding end 34 extend away from the bottom surface 17 on the outside of the slot 16.

[0025] The top base 52 of the trapezoidal body 32 is disposed at the bottom rectangular portion 44 of the joint end 30. In some embodiments, the bottom rectangular portion 44 of the joint end 30 coincides with the top base 52 of the trapezoidal body 32. The bottom base 54 of the trapezoidal body 32 is wider than the top base 52, and each end of the bottom base 54 overlaps and extends laterally to the outside of one end of the top base 52. The bottom base 54 is spaced apart from the top base 52 in the longitudinal direction; that is, when the corresponding blade 14 is fixed to the base 12 in one of the slots 16, the bottom base 54 is spaced apart from the top base 52 in the axial direction. The legs 56 and the legs 58 of the trapezoidal body 32 extend in a straight line between the ends of the top base 52 and the ends of the bottom base 54, respectively. With the corresponding blade 14 secured to the base 12 in one of the slots 16, the legs 56 and 58 extend respectively between the ends of the top base 52 and the ends of the bottom base 54, wherein the legs 56 and 58 are respectively disposed in opposite radial directions. In some embodiments, the trapezoidal body 32 has a generally isosceles trapezoidal shape; that is, the parallel top base 52 and bottom base 54 are centered relative to each other, and the legs 56 and 58 are the same length and are mirror-image oriented.

[0026] The grinding end 34 is disposed at the bottom base 54 of the trapezoidal body 32. The grinding end 34 has a generally rectangular shape having a longitudinally spaced top 62 and bottom 64 and transversely spaced sides 66 and 68. In some embodiments, the top 62 of the grinding end 34 coincides with the bottom base 54 of the trapezoidal body 32. In some embodiments, the joint end 30, the trapezoidal body 32, and the grinding end 34 are all centered in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] The grinding end 34 includes a grinding member 70 that protrudes from a grinding housing 72 of the bottom 64 to the outside thereof. The grinding member 70 defines a longitudinal end opposite to the joint end 30 of each corresponding blade 14; that is, when the corresponding blade 14 is fixed to the base 12 in one of the slots 16, the grinding member 70 is the portion of the corresponding blade 14 that is farthest from the bottom surface 17 of the base 12 in the axial direction. In some embodiments, when the blade 14 is fixed to the base 12 in one of the slots 16, each corresponding grinding member 70 extends radially to the outside of the base 12.

[0028] In some embodiments, the grinding component 70 includes a relatively rigid substrate with an abrasive material adhered thereto. The abrasive material may be diamond or the like. The diamond may be evenly distributed on the outer surface of the grinding component 70.

[0029] According to the principles of the present invention, the grinding end of one of the blades can have a variety of configurations and can accommodate a variety of grinding components. Figures 7A-7E , the blade 114 is configured to have relatively coarse abrasive grit characteristics and includes a grinding end 134 to which a grinding component 170 is fixed. The grinding end 134 and the grinding component 170 are configured so that the grinding component 170 has a relatively small axial protrusion outside the grinding end 134. The grinding housing 172 defines a slot 174 for accommodating all portions of the grinding component 170 except the protruding end 176. The grinding component 170 can be fixed in the grinding housing 172 using various known techniques, including by overmolding techniques.

[0030] See also Figures 8A-8E , the blade 214 has a finer abrasive characteristic relative to the blade 114 shown in FIG. 7, and the blade 214 includes a grinding end 234 to which a grinding component 270 is fixed. Compared to the blade 114 and its grinding component 170 (where the total footprint size of the blade 114 and the blade 214 is the same), the grinding end 234 and the grinding component 270 are configured so that a larger portion of the grinding component 270 is exposed. The grinding housing 272 is shorter than the grinding housing 172 and includes a slot 274 for accommodating the grinding component 270, and the grinding component 270 has a relatively large protruding end 276. In some embodiments, the protruding end 276 protrudes in a lateral direction and overlaps with the end of the grinding housing 272 located outside the slot 274. The grinding component 270 can be fixed in the grinding housing 272 using various known techniques, including overmolding techniques. The grinding member 270 may include a T-shaped cross-section at the inner end to provide additional engagement between the grinding member 270 and the grinding housing 272 .

[0031] It should be understood that the descriptions herein of blades 14, 114, and 214 and components thereof are mutually applicable unless a clear distinction is made.

[0032] In some embodiments of the blade 14 according to the principles of the present invention, the connector end 30 of the grinding end 34, the trapezoidal body 32 and the grinding housing 72 are made of a thermoplastic elastomer material, such as Hytrel. These components can be overmolded on the grinding component 70.

[0033] In some embodiments, the grinding component (including the grinding component 170 such as the blade 114) includes a metal material mixed with an abrasive material. In some embodiments, the metal is copper and the abrasive material is diamond. In such embodiments, the metal can be a compressed powdered metal. In some embodiments, the grinding component 170 of the copper-based formulation is cold pressed into a desired shape and sintered with a diamond bonding material. In some embodiments, the diamond content of the grinding component before manufacturing is between about 15% and 30% by weight, and in one such embodiment, the content is 22% by weight.

[0034] In some embodiments, the grinding component 70 includes a hole 80 to fix the grinding component during the overmolding process. For example, the hole 80 can be formed by cutting the grinding component 70 with a water jet.

[0035] The diamond grits (e.g., 200 and 400) of the blade 14 of the present invention can be configured, and combined with the configuration and materials of the present invention, the blade 14 of the present invention can provide efficient, uniform operation with an effective overlap area when used with a conventional floor cleaning machine. The polishing device 10 including copper and diamond in the grinding component 70 of the blade 14 can increase the material removal capacity by four times compared to existing grinding components, and the removal capacity is measured by the time taken.

[0036] In some embodiments, the grinding component 270 (including, for example, the blade 214) comprises a phenolic material mixed with an abrasive material. In such embodiments, the grinding component 270 can be formed by injection molding. In some such embodiments, the diamond content of the grinding component before manufacturing is between about 15% and 30% by weight, and in one such embodiment, the content is 22% by weight.

[0037] The polishing devices 10 may be operated in pairs with a machine that operates each device at a rotational speed in the range of 125-1500 rpm and a head pressure in the range of 50-800 psi. The polishing devices 10 contact the ground only through the grinding components 70 of the plurality of blades 14. The polishing devices 10 may be staggered so that the areas of the individual polishing devices overlap.

[0038] In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the trapezoidal body 32 of the blade 14 substantially evenly transfers pressure from the base 12 to the grinding member 70 , including locations of the grinding member 70 that extend radially outward of the base 12 .

[0039] In operation, the blade 14 of the polishing device 10 may be subjected to unequal bending forces, for example, due to higher speeds at radially outer portions of the blade 14. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the ridges variably support the blade 14 to prevent bending, wherein the larger portion of the ridges (the tips 91) are disposed at radially outer portions of the slots 16, thereby variably reducing the effective bendable height of the blade 14. By providing this additional support to the radially outer portions of the blade 14, the effective bending forces experienced by the blade 14 can be substantially uniform, wherein the size of the ridges is configured according to the material and size of the blade and the desired operating settings of the machine.

[0040] In accordance with the principles of the present invention, in some embodiments, the polishing device 10 incorporates a trapezoidal body 32 in the blade 14 and a ridge in the base 12 .

[0041] The polishing device 10 can provide substantially continuous and uniform sanding performance when used alone or in various configurations with a conventional floor machine. Figure 5 Shown in Figure 1 -2 shows a portion of the ground treated by a pair of devices according to the principles of the present invention under substantially the same operating conditions as when the conventional grinding brush treats the ground, wherein the operating conditions include rotation speed, pressure, installation size, installation position, ground type and environment. Figure 6 The static operation results of a ground machine with a pair of devices according to the principles of the present invention under the same conditions as above show that Figure 5 The active areas of a pair of brushes used in the polishing apparatus 10 overlap each other, so that the polishing apparatus 10 provides a continuous and uniform active area.

[0042] The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it should be understood that the terms used are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. As used herein, "substantially" means that the size, duration, shape, or other adjective may vary slightly from that described due to physical defects, power interruptions, changes in processing or other manufacturing processes, etc. In light of the above teachings, many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible, and the present disclosure may be implemented in a manner other than that specifically described.

Claims

1. A housing for a brush assembly, the housing comprising: a substantially circular body (12); a plurality of slots (16) in the body, the plurality of slots being spaced apart in a circumferential direction and being oriented along at least a portion of a radial direction; The housing comprises at least one pair of axially extending variable protrusions (29) extending from the main body, the pair of axially extending variable protrusions extending along at least one of the plurality of slots, each of the pair of axially extending variable protrusions being positioned to have a top end (91) and a bottom end (92), the top end extending further away from the main body in the axial direction than the bottom end, the top end being arranged radially outward from the bottom end, wherein the body is configured to removably engage a grinding blade component (14, 114, 214) in at least one of the plurality of slots, wherein the axially extending variable protrusions are positioned for engaging the grinding blade component, and wherein pairs of axially extending variable protrusions are configured to provide varying support for the grinding blade component when the body is rotated.

2. The housing for a brush assembly according to claim 1, wherein: Each slot of the plurality of slots is oriented along a radial direction.

3. A housing for a brush assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: Each of the pair of axially extending variable protrusions is an angled ridge.

4. The housing for a brush assembly according to claim 3, wherein: Each of the angled ridges extends in a straight line between the corresponding bottom end and the top end.

5. The housing for a brush assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The shapes of the pair of axially extending variable protrusions are substantially the same as each other.

6. A brush assembly, comprising: A housing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5; and A blade component (14, 114, 214) configured to removably engage with the body (12) at at least one of the plurality of slots, wherein the blade component is transversely oriented along at least one of the plurality of slots and engages with one of a pair of axially extending variable protrusions, the blade component including a retainer portion (30) configured to engage at least one of the plurality of slots at a top end and receive a sharpening element (34) at longitudinally opposed distal ends of the retainer portion, each of the top end and the distal end of the retainer portion being centered in a transverse direction relative to each other.

7. The brush assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The retainer portion (30) of the blade component (14, 114, 214) includes a trapezoidal body (32) extending between the top end and the distal end, the trapezoidal body engaging the top end with a top base side (52) and engaging the distal end with a bottom base side (54), the bottom base side being longer than the top base side, the retainer including two opposing leg sides (56, 58) extending in opposite lateral directions between the top base side and the bottom base side.

8. The brush assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: When the blade member (14, 114, 214) is engaged with the body, the blade member extends to the outside of the body in a radial direction.

9. The brush assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The trapezoidal body has an isosceles trapezoidal shape.

10. The brush assembly of claim 6, comprising a pair of axially extending variable protrusions (29) along each of the plurality of slots.

11. A grinding blade component (14, 114, 214) for a brush assembly, the grinding blade component comprising: a holder portion (30) having a top end, a longitudinally spaced distal end, and a body (32) located between the top end and the distal end, the top end including an outwardly extending projection configured to engage a slot of a brush base, the body engaging the top end with a top base side (52) and engaging the distal end with a bottom base side (54), wherein the body (32) is trapezoidal in shape in a lateral side view such that the bottom base side is longer than the top base side, the holder including two opposing leg sides (56, 58) extending at least partially away from each other in opposite lateral directions between the top base side and the bottom base side; and A sharpening element (34) is coupled to the holder portion at the distal end, the sharpening element extending outside the holder portion and defining at least a portion of a longitudinal edge of the sharpening blade component.

12. The grinding blade component according to claim 11, wherein: The trapezoidal shape of the main body (32) is an isosceles trapezoidal shape.

13. A grinding blade component according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The grinding element comprises a metal material and an abrasive material.

14. The grinding blade component according to claim 13, wherein: The metal material is copper.

15. The grinding blade component according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The grinding element includes a phenolic material.

16. A grinding blade component according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The grinding element extends to the outside of the holder portion in the longitudinal direction and overlaps the holder portion in the opposite outward direction.

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