floor scrubber

Abstract

This application provides a floor scrubber. The floor scrubber includes a cleaning head assembly (100), an operating lever (200), and a cleaning head rotation mechanism. The cleaning head assembly (100) includes a brush plate disposed at its bottom. The operating lever (200) is rotatably connected to the cleaning head assembly (100) in at least one rotational direction, with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300). The cleaning head rotation mechanism is capable of driving the cleaning head assembly (100) to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300), thereby achieving a turnaround in place.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cleaning equipment technology, and more particularly to floor scrubbers. Background Technology

[0002] For traditional floor scrubbers (especially walk-behind floor scrubbers), users typically have the following methods to achieve back-and-forth cleaning:

[0003] 1. The user drags the floor scrubber backward;

[0004] 2. The user turns the entire floor scrubber;

[0005] 3. The user applies torque to the operating lever through the handle. When the operating lever rotates, it transmits torque to the cleaning head, thereby causing the cleaning head to turn.

[0006] All of these methods require the user to actively apply force during the operation.

[0007] The inventors also understand a self-pulling floor scrubber with two symmetrically arranged circular brushes at the bottom of its cleaning head, tilted relative to the ground. The two brushes rotate in opposite directions to generate a forward traction force, reducing the force required for the user to push the scrubber. This self-pulling floor scrubber has the following problems:

[0008] 1. It only provides forward traction. Users must manually apply force to move backward or change direction. The lack of omnidirectional mobility limits the machine's flexibility and makes it inefficient in environments requiring frequent changes of direction.

[0009] 2. When the floor scrubber reverses or turns, the user needs to apply extra force to overcome the self-traction force of the floor scrubber, which increases the user's labor intensity.

[0010] 3. Difficulty in turning in confined spaces. Users need to repeatedly adjust their posture and apply force in different directions to adapt to narrow spaces, which further increases the difficulty of operation. This results in a poor user experience.

[0011] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new floor scrubbing machine to solve these problems, improve the ease and flexibility of operation, reduce labor intensity, and at the same time ensure work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0012] To address or mitigate at least one of the problems mentioned in the background art, this application provides a floor scrubbing machine.

[0013] This application provides a floor scrubbing machine, which includes:

[0014] Cleaning head assembly, including a brush plate disposed at its base;

[0015] An operating lever is rotatably connected to the cleaning head assembly in at least one rotational direction, with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned.

[0016] The cleaning head rotating mechanism can drive the cleaning head assembly to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, thereby turning it around in place.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the vertical projection of the connection position of the operating lever and the cleaning head assembly passes through the center of the circle when the cleaning head assembly rotates.

[0018] In at least one embodiment, the cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a motor fixed in the cleaning head assembly. The output shaft of the motor drives the operating lever to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, thereby enabling the cleaning head assembly to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned and turn around in place while the position of the operating lever remains unchanged.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, the cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a first wheel and a second wheel arranged symmetrically, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are controllable to rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions.

[0020] In at least one embodiment, the cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a first track and a second track arranged symmetrically, wherein the first track and the second track are controllable to rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the floor scrubber further includes a rotating support, the rotating support comprising:

[0022] A first part of a rotating bracket, the first part of which is connected to the cleaning head assembly;

[0023] The second part of the rotating bracket has one end of the operating lever rotatably connected to the second part of the rotating bracket in another rotation direction, with the rotation axis parallel to the horizontal plane. The second part of the rotating bracket is rotatably connected to the first part of the rotating bracket, with the rotation axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned. The first part of the rotating bracket and the second part of the rotating bracket are configured to switch between being relatively fixed and relatively rotating.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, an electromagnetic lock is provided between the first part of the rotating bracket and the second part of the rotating bracket. The electromagnetic lock can be controlled to lock and unlock, so that the first part of the rotating bracket and the second part of the rotating bracket can switch between being relatively fixed and being relatively rotating.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, a positioning pin extending vertically is provided on one side of the main body of the first part of the rotating bracket, and an abutment plate extending circumferentially along the outer side of the second part of the rotating bracket is provided.

[0026] The abutment plate includes a first circumferential end face and a second circumferential end face. When the first circumferential end face abuts against the positioning pin, the cleaning head assembly can turn around when the second circumferential end face abuts against the positioning pin.

[0027] In at least one embodiment, the first circumferential end face and the second circumferential end face are located in the same plane.

[0028] In at least one embodiment, a water scraper is further provided at the bottom of the cleaning head assembly, wherein the brush is located at the front end and the water scraper is located at the rear end in the head-to-tail direction of the cleaning head assembly.

[0029] Compared to traditional floor scrubbers that can only generate forward traction, this application enables the floor scrubber to turn around on the spot through a cleaning head rotation mechanism, which is simple to operate. The space required for turning around is small, making it particularly advantageous in confined spaces. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 An isometric view of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0031] Figure 2 A front view of the cleaning head assembly of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0032] Figure 3 A front view of the cleaning head assembly of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown, which conceals the housing of the cleaning head assembly.

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a first brush plate and a second brush plate of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0034] Figure 5 A side view of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown, which is traveling in one direction.

[0035] Figure 6 A side view of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown, wherein the cleaning head assembly is turned 180°, compared to Figure 5 , Figure 6 The floor scrubber in the middle travels in the opposite direction.

[0036] Figure 7 An isometric view of the rotating support of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0037] Figure 8A cross-sectional view of the rotating support of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0038] Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the cleaning head assembly of a floor scrubber according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0039] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a turning process according to one embodiment of this application is shown.

[0040] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a turning process according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0042] 100 Cleaning Head Assembly

[0043] 101 First refresh

[0044] 102 Second refresh

[0045] 110 Motor Drive Module

[0046] 200 control lever

[0047] 300 Surfaces to be cleaned

[0048] 400 Rotating Bracket

[0049] 410 Rotating Support Part 1

[0050] 411 First Positioning Agency

[0051] 412 Positioning Pin

[0052] 420 Rotating Bracket Part 2

[0053] 421 Second Positioning Mechanism

[0054] 422 Abutment Plate

[0055] 4221 First week towards the end face

[0056] 4222 Second week towards the end face

[0057] 500 water scraper Detailed Implementation

[0058] Exemplary embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these specific descriptions are for teaching those skilled in the art how to implement this application only, and are not intended to exhaustively describe all possible methods of this application, nor to limit the scope of this application.

[0059] This application provides a floor scrubber and a method for turning the floor scrubber.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] See Figure 1 The floor scrubber may include a cleaning head assembly 100 and an operating lever 200.

[0062] See Figures 2 to 4 The cleaning head assembly 100 may include a first brush plate 101 and a second brush plate 102. The first brush plate 101 and the second brush plate 102 are disposed at the bottom of the cleaning head assembly 100. The first brush plate 101 and the second brush plate 102 may be parallel to the surface to be cleaned 300 and may be configured to be symmetrically tilted to the surface to be cleaned 300, with the height of the inner side of the first brush plate 101 and the second brush plate 102 being lower than the height of the outer side. The brush plates can be adjusted between being parallel to and tilted to the cleaning surface 300.

[0063] The cleaning head assembly 100 may also include a motor drive module 110, which is configured to drive the first brush plate 101 and the second brush plate 102 to rotate in the same direction, so that the cleaning head assembly 100 can turn around in place.

[0064] like Figure 10 As shown, when the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 are both tilted to the surface to be cleaned 300 and rotate in opposite directions, the two brush disks will generate a resultant force in the forward direction.

[0065] When the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 rotate in the same direction, the two brush disks will generate a torque that causes the cleaning head assembly 100 to rotate. The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300 and passes through the center of the line connecting the centers of the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102. At this time, the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 can be parallel to the surface to be cleaned 300 or symmetrically inclined to the surface to be cleaned 300. The rotational speeds of the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 can be the same.

[0066] See Figure 1 The operating lever 200 is rotatably connected to the cleaning head assembly 100, and its axis of rotation (first axis A) is perpendicular to the surface 300 to be cleaned. See also Figure 5 , Figure 6 After cleaning in the forward direction, the cleaning head assembly 100 can turn around on the spot and travel in the opposite direction.

[0067] It should be understood that "turning around in place" refers to the cleaning head assembly 100 rotating around its own axis. Compared to traditional steering, turning around in place requires less space and has a more obvious advantage in narrow spaces. When reversing, the user's grip on the control lever 200 remains unchanged. Not only is there no need to overcome the forward-moving traction force generated by the traditional brush, but the brush itself generates the turning torque, making operation effortless.

[0068] In one embodiment, the connection point between the operating lever 200 and the cleaning head assembly 100 is such that its vertical projection passes through the center of the line connecting the centers of the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102. That is, the rotation axis of the operating lever 200 coincides with the rotation axis of the cleaning head assembly 100, both being the first axis A, making the turning process smoother and eliminating the need for the operating lever 200 to be moved.

[0069] In one implementation, see Figure 7 , Figure 8 The floor scrubber may also include a rotating support 400, which may include a first rotating support 410 and a second rotating support 420.

[0070] The first part 410 of the rotating bracket is connected to the cleaning head assembly 100. Exemplarily, the first part 410 of the rotating bracket may be formed as a cylindrical structure and fixedly connected to the mounting plate at the bottom of the cleaning head assembly 100.

[0071] The second part 420 of the rotating bracket can be rotatably connected to the first part 410 of the rotating bracket, for example, it is set at the top of the first part 410 of the rotating bracket, and its rotation axis (first axis A) is perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300.

[0072] One end of the operating lever 200 can be connected to the second part 420 of the rotating bracket. For example, the operating lever 200 can be rotatably connected to the second part 420 of the rotating bracket, and its axis of rotation (second axis B) can be parallel to the horizontal plane. This allows the user to adjust the tilt angle of the operating lever 200, providing greater convenience.

[0073] In one embodiment, the first part 410 and the second part 420 of the rotating bracket are configured to switch between being relatively fixed and relatively rotating. Exemplarily, an electromagnetic lock is provided between the first part 410 and the second part 420 of the rotating bracket, and the electromagnetic lock can be controlled to switch the first part 410 and the second part 420 of the rotating bracket between being relatively fixed and relatively rotating.

[0074] In one implementation, see Figure 7 , Figure 8 The first part 410 of the rotating bracket is provided with a first positioning mechanism 411, and the second part 420 of the rotating bracket is provided with a second positioning mechanism 421. After the first part 410 of the rotating bracket rotates with the cleaning head assembly 100 and turns around, the first positioning mechanism 411 can abut against the second positioning mechanism 421 to limit further rotation.

[0075] For example, the first positioning mechanism 411 is formed as a positioning pin 412 extending vertically on one side of the main body of the first part 410 of the rotating bracket, and the second positioning mechanism 421 is formed as an abutment plate 422 extending circumferentially on the radially outer side of the second part 420 of the rotating bracket. See also Figure 8 The abutment plate 422 includes a first circumferential end face 4221 and a second circumferential end face 4222. When the first circumferential end face 4221 abuts against the positioning pin 412, the cleaning head assembly 100 can turn around when the second circumferential end face 4222 abuts against the positioning pin 412. The first circumferential end face 4221 and the second circumferential end face 4222 can be located on the same plane to achieve a 180° turn.

[0076] In one implementation, see Figure 9 The bottom of the cleaning head assembly 100 is also provided with a squeegee 500. In the head-to-tail direction of the cleaning head assembly 100, the first brush plate 101 and the second brush plate 102 are located at the head end, and the squeegee 500 is located at the tail end.

[0077] The floor scrubber turning method provided in this application can be used with the aforementioned floor scrubber. The floor scrubber turning method may include controlling the first brush 101 and the second brush 102 to rotate along a first direction, which is either clockwise or counterclockwise from a top-view perspective, so that the cleaning head assembly 100 turns around.

[0078] It should be understood that turning can include U-turns (i.e., 180° turns) or turns at other angles.

[0079] See Figure 10 For example, the turning-around process of a running floor scrubber may include:

[0080] (S1) The first brush plate 101 rotates clockwise (top view, the same below) (rotates around the axis of the brush plate itself, the same below), and the second brush plate 102 rotates counterclockwise, and the floor scrubber moves forward.

[0081] (S2) Stop the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 from rotating;

[0082] (S3) Make both the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 rotate clockwise;

[0083] (S4) The torque generated by the rotation of the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 in the same direction causes the floor scrubber (cleaning head assembly 100) to rotate, thus turning around;

[0084] (S5) Stop the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 from rotating;

[0085] (S6) Rotate the first brush 101 clockwise and the second brush 102 counterclockwise, and the floor scrubber moves backward.

[0086] Example 2

[0087] This application also provides a floor scrubber, which differs from the floor scrubber in the aforementioned embodiment 1 in that the motor drive module 110 is configured to drive one of the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 to rotate while the other does not rotate, so that the cleaning head assembly 100 can rotate around the stationary brush disk.

[0088] Accordingly, the floor scrubber turning method includes controlling one of the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 to rotate along a first direction, while the other remains stationary. The first direction is either clockwise or counterclockwise from a top-down view, causing the cleaning head assembly 100 to turn around.

[0089] See Figure 11 For example, the turning-around process of a running floor scrubber may include:

[0090] (S1) The first brush plate 101 rotates clockwise (top view, the same below) (rotates around the axis of the brush plate itself, the same below), and the second brush plate 102 rotates counterclockwise, and the floor scrubber moves forward.

[0091] (S2) Stop the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 from rotating;

[0092] (S3) Keep the first brush disk 101 stationary and rotate the second brush disk 102 counterclockwise;

[0093] (S4) At this time, the floor scrubber (cleaning head assembly 100) will rotate around the first brush plate 101 as the center, driven by the torque generated by the rotation of the second brush plate 102, so as to turn around.

[0094] (S5) Both the first brush disk 101 and the second brush disk 102 are in a stationary state;

[0095] (S6) Rotate the first brush 101 clockwise and the second brush 102 counterclockwise, and the floor scrubber moves backward.

[0096] Example 3

[0097] This application also provides a floor scrubbing machine, which differs from the floor scrubbing machine in the aforementioned embodiment 1 in that the motor drive module 110 is configured to drive the first brush plate 101 and the second brush plate 102 to rotate in opposite directions and have different rotation speeds, so that the cleaning head assembly 100 can rotate around an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300 to achieve turning around.

[0098] Accordingly, the control method of the floor scrubber includes controlling one of the first brush disc 101 and the second brush disc 102 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, and the other to rotate in the opposite direction, and the first brush disc 101 and the second brush disc 102 have different rotation speeds, so that the cleaning head assembly 100 turns around.

[0099] It should be understood that in actual use, the speed can also change the friction between the brush and the surface to be cleaned 300, and thus the sum of the torques generated by the two brushes can turn the cleaning head assembly 100, achieving a turnaround.

[0100] Example 4

[0101] This application also provides a floor scrubbing machine. See [link to application]. Figure 1 The floor scrubber may include a cleaning head assembly 100, an operating lever 200, and a cleaning head rotation mechanism.

[0102] The cleaning head assembly 100 may include a brush plate disposed at its bottom. An operating lever 200 is rotatably connected to the cleaning head assembly 100, and the rotation axis includes a first axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300 and a second axis parallel to the surface to be cleaned 300. The cleaning head rotation mechanism is configured to drive the cleaning head assembly 100 to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300, thereby achieving a turnaround.

[0103] In one embodiment, the vertical projection of the connection point between the operating lever 200 and the cleaning head assembly 100 passes through the center of the circle formed by the rotation of the cleaning head assembly 100. It should be understood that the cleaning head assembly 100 achieves a turnaround by rotating. On the horizontal plane, its center can be the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the first wheel and the second wheel (see later embodiments, the same below); the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the first track and the second track, etc.

[0104] In one embodiment, the cleaning head rotation mechanism includes a motor (not shown) fixed in the cleaning head assembly 100. The output shaft of the motor drives the operating lever 200 to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300, thereby enabling the cleaning head assembly 100 to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 300 and turn around in place while the position of the operating lever 200 remains unchanged.

[0105] In one embodiment, the cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a first wheel and a second wheel (not shown) symmetrically arranged, which can be controlled to rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions. When the two wheels rotate in opposite directions, the cleaning head assembly 100 can be turned around on the spot. The two wheels can be parallel.

[0106] In one embodiment, the cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a first track and a second track symmetrically arranged. The first track and the second track can be controlled to rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions. When the two tracks rotate in opposite directions, the cleaning head assembly 100 can be turned around on the spot.

[0107] Similar to Embodiment 1, the floor scrubber in Embodiment 4 may also include components such as a rotating bracket 400, an electromagnetic lock, a positioning pin 412, an abutment plate 422, and a squeegee 500. These components will not be described in detail in this application.

[0108] In the foregoing embodiments, the floor scrubber may include an electronic control module for receiving instructions and controlling the working mode of the floor scrubber. For example, controlling the rotation direction of the brush, starting, and stopping.

[0109] The above description is the preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A floor scrubbing machine, characterized in that, The floor scrubbing machine includes: A cleaning head assembly (100) includes a brush plate disposed at its bottom; An operating lever (200) is rotatably connected to the cleaning head assembly (100) in at least one rotational direction, with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300). The cleaning head rotating mechanism can drive the cleaning head assembly (100) to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300) to achieve a turnaround in place.

2. The floor scrubber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical projection of the connection point between the operating lever (200) and the cleaning head assembly (100) passes through the center of the circle when the cleaning head assembly (100) rotates.

3. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cleaning head rotation mechanism includes a motor, which is fixed in the cleaning head assembly (100). The output shaft of the motor drives the operating lever (200) to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300), thereby enabling the cleaning head assembly (100) to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300) and turn around in place while the position of the operating lever (200) remains unchanged.

4. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a first wheel and a second wheel arranged symmetrically, and the first wheel and the second wheel can be controlled to rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions.

5. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cleaning head rotating mechanism includes a first track and a second track arranged symmetrically, and the first track and the second track can be controlled to rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions.

6. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floor scrubber also includes a rotating support (400), the rotating support (400) comprising: A first rotating bracket (410) is connected to the cleaning head assembly (100); The second part (420) of the rotating bracket has one end of the operating lever (200) rotatably connected to the second part (420) in another rotation direction, with the rotation axis parallel to the horizontal plane. The second part (420) of the rotating bracket is rotatably connected to the first part (410) of the rotating bracket, with the rotation axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned (300). The first part (410) of the rotating bracket and the second part (420) of the rotating bracket are configured to switch between being relatively fixed and relatively rotating.

7. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, An electromagnetic lock is provided between the first part (410) and the second part (420) of the rotating bracket. The electromagnetic lock can be locked and opened in a controlled manner so that the first part (410) and the second part (420) of the rotating bracket can switch between being relatively fixed and relatively rotating.

8. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first part (410) of the rotating bracket has a positioning pin (412) extending vertically on one side of its main body, and the second part (420) of the rotating bracket has an abutment plate (422) extending circumferentially on its radially outer side. The abutment plate (422) includes a first circumferential end face (4221) and a second circumferential end face (4222). When the first circumferential end face (4221) abuts against the positioning pin (412), the cleaning head assembly (100) can turn around when the second circumferential end face (4222) abuts against the positioning pin (412).

9. The floor scrubbing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first circumferential end face (4221) and the second circumferential end face (4222) are located in the same plane.

10. The floor scrubber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the cleaning head assembly (100) is also provided with a water scraper (500). In the head-to-tail direction of the cleaning head assembly (100), the brush is located at the head end and the water scraper (500) is located at the tail end.

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