Floor Cleaning Machine Brush Coupling with Expandable Engagement Means
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor cleaning machines require laborious centering of prismatic-shaped attachment elements with coupling elements, making the process of coupling cylindrical brushes to drive means cumbersome and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A floor cleaning machine design featuring expandable engagement means on the movement head that automatically aligns with abutment regions on the annular body of the cylindrical brush, allowing for quick and easy attachment without the need for precise centering, facilitated by elastic means and engagement teeth that transition between positions to ensure proper rotary entrainment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If prismatic-shaped movement heads with complementary fastening seats are used for detachable connection, then the cylindrical brushes can be detachably connected to the drive means, but the operator must perform laborious centering to align the movement head with the fastening seat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing only a single open axial face on the coupling element instead of symmetric open faces. This asymmetric design allows the attachment element to be inserted from one direction only, automatically aligning it with the fastening seat without requiring manual centering operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-positioning the open axial face of the coupling element and the corresponding fastening seat in a predetermined orientation. This preliminary configuration ensures that when the operator attempts to attach the brush, the components are already aligned, eliminating the need for laborious centering during the attachment operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional centering procedures are required for coupling brushes, then proper alignment can be achieved, but the coupling process becomes time-consuming and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element is manufactured with a single open axial face in a predetermined orientation during the manufacturing process. This preliminary action ensures that the alignment is built into the component itself, eliminating the need for time-consuming centering procedures during field coupling operations while maintaining precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The asymmetric design with a single open face enables the coupling mechanism to self-align during insertion. The geometry of the coupling element and fastening seat automatically guides the attachment element into the correct position without requiring external centering tools or procedures, thereby reducing coupling time while ensuring proper alignment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple open axial faces are provided on the coupling element, then attachment from multiple directions is possible, but centering and alignment become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately chooses asymmetry by providing only a single open axial face on the coupling element. This design decision prioritizes alignment simplicity over multi-directional attachment flexibility. The asymmetric configuration ensures that there is only one correct insertion direction, which automatically provides proper alignment without requiring the operator to perform centering operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and simple coupling of cylindrical brushes to the drive means, facilitating the operator to very rapidly and simply couple the cylindrical brushes to the drive means, with the drive means, ensuring the operator to easily couple the cylindrical brushes to the drive means, reducing maintenance time and enhancing user convenience and reliability in operation.
Implementation Method 1
elastic means arranged to cause the engagement teeth to move, in contrast with the action of the elastic means, from a retracted position, in which they are closer to the rotation axis, to an expanded position, in which they are spaced apart from the rotation axis
Data Source
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AI summary
A floor cleaning machine, which comprises a chassis (2) which can move on the floor and supports in a lower region at least one cylindrical brush (3) with a substantially horizontal axis, which is functionally connected to drive means (4). The cylindrical brush (3) has at least one coupling element (5) which can be detachably engaged by an attachment element (6) connected to the drive means (4). The coupling element (5) comprises an annular body (7) which is fixed coaxially to the axis of the cylindrical brush (3) and defines axially a fastening seat (8) for the attachment element (6). The attachment element (6) comprises a movement head (9) which can be actuated by the drive means (4) with a rotary motion about a rotation axis (9a) and can be coupled detachably with the fastening seat (8), for the rotary entrainment of the cylindrical brush (3) by the movement head (9) about the rotation axis (9a), the movement head comprises expandable engagement means (10) which are adapted to pass between a retracted position, in which they are brought closer to the rotation axis, in order to allow the insertion of the movement head (9) into the fastening seat (8), and an expanded position, in which they are spaced apart from the rotation axis (9a), in order to allow the expandable engagement means (10) to engage at least one abutment region (11) defined in the annular body (7), for the rotary entrainment of the cylindrical brush (3) by the movement head (9).