| 
                     
                        
                           | (19) |  |  | (11) | EP 0 421 961 A1 | 
         
            
               | (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION | 
         
            
               | 
                     
                        | (43) | Date of publication: |  
                        |  | 10.04.1991 Bulletin 1991/15 |  
 
 
                     
                        | (22) | Date of filing: 06.09.1990 |  |  | 
         
         
            
               | 
                     
                        | (84) | Designated Contracting States: |  
                        |  | AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB IT LI NL SE |  
 
                     
                        | (30) | Priority: | 03.10.1989 SE 8903241 
 |  
 
                     
                        | (71) | Applicant: AKTIEBOLAGET ELECTROLUX |  
                        |  | S-105 45 Stockholm (SE) |  
 | 
                     
                        | (72) | Inventor: |  
                        |  | 
                              Olofsson, Karl ArneS-582 66 Linköping (SE)
 |  
 
                     
                        | (74) | Representative: Erixon, Bo et al |  
                        |  | c/o AB ELECTROLUX Corporate Patents & Trademarks 105 45 Stockholm
 105 45 Stockholm (SE)
 |  
 
 | 
            
               |  |  | 
         
         
               
                  | (54) | Sweeper head support | 
            
            
               
                  | (57) This invention relates to a sweeper head support comprising a plate shaped elongated
                     part (10) having a fastening means for a shaft. The part (10) comprises a downwardly
                     facing flat surface (11) on which a softer layer (12) might be applied and an upwardly
                     facing surface (13) on which there is a fastening arrangement for the sweeper head
                     (27). The lastmentioned arrangement comprises edge parts (14) extending at the oppsite
                     longitudinal sides of the elongated part each edge part having a flange (15) which
                     is directed inwards and which is mainly parallel to and placed at a distance from
                     the upwardly directed surface. The fastening arrangement also comprises at least one
                     leaf spring (20) clamped between the flange (15) and the upwardly facing surface (13)
                     the spring being so arranged that it presses the sweeper head (27) towards the flange. 
 | 
  
 | 
            
          
         
            
            [0001] This invention relates to a sweeper head support, comprising a plate shaped elongated
               part with a fastning means for a shaft, said elongated part comprising a downwardly
               facing flat surface on which a softer layer may be applied and an upwardly facing
               surface on which there is a fastening arrangement for the sweeper head this arrangement
               comprising edge parts extending at the opposite longitudinal sides of the elongated
               part each edge part having a flange which is directed in wards and which is mainly
               parallel to and placed at a distance from the upwardly facing surface.
 
            [0002] Sweeper head supports of the above mentioned type are previously known by Swedish
               patent 7512094-9. In order to fasten the sweeper heads at this supports a threadlike
               spring which is clamped between the edge parts is used the flanges preventing the
               threadlike spring to separate from the support. However, these threadlike springs
               have a complicated design and the production of the springs comprises several bending
               operations which are comparatively expensive.
 
            [0003] The purpose of this invention is to create a simple fastening arrangement for the
               sweeper heads and which is based on the previously known support. This is achieved
               by an invention having the characteristics mentioned in the claims.
 
            [0004] An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying
               drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the support according to the invention without
               any sweeper head wheras Fig. 2 is a section in a larger scale on the line II-II in
               Fig. 1 but with an associated sweeper head and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a spring
               being used for fastening the sweeper head.
 
            [0005] As appears from the Figures the sweeper head support comprises an elongated plate
               10 which preferably is an aluminiumprofile having a downwardly facing flat surface
               11 on which a softer layer 12 for instance of rubber or plastic is glued. The upwardly
               facing surface 13 of the support has two opposite upwardly extending edge parts 14
               each having a flange 15 which is directed towards the opposite edge.
 
            [0006] Moreover the upwardly facing surface 13 has two central L-shaped flanges 16 which
               are parallel to the edge parts 14 and serv as spring holders between which a fastening
               means 17 for an universal joint 18 is clamped. The universal joint 18 is connected
               to a socket 19 for a shaft, not shown.
 
            [0007] Between the flanges 16 and the edge part 14 there are several leaf springs 20 each
               leaf spring comprising an elongated plate which is so bent that when seen in a longitudinal
               section there is a flat end part 21 which via an upwardly inclined section 22 is
               connected to a central flat surface 23. This central surface 23 has a width which
               is somewhat less than the width of the remaining part of the leaf spring and continues
               into a further flat section 24 which is inclined downwards the leaf spring in the
               transision area between the surface 23 and the section 22 and 24 having rounded edge
               parts 25. The largest width of the leaf spring is somewhat less than the distance
               between the flange 16 and the edge part 14 which means that the leaf spring can be
               inserted between the flange 15 and the surface 13 so that the edge parts 25 are pressed
               towards the flange 15. In order to retain the leaf spring 20 at the surface 13 of
               the support - if the spring forces should not be sufficient - it is possible to fasten
               the end part 21 at the surface 13 by means of gluing, selfadhesive tape, spotwelding
               and so on. Since the central surface 23 has a width which is less than the remaining
               part of the leaf spring a narrow slot 26 is created between the edge of flange 15
               and the outwardly directed edge of the surface 23. This means that one or several
               above each other placed sweeper heads 27 can, as it is shown in Fig. 2, be folded
               - about the sweeper head support and with their opposite edges be inserted between
               the leaf spring 20 and the flange 15 and by clamp action be fixed at the support.
 
            [0008] In order to loosen a sweeper head from the support either the central surface 23
               of the leaf spring is pressed down or it is possible to pull the sweeper head from
               the support by applying a pulling force directly at the edge part of the sweeper heads.
 
            [0009] The leaf spring 20 also has a fastening surface 28 for other types of sweeper heads
               the fastening surface comprising a Velco® tape which when folding a sweeper head about
               the support holds the sweeper head at the support.
 
          
         
            
            1. Sweeper head support comprising a plate shaped elongated part (10) with a fastening
               means (19) for a shaft, said elongated part comprising a downwardly facing flat surface
               (11) on which a softer layer (12) may be applied and an upwardly facing surface (13)
               on which there is a fastening arrangement for the sweeper head (27), this arrangement
               comprising edge parts (14) extending at the opposite longitudinal sides of the elongated
               part each edge part having a flange (15) which is directed inwards and which is mainly
               parallel to and placed at a distance from the upwardly facing surface characterized in that the fastening arrangement also comprises at least one leaf spring (20) intended
               to act between the flange (15) and the upwardly facing surface (13) the spring being
               so arranged that it presses the sweeper head (24) towards the flange.
 
            2. Sweeper head support according to claim 1, characterized in that the leaf spring (20) comprises a - in plane view seen - rectangular bent
               plate with at least one end part (21) which rests on the upwardly facing surface (13)
               and which via a flat section (22) which is inclined upwards continues into a mainly
               central flat surface (23) which continues into a downwardly inclined flat section
               (24).
 
            3. Sweeper head support according to claim 2, characterized in that the largest width of the leaf spring (20) is mainly as large as the distance
               between the edge part (14) and an upwardly extending flange (16) on the upwardly facing
               surface the flat surface (23) having a width which is less than the width of the remaining
               parts.
 
            4. Sweeper head support according to claim 3, characterized in that the flat surface (23) has such a width that a narrow slot is created between
               the edge of the spring (20) and the edge of the flange (15).
 
            5. Sweeper head support according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that on at least one of its upwardly facing surfaces is provided with a Velcro®
               tape area (28).
 
          
            