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(11) | EP 4 179 942 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A MACHINE FOR TREATING, IN PARTICULAR WASHING TREADABLE SURFACES, SUCH AS FLOORS OR THE LIKE |
| (57) A machine for treating, in particular washing, treadable surfaces, such as floors
or the like, comprising a treatment and/or washing unit which operates at least one
element or tool adapted to treat treadable surfaces, where said machine comprises
a driving element substantially elongated in shape with a handle adapted to be manually
engaged by an operator for driving said machine on one of said treadable surfaces,
where said driving element is adapted to be rotated about at least one rotation axis
and comprises elastic contrast means.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of treating treadable surfaces, such as for example (but not exclusively) floors in airports, stations and similar large environments, both indoors and outdoors, as well as domestic flooring, where the term treatment means operations such as washing with liquids, removing dirt by suction, as well as sanding, polishing and similar operations.
[0002] Therefore, the present invention relates to a machine for treating treadable surfaces of the aforesaid type, the machine according to the present invention comprising an innovative solution adapted to reduce an operator's fatigue due to the weight of the shaft or driving element.
KNOWN BACKGROUND ART
[0003] The traditional machines for treating floors of the aforesaid type are substantially of two types, those of a first type extend "horizontally" having a rigid shaft practically devoid of components, while in those of the second type and/or of new generation, a part of the components (tanks; batteries) is arranged along the driving shaft, e.g., accommodated in the shaft itself.
[0004] The machines of the first type have the disadvantage of being bulky and poorly maneuverable in small spaces (below sinks and/or below tables and/or along tight bends, etc.).
[0005] The machines of the second type are much more maneuverable in limited spaces, but with the disadvantage of greatly tiring the operator during use because of the heavy weight of the shaft.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least reduce the typical disadvantages or problems of the machines of the second type.
[0007] In particular, it is a further object of the present invention to reduce an operator's fatigue due to the weight of the driving shaft.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to suggest a machine of the aforesaid second type (with components on the driving shaft) which allows, by acting on the shaft, applying more or less pressures on strategic components or parts, such as the brushes (increased weight = greater cleaning performance) or the floor wipers (greater weight = increased drying performance), or the wheels.
[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine of said second type for treating treadable surfaces which allows increasing the cleaning performance and flexibility of use with as compared to the machines of the prior art.
[0010] Finally, it is the object of the present invention to provide a machine of the aforesaid second type for treating treadable surfaces which allows increasing the use productivity as compared to the machines of the known type.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to the present invention, the above advantages are ensured and the problems of the machines of the prior art are overcome by a machine according to claim 1, where further embodiments of the machine according to the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.
[0012] According to an embodiment, a machine for treating, in particular washing, treadable surfaces such as floors or the like comprises a treatment and/or washing unit - which can comprise a motor - which operates at least one element or tool adapted to treat treadable surfaces, where said machine comprises a driving element substantially elongated in shape with a handle adapted to be manually engaged by an operator for driving said machine on one of said treadable surfaces, where said driving element is adapted to be rotated about at least one rotation axis; where said machine comprises elastic contrast means, and the rotation of said driving element in a first rotation direction results in the engagement of said elastic means by said driving element and in an elastic resistance exerted by said elastic means against the rotation of said driving element in said first rotation direction, and where the rotation of said driving element in a second rotation direction opposite to said first rotation direction is promoted by the elastic thrust exerted by said elastic means against said driving element.
[0013] According to an embodiment, said driving element is adapted to be rotated in said first rotation direction from a first resting position, in which it is substantially arranged vertically.
[0014] According to an embodiment, with said treatment unit resting on a treadable surface to be treated, said rotation axis of said driving element is substantially horizontal.
[0015] According to an embodiment, said driving element is rotationally constrained to said treatment unit by means of a rotation pin, the longitudinal extension axis of which coincides with said rotation axis, where said rotation pin extends through a through hole obtained in the end portion of said driving element opposite to said handle. According to an embodiment, said elastic means comprise a coil spring at least partially accommodated in said treatment unit close to the end portion of said driving element opposite to said handle. Alternatively, said elastic means can be arranged directly on the driving element itself or elsewhere.
[0016] According to an embodiment, said coil spring is accommodated in a hood closed towards said driving element or, if said coil spring is placed on the shaft, towards another contrast element.
[0017] According to an embodiment, the end portion of said driving element constrained to said rotation pin comprises a curved surface belonging to an ideal cylindrical surface having the axis of symmetry coinciding with said rotation axis.
[0018] According to an embodiment, with said driving element in said vertical resting position, said curved surface of said driving element is placed in contact with said containment hood, thus where said driving element is kept in said vertical resting position by the thrust action of said coil spring. Alternatively, said driving element is kept in position by a stand-alone locking system.
[0019] According to an embodiment, the machine comprises stop means adapted to stop the rotation of said driving element in said second rotation direction with said driving element in said vertical resting position. According to an embodiment, the machine comprises at least one brush - which can be rotated by a motor - and/or a dirt collection container and/or a liquid container for distributing liquids onto said treadable surface to be treated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] A description of the embodiments of the present invention will be given below with reference to the figures, where, in the figures, component parts and/or corresponding features of the different embodiments are identified by the same reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments depicted in the drawings and described below; on the contrary, all those embodiments which will be obvious and apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the following description are within the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is thus defined by the claims.
[0021] In the drawings:
- figures 1 and 2 show a first side view, a first enlargement of a detail and a second side view, respectively, of a machine according to an embodiment of the invention;
- figures 3 and 4 show a first side view, a second side view and an enlargement of a detail, respectively, of a machine according to a further embodiment of the invention;
- figures 5 and 6 show a first side view, a second side view and an enlargement of a detail, respectively, of a machine according to a further embodiment of the invention;
- figures 7 and 8 show a first side view, a second rear view and an enlargement of a detail, respectively, of a machine according to a further embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0022] The present invention is particularly advantageously applied to machines of the second type (with movable driving shaft and at least part of the components on the shaft) for treating treadable surfaces, this being the reason why the present invention will be described below with particular reference to a machine of the aforesaid type. Moreover, the possible applications of the present invention are not limited to machines of the aforesaid type; on the contrary, the present invention is also advantageously applied in all situations in which it is necessary to limit the physical effort (and the related fatigue) that an operator must sustain to act upon a rotatable component about a constraining pin while bearing the weight thereof.
[0023] In the figures, reference numeral 100 identifies a machine according to different embodiments for treating treadable surfaces, said machine 100 comprising a treatment unit 101 provided with wheels 102, and a shaft or driving element for driving, by an operator, the machine 100, in particular the unit 101 on a surface to be treated.
[0024] The machine 100 comprises a plurality of components and/or tools (only partially depicted in the figures) for treating treadable surfaces, said components comprising, for example, at least one brush 104, and/or dirt suction means, washing liquid tanks, batteries, etc., said components being at least partially accommodated in the unit 101 and at least partially arranged along (carried by) the shaft 103. The type and number of components can vary from model to model and however are not within the purposes of the present invention, where a detailed description thereof is thus omitted for conciseness.
[0025] According to the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the driving shaft 103 comprises a handle 105 adapted to be manually engaged by an operator, where the end 106 of the shaft 103 opposite to the handle 105 is rotationally constrained to the unit 101 by means of a constraint pin 107 extending at least partially through a corresponding seat 108 obtained in the end 106 of the shaft or driving element 103.
[0026] With the machine 100, in particular with the unit 101, resting on the surface to be treated, the constraint pin 107 is arranged parallel to said surface, therefore, in the case of a horizontal surface to be treated, the constraint pin 107 and the rotation axis 1070 thereof (coinciding with the longitudinal extension axis of the pin 107) will be arranged horizontally.
[0027] Therefore, the shaft 103 is rotatable on a plane perpendicular to the pin 107 in a first rotation direction (clockwise with respect to the figures) and in a second rotation direction (counterclockwise with respect to the figures) opposite to the first, as shown by the double arrow.
[0028] In particular, the shaft 103 is rotatable between a first resting position (shown in the accompanying figures 1, 3 and 5), in which it is arranged perpendicularly to the surface to be treated, (and therefore in which it is arranged vertically in the case of a horizontal surface to be treated) and a plurality of second positions inclined with respect to the first position, an example of which is shown in the accompanying figures 2, 4 and 6.
[0029] As anticipated, driving the machine with the shaft 103 can be particularly hard for an operator because of the weight of the shaft 103 generated by the components carried by the shaft 13 itself, where, again as anticipated, the machine according to the present invention is provided with an innovative solution described below adapted to reduce the effort required by an operator to support and hold the shaft 103 in the inclined positions, such as those shown in the accompanying figures 2, 4 and 6.
[0030] According to the embodiment shown in the figures 1 and 2, said solution comprises elastic means, for example but not exclusively a coil spring 110, fixed to the unit 101 (in the particular case in the figures, accommodated in the unit 101, but said spring can also be fixed in the shaft 103) close to the end 106 of the driving shaft 103 opposite to the handle 105. The mutual arrangement of the driving shaft 103 and the spring 110 is such that a rotation of the shaft 103 from the first resting position (figure 1) towards the operating position in Figure 2, (and thus clockwise with respect to the figures) results in a compression of the spring 110, thus where the weight of the shaft 103 is at least partially sustained by the elastic resistance exerted by the spring 110, where said elastic resistance promotes the return of the driving shaft 103 to the first resting position (Figure 1) and therefore the rotation of the shaft 103 counterclockwise with respect to the figures.
[0031] The spring 110 is fixed to a disk-shaped support 111 fixed, in turn, to the unit 101, where the spring 110 is accommodated in a glass-shaped container 112 open on the side of the support 111 and conversely closed on the side facing the shaft 103.
[0032] Said container is adapted to slide along the shaft 103 during the rotation of the shaft 103 towards the operating positions, where the end 106 of the shaft 103 comprises a curved surface 113 belonging to an ideal cylindrical surface having the longitudinal axis of symmetry coinciding with the rotation axis 1070.
[0033] It should be noted that a stop element, e.g., fixed to the unit 101, can be provided to limit the rotation (counterclockwise with respect to the figures) of the shaft or driving element 103 locking it in the end-stop position, where the shaft 103 is kept in the first resting position in figure 1 by virtue of the elastic thrust exerted by the spring 110 and the contrast exerted by the stop element. Second elastic means comprising, for example, a second coil spring 115 and arranged by the side of the end 106 of the shaft 103 on the opposite side with respect to said first elastic means can also be provided.
[0034] With reference to figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, a description will be given below of a machine 100 according to two further embodiments, where, in figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, features and / or component parts of the machine 100, already described above with reference to figures 1 and 2, are identified by the same reference numerals.
[0035] According to the embodiment referred to in figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, said driving element or shaft 103 comprises a plurality of segments. In the mentioned figures, there are examples of driving elements 103 comprising two segments, a main part 1060 and an end part 106. The end part or end portion 106 of the shaft 103 is rotationally constrained to the main portion 1060 of the shaft 103 itself, e.g., by means of a constraining pin 1071 accommodated in a corresponding seat 1080, where the longitudinal extension direction of the pin 1071 is parallel to that of the pin 107 by means of which the end portion 106 is rotationally constrained to the unit 101.
[0036] Elastic means, for example but not exclusively comprising a coil spring 1101, are fixed to the end portion 106 of the shaft 103 and arranged such that a rotation of the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 from the first resting position (Figure 3) towards one of the possible operating positions (Figure 4), and thus clockwise with respect to the figures, results in a compression of the spring 1101, thus where the weight of the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 is at least partially sustained by the elastic resistance exerted by the spring 1101, and where said elastic resistance facilitates the return of the portion 1060 of the driving shaft 103 to the first resting position (Figure 3) and therefore the rotation thereof counterclockwise with respect to the figures.
[0037] Obviously, upon reaching a determined degree of compression of the spring 1101, the rotation of the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 from the resting position to one of the operating positions results in a rotation in the same direction of the end portion 106 and therefore in a compression of the spring 110 according to the previously described modes.
[0038] As represented in the embodiment shown in figure 3, the spring 1101 is fixed to a respective disk-shaped support 1111 fixed, in turn, to the portion 1060 of the shaft 103, where the spring 1101 is accommodated in a glass-shaped container 1121 open on the side of the support 1111 and conversely closed on the side facing the shaft 103.
[0039] Said container 1121 is adapted to slide along the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 during the rotation of the portion 1060 towards the operating positions, where the end of the portion 1060 comprises a curved surface 1130 belonging to an ideal cylindrical surface having the longitudinal axis of symmetry coinciding with that of the pin 1071.
[0040] Finally, it should be noted that also in this case a stop element (not shown) fixed to the portion 1060 can be provided, in order to limit the rotation (counterclockwise with respect to the figures) of the portion 1060 of the shaft or driving element 103 locking it in the end-stop position (figure 3), where the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 is kept in the first resting position in figure 3 by virtue of the elastic thrust exerted by the spring 1101 and the contrast exerted by the stop element, and where further elastic means comprising a further coil spring can be arranged by the side of the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 on the opposite side with respect to the spring 1101.
[0041] The embodiment of the machine 100 in figures 5 and 6 differs from that in figures 3 and 4 in that at each of the two junctions of the shaft 103, and therefore at the pin 107 and the pin 1071, there are arranged the spring 110 and a further spring 1104 (on opposite sides with respect to the portion 106 and thus the pin 107) and the spring 1101 and a further spring 1103, respectively (also in this case on opposite sides with respect to the portion 1060 of the shaft 103 and thus of the pin 1071).
[0042] The functional modes and purposes of the springs 1103 and 1104 correspond to those of the springs 110 and 1101 and therefore a further description thereof is omitted for conciseness.
[0043] It should also be noted that in the case of the embodiment in figures 5 and 6, the portions 106 and 1060 of the shaft 103 are rotatable with respect to the resting position in figure 5 not only clockwise with respect to the figures (and therefore up to the operating positions in figure 6), but also counterclockwise with respect to the figures. Further preferred embodiments of the present invention, shown in figures 7 and 8, further provide that the shaft 103 or portions thereof can move and rotate in further directions besides those shown in the accompanying figures 1 - 6.
[0044] In the embodiments shown in figures 7 and 8, for example, at least one of the junctions 200 of the shaft 103 comprises a joint capable of allowing the rotation on two planes substantially orthogonal to each other, such as a joint of the cardan type, for example.
[0045] In any case, the junctions and joints used and adapted to allow these further rotations will be provided with elastic contrast means similar to those previously described.
[0046] Therefore, by means the previous detailed description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it has been demonstrated that the present invention allows overcoming the drawbacks found in the machines according to the prior art for treating treadable surfaces, such as public and/or industrial flooring, and thus achieving the desired results.
[0047] In particular, by means of the present invention, there is provided a machine of the type with components supported by the driving shaft or in any case of the type with a rotatable and heavy shaft, which: allows reducing an operator's fatigue due to the weight of the driving shaft;
allows applying, by acting on the shaft, more or less pressures on strategic components or parts, such as the brushes (increased weight = greater cleaning performance), the floor wipers (greater weight = increased drying performance), or the wheels;
allows increasing the cleaning performance and flexibility of use as compared to the machines according to the prior art;
allows increasing the use productivity as compared to the machines of the known type.
[0048] Although the present invention was clarified by means of the above detailed description of the embodiments shown in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above.
[0049] For example, the compression-resistant spring 110 can be replaced by an extension-resistant spring and/or alternative elastic means, such as an elastic leaf and/or a rubber element or an air bellows as well. Furthermore, a plurality of similar elastic means can be provided, e.g., a plurality of springs 110 and respective containers 112, as well as a plurality of the alternative elastic means listed above.
1. A machine (100) for treating, in particular washing, treadable surfaces, such as floors
or the like, comprising:
a treatment and/or washing unit (101) provided with at least one element or tool adapted to treat treadable surfaces;
a driving element (103) substantially elongated in shape with a handle (105) adapted to be manually engaged by an operator for driving said machine on one of said treadable surfaces, said driving element (103) being adapted to be rotated about at least one rotation axis from an initial position, characterized in that said machine comprises elastic contrast means, adapted to be engaged with said driving element (103) when rotating, so as to apply to said driving element (103) a force adapted to oppose said rotation and promote the return to the initial position of said driving element(103) .
2. A machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said driving element (103) comprises a plurality of segments adapted to be rotated
about at least one rotation axis from an initial position, and in that said machine comprises elastic contrast means, adapted to be engaged with at least
one of said segments of said driving element (103) when rotating, so as to apply to
at least one of said segments of said driving element (103) a force adapted to oppose
said rotation and promote the return to the initial position of said driving element
(103) .
3. A machine (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that said driving element (103) comprises a main part (1060) and an end part (106), said
end part (106) being rotatably constrained to the main portion (1060) of said driving
element (103).
4. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 and 3, characterized in that it comprises at least one motor adapted to operate said at least one element or tool
adapted to treat treadable surfaces.
5. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 and 4, characterized in that said at least one element or tool adapted to treat treadable surfaces comprises at
least one brush (104).
6. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said driving element (103) is adapted to be rotated about at least one rotation axis
from an initial position in which it is arranged substantially vertically.
7. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that with said treatment unit resting on a treadable surface to be treated, said at least
one rotation axis of said driving element (103) is substantially horizontal.
8. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said driving element (103) is rotationally constrained to said treatment unit by
means of at least one constraining pin (107), the longitudinal extension axis of which
coincides with said rotation axis, and in that said constraining pin (107) extends through a seat (108) in the end portion of said
driving element opposite to said handle.
9. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said elastic means comprise at least one coil spring, at least partially accommodated
in said treatment unit (101) close to the end portion (106) of said driving element
(103) opposite to said handle.
10. A machine (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that said coil spring is accommodated in a hood closed towards said driving element.
11. A machine (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that the end portion of said driving element constrained to said rotation pin comprises
a curved surface (113) belonging to an ideal cylindrical surface having the axis of
symmetry coinciding with said rotation axis.
12. A machine (100) according to claim 11, characterized in that with said driving element (103) in said vertical resting position, said curved surface
(113) of said driving element is placed in contact with said containment hood, and
therefore in that said driving element is kept in said vertical resting position by the thrust action
of said coil spring.
13. A machine (100) according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises stop means adapted to stop the rotation of said driving element (103)
when said driving element (103) is in said vertical resting position.
14. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises at least one dirt collection container and/or a liquid container for
distributing liquids onto said treadable surface to be treated.
15. A machine (100) according to one or more of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one of the junctions (200) of the driving element (103) comprises a joint
capable of allowing the rotation on two planes substantially orthogonal to each other.
16. A machine (100) according to claim 15, characterized in that said joint capable of allowing the rotation on two planes substantially orthogonal
to each other comprises a cardan joint.