BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a floor maintenance machine coupler of the present invention;
FIG. 1A is a top plan view of the maintenance machine coupler shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a coupler mounted to a floor maintenance machine;
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the coupler shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the coupler;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the coupler as seen from the plane indicated by the line 5-5 in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the coupler as seen from the plane indicated by the line 6-6 in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a pad coupler 10 for a floor maintenance machine is shown which has a base 12 and a retainer 14. As seen in FIG. 2, the base 12 is coaxially attached to a pad driver disc 16. A portion of the retainer 14 extends through a circular mounting hole 18 of a floor maintenance pad 20 and, as will be de-scribed, “snaps” onto the base 12. The coupler 10 centers and holds the pad 20 to the disc 16 when in its coupled state.
In the machine illustrated in FIG. 2, the pad driver 16 engages the upper surface of the pad 20 with a plurality of bristles which operate to drivingly engage the pad for a variety of floor maintenance operations such as polishing, burnishing, scrubbing and stripping. Each separate task requires a pad 20 with particular abrasive characteristics. Due to the “snap together” feature of the disclosed pad coupler, the retainer 14 is readily uncoupled from the base 12 to permit an operator to replace the pad 20.
The base 12 is preferably molded and includes a circular, axially extending wall or flange 22 (see FIG. 1). A circular flange 24 extends radially outwardly from the wall or axial flange 22. The radially extending flange 24 has a plurality of screw holes 26 formed in its surface for attaching the base 12 to the driver disk 16 with fasteners such as screws. Numerous holes 26 are provided in various patterns to make the base 12 compatible with many if not most of the conventional types of pad drivers 16, now on the market. A plurality of tines 28 is formed on the side of the flange 24 that faces away from the driver disk 16. The tines 28 project in the axial direction and pierce the pad 20) and hold it in position. The tines 28 also serve to inhibit the pad 20 from stretching outwardly during high speed operation due the influence of centrifugal force.
The retainer 14 includes a hub 32 and a radial flange 34. As will be described, the hub 32 of the retainer 14 is sized and configured to slidably fit within the axial flange 22 defined by the base 12.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the axially extending flange or wall 22 of the base 12 includes an undercut indicated generally by the reference character 30. As seen best in FIGS. 5 and 6, the undercut 30 defines a lip 30a that extends radially inwardly from an inside wall 22a of the axial flange 22. An underside 30b of the lip 30a, defines an engagement surface engageable by retaining structure forming part of the retainer 14. As seen best in FIGS. 5 and 6, the axial flange 22 also defines a cone-shaped camming surface 36 and as will be described, facilitates engagement of the retainer 14 with the base 12.
In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the wall 12 and associated lip structure 30 is continuous. Segmented or discontinuous axial flanges and lip structure are contemplated by the present invention.
Turning now to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the retainer 14 mounts a retaining element 40 and other structure which is engageable with the lip structure 30. When the lip 30a is engaged by the element 40 and other structure, the retainer 14 is releasably held to the base 12.
In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the retaining element is a locking or retaining clip 40 and the other structure is a lug 48 that is preferably molded and forms an integral part of the retainer 14.
Referring also to FIG. 3, the locking clip 40 is preferably formed from suitable spring wire and is loosely held within the hub 32 of the retainer 14. As seen best in FIG. 3, the spring clip 40 includes a pair of corner segments 40a formed near the ends of associated, resilient, leg elements 40b. The leg elements 40b are interconnected by a bridging segment 40c. In the illustrated embodiment, the retainer clip 40 is generally U-shaped. Distal ends of the legs 40b terminate in associated circular/square shaped loops 40d which define finger engageable pressure pads. As should be apparent from viewing FIG. 3, squeezing the pressure pads urges the locking legs 40b towards each other, thus moving the corner segments 40a inwardly. The spring clip 40 is configured such that the corner segments 40b are urged outwardly when the pressure pads 40c are released.
The corner segments 40b extend through associated slots 50 formed in the hub 32. The hub 32 also includes two pairs of laterally extending segments 52 disposed on either side of an associated axially spaced tab 54. Each leg 40b of the spring clip 40 is thus slidably captured between a pair of laterally extending segments 52 and the associated axially spaced tab 54 (shown best in FIGS. 1, 1A and 3). The bridging segment 40c of the spring clip 40 is held in spaced apart slots 56, one of which is shown in FIG. 5.
The engagement of the spring clip 40 with the slots 56, the lateral segments 52 and the tabs 54 captures and maintains the spring clip 40 within the hub 32 of the retainer 14. The disclosed engagement allows sliding movement of the legs 40b to enable the corner segments 40a to be moved from an outward, engaged position at which the corner segments 40a engage the underside 30b of the lip 30a of the base and a released position at which the corner segments 40a are moved inwardly and are disengaged from the lip structure 30.
As seen best in FIG. 5, the locking lug 48 is positioned in substantially the same plane as the corner segments 40a of the spring clip 40. Accordingly, when the retainer 14 is installed into the base 12, an underside 48a of the lug 48 engages the lip surface 30b of the base 12. The retainer 14 is thus held to the base 12 by means of the engagement between the lip structure 30 of the base and the corner segments 40a of the spring clip 40 and the lug 48 that is preferably molded into the retainer 14.
The retainer 14 is easily disengaged from the base 12 by squeezing the loops 40d of the spring clip 40 in order to move the corner segments 40a inwardly and out of engagement with the lip 30. The disengagement of the corner segments 40a allows at least a portion of the retainer 14 to be separated slightly to enable the disengagement of the locking lug 48 from the lip 30 resulting in the separation of the retainer from the base.
In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the retainer 14 is easily reengaged with the base 12 by simply aligning the hub 32 of the retainer with the axial flange 22 and pushing the retainer 22 axially towards the base 14. The camming surface 36 defined by the axial flange 22 urges the corner segments 40a inwardly to allow the segments to pass the lip structure 30. Once the corner segments 40a move past the lip 30a, the legs 40b urge the corner segments 40a outwardly so that they engage the underside 30b of the lip 30, thus locking the retainer 14 to the base 12. The locking lug 48, forming part of the retainer 14, is supported by a resilient arm 48b (see FIGS. 1 and 5) molded into the retainer 14, and it too, can move radially inwardly in order to pass by the lip structure 30.
It should be apparent that the disclosed locking coupler greatly facilitates the removal and reinstallation of a floor treatment pad onto a floor maintenance machine. The configuration and inter-engagement between the hub 32 and the axial flange 22 provides a self-centering feature which allows the operator to simply snap on the retainer 14 when replacing a floor treatment pad. Special tools or auxiliary fasteners are not needed.
In addition, a rather large central opening is defined by the coupler 10 that facilitates the flow of cleaning and other solutions from the floor maintenance machines onto the floor during machine operation. The cleaning efficiency of the machine is thus substantially improved over the prior art where cleaning solutions were fed through relatively small central openings or small holes in the coupler itself.
Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make various changes to it without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Patent Application
20080072386
