BACKGROUND & FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a stand-on floor scrubber.
Floor scrubbers are used to clean floor surfaces and include a scrubber head that may be positioned against the floor to provide scrubbing action on the floor. During the floor scrubbing operation, the operator of the floor scrubber may walk behind, stand on, or sit on the floor scrubber. In the case of a stand-on floor scrubber, the operator stands on a platform located on or connected to the floor scrubber. From the standing position, the operator can access scrubber controls for controlling the various functions of the floor scrubber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one form of the present invention, a floor scrubber includes a base assembly with wheels for supporting the floor scrubber while the floor scrubber is moving. A scrubber head adapted to scrub a floor for cleaning purposes is coupled to the base assembly. The base assembly provides support for a housing, which includes an upright forward housing that is spaced apart from an upright rear housing. The base assembly also provides support for a platform that extends from a forward face of the rear housing in a forward direction. The platform is configured to provide standing support for an operator of the floor scrubber.
In one aspect, the platform curves upward as it extends in the forward direction.
In another aspect, the platform extends in the forward direction from the forward face of the rear housing past a rearward face of the forward housing.
In yet another aspect, the platform includes a pair of standing surfaces that are spaced apart by a center cover.
In still another aspect, the housing houses operational components of the floor scrubber, including a clean fluid tank that holds fluid for cleaning the floor, and a recovery tank that holds fluid that has already been used to clean the floor.
In a further aspect, the floor scrubber may include a posterior pad coupled to the rearward face of the rear housing. The posterior pad is configured to provide cushioned posterior support to the operator of the floor scrubber, and may be angled such that a bottom portion of the pad is more forward than a top portion of the pad.
In yet a further aspect, the floor scrubber may include an anterior pad that is coupled to the rearward face of the forward housing. The anterior pad is adapted to provide cushioned anterior support to the operator of the floor scrubber.
In still a further aspect, the wheels of the floor scrubber include forward support wheels and center drive wheels. The center drive wheels share a latitudinal axis that extends through a center point of each center drive wheel. The latitudinal axis is located forward of the forward face of the rear housing.
In another aspect, the floor scrubber includes a steering control and a throttle control that are adapted to control the direction and speed of the floor scrubber. The steering control is coupled to the forward housing, and the throttle control is rotatably coupled to the steering control.
Accordingly, the floor scrubber in accordance with the present invention is able to accommodate the unique physical characteristics of an operator, such as the operator's height, and promotes comfort by allowing the operator to adjust their posture quickly and easily to relieve bodily stress or pressure points developed during the operation of the scrubber. A forward housing is spaced apart from a rear housing. Both the forward housing and the rear housing house operational components of the floor scrubber, and both the forward housing and rear housing are configured to provide anterior and posterior support, respectively, to an operator of the floor scrubber while the operator is standing on a sloped platform. The sloped platform is disposed forward of the rear housing and extends past a rearward face of the forward housing.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a stand-on floor scrubber in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the stand-on floor scrubber of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a right side elevation view of the stand-on floor scrubber of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is right a side elevation view of the stand-on floor scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with an operator standing in a straight position on the operator platform and being provided with posterior support by a cushioned posterior pad mounted to a rear housing;
FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with an operator standing in a reclined or angled position on the sloped operator platform and being provided with posterior support by posterior pad and anterior support by an anterior pad mounted to a forward housing;
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with an operator in the described position of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a lower front perspective view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10A is a partial rear perspective view of a control panel of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with a head pressure adjustment handle in an upward setting groove;
FIG. 10B is a partial rear perspective view of the control panel of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with the head pressure adjustment handle in a first or light pressure setting position;
FIG. 10C is a partial rear perspective view of the control panel of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with the head pressure adjustment handle in a second or heavy pressure setting groove;
FIG. 11A is a partial front perspective view of the control panel of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with a squeegee lift handle in a first position in a squeegee lift groove;
FIG. 11B is a partial front perspective view of the control panel of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with the squeegee lift handle in a second position out of the squeegee lift groove;
FIG. 12A is perspective view of a steering wheel and a throttle grip of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown in isolation;
FIG. 12B is a side elevation view of the steering wheel of FIG. 12, where the throttle grip is in a fully disengaged position;
FIG. 12C is a side elevation view of the steering wheel of FIG. 12, where the throttle grip is in a fully engaged position;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of a squeegee lift assembly, and a torsion spring assembly which makes up a portion of a head pressure assembly of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1;
FIG. 14 is an enlarged front perspective view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with a shroud in an open position;
FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, showing internal structures;
FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown with the forward and rear housing structures removed and shown with dashed lines representing internal or obscured structures;
FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of a base assembly of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown in isolation;
FIG. 18 is a side elevation view of the base assembly of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the base assembly of FIG. 17;
FIG. 20 is a rear perspective cutaway view of a platform section and the forward housing of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown in isolation;
FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of an upper rear unit of the rear housing of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown in isolation;
FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of the shroud of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown in isolation;
FIG. 23 is a front perspective view of a rear cover of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown in isolation; and
FIG. 24 is a lower front perspective view of the stand-on scrubber of FIG. 1, shown equipped with an orbital scrubber head and attached rectangular pad.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein the numbered elements in the following written description correspond to like-numbered elements in the figures. A floor scrubber 30 with a scrubber head 32 for cleaning floors is shown in FIG. 1, where floor scrubber 30 is an operator stand-on type scrubber having a chassis or base assembly 34 (FIGS. 9 and 17-19) for supporting scrubber head 32, a body or housing 36, a pair of forward support wheels 38a, 38b, and a pair of center drive wheels 40a, 40b (FIGS. 8 and 9). Forward support wheels 38a, 38b provide movable support for scrubber 30 on a floor. Drive wheels 40a, 40b are configured to rotate to move scrubber 30 forward, backward, and through turns. In the illustrated embodiment, body 36 includes upstanding and spaced apart sections in the form of a forward housing 42 and a rear housing 44 and includes a platform section 48 extending there between, with the forward housing 42 and rear housing 44 each containing various operational components such as batteries for powering scrubber 30, and tanks for separately holding cleaning fluid and used or dirty fluid. A control panel 46 is attached to forward housing 42 and provides controls for steering and cleaning functions.
In the illustrated embodiment, body 36 is substantially formed by two molded plastic sections or body components comprising a first or front or main section 37 and a second or rear section 39 (FIGS. 20 and 21) that are joined together and mounted to a base assembly or frame 34. As discussed in more detail below, front section 37 forms both forward housing 42 and platform section 48, which are integrally formed together in the illustrated embodiment as a single molded section. Rear section 39 in turn is mounted to a rearward portion 41 of front section 37, where the rearward portion 41 is adjacent to or forms part of the platform section 48, and with the rear section 39 and rearward portion 41 cooperatively forming the rear housing 44. Forward housing 42 thus defines a front or forward side 42a, a rear side 42b, a right side 42c, and a left side 42d, and rear housing 44 also defines a front or forward side 44a, a rear side 44b, a right side 44c, and a left side 44d.
Referring to FIGS. 1-8 and 20-23, platform section 48 forms a base of scrubber 30 and includes base assembly 34 secured to a bottom side of platform section 48. As discussed below, main section 37 is formed with hollow walls including at platform section 48 where the hollow walls of main section 37 internally define or form a clean fluid tank 62. Platform section 48 defines a sloped operator platform 50 having a pair of standing surfaces in the form of a right sloped surface 50a and a left sloped surface 50b that are spaced apart by a center cover or center section 54 that extends from forward side 44a of rear housing 44 to rearward face or rear side 42b of forward housing 42. In the illustrated embodiment, rear side 42b of forward housing 42 is a panel or cover that is attached to front right wall 37b and front left wall 37c to enclose cavity 63 within forward housing 42. Each sloped surface 50a, 50b is adapted to support a respective foot of an operator 52 of scrubber 30. Sloped platform 50 is predominantly, but not completely, located between forward housing 42 and rear housing 44. That is, sloped surfaces 50a, 50b extend from forward side 44a of rear housing 44 to a position underneath and forward of rear side 42b of forward housing 42. Additionally, right sloped surface 50a extends laterally from center right wall 37e to front right wall 37b, and left sloped surface 50b extends laterally from center left wall 37f to front left wall 37c. Furthermore, sloped surfaces 50a, 50b extend upward in a forward direction (FIG. 1), or a direction from a rearward end 30b of scrubber 30 towards a forward end 30a of scrubber 30 so as to provide various angled or adjustable support positions for the feet of operator 52. It should be appreciated that a sloped operator platform does not need to extend forward past a rearward point of a forward housing or need to be separated into two separate standing surfaces by a center section. That is, a platform may be a single flat surface, a single curved or sloped surface, and a platform—whether a flat or sloped platform—may extend forward to a rearward point of a forward housing and not extend forward past the rearward point of the forward housing. Furthermore, a sloped operator platform can have varying surface geometries without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, a platform could be entirely flat, or could have a flat portion and a sloped or curved portion, whereby the sloped or curved portion may slope or curve upward or downward, or slope or curve in a lateral direction, or slope or curve in all of these directions.
As shown in FIGS. 4-7, an anterior pad 56 is mounted to rear side 42b of forward housing 42 to optionally provide anterior support (such as leg, shin, or knee support) for operator 52, while an angled posterior pad 58 that is adapted to provide posterior support (such as leg, buttocks, or back support) for operator 52 is located at forward side 44a of rear housing 44 by being mounted to a support post 60, which is secured to base assembly 34 (FIGS. 17 and 18). Both posterior pad 58 and support post 60 are partially encompassed by and fit substantially complimentary to forward side 44a of rear housing 44 such that posterior pad 58 and support post 60 may be considered part of rear housing 44. The combination of the sloped operator platform 50, anterior pad 56, and posterior pad 58, enable scrubber 30 to accommodate the unique physical characteristics of different operators, such as based on an individual operator's height, and promotes comfort by allowing operators the ability to adjust their posture quickly and easily during operation of the scrubber 30. In the illustrated embodiment, posterior pad 58 is angled at forward side 44a of rear housing 44 whereby a lower portion 58a of posterior pad 58 is positioned forwardly relative to an upper portion 58b of posterior pad 58. Accordingly, a shorter operator standing on sloped platform 50 leaning with his or her back side against posterior pad 58 would be positioned further forward than a similarly leaning taller operator as a result of the angle of posterior pad 58. The angle, shape, size, and number of pads may also vary to provide optimal support for operators of differing physical characteristics. Additionally, the angle and position of both posterior pads and anterior pads on a scrubber may be adjustable without departing from the scope of the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, a series of connected hollow walls in the form of a front forward wall 37a, a front right wall 37b, a front left wall 37c, a center top wall 37d, a center right wall 37e, a center left wall 37f, a back forward right wall 37g, a back forward left wall 37h, a back right wall 37i, a back left wall 37j, and a back rear wall 37k, define portions of both front section 37, forward housing 42, and platform section 48. Walls 37a-k are hollow and connected to one another to internally define a clean fluid tank 62 which holds cleaning fluid to be used in the floor cleaning process. Additionally, a series of walls in the form of a rear forward wall 39a, a rear back wall 39b, a rear right wall 39c, and a rear left wall 39d define portions of rear housing 44. It should be appreciated that once rear section 39 becomes affixed to front section 37, portions of rear forward wall 39a becomes substantially aligned with both back forward right wall 37g and back forward left wall 37h to thus form a forward surface or forward face or forward side 44a of rear housing 44 (FIG. 1). As shown in FIGS. 1, 15-16 and 20), clean fluid tank 62 includes an upper tank section 62a and a lower tank section 62b that are integrally connected as a single tank. Upper tank section 62a is defined and contained by forward housing 42, and defines an internal cavity 63 surrounded by hollow walls of forward housing 42, including left, right and front walls, where a pair of twelve volt batteries 64 are located within cavity 63. Upper tank section 62a extends upward to a filling port 66, whereby cleaning fluid can be added to clean fluid tank 62. Lower tank section 62b is defined and contained by platform section 48, where as noted platform section 48 is integrally formed with forward housing 42 in the form of front section 37.
Cleaning fluid is dispensed from lower tank section 62b and is directed and discharged for use by a circular pad 68 that is attached to scrubber head 32. During the cleaning operation, while circular pad 68 is in contact with the floor to be cleaned, circular pad 68 is driven by scrubber head 32 whereby circular pad 68 distributes and scrubs cleaning fluid onto the floor surface to be cleaned. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a fluid guard 70 provides a barrier around circular pad 68 that prevents undesired splashing or spraying of cleaning fluid outside of the targeted cleaning area while also allowing the cleaning fluid to escape through a rearward gap in fluid guard 70 so that fluid can be later suctioned into recovery tank 72 located in rear housing 44. It will be appreciated that alternative combinations of scrubber heads and pads can be used within the scope of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, a rectangular pad 74 may be attached to an orbital scrubber head 76 with no fluid guard to provide for an alternative cleaning configuration, where scrubber head 76 may be constructed in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 9,370,289, which is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, a pair of rotary pads may be attached to a pair of counter-rotating rotary heads or brushes as yet another alternative cleaning configuration.
Referring again to FIGS. 8 and 9, after cleaning fluid has been distributed and scrubbed onto the floor to be cleaned as described above, the cleaning fluid will have collected dirt, grime, and other particulates from the floor, whereby the cleaning fluid will have become dirty fluid. As noted, the dirty fluid exits through a rearward gap in fluid guard 70 and comes into contact with a squeegee 78 as scrubber 30 moves forward. Squeegee 78 is located behind center drive wheels 40a, 40b, and includes a forward blade 78a and a rear blade 78b that are in contact with the floor during the cleaning operation. Squeegee blades 78a, 78b are in contact with one another at opposing lateral ends, but are otherwise spaced apart to form a squeegee cavity 80. Dirty fluid ingresses through gaps (not shown) in forward blade 78a to enter squeegee cavity 80.
Referring now to FIGS. 15 and 16, a vacuum assembly 82 includes a motor 84 that powers a vacuum 86 to provide a suction force inside squeegee cavity 80, whereby dirty fluid is suctioned out of squeegee cavity 80 through a recovery hose 88. A vacuum hose 89 moves air from a ball float assembly 98 (discussed below) to vacuum assembly 82. A HEPA filter 90 is connected to vacuum 86 to filter the vacuum exhaust. Dirty fluid exits recovery hose 88 and large matter, such as gum wrappers or coins or the like, are filtered out of the dirty fluid as the dirty fluid passes through a debris tray 92 and into recovery tank 72.
Recovery tank 72 is formed by and contained within rear housing 44, where recovery tank 72 is a hollow cavity within rear section 39 that extends upward from platform section 48 to the top of debris tray 92. As understood from FIGS. 15, 16, 20 and 21, a lower portion of rear housing 44 includes an internal cavity 94 that houses vacuum assembly 82, where platform section 48 includes an opening 96 that enables access to internal cavity 94. Located inside and near the top of recovery tank 72 is ball float assembly 98. Ball float assembly 98 includes a ball 100 that is contained inside a cylindrical tube 102. As the dirty fluid level in recovery tank 72 rises during the cleaning operation, the dirty fluid will eventually ingress into tube 102 and come into contact with ball 100, whereby ball 100 will float on top of the dirty fluid. After the dirty fluid rises to a certain level, ball 100 floats up and plugs the hose inlet and therefore stops any water from getting into the vacuum motor.
As best understood with reference to FIGS. 2 and 15, a drain hose 104 is connected to a lower lateral portion of recovery tank 72 and is removably secured to rear housing 44 by insertion into a mount (not shown). When it is desired to drain recovery tank 72, operator 52 removes drain hose 104 from its mount, places a draining end 104a of drain hose 104 into a slop sink or other drainage source, and removes a hose cap 106 from draining end 104a of drain hose 104. After the fluid content of recovery tank 72 has been drained, operator 52 can replace hose cap 106 on draining end 104a of drain hose 104 and re-secure drain hose 104 to its mount on rear housing 44.
Referring to FIGS. 1-3 and 23, rear housing 44 includes a rear cover 108 that is pivotably attached to forward side 44a of rear housing 44 and that can be selectively pivoted about an axis or joint 110, which may be a hinge, to cover or uncover operational components, such as recovery tank 72, debris tray 92, and ball float assembly 98, contained within rear housing 44. When rear hinged cover 108 is moved into the uncovered position by pivoting it forward, debris tray 92 and ball float assembly 98 may be removed from rear housing 44 so that debris collected in debris tray 92 may be properly disposed of and so that debris tray 92 and ball float assembly 98 can be cleaned. Rear cover 108 may then be moved back into the covered position by pivoting it rearward. Rear cover 108 also defines a pair of openings 112 that recovery hose 88 passes through to drain dirty water into recovery tank 72. It will be appreciated that other types of covers could be used to cover and uncover the components contained within rear housing 44. For example, a rear cover could be attached to a rear housing via extendable sliding rails, whereby the rear cover could be slidably moved from a covered position to an uncovered position. Additionally, a rear cover could simply rest on a complimentary seating surface located on top of a rear housing, whereby the rear cover would be operable to uncover the components located within the rear housing by removing the rear cover from the rear housing entirely. Furthermore, a rear hinged cover could be pivotably attached to a rear side or either lateral side of a rear housing without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Referring now to the illustrated embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1-6, forward housing 42 includes a shroud or cover or hood or lid 114 that is pivotably attached to rear side 42b of forward housing 42, whereby shroud 114 can be selectively pivoted about a hinged axis 116 to cover or uncover operational components, such as cavity 63, clean fluid tank 62, batteries 64, and a torsion spring assembly 118 (FIG. 13-16) contained within forward housing 42. When shroud 114 is pivoted rearward into the uncovered position, a battery charger 194 (discussed below), batteries 64 and torsion spring assembly 118 may be accessed to be replaced or serviced. Shroud 114 may then be pivoted forward back into the covered position. Shroud 114 also retains and/or secures control panel 46 to forward housing 42. In the illustrated embodiment, rear side 42b of forward housing 42 is formed as a panel to which anterior pad 56 is attached, with the panel mounted to housing 42. It will be appreciated that other types of covers could be used to cover and uncover the components contained within a forward housing, and that a shroud could be pivotably attached to a forward side or either lateral side of a forward housing without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Referring now to FIGS. 13-16, control panel 46 includes a squeegee lift handle 120 as part of a squeegee lift assembly 122 for lifting squeegee 78 off a floor when contact between squeegee 78 and the floor is undesired, such as when scrubber 30 is traversing a floor that has already been cleaned. Squeegee lift handle 120 is coupled to a squeegee lift cable 124. Squeegee lift cable 124 passes around multiple pulleys, which in the illustrated embodiment are shown as pulleys 126a-d, and is connected between a squeegee lift arm 128 and squeegee 78. A squeegee lift rod 130 couples squeegee lift arm 128 to squeegee lift handle 120. Operator 52 can lift squeegee 78 by pushing squeegee lift handle 120 toward the forward end 30a of scrubber 30 until squeegee lift handle 120 is able to be received in a squeegee lift groove 132 (FIG. 11A) where squeegee lift handle 120 can rest until manually removed by operator 52. The forward rotation of squeegee lift handle 120 causes both squeegee lift rod 130 and squeegee lift arm 128 to synchronously rotate forward, thereby pulling squeegee lift cable 124 towards the forward end 30a of scrubber 30. Pulleys 126a-d translate the generally forward movement of squeegee lift cable 124 into upward vertical movement of squeegee 78. When contact between the floor and squeegee 78 is once again desired, operator 52 can remove squeegee lift handle 120 out of squeegee lift groove 132, whereby the weight of squeegee 78 pulls squeegee lift cable 124 in the rearward direction until squeegee 78 comes into contact with the floor. Vacuum motor 84 may be automatically activated when squeegee 78 is lowered, and automatically deactivated when squeegee 78 is raised. It will be appreciated that alternative forms of a squeegee lift system could be employed within the scope of the present invention. For example, an electronic control could be used to command a motor to lift squeegee 78.
Referring to FIGS. 10A-C, control panel 46 further includes a head pressure adjustment handle 134 as part of a head pressure adjustment assembly 136. Head pressure adjustment assembly 136 allows operator 52 to selectively adjust the downward pressure exerted by scrubber head 32 on a floor in one of three settings including two pressure settings configured as a light pressure setting and a heavy pressure setting, as well as in a travel or retracted setting to retain the scrubber head 32 from contacting the floor. In the retracted setting, head pressure adjustment handle 134 is moved to an upward setting groove 138a defined by console control panel 46 (FIG. 10A), whereby scrubber head 32 is lifted upward off the floor. In the illustrated embodiment the scrubber head 32 weighs approximately ninety-pounds and in the light or first pressure setting, head pressure adjustment handle 134 is moved to a first pressure setting position 138b defined by control panel 46 (FIG. 10B), whereby the approximately ninety pound weight of scrubber head 32 and its attachments, such as circular pad 68, contact the floor but with a lifting force being provided by torsion spring assembly 118 (discussed below) so as to provide approximately 30 pounds of lifting force to the scrubber head 32 whereby a net downward pressure force of approximately sixty pounds is applied by the scrubber head 32 to the floor. In the second or heavy pressure setting, the head pressure adjustment handle 134 is moved to a heavy pressure setting groove 138c defined by control panel 46 (FIG. 10C), whereby the full ninety pounds of weight generated by the weight of scrubber head 32 is exerted on the floor. It should be appreciated that alternative embodiments of a head pressure adjustment assembly may exist without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 13, head pressure adjustment handle 134 is coupled to a head pressure arm 140 by a head pressure rod 142. Head pressure rod 142 protrudes through five torsion springs 144. A first end 146 of each torsion spring 144 rests in a first spring groove 148 defined by a head pressure frame 150. A second end 152 of each torsion spring 144 rests in a second spring groove 154 defined by a groove rod 156. Torsion spring assembly 118 provides an upward lifting force of approximately thirty pounds on a head lift cable 158 by providing a spring force between first ends 146 and second ends 152, whereby the spring force acts on and pushes groove rod 156 away from the stationary head pressure frame 150. Groove rod 156 is connected to head pressure arm 140, such that the spring force produced by torsion spring assembly 118 on groove rod 156 is transferred to head pressure arm 140, which in turn is transferred to head lift cable 158, thereby providing a lifting force to scrubber head 32. Head lift cable 158 passes over pulleys 126a-b and is connected between head scrubber 32 and head pressure arm 140.
To adjust the head pressure setting to the upward setting, operator 52 rotates head pressure adjustment handle 134 towards the forward end 30a of scrubber 30, thereby also forwardly rotating head pressure rod 142 and head pressure arm 140, and positions head pressure adjustment handle 134 so it comes to rest in upward setting groove 138a. To obtain this setting, operator 52 provides sixty pounds of lifting force to head lift cable 158 by using the mechanical advantage provided by head pressure adjustment handle 134 as a moment arm. Torsion spring assembly 118 provides the additional thirty pounds of lifting force to head lift cable 158 necessary to lift the ninety pound scrubber head 32 and its attachments off the floor.
To adjust the head pressure setting in the light pressure setting, operator 52 rotates head pressure adjustment handle 134 towards rearward end 30b of scrubber 30, thereby also rearwardly rotating head pressure rod 142 and head pressure arm 140, and positions head pressure adjustment handle 134 so it comes to rest in light pressure setting position 138b. To obtain this setting, operator 52 does not need to provide any additional lifting force to head pressure adjustment handle 134. Torsion spring assembly 118 still provides thirty pounds of lifting force to head lift cable 158 which supports the ninety pound scrubber head 32 and its attachments, thereby resulting in a net downward pressure of sixty pounds between scrubber head 32 and the floor.
To adjust the head pressure setting in the heavy pressure setting, operator 52 rotates head pressure adjustment handle 134 towards the rearward end 30b of scrubber 30, thereby also rearwardly rotating head pressure rod 142 and head pressure arm 140, and positions head pressure adjustment handle 134 so it comes to rest in heavy pressure setting groove 138c. To obtain this setting, operator 52 provides thirty pounds of compressive force to torsion spring assembly 118 by using the mechanical advantage provided by head pressure adjustment handle 134 as a moment arm. In this configuration, torsion spring assembly 118 is compressed between head pressure frame 150 and groove rod 156 such that torsion spring assembly 118 no longer provides any lifting force to head lift cable 158, thereby resulting in a the full weight of scrubber head 32 and its attachments providing a downward force of ninety pounds on the floor. It should be appreciated that a pressure assembly could take a different form while still remaining within the scope of the present invention. For example, a head pressure assembly could consist of an electronic control that is used to command a motor to lift or provide downward pressure on squeegee 78. Additionally, a pressure sensor or series of pressure sensors could be employed on a scrubber head to sense pressure between the scrubber head and the floor, whereby this data could be provided to a controller that automatically commands a motor to adjust the downward pressure exerted on the scrubber head to maintain a constant and continuous downward pressure between the scrubber head and the floor to be cleaned.
Referring now to FIGS. 12A-12C, control panel 46 further includes a steering control in the form of steering wheel 160 that can be rotated by operator 52 to steer scrubber 30. The tilt or angled position of steering wheel 162 may be adjusted by sliding or otherwise moving a cam lever 162 in a tilting slot 164. Specifically, a handle 162a of cam lever 162 can be flipped or rotated to unclamp or unsecure cam lever 162 relative to tilting slot 164. Cam lever 162 may then be moved in tilting slot 164, thereby also moving steering wheel 160, to change the angle of steering wheel 160. Once steering wheel 160 has been adjusted to a desired angle, handle 162a may be flipped or rotated back to a clamped or secured position such that cam lever 162 will become secured at its position in tilting slot 164.
A throttle grip 166 is rotatably attached to steering wheel 160 to allow operator 52 to control the speed of scrubber 30 without having to move his or her hands off steering wheel 160. Throttle grip 166 may be squeezed or rotated towards steering wheel 160 to control the speed of scrubber 30. The speed of scrubber 30 increases as throttle grip 166 is further squeezed towards steering wheel 160. For example, when throttle grip 166 is fully squeezed, such as is shown in FIG. 12C, scrubber 30 will accelerate towards its maximum speed. Alternatively, when throttle grip 166 is not squeezed at all, such as is shown in FIG. 12B, scrubber 30 will use no power to accelerate itself, whereby scrubber 30 will eventually come to rest. Additionally, scrubber 30 could also incorporate an automatic breaking mechanism that applies braking power to stop scrubber 30 when throttle grip 166 is in the unsqueezed position shown in FIG. 12b. A forward button 168 and a reverse button 170 can be used to toggle the direction of travel of scrubber 30 between forward and reverse.
Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 19, the speed and direction of scrubber 30 is determined by the rotation of each center drive wheel 40a, 40b. Center drive wheels 40a, 40b share a latitudinal axis through a center point of each center drive wheel 40a, 40b. The latitudinal axis is forward of forward side 44a of rear housing 44. This configuration allows for scrubber 30 to make turns more effectively and with smaller turn radii by reducing the amount that forward end 30a and/or rearward end 30b have to swing during a turn. Each center drive wheel 40a, 40b has its own drive motor 172a, 172b and helical gear 174a, 174b to enable each center drive wheel 40a, 40b to be simultaneously rotated at different speeds and/or directions to provide scrubber 30 with a high degree of maneuverability. The rotational speed and direction of each center drive wheel 40a, 40b is determined by an algorithm that takes into account inputs including both the steering position of steering wheel 160 and the squeeze position of throttle grip 166. For example, when throttle grip 166 is only slightly squeezed to result in scrubber 30 moving slowly, while steering wheel 160 is fully rotated to make a right turn, the algorithm may power drive motor 172b to rotate left center drive wheel 40b forward, while simultaneously powering drive motor 172a to rotate right center drive wheel 40a rearward, thereby resulting in a zero radius or negative radius turn. Alternatively, when a right turn is executed at high speeds, the algorithm may rotate both center drive wheels 40a, 40b forward, with left center drive wheel 40b rotating faster than right center drive wheel 40a, thereby resulting in a more gradual or larger radius right turn. Furthermore, no differential assembly is required in this as each center drive wheel 40a, 40b is connected to and driven by its own independent motor 172a, 172b and helical gear 174a, 174b. It should be appreciated that an algorithm may take into account other inputs when controlling the speed and direction of drive wheels, such as if a squeegee is raised or lowered and/or if scrubber head is being actively powered for cleaning, for example. Furthermore, a scrubber may have an algorithm that processes inputs differently to produce different steering outcomes from what was described above, or may have no algorithm at all.
Referring now to the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 10A-11B, control panel 46 includes a battery level indicator 176 to indicate the charge level of batteries 64 as well as if there is a detected fault in batteries 64. Control panel 46 also includes an hour meter 178 that displays the total elapsed running time of scrubber 30 to ensure proper maintenance and maintenance checks will be carried out on scrubber 30 at predetermined runtime intervals. Control panel 46 further includes a keyed ignition switch 180 that allows operator 52 to activate scrubber 30 by inserting and turning a key in ignition switch 180, while also preventing unauthorized use of scrubber 30. It should be appreciated that alternative forms of securely activating scrubber 30 could be employed within the scope of the present invention. For example, a remote keyless activation system using a key fob and on/off button could replace a key and ignition switch 180 for secured activation of scrubber 30. Additionally, control panel 46 includes a presence sensor 182 that detects the presence of operator 52 on scrubber 30, whereby if no operator 52 is detected, scrubber 30 is deactivated to ensure the safety of operator 52 and others nearby. Presence sensor 182 may come in various forms to detect the presence of operator 52 on scrubber 30. For example, a presence sensor may utilize infrared or ultrasonic technology to detect the presence of operator 52 standing on scrubber 30, where such a sensor triggers off of readings related to detecting the mid-section of the operator 52. Referring again to the illustrated embodiment, control panel 46 also includes a cleaning fluid button selector control 184 for adjusting the amount of cleaning fluid that is used during the cleaning operation. Control panel 46 further includes a maximum speed button selector control 186 for setting a maximum speed limit that scrubber 30 is able to travel when throttle grip 166 is fully squeezed. In the preferred embodiment, both selector controls 184 and 186 are dome style buttons that engage with a printed circuit board.
Control panel 46 additionally includes a scrubber head motor circuit breaker 188 to protect operational components of scrubber 30 from experiencing potentially damaging high-amp draw. A scrubber head motor 190 (FIG. 16) is particularly susceptible to drawing a large electrical current as the cleaning fluid flow, type of floor surface being cleaned, as well as the downward pressure being exerted on the scrubber head 32, can alone or in combination cause an overdraw of electrical current by the scrubber head motor 190. For example, exerting a high downward pressure on scrubber head 32 on a rough floor with little to no solution flow can create a significant current draw.
Control panel 46 further includes an A/B toggle switch 192 for assisting with the removal of circular pad 68 from a disc scrubber head 32. To use the A/B toggle switch 192 to remove circular pad 68 from the disc scrubber head 32, operator 52 toggles A/B toggle switch 192 to position “A” for approximately one second and then toggles A/B toggle switch 192 to position “B”, whereby circular pad 68 begins spinning while A/B toggle switch 192 is in position “A” and abruptly stops when A/B toggle switch 192 is toggled to position “B.” The sudden termination of circular pad 68 momentum relative to the disc scrubber head 32 unlocks circular pad 68 from the disc scrubber head 32, thereby facilitating removal of circular pad 68 from the disc scrubber head 32. The removal of circular pad 68 from the disc scrubber head 32 has been used as an example to illustrate the removal process using A/B toggle switch 192. It should be appreciated that A/B toggle switch 192 can facilitate the removal of various types of pad or brush attachments from various types of scrubber heads.
Referring now to FIG. 15, each battery 64 is a twelve volt battery wired in series with one another, thereby resulting in a twenty-four volt small battery assembly 64. An alternative battery assembly may include a larger pair of twelve volt batteries, or additional twelve volt batteries, that are wired in such a way as to result in a twenty-four volt output. The alternative battery configurations may result in scrubber 30 having additional runtime before recharging is necessary. A battery charging device 194 is electrically connected to batteries 64 and enables scrubber 30 to be plugged into an electrical outlet to recharge batteries 64.
It should be appreciated that a control panel could incorporate various forms of steering and speed controls within the scope of the present invention. For example, a control panel could include a pair of steering levers to allow an operator to control both the speed and direction of a scrubber. Specifically, the operator could use a left steering lever to control the speed and rotational direction of left center drive wheel, and a right steering lever to control the speed and rotational direction of right center drive wheel. Each steering lever could have a neutral position in which a corresponding drive wheel motor would be unpowered such that each corresponding center drive wheel would not rotate. Moving either steering lever forward or rearward of their neutral position would result in movement of the scrubber. For example, if the operator pushed the left steering lever forward past the neutral position, the left drive wheel motor would drive a left helical gear in a forward rotational direction, thereby causing the forward rotation of the left center drive wheel. If the operator pulled the left steering lever rearward past the neutral position, the left drive wheel motor would drive the left helical gear in a rearward rotation, whereby the left center drive wheel would then rotate in a rearward direction. Operation of the right steering lever would similarly power the right drive wheel motor to rotate a right helical gear, whereby the right center drive wheel would then rotate in a desired forward or rearward direction. Additionally, the rotational speed of the center drive wheels could increase as each steering lever is pushed or pulled further away from the neutral position.
In another alternative form, a control panel could include a left stationary grip, a right stationary grip, a left thumb throttle, and a right thumb throttle for controlling the speed and direction of a scrubber. In this form, an operator could control the speed and direction of the scrubber by pushing or pulling the thumb throttles with their thumb while gripping the stationary grips with the remainder of their hands. For example, pushing the left thumb throttle forward could cause a left center drive wheel to rotate in the forward direction. Likewise, pulling the left thumb throttle rearward could cause the left center drive wheel to rotate in the rearward direction. The right thumb throttle could operate in the same manner as the left thumb throttle to control a right center drive wheel. Additionally, the position of the stationary grips relative to the thumb throttles could be adjusted by adjusting a pair of adjustment knobs, where a left adjustment knob could be used to adjust the position of the left stationary grip and a right adjustment knob could be used to adjust the position of the right stationary grip.
In yet another form, a control panel could include a joystick to control the speed and direction of a scrubber. In this form, an operator could selectively move the joystick in a direction that the operator wishes to steer the scrubber. The speed of the scrubber could be increased the further the joystick is pushed or pulled relative to its center or neutral position.
In accordance with aspects of the floor scrubber of the present invention, the forward housing section and rear housing section thus house operational components of the floor scrubber, such as but not limited to tanks, batteries, controls, hoses, vacuum systems, filters, and debris trays. That is, for example, neither the forward nor rear housing sections are simply supports upon which an operator may lean or sit during operation of the floor scrubber.
Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.
Patent Application
20220265108
