FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS
A floor cleaning apparatus includes a chassis ( 138 ), a cleaning unit ( 50 ), and a least one suspension device ( 139 ). The cleaning unit ( 50 ) is mounted to the chassis ( 138 ) with at least one degree of freedom relative to the chassis ( 138 ) allowing the cleaning unit ( 50 ) to be lifted and lowered relative to the chassis ( 138 ). The at least one suspension device ( 139 ) is operatively active on the cleaning unit ( 50 ) and configured to transmit to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) an upwardly directed force.
1 . A floor cleaning apparatus comprising:
a chassis ( 138 ),
a cleaning unit ( 50 ) mounted to the chassis ( 138 ) with at least one degree of freedom relative to the chassis ( 138 ) allowing the cleaning unit ( 50 ) to be lifted and lowered relative to the chassis ( 138 ),
at least one suspension device ( 139 ) operatively active on the cleaning unit ( 50 ) and configured to transmit to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) an upwardly directed force.
2 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising at least one mechanism ( 140 ) linking a forward end of the chassis ( 138 ) to a cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ); and
wherein the at least one suspension device ( 139 ) is interposed between the cleaning unit ( 50 ) and the chassis ( 138 ).
3 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the mechanism ( 140 ) comprises:
a first lever ( 141 ) having a first end ( 141 a ) coupled with the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ) and an opposite second end ( 141 b ) cinematically connected to the chassis ( 138 ), and
a second lever ( 142 ) having a first end ( 142 a ) coupled with the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ) and an opposite second end ( 142 b ) cinematically connected to the chassis ( 138 ).
4 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the first end ( 141 a ) of the first lever ( 141 ) is coupled to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ) at a first coupling point ( 143 ),
the first end ( 142 a ) of the second lever ( 142 ) is coupled to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ) at a second coupling point ( 144 ), wherein the first coupling point ( 143 ) is at distance from and below the second coupling point ( 144 );
the second end ( 141 b ) of the first lever ( 141 ) is coupled at a third coupling point ( 145 ), to the chassis ( 138 ),
the second end ( 142 b ) of the second lever ( 142 ) is coupled to a fourth coupling point ( 146 ) to the chassis ( 138 ), wherein the third coupling point ( 145 ) is at distance from and below the fourth coupling point.
5 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said mechanism ( 140 ) comprises the auxiliary support member ( 147 ), and wherein the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) has a front portion ( 147 a ), a rear portion ( 147 b ) and an intermediate portion ( 147 c ) extending between the front portion ( 147 a ) and the rear portion ( 147 b ), and wherein:
the second end ( 141 b ) of the first lever ( 141 ) is coupled to said auxiliary support member ( 147 ) at said third coupling point ( 145 ) located at the front portion ( 147 a ) of the auxiliary support member ( 147 );
the intermediate portion ( 147 c ) is coupled to the chassis ( 138 ) at a fifth coupling point ( 148 ),
the rear portion ( 147 b ) carries an abutment ( 149 ) destined to cooperate with a corresponding abutment ( 150 ) of the chassis ( 138 ) to limit an angular stroke of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) relative to the chassis ( 138 ) and around said fifth coupling point ( 148 ).
6 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) is angularly movable around the fifth coupling point ( 148 ) relative to the chassis ( 138 ) from a first end stroke position, where the abutment ( 149 ) on the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) touches the abutment ( 150 ) on the chassis ( 138 ), to a second end stroke position, where the abutment ( 149 ) on the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) is angularly spaced from the abutment ( 150 ) on the chassis ( 138 );
further wherein, in correspondence of said first end stroke position of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ), the cleaning unit ( 50 ) is in an operative cleaning position with an active portion ( 151 ) configured for contacting a floor to be cleaned, whereas, in correspondence of said second end stroke position of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ), the cleaning unit ( 50 ) is in a rest position lifted relative to the cleaning position for the active portion ( 151 ) to be prevented from contacting the floor to be cleaned.
7 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 , comprising a pedal actuated leverage ( 152 ) active on said auxiliary support member ( 147 ) for moving said auxiliary support member ( 147 ) between said first end stroke position and said second end stroke position;
wherein the pedal actuated leverage ( 152 ) comprises:
a pedal actuated lever ( 153 ) with a pedal ( 154 ) at a first end ( 153 a ) and an intermediate portion ( 155 ) hinged to a lower portion of the chassis ( 138 ),
a transmission lever ( 156 ) having a first end ( 156 a ), hinged to a second end ( 153 b ) of the pedal lever ( 153 ), and a second end ( 156 b ) directly or indirectly active on said auxiliary support member ( 147 ), optionally hinged to a component ( 157 ) angularly fixed to the auxiliary support member ( 147 ).
8 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one suspension device ( 139 ) is interposed between the cleaning unit ( 50 ) and the mechanism ( 140 ) linking the forward end of the chassis ( 138 ) to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ).
9 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one suspension device ( 139 ) comprises one first end ( 139 a ) connected to an intermediate portion of the first lever ( 141 ) or of the second lever ( 142 ) and one opposite second end ( 139 b ) connected to the chassis ( 138 ) or the auxiliary support member ( 147 ):
10 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second end ( 139 b ) of the at least one suspension device ( 139 ) is connected to the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) at a lower region ( 147 d ) of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ), wherein said lower region ( 147 d ) of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) extends below said fifth and third coupling points ( 148 , 145 ) in both said first and second end stroke positions of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ),
optionally, wherein the lower region ( 147 d ) of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ) extends downwards from the front portion ( 147 a ).
11 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the intermediate portion ( 141 b ) of the first lever ( 141 ) where the first end of the suspension device ( 139 ) is connected extends above said fifth and third coupling points in both said first and second end stroke positions of the auxiliary support member ( 147 ).
12 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one suspension device ( 139 ) comprises a left suspension device ( 139 ′) on a left side of the apparatus and a right suspension device ( 139 ″) on a right side of the apparatus;
the at least one mechanism ( 140 ) comprises a left mechanism on a left side of the apparatus and a right mechanism on a right side of the apparatus;
the left suspension device ( 139 ′) is interposed between a left side of the cleaning unit ( 50 ) and the left mechanism linking a forward left end of the chassis ( 138 ) to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 ), and the right suspension device ( 139 ″) is interposed between a right side of the cleaning unit ( 50 ) and the right mechanism linking a forward right end of the chassis ( 138 ) to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) support framework ( 63 );
optionally further wherein the left suspension device ( 139 ′) is cinematically identical to the right suspension device ( 139 ″) and the left mechanism is identical to the right mechanism.
13 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension device ( 139 ) comprises an elastic suspension device selected from a spring suspension or a pneumatic suspension.
14 . The floor cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension device ( 139 ) is configured for transmitting to the cleaning unit ( 50 ) an upwardly directed force not greater than the cleaning unit weight.