Abrasive device for floor scrubbing, cleaning and/or polishing

Abstract

Abrasive devices suitable for use in cylinder style floor cleaning machines for the purpose of deep cleaning, restoring, honing and/or polishing are described. The abrasive devices include an elongated body and abrasive structures extending, at least in part, radially outward from an outwardly facing body surface, and relative to a rotational axis of the elongated body.

1 . An abrasive device for use on concrete floors comprising:
 an elongated body having a first end, a second end and an outwardly facing body surface extending about a body axis and between the first end and the second end, the elongated body configured to engage a rotary cleaning machine and be driven about the body axis;   a plurality of blades extending, at least in part, radially outwardly from the outwardly facing body surface, each blade including a blade abrasive part extending from a distal end of the blade toward the elongated body;   wherein each blade of the plurality of blades includes a first axial blade end located toward the first end of the elongated body and a second axial blade end located toward the second end of elongated body;   wherein each blade of the plurality of blades runs in a orientation that is angularly offset from the body axis between the first axial blade end and the second axial blade end.   
     
     
         2 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades substantially axially spans an axial length of the outwardly facing body surface between the first end and the second end of the elongated body. 
     
     
         3 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein an axial length of each blade of the plurality of blades is at least ninety percent of an axial length of the outwardly facing body surface between the first end and the second end of the elongated body. 
     
     
         4 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein the outwardly facing body surface is substantially cylindrical and each blade runs in a substantially helical orientation. 
     
     
         5 . The abrasive device of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of blades comprise two or more blades, wherein the two or more blades are circumferentially spaced about the outer surface of the elongated body to collectively substantially circumferentially span the outwardly facing body surface between the first end and the second end of the elongated body. 
     
     
         6 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades comprise four or more blades, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades extends circumferentially through at least ninety degrees, in axial end view, between the first axial blade end and the second axial blade end. 
     
     
         7 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades comprise four or more blades, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades extends circumferentially through at least one-hundred degrees, in axial end view, between the first axial blade end and the second axial blade end. 
     
     
         8 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades extends circumferentially through at least one-hundred and ten degrees, in axial end view, between the first axial blade end and the second axial blade end. 
     
     
         9 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades extends circumferentially through at least one-hundred and twenty degrees, in axial end view, between the first axial blade end and the second axial blade end. 
     
     
         10 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades are positioned such that, for each blade of the plurality of blades, at least part of the blade axially overlaps with part of another blade, in axial end view. 
     
     
         11 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the blade abrasive part comprises a thermoplastic and at least one abrasive grit material. 
     
     
         12 . The abrasive device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one abrasive grit material comprises one or more of silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, and diamond. 
     
     
         13 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the blade abrasive part is joined to a blade non-abrasive retaining part of the blade, wherein the blade abrasive part comprises a first thermoplastic and at least one abrasive grit material, the first thermoplastic having a first durometer, the blade non-abrasive retaining part comprising a second thermoplastic having a second durometer, wherein the first durometer is lower than the second durometer. 
     
     
         14 . The abrasive device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the first durometer is no more than seventy-five percent of the second durometer. 
     
     
         15 . The abrasive device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the first durometer is no more than sixty-five percent of the second durometer. 
     
     
         16 . The abrasive device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the first durometer is between 40 Shore D and 50 Shore D, per ASTM D2240 Peak Shore D hardness test procedure, and the second durometer is between sixty-five Shore D and seventy-five Shore D, per ASTM D2240 Peak Shore D hardness test procedure. 
     
     
         17 . The abrasive device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the first thermoplastic comprises a thermoplastic polyester and/or a thermoplastic polyurethane and the second thermoplastic comprises a thermoplastic polyester and/or a thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         18 . The abrasive device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the blade abrasive part is joined to the blade non-abrasive retaining part by a joining region comprising a co-extrusion bond. 
     
     
         19 . The abrasive device of  claim 18 , wherein the joining region has a localized thickness that is greater than both a thickness of the distal end of the blade and a thickness of a stem portion of the non-abrasive blade retaining part, for increasing a joint strength between the blade abrasive part and the non-abrasive blade retaining part. 
     
     
         20 . The abrasive device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the blade abrasive part is joined to the blade non-abrasive retaining part by one of adhesive bonding, welding or mechanical fastening. 
     
     
         21 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated body includes a plurality of channels opening to the outwardly facing body surface, wherein each channel receives a radially inward end of a respective one of the blades. 
     
     
         25 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein an axial blade retention structure is located at the first end of the elongated body and includes at least one of an elastomeric band, a garter spring, a snap-ring, a zip tie, a wire tie or a hose clamp type structure positioned in a channel. 
     
     
         32 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the distal end has a radial height that is substantially uniform along an axial center region and that tapers downwardly in both a first end region at one end of the axial center region and a second end region at an opposite end of the axial center region. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A cleaning machine, comprising the abrasive device of  claim 1  mounted therein with the body axis substantially horizontal, and a drive system for rotating the abrasive device about the body axis. 
     
     
         35 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . An abrasive device for use on concrete floors, comprising:
 an elongated body having a first end, a second end and an outwardly facing body surface extending about a body axis and between the first end and the second end, the elongated body configured to engage a rotary cleaning machine and be driven about the body axis;   a plurality of blades extending, at least in part, radially outwardly from the outwardly facing body surface of the body, each blade including a blade abrasive part extending from a distal end of the blade toward the elongated body; and   wherein each blade of the plurality of blades includes a first axial blade end located toward the first end of the elongated body and a second axial blade end located toward the second end of elongated body;   wherein, for at least a first blade of the plurality of blades, the blade abrasive part is joined to a blade non-abrasive retaining part of the blade, wherein the blade abrasive part comprises a first thermoplastic and at least one abrasive grit material, the first thermoplastic having a first durometer, the blade non-abrasive retaining part comprising a second thermoplastic having a second durometer, wherein the first durometer is lower than the second durometer.   
     
     
         42 . The abrasive device of  claim 41 , wherein the first durometer is no more than seventy-five percent of the second durometer. 
     
     
         43 . The abrasive device of  claim 41 , wherein the first durometer is no more than sixty-five percent of the second durometer. 
     
     
         44 . The abrasive device of  claim 41 , wherein the first durometer is between 40 Shore D and 50 Shore D, and the second durometer is between sixty-five Shore D and seventy-five Shore D. 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The abrasive device of  claim 41 , wherein, for the first blade, the blade abrasive part is joined to the blade non-abrasive retaining part by a joining region comprising a co-extrusion bond. 
     
     
         47 . The abrasive device of  claim 46 , wherein the joining region has a localized thickness that is greater than both a thickness of the distal end of the blade and a thickness of a stem portion of the non-abrasive blade retaining part, for increasing a joint strength between the blade abrasive part and the non-abrasive blade retaining part. 
     
     
         48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A cleaning machine, comprising the abrasive device of  claim 41  mounted therein with the body axis substantially horizontal, and a drive system for rotating the abrasive device about the body axis. 
     
     
         50 - 72 . (canceled) 
     
     
         73 . The abrasive device of  claim 11 , wherein the thermoplastic comprises a thermoplastic polyester and/or a thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         74 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein, for each blade of the plurality of blades, the blade abrasive part is joined to a blade non-abrasive retaining part by a joining region comprising a co-extrusion bond. 
     
     
         75 . The abrasive device of  claim 1 , wherein an axial blade retention structure is located at one or both axial ends of the elongated body for preventing blade movement out of the first and/or second channel axial end of each channel. 
     
     
         76 . The abrasive device of  claim 75 , wherein the axial blade retention structure is removably secured to the elongated body by mechanical fasteners. 
     
     
         77 . The abrasive device of  claim 75 , wherein the axial blade retention structure comprises a spring member positioned in a channel.