Floor treatment machine

Abstract

The present invention concerns the field of floor treatment machines such as scrubbers, finishers or polishers. Floor scrubbers typically have rotating work heads equipped with bristles for working the floor to remove dirt. The invention provides a hand-guided floor treatment machine comprising a handle portion connected to a base portion, which base portion is provided with a rotatable generally disc-shaped floor-facing work head having a substantially vertical axis of rotation, the machine being provided with drive means for rotatably driving the work head, wherein the rotational axis of the work head is slightly tilted away from the vertical in a direction which has a transverse component and a rearward component so that the work head is biased into contact with the floor in a region rearwardly and to one side of the work head, whereby in use rotation of the work head through the biased region provides propulsion predominantly in a forward direction.

1 . A hand-guided floor treatment machine comprising a handle portion connected to a base portion, which base portion is provided with a rotatable generally disc-shaped floor-facing work head having a substantially vertical axis of rotation, the machine being provided with drive means for rotatably driving the work head, wherein the rotational axis of the work head is slightly tilted away from the vertical in a direction which has a transverse component so that a work head side region is biased into enhanced contact with the floor so as to provide machine propulsion predominantly in a forward working direction. 
     
     
         2 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the tilt has a rearward component so that the work head is biased into contact with the floor in a region rearwardly and to the side region of the work head, whereby in use rotation of the work head through the biased region provides propulsion predominantly in a forward direction, along with enhanced contact of the rearward region. 
     
     
         3 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the work head is carried underneath a deck portion of the base portion. 
     
     
         4 . A machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the deck portion supports one or more drive motor. 
     
     
         5 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein an output rotor of the motor feeds into an associated transmission unit. 
     
     
         6 . A machine as claimed in  claim 5  wherein an output shaft of the transmission unit carries a work head hub. 
     
     
         7 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein an output rotor of the motor is directly attached to the work head hub, optionally via a drive shaft, and without an intervening transmission unit. 
     
     
         8 . A machine as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the work head tilt is achieved by tilting away from the vertical of the motor output rotor with hub, and/or the transmission unit output shaft with hub. 
     
     
         9 . A machine as claimed in  claim 8  wherein tilting of the output shaft is achieved by fixing a transmission unit in a tilted disposition with respect to the deck portion upon which the transmission unit is mounted. 
     
     
         10 . A machine as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the transmission unit is tilted by means of one or more spacer elements disposed between the transmission unit and the deck portion. 
     
     
         11 . A machine as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the motor output rotor is tilted away from the vertical by means of one or more spacer elements disposed between a mounting for the motor and the deck portion upon which the motor is mounted. 
     
     
         12 . A machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the work head is provided in a floating work head assembly comprising the work head and motor as a unit, the assembly being suspended from the deck portion. 
     
     
         13 . A machine as claimed in  claim 12  wherein biasing means are operative between the deck and the assembly so that the assembly tilts and the work head is biased into enhanced contact with the floor. 
     
     
         14 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the base portion is provided with wheel means to enable translational motion of the machine over the floor surface. 
     
     
         15 . A machine as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the wheel means comprises a single central wheel or roller, or two transversely spaced apart wheels or rollers. 
     
     
         16 . A machine as claimed in  claim 14  wherein, in a use configuration, the weight of the machine is shared by the wheel means and the work head or heads. 
     
     
         17 . A machine as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the wheels means are disposed at a rear region of the base portion, and the work head is disposed at a front region of the base portion. 
     
     
         18 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  which is configured as a scrubber drier with scrubbing brush attachments provided on an underside of each work head, a cleaning liquid reservoir, a cleaning liquid dispenser provided in advance of, or under, the work head. 
     
     
         19 . A machine as claimed in  claim 18  further comprising a suction squeegee device for collecting liquid-entrained dirt and configured to be trailed behind the work head. 
     
     
         20 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the transverse tilt is in an amount of 1 to 3 degrees, preferably 1.5 to 2.5 degrees away from the vertical. 
     
     
         21 . A machine as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the backwards tilt is in an amount of 1 to 3 degrees, preferably 1.5 to 2.5 degrees. 
     
     
         22 . A machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the handle portion is connected to the base portion by a universal joint. 
     
     
         23 . A machine as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the universal joint comprises two orthogonal pivots which permit up-down pivoting and side-to-side pivoting of the handle portion. 
     
     
         24 . A machine as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the universal joint connection is disposed at a rear end region of the base portion so as to facilitate walk-behind guiding of the machine by a user holding the handle portion distal end region. 
     
     
         25 . A machine as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the universal joint connection is adjacent the wheel means or incorporates the wheel means so that the weight of the handle portion and any associated components is mostly taken by the wheel means.