Supply device for moving on a floor surface and for coupling with a floor cleaning machine and system comprising a supply device

Abstract

A supply device for moving on a floor surface and for coupling to a floor cleaning machine includes a frame, a coupling arrangement which is designed to be detachably coupled to a further coupling arrangement on the floor cleaning machine, and a drive unit which is designed to move the supply device in or against a possibly rectilinear first travel direction between a first and a second position, wherein the drive unit is supported at a proximal end on the frame and has a distal end which is designed to be connected to a fastening element which is stationary relative to the floor surface. Further illustrated and described is a system comprising a supply device according to the disclosure for moving on a floor surface and two guide pins aligned with one another in the travel direction which are fixedly attached relative to the floor surface.

1 . A supply device for moving on a floor surface and for coupling with a floor cleaning machine, comprising
 a frame,   a chassis supported on the frame which is designed so that the supply device can be moved over the floor surface,   a fresh water inlet, a dirty water outlet and/or a power supply,   a coupling arrangement which is connected to the fresh water inlet, the dirty water outlet and/or to the power supply and which is designed to be detachably coupled to a further coupling arrangement on the floor cleaning machine, so that fresh water can be conveyed from the fresh water inlet via the coupling arrangements to a fresh water tank of the floor cleaning machine, dirty water can be conveyed from a dirty water tank of the floor cleaning machine to the dirty water outlet and/or a rechargeable battery of the floor cleaning machine can be connected to the power supply, and   a drive unit which is designed to move the supply device in or against a rectilinear first travel direction between a first and a second position,   wherein the drive unit is supported at a proximal end on the frame and has a distal end which is designed to be connected to a fastening element which is stationary relative to the floor surface.   
     
     
         2 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , having a guide unit having a first guide rod and a second guide rod arranged parallel to one another,
 wherein the first guide rod extends along a first longitudinal axis and the second guide rod extends along a second longitudinal axis,   wherein the guide unit has two first guide arms which have a first coupling section and a second coupling section, wherein the first coupling section of the first guide arms is pivotably mounted on the frame about a first pivot axis and wherein the second coupling sections of the first guide arms are connected to the first guide rod at a distance from one another along the first longitudinal axis,   wherein the guide unit has two second guide arms which have a first coupling section and a second coupling section, wherein the first coupling section of the second guide arms is pivotably mounted on the frame about a second pivot axis and wherein the second coupling sections of the second guide arms are connected to the second guide rod at a distance from one another along the second longitudinal axis,   wherein the first pivot axis, the second pivot axis, the first longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis and the first travel direction run parallel to one another,   wherein the guide unit has first bias elements between the frame and the first guide arms, which are designed to bias the first guide arms in such a way that the first guide rod is pressed towards the second guide rod,   wherein the guide unit has second bias elements between the frame and the second guide arms, which are designed to bias the second guide arms in such a way that the second guide rod is pressed towards the first guide rod,   wherein the guide unit is designed to receive at least two guide pins, which are arranged on the floor surface and project perpendicularly therefrom between the two guide rods.   
     
     
         3 . The supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second bias elements are arranged in such a way that their longitudinal axes intersect. 
     
     
         4 . The supply device according to  claim 3 , wherein the first and second bias elements are arranged in such a way that their longitudinal axes run at an angle of between 90° and 180° to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The supply device according to  claim 2 , wherein guide elements are attached to the ends of the guide rods which point in the direction opposite to the first travel direction,
 wherein the guide elements are designed in such a way that the distance between the guide element on the first guide rod and the guide element on the second guide rod increases with decreasing distance to the free end of the guide elements, and wherein the guide elements are designed to receive a further guide pin between them.   
     
     
         6 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein the chassis has multiple bearing units which are designed to be in contact with the floor surface and to support the supply device on the floor surface during movement. 
     
     
         7 . The supply device according to  claim 6 , wherein the bearing units have ball bearings or ball rollers. 
     
     
         8 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , comprising a housing,
 wherein the housing has a recess pointing in the first travel direction which extends in a horizontal plane and over the width of the housing.   
     
     
         9 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling arrangement has a plug or socket unit which is designed to be coupled to a socket or plug unit of the further coupling arrangement of the floor cleaning machine, and has a dirty water collection basin for collecting dirty water from a dirty water tank of the floor cleaning machine. 
     
     
         10 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive unit has a linear drive which has the proximal end and the distal end, wherein the linear drive can move the supply device in or against the first travel direction by extending and retracting. 
     
     
         11 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive unit is coupled at the proximal end to a fastening arm pivotably mounted on the frame, wherein the fastening arm has a third pivot axis which is arranged perpendicular to the first travel direction, and
 wherein the fastening arm is biased in such a way that its section coupled at the proximal end is biased towards the distal end.   
     
     
         12 . The supply device according to  claim 11 , wherein the frame has a stop element which limits the pivoting range of the fastening arm towards the distal end. 
     
     
         13 . The supply device according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling arrangement has an interface for sending and/or receiving data from the floor cleaning machine. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising a supply device for moving on a floor surface according to  claim 1  and two guide pins aligned with one another in the first travel direction and fixedly attached relative to the floor surface. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , comprising a floor panel on which the floor surface is formed and to which the guide pins are fastened.