Actuator powered squeegee flip up mechanism

Abstract

A system and method for providing access to inspect and/or clean an underside of a squeegee assembly connected to a mobile floor-cleaning machine. The method includes raising and lowering, via a lifting actuator, the squeegee assembly between a floor-engaged position and a standby position. The method includes pivoting, via a pivoting actuator, the squeegee assembly between the standby position and an inspection position. The method includes controlling, via squeegee position controller, operation of the lifting and pivoting actuators. The method also includes causing, via the squeegee position controller, the pivoting actuator to first lift the squeegee assembly from a floor-engaged position to a standby position and then to pivot the squeegee assembly from the standby position to the inspection position in response a command to move the squeegee assembly from the floor-engaged position to the inspection position.

1 . A system for providing access to inspect and/or clean an underside of a squeegee assembly connected to a mobile floor-cleaning machine, the system comprising: 
 a mounting assembly configured to fixedly attach to an underside of the mobile floor-cleaning machine;   the squeegee assembly, which includes first and second frame members pivotably coupled with one another, the first frame member moveably coupled with the mounting assembly in such a manner that the first frame member is moveable between a raised position and a lowered position with respect to the mounting assembly, the second frame member pivotable between an aligned position and a tilted position with respect to the first frame member, the second frame member including an elastic wiper blade coupled thereto, the elastic wiper blade having an arcuate front surface and a planar lower surface, the arcuate front surface featuring a concavity oriented in a direction of forward movement of the mobile floor-cleaning machine, the planar lower surface configured to contiguously and slidably engage a floor surface across a lateral dimension transverse to the direction of forward movement, thereby the elastic wiper blade is configured to direct any liquid on the floor surface towards a middle portion of the arcuate front surface of the elastic wiper blade in response to forward movement of the mobile floor-cleaning machine;    a lifting actuator configured to raise and lower the first frame member between the raised position and the lowered position; and   a pivoting actuator configured to pivot the second frame member between the aligned position and the tilted position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein pivoting of the second frame member from the aligned position to the tilted position pivots the second frame member greater than 60 degrees.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein pivoting of the second frame member from the aligned position to the tilted position pivots the squeegee assembly about a squeegee pivot.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a squeegee position controller communicatively coupled to and configured to control operation of the lifting and pivoting actuators. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the squeegee position controller is further configured to cause the pivoting actuator to pivot the second frame member from the aligned position to the tilted position in response to a command to move the squeegee assembly to a position for inspection.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the squeegee position controller is further configured to cause the lifting actuator to first lift the first frame member from the lowered position to the raised position and then to pivot the second frame member from the aligned position to the tilted position in response a command to move the squeegee assembly to a position for inspection.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the lifting actuator is an electro-mechanical actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the lifting actuator is a solenoid. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the lifting actuator is a motor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein, if the first frame member is in the lowered position and the second frame member is in the aligned position thereby causing the elastic wiper blade to engage the floor surface, the squeegee position controller controls a downward force of the squeegee assembly to the floor surface by controlling electrical current supplied to the motor.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pivoting actuator is an electro-mechanical actuator. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising: a linkage assembly coupled to the pivoting actuator, the linkage assembly mechanically transmitting the movement of the pivoting actuator to the second frame member of the squeegee assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the linkage assembly includes a cable. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a ratio of a pivoting radius R, defined as a distance between the elastic wiper blade and the lifting pivot, and pivoting radius r, defined as the distance between the elastic wiper blade and the squeegee pivot, is greater than 3-1. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising: a latching mechanism having a latched configuration and an unlatched configuration, wherein, in the latched configuration, pivoting of the second frame member is prevented by the latching mechanism, and in the unlatched configuration, pivoting of the second frame member is not prevented by the latching mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the latching mechanism comprises: 
 a latching pin coupled to the first frame member of the squeegee assembly; and    a latching lever pivotably coupled to the second frame member of the squeegee assembly via a latching pivot, the latching lever having a lever arm coupled to the linkage assembly, the latching lever having a latching slot that engages the latching pin.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising: a spring connected between the latching lever and the second frame member of the squeegee assembly, the spring configured to provide a return force directing the latching lever to the latched position. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the latching lever further includes a pin engagement surface that engages the latching pin in response to the spring attempting to return the latching lever to the latched position as the second frame member is returning to the tilted position from the aligned position. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein: axes of the lever pivot and the squeegee pivot are not colinear, such that a latching-slot path traversed by the latching slot as the latching lever pivots and a latching-slot path traversed by the latching slot as the second frame member pivots intersect at an intersecting angle greater than 30 degrees.  
     
     
         20 . A method for providing access to inspect and/or clean an underside of a squeegee assembly connected to a mobile floor-cleaning machine, the method comprising: 
 raising and lowering, via a lifting actuator, the squeegee assembly between a floor-engaged position and a standby position;   pivoting, via a pivoting actuator, the squeegee assembly between a standby position and an inspection position;    controlling, via squeegee position controller, operation of the lifting and pivoting actuators; and    causing, via the squeegee position controller, the lifting actuator to first lift the squeegee assembly from a floor-engaged position to a standby position and then to pivot the squeegee assembly from the standby position to the inspection position in response a command to move the squeegee assembly from the floor-engaged position to the inspection position.