Low Profile Treatment Machine

This disclosure relates to a low profile, single-disc machine for floor treatment operations. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to a system for treating a floor with a single-disc machine both with and without water and/or chemical solution.

Many floor machines available in the marketplace fall into one of two categories: trailing machines and ride-on machines. Trailing machines own such a name as a user follows or trails behind the machine during operation. A ride-on machine includes a user seat, where the user may sit, stand, or kneel on top of an actual machine as it performs treatment operations.

A subset of trailing machines include single-disc machines. Single-disc treatment machines may be employed for floor scrubbing, floor stripping, or floor burnishing. Floor scrubbing involves the cleaning of surface dirt and impurities that exist on the outermost layer of a wax coating layer. Floor stripping relates to the removal of all wax coating layers from the actual floor substrate. Floor burnishing removes a single layer of wax coating and any engrained impurities, but leaves the underlying floor substrate and any underlying wax layers untouched.

The broad industry standard for single-disc floor machines is utilizing a conventional electric motor with high revolutions per minute (RPM) and then including a transmission through a belt or planetary gear that brings the RPM down to the desired speed of the scrubbing brush/pad drive. Typically, the standard machine electric motor operates above 1500 RPM. The transmissions are mechanical in nature, and are usually included as a belt or gearing, which transfers the power from the motor to the actual scrubbing brush or pad. Furthermore, where the electric motor is operating above 1500 RPM, mechanical dampening equipment is often needed to limit vibration within the single-disc machine, and quiet the motor during operation.

Considering the equipment needs of standard single-disc machines, the housing required to contain the necessary equipment becomes larger and larger from a physical volume stand point. The cleaning discs required for operation may range from only fractions of an inch up to two inches in thickness, but the housing for standard single-disc machines is frequently in excess of fifteen (15.0) inches (38.1 cm) in height from the floor to the top of the housing. This added size creates an access problem for hard to reach areas such as under tables, chairs, shelving, etc.

An additional problem associated with standard single-disc machines is the power supply. Single-disc machines are typically powered through a power cord plugged into a wall outlet. The need to remain within a power cord length of a wall power outlet further limits the access for standard single-disc machines. Additionally, the presence of a power cord requires handling/attention from the user, which slows any floor treatment process.

What is needed is a single-disc floor treatment machine that allows for easier access in treating floor under obstacles and greater flexibility in machine operation. The present disclosure solves the problems associated with access, but also technical solution where the features that offer improved access also provide increased machine operation flexibility.

Prior art solutions are directed to floor treatment machines which lack low profile housings and brushless direct drive (BLDC) motors. The prior art devices disclose floor cleaning machines, but do not disclose, teach or suggest incorporating a BLDC motor in combination with a low profile housing. Generally, the prior art discloses machines with housings which cannot access open areas underneath obstacles, and frequently include traditional motors operating in excess of 1500 RPM. The inclusion of the traditional motor adds volume to the prior art cleaning machine as additional equipment such as transmission belts, gears, and controls are required to impel motion in any cleaning tool. This added equipment expands the size of the cleaning machine, and complicates efforts to clean underneath obstacles. Further, the traditional motor and transmission equipment requires additional damping components to reduce both vibration and audible noise produced by prior art cleaning machines while in operation.

In the presently claimed embodiments, the low profile treatment machine allows for easy access to treat surfaces underneath obstacles. The claimed low profile treatment machine is driven by a BLDC motor, which eliminates the need for any transmission components. Additionally, the BLDC motor operates at substantially lower (less than 500 RPM) revolutions per minute than a traditional motor (around 1500 RPM), so no damping equipment is needed to alleviate audible noise or mechanical vibration. The elimination of a transmission and damping equipment allows the housing of the presently claimed treatment machine to maintain a low profile height relative to the floor that is treated, thus allowing for easier treatment under common objects such as shelves, chairs, tables, etc. Further, the presently claimed embodiments provide for a treatment machine and treatment machine system which generates less audible noise and vibration. Further still, the presently claimed embodiments present a more energy efficient treatment operation due to reduced power consumption. Additionally, the presently claimed embodiments provide a method for treating a surface with a low profile treatment machine.

Embodiments of the subject matter are disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings and are for illustrative purposes only. The subject matter is not limited in its application to the details of construction or the arrangement of the components illustrated in the drawings. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like components, unless otherwise indicated.

Further aspects of the invention are disclosed below.

In a 1aspect a floor treatment machine comprises:

In a 2aspect according to the 1aspect the axial size of direct drive motor is at least 2 times smaller, optionally at least 3 times smaller, than a maximum radial size of the direct drive motor.

In a 3aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects both the treatment tool and the direct drive motor present a discoidal conformation and are coaxially stacked one above the other.

In a 4aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the power supply is positioned adjacent to the direct drive motor.

In a 5aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the power supply is positioned radially external with respect to a radial periphery of the direct drive motor.

In a 6aspect according to any one any one of the preceding aspects the floor treatment machine comprises at least one wheel located at a rear end of the bottom part of the same floor treatment machine.

In a 7aspect according to the preceding aspect, the power supply is located adjacent to the rear end of the floor treatment machine, proximate to the direct drive motor.

In an 8aspect according to any one of the preceding two aspects, the power supply is positioned proximate to the at least one wheel.

In a 9aspect according to any one of the 6to 8aspect, the power supply is positioned between the direct drive motor and the at least one wheel.

In a 10aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the power supply is positioned such that a bottom side of the power supply is vertically aligned or below an ideal plane tangential to a lower surface of the direct drive motor.

In an 11aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the power supply is positioned such that at least 30%, optionally at least 40%, of the power supply extends below an ideal plane tangential to an upper surface of the direct drive motor.

In a 12aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the floor treatment machine comprises a counterweight positioned at a front end of the bottom part of the same floor treatment machine.

In a 13aspect according to according to the preceding aspect, the counterweight is positioned radially external with respect to a radial periphery of the direct drive motor.

In a 14aspect according to any one of the preceding two aspects, the counterweight is positioned, with respect to the direct drive motor, in a location which is radially opposite to the power supply.

In a 15aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the power supply, optionally the battery of the power supply, is positioned above the direct drive motor.

In a 16aspect according to according to the preceding aspect, the power supply presents at least a portion of flattened and axial-symmetric conformation, which is coaxially positioned relative to the direct drive motor.

In a 17aspect according to the preceding aspect, the power supply has flattened and circular conformation, and is coaxially positioned above the direct drive motor.

In a 18aspect according to any one of the preceding three aspects, the power supply, treatment tool and the direct drive motor are coaxially stacked the one above the other.

In a 19aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the floor treatment machine is configured to be positioned in at least one operative condition, where the treatment tool contacts the floor to be cleaned.

In a 20aspect according to the 6and 19aspect, in said operative condition, the treatment tool is the only component of the floor treatment machine destined to contact the floor to be cleaned; and/or

In a 21aspect according to any one of the preceding two aspects, in combination with the 6aspect, the floor treatment machine is configured to be positioned in at least one transport condition, and wherein in the transport condition the at least one wheel is the only component of the floor treatment machine destined to contact the floor to be cleaned, the floor treatment machine is susceptible of being inclined from the use condition to the transport condition causing at least an angular displacement of the treatment tool from an horizontal position to an inclined position.

In a 22aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the power supply comprises a battery, an electrical voltage converter with power cord, or a combination thereof.

In a 23aspect according to the preceding aspect, wherein the power supply is a battery, extractable from said bottom part of the floor treatment machine.

In a 24aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects the floor treatment machine comprises a housing at least partially covering the bottom part of the floor treatment machine, wherein the housing extends above the direct drive motor and has a peripheral edge extending around at least a portion of the direct drive motor.

In a 25aspect according to the preceding aspect, the housing has a flat portion in the form of a thin wall positioned immediately above and extending substantially parallel to a major portion of upper surface of the direct drive motor, thereby conferring to a front potion of the lower part of the floor treatment machine a reduced and constant height from the floor to be cleaned, optionally wherein said height ranges from about 1.0 inches to about 15.0 inches with respect to the floor to be cleaned.

In a 26aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects the floor treatment machine comprises a delivery channel, optionally a water delivery channel, having a first terminal portion connected to a tank, optionally to a water tank, and a second terminal portion configured for delivering fluid, optionally water, at or in proximity of the treatment tool.

In a 27aspect according to the preceding aspect, the second terminal portion of the delivery channel extends through a central axial gap in the motor and ends at a/the central area of the treatment tool, or the second terminal portion of the delivery channel is configured to feed fluid to a/the central axial gap in the motor.

In a 28aspect according to any one of the preceding two aspects, the fluid delivery channel has a medial portion extending parallel, optionally in contact with, to an/the upper surface of the direct drive motor.

In a 29aspect according to the 25and 28aspect, the medial portion of the fluid delivery channel extends within a slim space present between the flat portion of the housing and the upper surface of the direct drive motor.

In a 30aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the floor treatment machine has a shaft extending through a/the central axial gap of the direct drive motor, wherein the shaft mechanically connects the treatment tool with the rotor of the direct drive motor.

In a 31aspect according to the 27and 30aspect, the shaft is tubular and defines a central passage, and the second terminal portion of the delivery channel extends through or feeds the central passage of the tubular shaft.

In a 32aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, when combined with aspect 19, in the operative condition the center of gravity of the floor treatment machine lies on a vertical plane passing through the treatment tool.

In a 33aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, when combined with aspect 19, in the operative condition the center of gravity of the floor treatment machine lies on a vertical plane passing through a central area of the treatment tool, in particular through the center of the treatment tool.

In a 34aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the machine comprises a single treatment tool.

In a 35aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the treatment tool comprises a rotating disk-shaped body, optionally a rotating pad or a rotating brush.

In a 36aspect according to the preceding aspects, the direct drive motor is configured to turn the treatment tool in the absence of a transmission.

In a 37aspect according any one of the preceding aspects, the direct drive motor is a brushless electric motor.

In a 38aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the floor treatment machine comprises a control unit communicatively connected with the direct drive motor and with one or more input devices associated to the handle, wherein the control unit is configured to:

In a 39aspect according to any one of the preceding aspects, the direct drive motor is configured and controlled to turn the treatment tool at an angular speed of about 50 RPM to about 500 RPM.