Floor cleaning machine

Abstract

A floor cleaning machine comprising a chassis which can travel over the floor along a travel direction and supports, on its side directed toward the floor, elements for cleaning the floor and, to the rear with respect to the floor cleaning elements along the travel direction of the chassis, a floor wiper which can move, with respect to the chassis, along a path which is substantially transverse to the travel direction of the chassis; the chassis is provided with steering elements which can be operated to change its travel direction; the machine further comprises actuation elements which act on the floor wiper to move the floor wiper along the path following an intervention performed on the steering elements to change the travel direction of the chassis.

1 . A floor cleaning machine comprising a chassis which can travel over the floor along a travel direction and supports, on its side directed toward the floor, means for cleaning the floor and, to the rear with respect to said floor cleaning means along the travel direction of said chassis, a floor wiper which can move, with respect to said chassis, along a path which is substantially transverse to the travel direction of said chassis, said chassis being provided with steering means which can be operated to change its travel direction, characterized in that it comprises actuation means which act on said floor wiper to move said floor wiper along said path following an intervention performed on said steering means to change the travel direction of said chassis. 
     
     
         2 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said actuation means are adapted to impart to said floor wiper a movement along said path in the opposite direction with respect to the center of curvature of the turn performed by said chassis following an intervention on said steering means. 
     
     
         3 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said actuation means can be activated by way of said steering means. 
     
     
         4 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said actuation means comprise kinematic connection means, which are adapted to connect said steering means to said floor wiper. 
     
     
         5 . The machine according to  claim 4 , wherein said kinematic connection means comprise at least one actuation rod which is functionally connected, at a first end, to said steering means and is connected kinematically, at a second end, to said floor wiper, said at least one actuation rod being able to perform a translational motion in either direction along its own axis with respect to said chassis in order to produce a movement, in either direction, of said floor wiper along said path in response to an intervention on said steering means to vary the advancement direction of said chassis. 
     
     
         6 . The machine according to  claim 5 , comprising first elastic return means which contrast, at least in one direction, the axial translational motion of said at least one actuation rod. 
     
     
         7 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said floor wiper is connected to said chassis by way of a pair of linkages which are substantially mutually parallel and are articulated, at one of their ends, to said chassis and, at their other end, to a respective end portion of said floor wiper. 
     
     
         8 . The machine according to  claim 5 , wherein said actuation means comprise at least one actuation arm which is mounted so that it can oscillate on said chassis about an oscillation axis which is substantially perpendicular to the floor and is functionally connected, with one of its end portions, to said floor wiper, said actuation arm being angularly movable on command, about said oscillation axis, following an intervention performed on said steering means in the same direction as the steering imparted to said chassis by said steering means. 
     
     
         9 . The machine according to  claim 5 , wherein said steering means comprise at least one steerable wheel, which is mounted on said chassis so that it can rotate about a steering axis which is substantially perpendicular to the floor, and can be actuated so as to rotate by means of an actuatable steering element, said at least one steerable wheel being adapted to act on said first end of said at least one actuation rod in order to produce a translational motion of said at least one actuation rod along its own axis following a rotation of said at least one steerable wheel about said steering axis. 
     
     
         10 . The machine according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one actuation rod is connected, at said second end thereof, to lever means which act on said actuation arm to produce, following an axial translational motion of said at least one actuation rod achieved by way of a rotation of said at least one steerable wheel about said steering axis, an angular movement of said actuation arm about its own oscillation axis in the same direction as the rotation of said at least one steerable wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The machine according to  claim 8 , wherein said lever means comprise a first lever which is pivoted, at one of its ends, to said second end of said at least one actuation rod and, at the other end, to said chassis, and a second L-shaped lever which is pivoted with an intermediate region to said chassis, in contrast with second return means, and has one side of its L-shape pivoted to an end of a linkage which is articulated, at its other end, to an intermediate portion of said first lever, and the other side of the L-shape with a fork-shaped free end which engages said actuation arm. 
     
     
         12 . The machine according to  claim 5 , wherein said at least one steerable wheel has abutment means, which are designed to engage said first end of at least one actuation rod to apply an axial thrust to said at least one actuation rod in one direction or the other depending on the direction of rotation about said steering axis imparted to said at least one steerable wheel to turn said chassis.