Surface cleaning device and cleaning process for cleaning a planar floor surface

Abstract

Surface cleaning device for cleaning an floor surface comprising an inner space forming casing and a liquid dispenser positioned in the inner space. The liquid dispenser 3 comprises a motor driven rotor shaft which defines an axis of rotation. Rotor arms extend radially away from a rotor shaft. Each rotor arm comprises a blade to thrust a volume of liquid medium away from the inner space in a driving direction towards a casing outlet. The liquid dispenser comprises at least one nozzle for jetting a stream of liquid onto the floor surface. The at least one nozzle has a central axis which is inclined positioned in a forward direction with respect to the driving direction under an angle of inclination with respect to the axis of rotation.

1 . Surface cleaning device for cleaning a floor surface which surface cleaning device comprises:
 a casing and a liquid dispenser,   wherein the casing has a circumferential casing wall and a casing top wall which form an inner space, wherein the casing has a casing outlet for discharging a volume of liquid medium away from the inner space,   wherein the liquid dispenser is positioned inside the inner space and arranged to dispense a liquid medium onto the floor surface, and   wherein the liquid dispenser comprises:
 a rotor including a rotor shaft which defines an axis of rotation and including at least one rotor arm which extends radially away from the rotor shaft; 
 a motor for rotationally driving the rotor in a driving direction about the axis of rotation; 
 at least one blade connected to the at least one rotor arm which blade has a blade face to thrust a volume of liquid medium during a rotation of the rotor from the inner space in the driving direction towards the casing outlet; and 
 at least one nozzle connected to the at least one rotor arm for jetting a stream of liquid onto the floor surface, wherein the at least one nozzle has a central axis which is inclined positioned in a forward direction with respect to the driving direction of the rotor under an acute angle of inclination α with respect to the axis of rotation, such that in operation a liquid stream is jetted onto the floor surface, wherein the liquid stream is directed forwardly with respect to the driving direction of the rotor. 
   
     
     
         2 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the angle of inclination α is at least 5°, in particular at most 50°. 
     
     
         3 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein all nozzles are oriented under the same angle of inclination. 
     
     
         4 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle is positioned behind a blade which blade and nozzle are connected to the same rotor arm, such that the at least one nozzle is—seen in a frontal projection in the driving direction—fully shielded by the blade. 
     
     
         5 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a plurality of rotor arms, wherein each rotor arm is provided with a blade. 
     
     
         6 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotor comprises at least one rotor arm which is provided with a blade and is free of a nozzle, which at least one rotor arm is a so-called blade arm, wherein, in particular, at least half of the amount of rotor arms is a blade arm. 
     
     
         7 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 6 , wherein the rotor comprises along its periphery a sequence of rotor arms of alternately a rotor arm with a nozzle, a so-called nozzle arm, and a rotor arm without a nozzle, a so-called blade arm. 
     
     
         8 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotor comprises a plurality of rotor arms which are spaced in rotational symmetry, in particular in 8-fold rotational symmetry. 
     
     
         9 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises an amount of rotor arm pairs, wherein each rotor arm of each rotor arm pair includes a nozzle which is positioned at a same radial distance. 
     
     
         10 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 8 , wherein the rotor comprises at least a first and second nozzle arm, wherein the first nozzle arm includes a first nozzle which is positioned at a first radius, and wherein the second nozzle arm includes a second nozzle which is positioned at a second radius, wherein the first radius is larger than the second radius. 
     
     
         11 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 10 , wherein the rotor further comprises at least a third and in particular a fourth nozzle arm, wherein the third nozzle arm includes a third nozzle which is positioned at a third radius, and wherein in particular the fourth nozzle arm includes a fourth nozzle which is positioned at a fourth radius, wherein the third radius is smaller than the first and second radius, and wherein in particular the fourth radius is smaller than the third radius. 
     
     
         12 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle arm is provided with a single nozzle. 
     
     
         13 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein each blade face is positioned under a blade angle of at most 50° with respect to the axis of rotation, such that in operation the blade exerts a lifting thrust on a volume of liquid medium. 
     
     
         14 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface cleaning device is a surface cleaning device configured to clean a planar surface with an open structure, in particular to clean a sportsfield. 
     
     
         15 . Surface cleaning device according to  claim 14 , wherein the surface cleaning device is a sportsfield cleaning device. 
     
     
         16 . Vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a surface cleaning device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . Cleaning process for cleaning a planar floor surface, wherein use made of a surface cleaning device according to  claim 1  comprising:
 placing the surface cleaning device onto the floor surface which has to be cleaned; 
 supplying liquid medium from a liquid feed supply; 
 moving the surface cleaning device across the floor surface; 
 operating the liquid dispenser of the surface cleaning device by rotationally driving the rotor in a driving direction; 
 jetting a liquid stream onto the floor surface, wherein the liquid stream is under an acute angle of inclination with respect to an axis of rotation and directed forwardly with respect to the driving direction of the rotor.