# US 11,998,148 B2 · Floor cleaning machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,148 B2 - Document ID: US11998148B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/749,692 - Filed: 2022-05-20 - Published: 2022-09-22 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-12 - Assignees: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG - Inventors: Alexander Braendle; Manuel Schulze; Fabian Moser; Moritz Irion; Swen Sorgenfrei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998148B2 ## CPC - A47L 11/26: Floor-scrubbing machines, hand-driven (A47L11/29 takes precedence) - A47L 11/34: Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam - A47L 5/24: Hand-supported suction cleaners - A47L 9/0411: {driven by electric motor} - A47L 9/322: {for hand-supported suction cleaners} - A47L 11/204: having combined drive for brushes and for vacuum cleaning - A47L 11/302: {having rotary tools} - A47L 11/4016: {specially adapted for collecting fluids} - A47L 11/4041: {Roll shaped surface treating tools} - A47L 11/4044: {Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees} - A47L 11/4083: {Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices} - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract A floor cleaning machine is provided, in particular a hand-guided and/or hand-held floor cleaning machine, including a support device, at least one cleaning roller arranged on the support device, capable of being driven in rotation and provided with a cleaning substrate, said cleaning substrate being made of a textile material; and at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller that includes a first and a spaced second mouth wall having a mouth opening therebetween, wherein the first mouth wall is positioned above the second mouth wall relative to the direction of gravity, wherein the first and/or second mouth wall protrude(s) into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A floor cleaning machine, comprising: a support device; at least one cleaning roller which is arranged on the support device, is capable of being driven in rotation and is provided with a cleaning substrate; a fan device for creating a suction flow; a suction channel device for the suction flow which provides at least one suction channel operatively connected for fluid communication between the fan device and the at least one cleaning roller; wherein the at least one suction channel has at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller and wherein the at least one mouth comprises a first mouth wall and a spaced second mouth wall having a mouth opening formed therebetween; and wherein at least one of the first mouth wall and the second mouth wall is in contact against or protrudes into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller; and at least one sweeping lip associated with the at least one cleaning roller; wherein the at least one sweeping lip is configured such that it contacts the floor that is to be cleaned. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is arranged behind the cleaning roller with respect to a front end of the floor cleaning machine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is arranged and configured such that coarse dirt between the at least one sweeping lip and the at least one cleaning roller is picked up by the at least one cleaning roller and delivered to the at least one mouth. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is at least one of moveably arranged and moveably configured. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first mouth wall is positioned above the second mouth wall relative to the direction of gravity when the at least one cleaning roller is placed on a floor that is to be cleaned. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of an end face of the first mouth wall and an end face of the second mouth wall is at least approximately parallel to an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate or protrudes thereinto and the second mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller or is spaced therefrom or protrudes thereinto, or wherein the second mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate or protrudes thereinto and the first mouth wall is in contact against the cleaning substrate or protrudes thereinto or is spaced therefrom. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second mouth wall is arranged upstream of the first mouth wall with respect to a direction of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a distance of an end face of the first mouth wall from an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller is less than a distance of an end face of the second mouth wall from said axis of rotation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning liquid container is provided which is operatively connected for fluid communication with the at least one cleaning roller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 10, wherein the at least one cleaning liquid container is arranged on a user holding unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of (i) the fan device is arranged on the support device and (ii) the suction channel device is arranged on the support device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the suction channel device comprises a housing in which the at least one suction channel is arranged or formed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a dirty liquid container is provided, said dirty liquid container being associated with a separator device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 14, wherein the dirty liquid container is arranged at the suction channel device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support device has arranged thereon a user holding unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 16, wherein a pivot axis of the joint is oriented parallel to an axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 16, wherein the user holding unit comprises a stick device, said stick device having a handle located thereon. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a direction of rotation of the at least one cleaning roller is from a line of contact with the floor to be cleaned towards the second mouth wall and then towards the first mouth wall. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping lip is arranged at the suction channel device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping lip isolates a space behind the at least one cleaning roller and below the suction channel device towards the floor to be cleaned from the at least one cleaning roller when the at least one cleaning roller is placed on the floor. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a supplementary air device to be provided by way of which a supply of supplementary air is provided to the at least one cleaning roller. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 22, wherein the supplementary air device comprises at least one channel having at least one outlet-side mouth for supplementary air that is oriented towards the at least one cleaning roller. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 23, wherein the at least one outlet-side mouth for supplementary air is arranged between the at least one mouth for suction flow and the at least one sweeping lip. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 23, wherein the at least one channel has at least one inlet-side mouth for supplementary air via which supplementary air is capable of being coupled in. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 25, wherein the at least one inlet-side mouth is arranged on an underside of the suction channel device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 25, wherein the at least one channel is routed along the suction channel device. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The floor cleaning machine in accordance with claim 25, wherein the at least one channel is routed to the fan device.