Battery interchange system for battery powered floor maintenance equipment
AssigneeTennant Company
InventorsGregory P. Gallea, Laurence A. Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery powered floor maintenance machine is alignable with a battery docking station that can slidably receive a spent battery assembly from the floor maintenance machine. The floor maintenance machine includes locking and aligning mechanisms to safely attach the machine to the docking station. Once attached, the battery assembly is slid onto the docking station for recharge. The floor machine can be removed from the docking station and attached to a second charging station with a fully charged battery assembly thereon. The battery assembly can be slid from the second charging station to the floor maintenance machine, allowing the machine to be returned to service.
Claims24
An electrically powered floor maintenance machine, comprising:
- a battery assembly slidably attached between a front end and a back end of the floor maintenance machine;
- a docking side, the battery assembly slidable away from the floor maintenance machine at the docking side;
- a locking mechanism attached to the docking side of the floor maintenance machine;
- and
- wherein the docking side of the floor maintenance machine is alignable with a docking station so that the locking mechanism is engagable with the docking station, the battery assembly slidable from the floor maintenance machine to a slidable receiving member of the docking station when the locking mechanism is engaged with the docking station.
A method of interchanging a first battery assembly from an electrically powered floor maintenance machine, comprising:
- maneuvering the floor maintenance machine to align a docking side of the floor maintenance machine to a first docking station;
- engaging a locking mechanism of the floor maintenance machine with a lock receiving mechanism of the first docking station to positively attach the floor maintenance machine to the first docking station;
- sliding the first battery assembly from the floor maintenance machine to the first docking station to unload the first battery assembly;
- and
- disengaging the locking mechanism to release the floor maintenance machine from the first docking station.
A floor maintenance system, comprising:
- an electrically powered floor maintenance machine, comprising:
- a battery assembly slidably attached to the floor maintenance machine, the battery assembly slidable away from a docking side of the floor maintenance machine;
- and
- a locking mechanism on the docking side of the floor maintenance machine;
- a docking station, comprising:
- a receiving side, an alignment of the receiving side with the docking side of the floor maintenance machine defining an alignment configuration of the floor maintenance system;
- a battery receiving member for slidably receiving the battery assembly of the floor maintenance machine;
- and
- a lock receiving mechanism positively connectable to the locking mechanism of the floor maintenance machine in the alignment configuration of the floor maintenance system, a positive connection of the locking mechanism with the lock receiving mechanism defining an attached configuration of the floor maintenance system.
A battery replacement system for an electrically powered floor maintenance machine having a docking side and a locking means, comprising:
- a battery means slidably attached to the floor maintenance machine, the battery means slidable away from the docking side of the floor maintenance machine;
- and
- a docking station, comprising:
- a receiving side, an alignment of receiving side with the docking side of the floor maintenance machine defining an alignment configuration of the floor maintenance machine;
- a battery receiving means for slidably receiving the battery means;
- and
- a lock receiving means positively connectable to the locking means of the floor maintenance machine in the alignment configuration of the floor maintenance machine, a positive connection of the locking means with the lock receiving means defining an attached configuration of the floor maintenance machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.