U.S. patent application number 12/794297 was filed with the patent office on 2011-12-08 for flexible and interchangeable multi-head floor polishing disk assembly.
Invention is credited to Eric Gallup, Tchavdar V. Tchakarov.
Application Number | 20110300784 12/794297 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45064811 |
Filed Date | 2011-12-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110300784 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tchakarov; Tchavdar V. ; et
al. |
December 8, 2011 |
FLEXIBLE AND INTERCHANGEABLE MULTI-HEAD FLOOR POLISHING DISK
ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A disk assembly for use with floor grinding and/or polishing
machines. The disk assembly includes multiple cutting heads
attached to a flexible rubber disk, and a layer of hook and loop
type fastener material for attaching the disk assembly to the drive
plate of the floor grinding and/or polishing machine. The disk
assembly also includes a foam pad for attachment between the
flexible polishing disk and the drive plate to provide additional
support structure, and a rigid plate which can optionally be used
between the flexible polishing disk and the foam pad to maintain a
flat polishing surface.
Inventors: |
Tchakarov; Tchavdar V.;
(Monroe, MI) ; Gallup; Eric; (Rochester,
MI) |
Family ID: |
45064811 |
Appl. No.: |
12/794297 |
Filed: |
June 4, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/259 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24B 7/186 20130101;
B24D 7/066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/259 |
International
Class: |
B24B 7/18 20060101
B24B007/18; B24B 7/00 20060101 B24B007/00 |
Claims
1. A disk assembly comprising: a flexible disk having opposing
faces, an outer diameter and an inner diameter; and a plurality of
separate abrasive heads affixed to one face of the flexible
disk.
2. The disk assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fastening
mechanism affixed to the other face of the flexible disk.
3. The disk assembly of claim 2 further comprising a foam backing
pad attached to the flexible disk by the fastening mechanism.
4. The disk assembly of claim 2 further comprising a rigid metal
backing plate attached to the flexible disk by the fastening
mechanism.
5. The disk assembly of claim 4 further comprising a foam backing
pad attached to the rigid metal backing plate.
6. The disk assembly of claim 2 wherein the fastening mechanism is
a layer of loop-type fastener material.
7. The disk assembly of claim 1 wherein the abrasive heads are
diamond-impregnated abrasive heads.
8. The disk assembly of claim 1 wherein the flexible disk is
rubber.
9. The disk assembly of claim 1 wherein the abrasive heads are
permanently affixed to the flexible disk.
10. The disk assembly of claim 9 wherein the abrasive heads are
glued to the flexible disk.
11. The disk assembly of claim 1 wherein the abrasive heads are
detachably affixed to the flexible disk.
12. The disk assembly of claim 11 wherein the abrasive heads are
affixed to the flexible disk by a hook and loop material.
13. The disk assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of abrasive
heads includes a first group of abrasive heads arranged
substantially along the outer diameter of the flexible disk, and a
second group of abrasive heads arranged substantially along the
inner diameter of the flexible disk.
14. The disk assembly of claim 13 wherein the first and second
groups of cutting heads alternate in circumferential position
around the flexible disk.
15. The disk assembly of claim 1 wherein the abrasive heads are
round.
16. The disk assembly according to claim 1 wherein the disk
assembly is suitable for a burnishing machine.
17. A disk assembly for grinding and/or polishing floors,
comprising: a rubber disk having opposing faces, an outer diameter
and an inner diameter; a plurality of separate and round
diamond-impregnated abrasive heads rigidly affixed to one face of
the rubber disk; and a foam backing pad attached to the other face
of the rubber disk by a layer of hook and loop type fastener
material.
18. The disk assembly of claim 17 wherein the plurality of abrasive
heads includes a first group of cutting heads arranged
substantially along the outer diameter of the rubber disk, and a
second group of abrasive heads arranged substantially along the
inner diameter of the rubber disk.
19. The disk assembly of claim 18 wherein the first and second
group of abrasive heads alternate in circumferential position
around the rubber disk.
20. The disk assembly according to claim 17 wherein the disk
assembly is suitable for a burnishing machine.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to a multi-head disk
assembly for a floor grinding and/or polishing machine and, more
particularly, to a floor polishing disk assembly which includes
multiple abrasive heads, is flexible to better accommodate
unevenness in the floor surface, and uses a hook and loop fastener
material for attachment to a drive plate of a floor grinding and/or
polishing machine.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0004] Grinding and polishing machines have been used for many
years for finishing floors--including floors made of concrete,
granite, marble, terrazzo, epoxy, hardwood, vinyl, and other
materials. These machines include scrubber machines, swing
machines, buffer machines, planetary grinding machines,
counter-rotating grinders, burnishing machines, etc. These machines
may use multiple abrasive heads to do the work of grinding and
polishing the floor surface. The abrasive heads are available in a
variety of grit sizes, or levels of coarseness, to facilitate the
entire floor finishing process--from the rough grinding of the
floor as initially installed, to the fine polishing of the floor
surface to a finished condition.
[0005] In order for the abrasive heads to be changed from one grit
size to another, they are usually detachable from a drive plate of
the floor polishing machine. Some machines use a simple hook and
loop type fastener material to attach the individual abrasive heads
to the drive plate. Other machines use metal plug-type cutting head
tools which are inserted into tool holders on the drive plate.
While these existing designs allow the abrasive heads to be
interchanged, they require each individual abrasive head to be
changed separately, and this process can be somewhat time consuming
and error prone. This is especially true considering that many
floor polishing machines have multiple drive plates, with each
drive plate supporting multiple abrasive heads.
[0006] Furthermore, in the machines described above, the abrasive
heads are directly attached to the drive plate of the floor
polishing machine. This results in a rigid planar cutting surface
which does not readily conform to the uneven or curved surfaces
that are common in many floor applications. A need exists for a
abrasive head apparatus which can be used on existing floor
polishing machines, which allows some flexibility between the
individual abrasive heads, and which can be quickly and easily
changed from one grit size to another without handling multiple
components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a
grinding and/or polishing disk assembly is disclosed for use with a
floor grinding and/or polishing machine. The disk assembly includes
a thin flexible polishing disk having multiple abrasive heads and a
backing pad to allow deflection of the polishing disk as the
abrasive heads pass over uneven or curved floor surfaces. The
flexible polishing disk and backing pad can have a hook and loop
type fastener material on their surfaces that allows them to be
easily attached to and detached from each other and the drive plate
of the floor polishing machine.
[0008] Additional features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an underside view of a typical floor grinding and
polishing machine including three flexible disk assemblies;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an underside view of a typical floor grinding and
polishing machine including one disk assembly;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of one of the flexible disk
assemblies removed from the machine;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the disk assembly shown in FIG.
3;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a side view of the disk assembly shown in FIG.
3;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a section view of a backing pad that is part of
the disk assembly shown in FIG. 3; and
[0015] FIG. 7 is a section view of a rigid plate that can be part
of the disk assembly shown in FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0016] The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention
directed to a flexible and interchangeable multi-head floor
polishing disk assembly is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no
way intended to limit the invention or its applications or
uses.
[0017] The present invention proposes a disk assembly for use on a
floor grinding and/or polishing machine. The disk assembly includes
multiple abrasive heads integrated into a single flexible polishing
disk, and a foam backing pad which, in conjunction with the
flexibility of the polishing disk, allows the abrasive heads to
follow the contour of a curved or uneven floor surface. The disk
assembly features easy attachment to and detachment from the floor
grinding and polishing machine via hook and loop fastener material,
and may include an optional rigid backing plate for flat floor
applications.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows the bottom of a floor grinding and/or polishing
machine 10 typical of those available on the market today. The
machine 10 is intended to represent any known type of floor
grinding and/or polishing machine--including scrubber machines,
swing machines, buffer machines, planetary grinding machines,
counter-rotating grinders, burnishing machines, etc--that may have
a single or multiple drive plates. The machine 10 includes a
platform 12 with one or more rotating drive plates 14 each
including a protrusion 16. In some types of these machines there is
only one drive plate 14 that covers the entire diameter of the
platform 12. A flexible disk assembly 18 is mounted to each drive
plate 14 around the protrusion 16 in an easily attachable and
detachable manner, as will be described in detail below.
[0019] The diameter of the disk assembly 18 would be selected to
accommodate the particular machine that it is being with. FIG. 2
shows the machine 10 with a single disk assembly 18 as
representative of an alternate embodiment, where the disk assembly
18 would have a larger diameter.
[0020] FIG. 3 is an exploded view, FIG. 4 is a bottom view and FIG.
5 is a side view of one of the flexible disk assembly 18 removed
from the grinding and/or polishing machine 10. The disk assembly 18
is designed to be used as a tool which is attached to the drive
plate 14 of the machine 10, as shown. The disk assembly 18 includes
a backing pad 20, generally made of a rigid foam type material,
that is flexible and provides support for the disk assembly 18. The
backing pad 20 can be made of any interwoven material suitable for
the purposes described herein and having the desired firmness and
thickness. FIG. 6 is a section view of the backing pad 20 including
a foam material layer 22, an attachment layer 24 on one face of the
foam material layer 22 and an attachment layer 26 on an opposite
face of the foam material layer 22. In one non-limiting embodiment,
the attachment material layers 24 and 26 are a hook and/or loop
layer, such as VELCRO.RTM., although other attachment materials may
be applicable. The pad 20 also includes a central opening 28 that
aligns with the protrusion 16 on the drive plate 14. The attachment
layer 24 may provide an attachment device to attach the disk
assembly 18 to the drive plate 14.
[0021] The disk assembly 18 also includes a thin flexible disk 30
being made of a flexible material suitable for the purposes
described herein, such as rubber. The disk 30 is thinner that the
pad 20, where the pad 30 acts as a support layer for the disk 30.
The flexible disk 30 has the same diameter as the pad 20 so that
the central opening 28 of the pad 20 aligns with a central opening
32 in the flexible disk 30. The flexible disk 30 includes an
attachment layer 34 on one face directed towards the pad 20 which
can be the opposite hook and/or loop material as the attachment
layer 26 of the pad 20. In this manner, the flexible disk 30 is
removably attached to the pad 20. The flexible disk 30 also
includes an attachment layer 36, such as a hook and loop layer, on
an opposite face of the disk 30. In an alternate embodiment, the
openings 28 and 32 are not provided in the pad 20 and the disk 30,
respectively, as they are not necessary to attach the disk assembly
18 to the machine 10.
[0022] The disk assembly 18 also includes a plurality of round
abrasive heads 40 secured to the flexible disk 30 opposite to the
pad 20. In an alternate embodiment, the abrasive heads 40 are
permanently attached to the flexible disk 30, such as by glue,
where the flexible disk 30 would need to be removed from the pad 20
to change the abrasive heads 40. In this non-limiting embodiment,
the abrasive heads 40 are removably attached to the flexible disk
30 using an attachment layer 42 that corresponds to the attachment
layer 34. In this regard, each abrasive head 40 includes a hook or
loop layer that is opposite to the attachment layer 36 on the
flexible disk 30. The detachability of the abrasive heads 40 from
the flexible disk 30 would allow individual abrasive heads 40 to be
replaced in the event that they were damaged or become excessively
worn.
[0023] Many different types of abrasive heads 40 may be used, with
diamond-impregnated materials being among the most common. A
feature of many of the abrasive heads 40, especially the
diamond-impregnated type used to finish hard stone floor surfaces,
is that the abrasive head 40 is made up of many small elements of a
cutting material defined by a series of grooves 44 and raised lands
46 that provide the desired grinding, polishing, cleaning or
smoothing, such as different grit sizes, in a desired orientation.
The grooves 44 allow water and solid debris to flow out from under
the abrasive head 40 and be swept out to the side of the grinding
and polishing machine 10. The grooves 44 and lands 46 on the
abrasive head 40 can be arranged in many different patterns, with
circular and spiral patterns on round abrasive heads 40 being among
the most common designs.
[0024] The abrasive heads 40 can be positioned at any location on
the flexible disk 30, can include any suitable number of abrasive
heads, which would generally depend on the diameter of the disk
assembly 18, and/or have any suitable diameter. FIG. 4 shows one
representative embodiment, with two groups of three abrasive heads
40, each group of three being symmetrically spaced
circumferentially around the disk 30, and the two groups being
separated radially such that there is a small overlap between the
two groups. In FIG. 4, the inner group provides the abrasive heads
40 as being tangent to the central opening 32 of the flexible disk
30. Other embodiments are possible in which the inner group of the
abrasive heads 40 are placed farther from the center of the
flexible disk 30 than the radius of the central opening 32. This is
desirable in some configurations, depending on the overall size of
the disk assembly 18 and the intended rotational speed of
operation, because the abrasive heads 40 are not effective if they
do not have sufficient velocity relative to the floor surface.
Also, many variations in the number of abrasive heads 40 are
possible, including more or fewer than two groups of the heads 40,
with each group containing more or fewer than three abrasive heads
40. For example, a single group of abrasive heads 40 is possible,
in which each abrasive head 40 spans substantially the entire
distance from the central opening 32 to the outside diameter of the
flexible disk 30. Alternatively, two or more groups of abrasive
heads 40 may be included. This latter embodiment is especially
appropriate for larger sizes of the flexible disk 30, where the
most effective way to cover the larger surface area is through the
use of more individual abrasive heads 40. The abrasive heads 40 can
be any of a variety of sizes, depending on the overall size of the
flexible disk 30, and the number of abrasive heads 40 used.
[0025] From the discussion above, two advantages of the present
invention are readily apparent. The first advantage of the disk
assembly 18 is its bending flexibility. Some floor surfaces are
intended to be perfectly flat. But in many floor applications,
non-planar surfaces, both convex and concave, are present. Other
unevenness in the form of lippage, or height variation between
sections of the floor, may also be present. Typical floor grinding
and/or polishing machines have difficulty treating non-planar or
uneven surfaces, because these machines have their cutting heads
directly attached to a rigid drive plate. This makes such machines
desirable for finishing very flat planar floor surfaces, but less
desirable for finishing floors which contain unevenness or
curvature. In contrast, the embodiments of the present invention
allow the individual abrasive heads 40 to follow the contour of the
floor surface even if it is not flat. The flexible disk 30 is of a
sufficient thickness, for example, at least 2 mm, to provide enough
in-plane stiffness to drive the abrasive heads 40 in their circular
motion. However, the flexible disk 30, when attached to the backing
pad 20, allows a significant amount of flexibility or compliance in
the direction normal to the floor surface. This allows the
individual abrasive heads 40 to follow the contour of the floor
when there is curvature or unevenness.
[0026] The second advantage of the present invention is the ease
with which the abrasive heads 40 can be replaced. In a typical
floor grinding and polishing process, multiple grits, or levels of
coarseness, of the abrasive heads 40 are used in successive steps.
For example, a rough concrete or terrazzo floor as poured will
require a very coarse grit for the first pass of the grinding
machine 10. The coarse grit removes a relatively large amount of
floor material, resulting in a significantly smoother surface than
as-poured. The coarse grit is followed by a medium-coarse grit, and
so on until a very fine grit abrasive head 40 is used to create an
extremely smooth surface finish. The inevitable changing of
abrasive heads 40 can be time consuming and error prone when each
abrasive head 40 must be replaced individually. By combining all
abrasive heads 40 of a given grit size into a single polishing
disk, with a simple hook and loop type fastening surface, the
process of changing abrasive head grit sizes is significantly
simplified. In addition, having all of the abrasive heads of a
given grit size incorporated into a single polishing disk
eliminates the possibility of erroneously installing mismatched
abrasive heads on the grinding machine.
[0027] FIG. 7 is a section view of a rigid backing plate 50 which
can optionally be placed between the flexible disk 30 and the
backing pad 20. The rigid backing plate 50 includes a metal disk 52
of substantially the same size and shape as the flexible disk 30,
and of a thickness sufficient to prevent bending of the flexible
disk 30 or vertical motion of the abrasive heads 40 relative to
each other during operation, such thickness being at least 5 mm.
The rigid backing plate 50 includes an attachment layer 54 directed
toward the backing pad 20 which can be the opposite hook and/or
loop material as the attachment layer 26 of the pad 20. The rigid
backing plate 50 also includes an attachment layer 56 directed
toward the flexible disk 30 which can be the opposite hook and/or
loop material as the attachment layer 34 of the flexible disk 30.
The rigid backing plate 50 is intended to be used in conjunction
with the flexible disk 30 and the backing pad 20 when the floor
grinding or polishing application requires the abrasive heads 40 to
maintain a flat planar surface.
[0028] The disk assembly 18 as disclosed has been shown to be
effective when used on floor grinding and scrubbing machines, which
typically operate in the range of 135-300 rpm, and also to work
effectively on high-speed floor burnishing machines, which
typically operate in the range of 1200-3000 rpm.
[0029] The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely
exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the
art will readily recognize from such discussion and from the
accompanying drawings and claims that various changes,
modifications and variations can be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims.
* * * * *