DE19834431A1 - Device and method for automatically cleaning moving walkways in particular - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for automatic cleaning of surfaces, especially moving pavements, comprising at least one brush element (5), one spraying device (9) for cleaning fluid (10) and a suction device (11) for suctioning dirt from a suctioning area substantially sealed off from the outside. In order to enable adequate and effective cleaning, the dirt is directly suctioned from the cleaned surface into a suctioning area disposed between the brush element (5) and a spaced sealing element (6).

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for automatic cleaning of surfaces, in particular moving walks, with at least one brush element, at least one spray device for cleaning liquid and at least one Ab Suction device for sucking off impurities and / or cleaning fluid from at least one suction space which is essentially sealed off from the outside.

Such a device is known from German published patent application DE-195 27 562 A1 known. Devices of this type are used to clean moving walks, such as they are used, for example, in department stores, subways or airports. The The problem with this is that these moving walks generally recessed profiled grooves Surfaces have the kind you know from escalators and are therefore difficult to close are clean.

According to the proposal described in the aforementioned OS by a with Reini sprayed, rotating pre-cleaning brush and especially by egg ne spaced, rotating roller brush dirt particles in the to clean groove-profiled surface solved and by a suction device from the Rota suction area of the roller brush. To increase the effectiveness of the suction device The rotation space becomes largely outward through comb-like structures sealed, which engage in the grooves of the moving walks.

However, the known device has the disadvantage that a given comb art structure only in a single groove shape corresponding to its comb structure can intervene and not be used for any differently grooved surfaces can be detected. If there are stones or other in the grooves of the surface to be cleaned compact body, the seal of the rotation space and thus the Ab suction effect is reduced even further, since the comb-like structures no longer fit into the Grooves of the surface to be cleaned can intervene.  

Since also the suction in the rotation space of the roller brush essentially done above the brush, there is no direct suction on the one to be cleaned Surface instead, which carries the risk that there is liquid in the grooves is not completely suctioned off. However, liquid that has not been sucked out can be removed by the cross slots between the individual moving walk segments (steps) penetrate below and also lead to faults in the control system and the like.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide an apparatus and a method for automati cleaning of surfaces, especially moving walks, with the differently profiled surfaces can be cleaned cleanly and effectively.

To achieve this object, the device according to the invention comprises the features of claim 1 and the inventive method, the features of the claim 13. Advantageous refinements are the subject of dependent claims.

In the device according to the invention is spaced from the cleaning direction at least one brush element attached a sealing element and in the between the at least one brush element and the sealing element located the Suction chamber realized, the suction device in the suction chamber directly above of the surface to be cleaned. The at least one serves in particular Brush element to remove contaminants on the surface to be cleaned, the charged them. The brush element can e.g. B. fixed to the device be and a cleaning effect by relative movement of the device to reini area. Alternatively, the brush element can also be inside the device tion between two positions to be slidably arranged so that it when cleaning over the surface to be cleaned rubs while the device itself rests.

Since there is no suction in the rotation space of a roller brush into which it is to be extracted the contaminants according to the prior art only by the roller brush trans must be ported, but immediately above the surface to be cleaned, on the the contaminants to be extracted can be effectively cleaned and cleaned be sucked.  

The suction chamber can be sealed by brushing or possibly by Rubber slats happen that adapt to different profiles and therefore a sealing effect in the grooves even with different groove spacings produce. In particular, any small parts that may be stuck can then be present le such as stones or the like. Do not affect the sealing effect.

An improved cleaning effect can be achieved in that the at least one Brush element and / or the sealing element is a rotatingly driven brush element ment, especially a roller brush. By rotating the brush element quickly The dirt on the surface to be cleaned is effectively loosened and removed.

Are the at least one brush element and also very advantageous Embodiment of the invention realized as a rotating brush sealing element against continuously driven rotating, so that their tangential speeds in Beaufschla area on the surface to be cleaned essentially in the direction of the dazwi the suction chamber, it is possible to remove the loosened impurities and / or the cleaning liquid essentially on the area between the the rotating brush elements, d. H. especially to concentrate on the suction chamber trieren, which ensures that largely all of the cleaning liquid and the dissolved contaminants are detected and removed without cleaning liquid undesirable in the gaps between the individual moving steps and in the lateral moving wall can penetrate.

The suction device advantageously comprises concentrating means for concentrating the Suction power in chronological order on individual sub-areas of the entire effect range te of the suction device. The suction power per surface is therefore in a time interval, in which a partial area is subjected to the full suction power, larger than if the Suction power is evenly distributed over the entire possible suction area. Consequently can a vacuum pump used to generate the vacuum at the same Suction power can be dimensioned smaller, which then both a more compact construction as well as a reduction in operating costs.

In this case, the suction device is equipped with at least one suction opening hen, for example, is circular or slit-shaped, and the suction  device operated so that the area facing the area to be cleaned at least one suction opening a largely reciprocating, transverse to the ver running direction of the moving walk, it is possible, despite time The concentration of the suction power on individual sub-areas all in all entire width of the suction space existing dissolved impurities and / or Aspirate cleaning liquid.

In an advantageous embodiment, the suction device comprises an inner Weitge hend hollow suction roller, the circumference with at least one suction opening for Ab suction is provided. In this case it is possible, for example, to concentrate the suction power on sections of the suction device controlled by the to Valves facing the cleaning surface with the help of an appropriate time control enable and the contaminants sucked into the interior of the suction roller (or Cleaning liquid) via a suction pipe attached to the suction roller into a To transport the container.

In a very advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the Kon centering the suction power on individual sections with a simple mechani construction in the form of a rotating driven suction roller with on the Circumferentially distributed suction slots is realized. The shape and arrangement voltage of the slots is chosen so that the surface to be cleaned facing te area of these slots / openings when the suction roller rotates across the width of the Suction room back and forth.

The drive for the rotating suction roller, the brush element and the seal ment in the form of a rotating brush can by an electric motor, the be can preferably be frequency controlled, e.g. B. derived via appropriate gears the.

Furthermore, the device can comprise at least two suction spaces, the spac stands in the edge areas of the device are realized, so that in between certain free space remains, in which, for. B. the laxative from the suction rollers Hose lines and other elements can be accommodated, with the result that the outside, in the cleaning insert to the lateral limits of the  Moving walkway facing device surfaces without disabilities up to this limit tongues can suffice and thus cleaning right up to the side loading border is possible.

In order to save cleaning fluid, the at least one roller brush that is in Combination with the cleaning liquid to detach the impurities leads to be sprayed directly through the spray device.

An inventive method for cleaning a moving walk using the The device according to the invention provides this so on a moving walk, for. B. immediately behind the entrance, park and either by attached to the device mechanical fasteners attached to the sidewalls of the moving walk grip, or to be held there by an operator during cleaning ten, whereby the position of the device when cleaning even a running one Moving walk is essentially maintained. Depending on the width of the moving walk by moving laterally after a single or multiple circulation of the Moving band then the entire area can be processed.

The running or stopping of the moving walk belt by one at the is advantageous Device attached control that z. B. via an interface or the like. With the Moving walk control can communicate automatically regulated. Then that's it e.g. B. possible, after a predetermined number of cycles, the cleaning process au stop tomatically.

Is the at least one brush element and / or the sealing element rotating? driven brush element, especially designed as a roller brush, so be preferably the speed of rotation of these brush elements controlled so that the se is greater than the moving speed of the moving walk. This allows the bur Most elements are driven so that the dissolved impurities and / or Cleaning fluid on the moving walk belt to be cleaned into the suction chamber to get promoted.

Especially when the device has two spaced Ab suction rooms, the cleaning is carried out so that the two of the first  in both suction areas of the moving walkway strips and the Vorrich tion is then laterally displaced so that then the initially not cleaned Partial strips are edited. Thus, despite the separation into at least two sides next to each other spaced suction rooms easy cleaning a ge entire moving band can be achieved.

The invention is further explained below with reference to the drawings.

It shows:

Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional side view of an inventive pre direction that is positioned on a moving walkway belt,

Fig. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the device shown in FIG. 1 and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the suction roller of a device according to the invention.

The device 1 according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 is positioned on the tread 2 egg nes endless moving walkway 26 . The tread 2 has a grooved surface with a groove depth D. The device 1 comprises a housing 3 which is supported by running wheels 4 and can therefore be easily moved and transported. The wheels can be height-adjustable in a manner not shown in order to adjust the height of the machine to different groove depths or also for use on smooth, flat surfaces. In the housing 3 , a brush element 5 and a sealing element 6 are mounted in the form of roller brushes. The brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 are on the circumference with bristles 7 , in particular made of plastic, densely occupied. These elastic bristles 7 act on the tread or moving walk belt 2 and engage in the depth D in the profiled grooves 8 . The brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 rotate in opposite directions about their central axis M1 or M2, which extends parallel to the moving surface in direction B perpendicular to the running direction L of the moving belt, and in such a way that dirt and cleaning fluid in the lying between the brushes 5 and 6 be moved.

A spray device 9 is also accommodated in the housing and comprises nozzles arranged at a distance from one another on a carrier rod 22 (cf. FIG. 2). which are used for direct spraying of the brush element 5 with a cleaning liquid 10 . In the suction chamber 11 that is formed between the brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 , the suction device 11 is integrated, which comprises a suction roller 12 driven to rotate about the center point axis C. The suction roller 12 is integrated in the Ge housing 3 that only a narrow, transverse to the direction across the width of the tread extending strip 13 of only about 1 to 3 cm wide on the underside of the housing 3 remains free by the dirt and Cleaning liquid can be sucked off the surface of the moving walk belt 2 . The suction roller is completely enclosed by a housing wall 30 over the remaining circumferential surface, so that the negative pressure generated in the roller concentrates essentially on the lower part in the region of the strip 13 . The surfaces of the brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 are up to the support areas of the bristles 7 on the moving band 2 transversely to the direction L surrounded by housing wall parts and thus integrated in the housing 3 that through the dense bristle of the brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 , which engage in the grooves 8 of the moving belt 2 in direction B and by their enclosure with housing parts in the area between the brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 of the suction chamber 14 , which is sealed so far that an effective vacuum at least in the immediate loading can be generated richly below the strip 13 . The Chen in the suction chamber 14 , in particular by the cleaning function of the roller brushes 5 and 6 loosened impurities 15 and cleaning liquid 10 therein are effectively sucked off by the suction device 11 .

The device 1 may further include a control unit 24 , e.g. B. comprise a microprocessor, which controls, inter alia, the rotation of the brush element 5 , the sealing element 6 and the suction roller 12 , and the spraying of the brush element 5 with cleaning fluid 10 by the spray device 9 , the individual elements 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 are connected to the control unit 24 via corresponding electrical lines 25 . In addition, a connection to a control device of the moving walk 26 can be provided via a corresponding interface cable in order to automatically control the movement state of the moving walk belt 2 during the cleaning process by the device 1 .

In Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a bottom view of the device shown in Fig. 1 Darge shown according to an embodiment of the invention. Parts with the same function are designated with the same reference symbols as in FIG. 1.

The device 1 is designed on the underside essentially mirror-symmetrical to the plane S. In particular, it comprises two suction spaces 14 which are spaced apart, forming an intermediate space 20 on two opposite side walls 3 a of the housing 3 . The suction spaces 14 are in turn bounded at the front and rear by the brush element 5 and the sealing element 6 .

Between the brush elements 5 and the sealing elements 6 are, in turn, as already described, the suction rollers 12 , each of which is connected via a suction nozzle 18 to a suction tube 19 , which is laterally out of the suction space 14 via a rotary leadthrough through the space between the two suction spaces 14 20 to means not shown for generating negative pressure and to collecting containers for collecting the extracted impurities 15 and / or the extracted cleaning liquid 10 is performed. A suitable collecting container and / or the suction pump can either be integrated in the device 1 or are attached externally.

The drive of the brush elements 5 , the sealing elements 6 and the suction rollers 12 can be derived from an electric motor attached to the device via gear elements, of which the last in the drive chain for the brush elements 5 and the sealing elements 6 in Fig. 2 with the reference numeral 28 and those of the suction rollers 12 are provided with the reference number 29 . The planet gears transmitted to this toothed wheel of 28 , 29 are not shown, but it turns out that when the drive is derived from only one motor, the drive train for the sealing element 6 must have one gear wheel more than the drive train for the brush element 5 in order to achieve the opposite direction of rotation to realize.

As can be seen even better in FIG. 3, each suction roller 12 is provided with spirally arranged opening slots 21 . Through the free housing strip 13 of the otherwise completely encased suction roller 12 , the impurities 15 that have accumulated in the suction space 14 and the cleaning liquid collected there 10 can be suctioned off in the area immediately above the moving belt 2 to be cleaned by the areas 23 of the opening slots 21 facing the strip 13 . This concentration of suction power only on sections of the strip 13 at any particular point in time ensures a high suction effect.

For direct spraying of the two brush elements 5 , spray devices 9 with spaced nozzles are arranged approximately parallel to the brush elements 5 , which spray them with cleaning liquid 10 . This cleaning fluid passes through an inflow pipe 22 , which also serves as a fastening rod for the nozzles, to the nozzles, the inflow pipe 22 being connected either to a storage container integrated in the housing 3 or to an external container for cleaning liquid 10 , which cannot are shown.

In Fig. 3, the suction roll is shown in perspective 12th It consists of a cylinder which is largely hollow in the interior and rotates about its axis of rotation C. The cylinder jacket 27 is provided with spiral-shaped opening slots 21 . The course, the number and the length of the slots is chosen so that after a complete rotation of the roller, the suction areas 23 have migrated at least once over the entire width B 'of the strip 13 , that is, the concentrated suction power at least at every point of the strip was once present, to remove the contaminations 15 to be extracted and the cleaning liquid 10 from the suction chamber 14 into the hollow suction roller 12 and into a collecting container attached via a suction pipe. The shape of the suction roll openings 21 is not limited to an elongated training, for example, spiral rows of holes are also conceivable on the suction roll surface.

The device described above can be used, in particular, to carry out the claimed method as follows: To clean a moving walkway belt 2 , which is built up from successive step or step elements 31 (cf. FIG. 1), the cleaning machine is operated by an operator on the not always fully shown, but indicated in Fig. 1 handle 32 held and supported on the wheels 4 z. B. at the beginning of a moving belt 2 , example, with a side wall 3 a of the housing 3 flush to a lateral wall of the moving in the direction L moving belt 2 . The machine 1 is largely held by the operator or possibly also by mechanical fastening means largely unchangeable even when the moving belt 2 is running. For purification, the brush element 5 is then directly sprayed with cleaning liquid 10 through the flushing device 9, the brush element 5 in the region of the bearing surface of the moving walkway belt 2 in the running direction L of the moving walkway belt 2 in Ro tationsrichtung rotates driven U1. The speed of rotation (T1) of the Bür stenelementes 5 is preferably set so that it is greater than the speed of the moving walk 26 in the direction L. Thus, be brushed with cleaning liquid brushes 7 of the brush element 5 , which open the groove-profiled moving walk belt 2 , loosen impurities 15 and - also supported by the direction of travel of the moving walk - transport them forward into the area of the suction chamber 14 . At the same time, the sealing roller 6 is driven in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation U1 of the brush element 5 in the direction of rotation U2, preferably with the same amount of rotation speed (T2) as the brush element 5 . As a result, the dissolved impurities 15 and the cleaning liquid 10 are kept substantially in the loading area of the suction chamber 14 or are continuously thrown back into the sealing roller and thus concentrated there. The arranged between brush element 5 and sealing element 6 suction roller 12 rotates about its axis of rotation C, whereby the given by overlap with the free strips 13 of the housing 3 suction areas 23 in a largely oscillating movement in time sequence the total te extending in the direction B width Paint over B 'of the suction chamber 14 . Due to this concentrating suction in time sequence to individual areas of the suction device 11 in the suction chamber 14 in the suction chamber 14 which collects impurities 15 and the cleaning liquid 10 can be effectively sucked off immediately above the surface to be cleaned.

After cleaning two moving walkway strips given by the two suction spaces 10 of the device 1 , the device 1 is laterally displaced on the moving walk belt 2 in such a way that in the following cleaning process, previously not cleaned moving walkway strips, e.g. B. the passage not cleaned by the gap 20 during the previous cleaning pass of the moving belt 2 can be cleaned.

Claims (16)

1. Device ( 1 ) for automatically cleaning surfaces ( 2 ), in particular moving walks ( 26 ), with

• - at least one brush element ( 5 ),
• - At least one spray device ( 9 ) for cleaning liquid ( 10 ) and
• at least one suction device ( 11 ) for sucking off the impurities ( 15 ) and / or the cleaning liquid ( 10 ) from at least one suction space ( 14 ) which is essentially sealed off from the outside,
  characterized in that
• - At a distance from the at least one brush element ( 5 ) a sealing element ( 6 ) is attached that
• - The at least one suction space ( 14 ) is arranged in the space between the at least one brush element ( 5 ) and the sealing element ( 6 ) and
• - Sucks off the at least one suction device ( 11 ) in the suction chamber ( 14 ) directly above the surface ( 2 ) to be cleaned.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that for sealing the at least one suction chamber ( 14 ) brush or rubber lamellae ( 7 ) or the like are attached to the device ( 1 ) which act on the surface to be cleaned ( 2 ). 3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one brush element ( 5 ) is a rotatingly driven brush element, in particular a roller brush. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one sealing element ( 6 ) is a rotatingly driven brush element, in particular a roller brush. 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 and 4, characterized in that the at least one brush element ( 5 ) and the sealing element ( 6 ) rotate in opposite directions, so that their tangential speeds (T1, T2) in the application area on the surface to be cleaned ( 2 ) in are essentially directed towards the suction chamber ( 14 ). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the at least one suction device tion (11) to the concentrating agent comprises least Concentrating the suction power in a time sequence to individual sections of the minde a suction device (11). 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that that of the facing surface to be cleaned (2) region (23) of the minutes least one suction opening (21) has a largely oscillating at least one suction device (11) comprises at least one suction opening (21) and Movement ent along the width (B ') of the at least one suction space ( 14 ). 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the at least one suction device ( 11 ) comprises an internally largely hollow suction roll ( 12 ) with at least one suction opening ( 21 ). 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the suction roller ( 12 ) is driven in rotation and the at least one suction opening ( 21 ) is slit-shaped or spiral-shaped. 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the device ( 1 ) comprises at least two suction spaces ( 14 ) which extend through egg NEN space ( 20 ) spaced up to two opposite edge areas of the device ( 1 ) . 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the at least one brush element ( 5 ) by the at least one Sprüheinrich device ( 9 ) is sprayed directly. 12. The device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the device ( 1 ) a motor control for controlling the speed of rotation of the at least one brush element ( 5 ), the sealing element ( 6 ) and the suction roller ( 12 ), if they rotate are driven. 13. A method for cleaning a moving walk ( 26 ), wherein a device ( 1 ) is positioned according to at least one of claims 1 to 12 on the moving walk ( 26 ) and the cleaning operation is carried out with the moving device belt ( 2 ) running with the device essentially unchanged becomes. 14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that during the cleaning process, the brush element ( 5 ) in the area of the contact surface on the moving belt ( 2 ) rotates in the running direction (L) of the moving walk ( 26 ) and the sealing element ( 6 ) rotates in opposite directions thereto, wherein the rotational speed amounts (T1, T2) of the brush element ( 5 ) and / or the sealing element ( 6 ) are greater than the running speed of the moving belt ( 2 ). 15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the device ( 1 ) after cleaning two by the at least two Absaugräu me ( 14 ) certain moving lane strips is offset so that previously uncleaned moving lane strips are cleaned. 16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the running speed of the moving belt ( 2 ) is automatically controlled by a control unit ( 24 ) attached to the device ( 1 ).