Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01H—STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING OR PREVENTING FOG IN GENERAL CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS
  • E01H1/00—Removing undesirable matter from roads or like surfaces, with or without moistening of the surface
  • E01H1/08—Pneumatically dislodging or taking-up undesirable matter or small objects; Drying by heat only or by streams of gas; Cleaning by projecting abrasive particles
  • E01H1/0863—Apparatus loosening or removing the dirt by blowing and subsequently dislodging it at least partially by suction ; Combined suction and blowing nozzles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/24—Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
  • A47L11/4036—Parts or details of the surface treating tools
  • A47L11/4044—Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees

Definitions

• the present invention relates to factory and sidewalk sweepers, and more particularly to pick-up heads for factory and sidewalk sweepers.
• Sidewalk sweepers and factory floor sweepers of various types are used to sweep debris in many different types of locations.
• Sidewalk sweepers are typically used to sweep sidewalks, parking lots, and so on, and must sweep along curbs and the sides of buildings in order to sweep dust and debris that is adjacent to the curbs and buildings.
• Factory floor sweepers are typically used to sweep aisle ways in factories and warehouses, and the like.
• a novel pick-up head for a mobile sweeping vehicle comprises a housing defining a substantially hollow interior and having a front, a back, a left end and a right end, a top and a bottom, a suctioning bottom opening for suctioning dust and small debris into the substantially hollow interior of the housing.
• a fan means has an air inlet and an air outlet.
• the air outlet is connected in fluid communication to the at least one re-circulating air inlet of the housing for providing a source of high velocity re-circulating afr for introduction to the housing.
• the air inlet is operatively connected in fluid communication to the dust and debris outlet of the housing for removing debris-laden air therefrom, There is a selectively operable motor means for operating the fan means.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the pick-up head according to the present invention, in use on a mobile sweeping vehicle;
• Figure 2 is a top plan view of the first preferred embodiment pick-up head of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the first preferred embodiment pick-up head of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 4 is a top plan view of the second preferred embodiment pick-up head according to the present invention, in use on a mobile sweeper vehicle;
• Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the second preferred embodiment pick-up head of Figure 4.
• Figure 6 is a top plan view of the third preferred embodiment pick-up head according to the present invention, in use on a mobile sweeper vehicle;
• Figure 7 is a perspective view from the front of the third preferred embodiment pick-up head of Figure 6.
• Figures 1 through 7 of the drawings illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the variable width pick-up head of the present invention
• Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a second preferred embodiment of the variable width pick-up head of the present invention
• Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the variable width pick-up head of the present invention.
• the pick-up head 20 for a mobile sweeping vehicle 22 comprises a housing 30 defining a substantially hollow interior 31 and having a front 32, a back 33, a left end 34 and a right end 35, a top 36 and a bottom 37.
• a suctioning bottom opening 38 for suctioning dust and small debns, such as dirt and small stones, and the like, into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the housing 30.
• the at least one re-circulating air inlet comprises a left re-circulating air inlet disposed at the left end of the pick-up head and a right re-circulating air inlet disposed at the right end of the pick-up head.
• a dust and debris outlet 39 in the housing 30 for permitting dust and debris to be suctioned from the substantially hollow interior 31 of the housing 30 into a hopper 23 that is mounted at the back of the mobile sweeping vehicle 22, via a duct 26.
• the dust and debris outlet 39 is preferably disposed in the back 33 of the housing 30, so as to take advantage of the relative travel of debris with respect to the pick-up head 20 as the mobile sweeping vehicle 22 travels forwardly.
• the pick-up head 20 further comprises a suctioning front opening 60 disposed in the front of the housing 30 for receiving debris into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the housing 30, and in debris receiving relation with respect to a surface being cleaned.
• the suctioning front opening 60 is disposed generally centrally in the front of the housing 30.
• the dust and debris outlet 39 is generally centrally disposed in the back of the housing 30, so as to be generally laterally aligned with the suctioning front opening 60.
• the suctioning front opening 60 needs to be large enough to accept large debris, such as most sizes of cans and bottles therethrough.
• a selectively openable and closable door means 70 is operatively mounted on the pick-up head 20, at the suctioning front opening 60, for selectively opening and closing the suctioning front opening 60.
• the openable and closeable door means 70 comprises at least one door member mounted in hinged relation on the housing 30.
• the openable and closeable door means 70 comprises a single door 70 mounted by means of a horizontally oriented top hinge 72.
• the at least one door member 70 is mounted so as to open inwardly into the substantially hollow interior 31 of the housing 30. in this manner, the door member 70 opens in the same direction as the relative travel of debris with respect to the pick-up head 20 as the mobile sweeping vehicle 22 travels forwardly.
• the fan means 80 having an air inlet and an air outlet.
• the fan means 80 comprises a left blower fan 80a and a right blower fan 80b.
• the air outlet 82a of the left blower fan 80a is connected in fluid communication to the left air inlet 30a at the left end of the housing 30.
• the air outlet 82b of the right blower fan 80b is also connected in fluid communication to the right re-circulating air inlet 30b at the right end of the housing 30.
• the blower fans 80a, 80b accordingly provide a source of high velocity re-circulating air for introduction to the housing 30.
• the air inlet 81a of the left blower fan 80a is operatively connected in fluid communication to the dust and debris outlet 39 of the housing 30 through a left return air hose 84a and via the hopper 23 and air filter (not shown), for removing debris therefrom.
• the air inlet 81 b of the right blower fan 80a is operatively connected in fluid communication to the dust and debris outlet 39 of the bousing 30 through a right return air hose 84b and via the hopper 23 and air filter (not shown), for removing debris therefrom.
• the selectively operable motor mean comprises a high speed electric motor 86a, 86b, in the left blower fan 80a and the right blower fan 80b, respectively.
• the dust, dirt and debris are suctioned to the hopper 23 and filter, and the filtered air is returned to the left blower fen 80a through the left return air hose 84a and to the right blower fan 80a through the right return air hose 84b.
• FIG. 4 and 5 show a second preferred embodiment of the pick-up head according to the present invention, as indicated by reference numeral 220.
• the second preferred embodiment pick-up head 220 is similar to the first preferred embodiment pick-up head 20, except that there is only one single blower fan 280 on the pick-up head 220, with the air outlet 281 of the blower fan 280 being directed to and corrected in fluid communication with the left re-circulating air inlet 281 a of the housing 230 by a left return air hose 284a and directed to and connected in fluid communication with the right re-circulating air inlet 28 Ib of the housing 230 by a right return air hose 284b.
• FIGS. 6 and 7, show a third preferred embodiment of the pick-up head according to the present invention, as indicated by reference numeral 320.
• the third preferred embodiment pick-up head 320 is similar to the second preferred embodiment pick-up head 220, except that the housing 330 of the pick-up head is substantially straight, and is angled back from right to left. Further the door meinbe ⁇ 370 is not centrally disposed, but is disposed at the left end of the pick-up head 220. Debris that contacts the front wall 330f of the housing 330 of the pick-up head 320 moves along the entire length of the housing 330 to the door member.
• the fan means comprises a single blower fan 380 and is disposed at the right end of the pick-up head 320 and connected in fluid communication to the single (right) re-circulating inlet 381. at the opposite end to the air suctioning hose 385.
• the suctioning front opening is disposed adjacent the opposite other end of the housing as the single right re- circulating air inlet In this manner, the stream of air from the single blower fan 380 traverses the entire width of the pick-up head 320.
• the present invention provides a pick-up head for use with a sidewalk sweeper and a factory floor sweeper, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust created in use by the gutter brooms of the sweeper, wherein there is virtually no particulate matter created in use by the gutter brooms of the sweeper, wherein there is virtually no particulate matter having a size of less than 10 microns created in use by the gutter brooms of the sweeper, wherein small debris is readily received by the gutter brooms, wherein there is virtually no air borne dust and particulate matter that escapes into the ambient surroundings during use by the gutter brooms of the sweeper while still permitting the air suctioning or air re-circulating system to function at its required capacity, wherein said sweeper does not use water for dust suppression, and wherein the path of dust and debris that is created by the gutter brooms is always picked up by the pick up head, all of which features are unknown in the prior art

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Cleaning Of Streets, Tracks, Or Beaches (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=40511934

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (19)

• 2008
  • 2008-09-25 WO PCT/CA2008/001667 patent/WO2009039624A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-09-25 EP EP08834422A patent/EP2203603A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-09-25 US US12/238,402 patent/US20090089964A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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