JPH0655349U - Aquarium cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a device capable of easily and automatically cleaning the inner surface of a water tank installed in a home. [Structure] Guide rails 2, 35 arranged along the upper edge of the water tank 1, drive units 3, 31 moving along the guide rails 2, 35, and drive units 3, 31 integrally Drive units 3, 3 while moving along the guide rails 2, 35
A cleaning device for the water tank is constituted by a rotating brush 16 which is driven by 1 and rotates to clean the inner surface of the water tank 1. [Effect] By driving the drive units 3 and 31, the inner surface of the water tank 1 can be automatically cleaned while moving the rotating brush 16 along the inner surface of the water tank 1.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an aquarium cleaning device for automatically cleaning an aquarium for ornamental fish installed in a home or the like.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 The aquarium for ornamental fish that is installed in homes is constructed of transparent glass plates, etc., and it is easy for moss to form and adhere to the inner surface of the aquarium due to the incidence of sunlight. If moss adheres to the inner surface of the aquarium, the cleanliness deteriorates and it becomes difficult to see even ornamental fish.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 Therefore, it is desirable to clean the inner surface of the aquarium regularly.However, at present, there is no easy way to clean the aquarium while water is stored in the aquarium, so household aquariums are generally cleaned. It is in the actual situation that it is left without being. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a water tank cleaning device capable of easily and automatically cleaning the inner surface of the water tank while the water in the water tank is stored.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 To this end, the present invention provides a guide rail 2 arranged along the upper edge of the water tank 1, a drive unit 3 moving along the guide rail 2, and the drive unit 3 integrally with the guide unit. A cleaning device for the water tank is constituted by a rotating brush 16 which is driven by the drive unit 3 while rotating along the rail 2 to rotate to clean the inner surface of the water tank 1.

[0005]

[Action]

 In the above structure, the drive unit 3 moves along the guide rail 2, and at the same time, the rotating brush 16 also moves along the inner surface of the water tank 1 while rotating to clean the inner surface.

[0006]

【Example】

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water tank. The water tank 1 is formed of a transparent glass plate or a plastic plate, and the cleaning device described below is assembled in the water tank 1. Reference numeral 2 denotes a guide rail arranged along the upper edge of the inner surface of the water tank 1, and the drive unit 3 moves along the guide rail 2. As will be described later in detail, a rotary brush 16 is vertically provided on the drive unit 3.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the drive unit 3. The drive unit 3 is configured by housing a motor 5, a power supply battery 6, and a circuit board 7 in a watertight case 4. Further, reed switches 8a and 8b are provided on the inner surfaces of both sides thereof. A manual switch 27 is provided on the upper surface of the case 4 (see FIG. 3), and when the switch 27 is operated, the motor 5 is driven. A large gear 10 for reduction and a pinion 11 are mounted on the rotary shaft 9 of the motor 5. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pinion 11 is engaged with the rack 12 provided on the guide rail 2, and when the motor 5 is driven to rotate the pinion 11, the pinion 11 is placed on the rack 12. And the drive unit 3 is self-propelled along the guide rail 2. A flange 13 is integrally formed on the guide rail 2, and the guide rail 2 is attached to the inner surface of the water tank 1 by attaching the flange 13 to the inner surface of the water tank 1 with an adhesive 14.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, a bracket 15 having an L-shaped side surface is fixed to the lower surface of the case 4. A rotary shaft 17 of a rotary brush 16 is vertically attached to the tip of the bracket 15. A small gear 18 that engages with the large gear 10 is mounted on the upper end of the rotary shaft 17. Therefore, when the motor 5 is driven and the large gear 10 rotates, the rotating brush 16 makes sliding contact with the inner surface of the water tank 1 and slowly rotates. The rotating brush 16 is integrally connected to the drive unit 3 via the bracket 15, and when the motor 5 is driven to rotate the pinion 11 and the drive unit 3 moves along the guide rail 2 as described above, The rotary brush 16 also rotates while moving integrally with the drive unit 3 to clean the inner surface of the water tank 1.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, a block 19 is fixed to the front end surface of the bracket 15. Two pins 20 are provided upright on the block 19, and the upper ends of the pins 20 abut the lower surface of the guide rail 2. As shown in FIG. 3, by engaging the pinion 11 with the rack 12 and bringing the upper end of the pin 20 into contact with the lower surface of the guide rail 2, the guide rail 2 is pinched by the pinion 11 and the pin 20 from above and below. The drive unit 3 is assembled to the guide rail 2 as described above. A flange portion 21 is formed on the end surface of the pinion 11 to prevent the pinion from coming off. In this state, the self-weight F passing through the center of gravity G of the drive unit 3 acts counterclockwise with the upper end of the pin 20 as the point of action, so that the pinion 11 and the pin 20 fall off the rack 12 and the guide rail 2 and drive. The part 3 does not fall. If the case 4 is held in the hand and the case 4 is rotated clockwise, the pin 20 is separated from the lower surface of the guide rail 2 and the drive unit 3 can be easily removed from the guide rail 2.

In FIGS. 2 and 4, reference numeral 22 is a pinion for preventing rotation, which is pivotally mounted on a rotary shaft 23 protruding from the inner surface of the case 4. As shown in FIG. 4, by engaging the pinion 11 and the pinion 22 with the rack 12, the load of the drive unit 3 is supported by these pinions 11 and 22. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 24 denotes a top plate of the water tank 1, which is placed on an adapter 25 attached to the upper edge of the water tank 1.

In FIG. 1, magnets 26 a and 26 b are attached to both sides of the back surface of the water tank 1. When the switch 27 is operated, the motor 5 starts driving, and while the drive unit 3 moves along the guide rail 2, the inner surface of the water tank 1 is cleaned by the rotating brush 16, but the drive unit 3 ends the guide rail 2. When the reed switches 8a and 8b move to the magnets 26a and 26b, the drive circuit of the motor 5 is opened and the drive of the motor 5 is stopped. The positions of the magnets 26a and 26b are arbitrary, and the cleaning range can be changed by changing the positions of the magnets 26a and 26b. For example, only the front surface of the water tank 1 can be cleaned.

The operating method is also arbitrary, and cleaning may be performed every time the switch 27 is manually operated, or the circuit board 7 may be provided with a timer function to automatically perform cleaning at regular intervals. May be performed. In this case, after the battery 6 is replaced, the time when the switch 27 is first operated to store the cleaning is stored in the memory, and thereafter, regardless of whether the switch 27 is operated or not, the time or that day is stored every day. Cleaning may be performed automatically every 12 hours from the time, and the cleaning timing can be set arbitrarily.

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention. Both side portions 2a, 2b of the guide rail 2 arranged inside the water tank 1 are bent inward. Therefore, when the drive unit 3 moves to the both sides 2a or 2b and stops, the rotary brush 16 separates from the inner surface of the water tank 1. In this way, by separating the rotating brush 16 from the inner surface of the water tank 1 and stopping the driving unit 3, the rotating brush 16 stops while being in contact with the inner surface of the water tank 1, so that the tip of the rotating brush 16 bends. You can avoid getting stuck.

6 to 10 show another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the outline of the overall structure. The side shape of the case 32 of the drive unit 31 is an inverted L shape, and guide rollers 33 and 34 are axially attached to the upper and lower surfaces thereof. The guide rollers 33 and 34 are in contact with and fitted to a guide rail 35 provided along the upper edge of the water tank 1. Therefore, the case 32 does not separate from the guide rail 35 because the forces F1 and F2 generated by the gravity F act as pressure contact with the guide rail 35, and the drive force is smoothly transmitted by the pressure contact force F1. .

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the case 32. In the lower part of the case 32, a motor 5 having a speed reducer 36 and a power supply battery 6 are housed. Pulleys 37 and 38 are mounted on the rotating shaft of the motor 5 and the rotating shaft 17 of the rotating brush 16, and a belt 39 is attached to the pulleys 37 and 38. Therefore, when the motor 5 is driven, the rotating brush 16 rotates slowly. Reference numeral 40 is a bearing plate for the rotating shaft 17 and the like.

Gears 41 and 42 are mounted on the rotary shaft 17. Further, a rotary shaft 43 to which the guide roller 33 is mounted is arranged in parallel with the rotary shaft 17, and gears 44 and 45 are mounted to the rotary shaft 43. The gears 41 and 42 and the gears 44 and 45 are engaged with each other. Therefore, when the motor 5 is driven, the guide roller 33 rotates, and the drive unit 31 moves along the guide rail 35.

FIG. 8 shows the guide roller 34 when the main body is viewed from below. The guide rollers 34, 34 are pressed against the guide rail 35 to prevent the main body from swinging due to a reaction force when the main body is driven. Play a role to do. In FIGS. 9 and 10, a block 51 is attached to the lower end of the rotary shaft 17. An arm 52 projects forward from the block 51, and a first roller 53 is pivotally supported at the tip of this arm 52. A second roller 54 is swingably supported at the tip of an arm 57 extending below the first roller 53. Cleaning bodies 55 and 56 made of felt or the like are attached to the end surfaces of the rollers 53 and 54, and the cleaning bodies 55 and 56 are in contact with the lower inner surface of the water tank 1.

As shown in FIG. 10, an obstacle 58 such as a stone is arranged at the bottom of the water tank 1, and the roller 54 moves on the obstacle 58 while rotating and swinging. Therefore, when the motor 5 is driven to move the drive unit 31 along the guide rail 35, the inner surface of the water tank 1 is cleaned by the rotating brush 16. At this time, the rollers 53 and 54 also move along the lower portion of the inner surface of the water tank 1. Then, the lower parts of the inner surface are cleaned by the cleaning bodies 55 and 56. That is, when an obstacle 57 is present at the bottom of the water tank 1, the lower inner surface of the water tank 1 is hard to hit the obstacle due to the rotating brush 16, but it is difficult to clean the lower inner surface by providing the rollers 53 and 54. Can be cleaned.

The present invention can be modified in various ways. For example, the guide rail is constructed by combining a straight portion corresponding to the front and side surfaces of the water tank and a curved portion corresponding to the corner portion of the water tank. In this way, if the length of the straight part can be adjusted by cutting the straight part, it can be applied to water tanks of different sizes. Also, if the guide rail is made of a material that can be flexibly bent into any shape, it can be used for various shapes of aquarium.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the inner surface of the water tank can be easily and automatically cleaned at any time or periodically while water is stored in the water tank to prevent moss from adhering to the inner surface of the water tank and maintain cleanliness. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aquarium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal plan view of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a water tank according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cleaning device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a driving unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial bottom view of a driving unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a lower portion of a rotating brush according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a water tank according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Water Tank 2 Guide Rail 3 Drive 16 Rotating Brush 31 Drive 35 Guide Rail

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Keisuke Miyazaki, Inventor Keisuke Miyazaki 4680, Ikata, Hachijo-machi, Tagawa-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture Kyushu Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A guide rail 2 arranged along an upper edge of a water tank 1, a drive unit 3 moving along the guide rail 2, and the guide rail 2 integrally with the drive unit 3. A cleaning device for a water tank, comprising: a rotating brush 16 that is driven by the drive unit 3 while rotating along the axis to rotate to clean the inner surface of the water tank 1.