KR20120038758A - Apparatus of cleaning fluid circulation duct and centering apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A cleaning apparatus of a fluid circulating duct and centering device for the same are provided to clean around angulated parts of a duct using a brush with different rotating shafts. CONSTITUTION: A cleaning apparatus of a fluid circulating duct comprises a centering module(100) and first and second brushes(50,60,70). The centering module is formed to be long in a first direction. The first and second brushes are respectively coupled to the centering module. The first brush has a rotary shaft in the first direction. The second brush has another rotary shaft in a second direction, which is different from the first direction.

Description

A device for cleaning fluid circulation ducts and a centering device therefor {APPARATUS OF CLEANING FLUID CIRCULATION DUCT AND CENTERING APPARATUS THEREFOR}

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a fluid circulation duct and a centering device therefor.

HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) air conditioning systems supply and ventilate cold or hot air and allow air to circulate through rectangular or circular ducts. Therefore, in the air conditioning system installed in the building, the cleanliness inside the duct greatly affects the health of the occupants.

However, most of the ducts of the air conditioning system installed in the building are installed so that people can't easily reach the invisible inside the building. In addition, the size of the large duct can be cleaned by the person inside the duct, but the small duct is very difficult to clean because people can not enter.

Conventional methods of cleaning ducts generally use endoscopes or small automated devices. However, when using endoscopes, it is difficult to clean more than 15m away from the entrance of the duct, and when using small equipment, it is common to clean the bent or vertical parts properly.

In addition, the cleaning status on each side is often uneven, especially in the case of corners or corners.

One embodiment of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device capable of evenly cleaning the inside of the duct and a centering device therefor.

The cleaning apparatus of the fluid circulation duct according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a centering module elongated in a first direction, a first brush coupled to the centering module and having a rotation axis in the first direction, and coupled to the centering module. And a second brush having a rotation axis in a second direction different from the rotation axis in the first direction.

The rotation axis of the first brush and the rotation axis of the second brush may be perpendicular to each other, and the rotation axis of the first brush and the rotation axis of the second brush may be on the same plane.

The cleaning apparatus may further include a third brush having the same rotation axis as that of the second brush and positioned opposite the second brush with respect to the centering module.

The second brush and the third brush may rotate in the same direction.

The first brush and the second and third brushes may be located at opposite ends of the centering module.

The cleaning apparatus may further include a first driving module for driving the first brush, and a second driving module for driving the second and third brushes.

The second drive module includes a motor, a pair of spur gears meshed with each other, a pair of first bevel gears coaxial with each of the spur gears, and a pair of second meshes respectively engaged with the first bevel gear. A bevel gear may be included, and one of the spur gears may be connected to the motor.

The centering module includes a cylindrical guide member having a central axis coinciding with the rotation axis of the first brush, a fixed member fixed to one end of the guide member, a movable member movable on the guide member, the fixed member and the movable member. It may include a plurality of broken links connected to the member, and a plurality of wheels connected to the broken links.

The centering module may further include an elastic member having a restoring force for pushing the movable member toward the fixed member.

The elastic member may comprise a spring installed in the guide member, the first end of the spring is fixed at a position corresponding to the opposite end of the fixing member in the guide member, the second end of the spring It may be installed to move with the movable member.

The centering module may further include a movable auxiliary member connected to the movable member, installed in the guide member, and connected to the second end of the spring.

The guide member may further include a camera having a center coinciding with the center axis of the guide member.

Centering device according to an embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical guide member, a fixed member fixed to one end of the guide member, a movable member that can move on the guide member, and is connected to the fixed member and the movable member It contains a plurality of multi-links.

The centering device may further include an elastic member having a restoring force for pushing the movable member toward the fixed member.

The elastic member may comprise a spring installed in the guide member, the first end of the spring is fixed at a position corresponding to the opposite end of the fixing member in the guide member, the second end of the spring It may be installed to move with the movable member.

The centering device may further include a movable auxiliary member connected to the movable member, installed in the guide member, and connected to the second end of the spring.

Each of the multiple links may include two pairs of X-shaped links connected to each other.

The centering device may further include a plurality of wheels connected to the multiple link.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by providing brushes having different rotation axes, it is possible to clean the vicinity of angled edges of the duct. In this embodiment, the centering module can also be provided to make the duct internal cleaning more uniform.

1 is a perspective view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1.
3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a rear drive module and a rear brush connected thereto.
4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the cleaning operation of the front brush in the circular duct.
5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a cleaning operation of the front brush in the rectangular duct.
6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a cleaning operation of a rear brush in a rectangular duct.
7 is a side view for explaining the cleaning operation of the rear brush in the rectangular duct.
FIG. 8 is a front view showing an example of a centering module of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1.
9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the centering module shown in FIG. 8.
10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the centering module shown in FIG. 9.
11 is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the centering module according to the present embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

First, with reference to Figure 1 will be described in detail the overall structure of the cleaning device for a fluid circulation duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic front view of the cleaning device shown in FIG.

1 and 2, the cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a centering module 100, a control module 30, a rear driving module 40, a front driving module 80, and a plurality of brushes 50 and 60. , 70).

The centering module 100 mainly extends in the direction of travel 2 of the cleaning device, and is provided with a front drive module 80 and a front brush 70 on one side (front), and is controlled at opposite ends (rear). Module 30, rear drive module 40 and a pair of rear brushes 50, 60 are provided.

The front brush 70 is connected to the front drive shaft 75 and includes a roller 72 having a rotation axis 2 in a traveling direction 2 and a plurality of hairs 74 formed around the front brush 70. The bristles 74 may be arranged in rows in the longitudinal direction of the roller 72, and the length of the bristles 74 may be substantially the same. However, the arrangement and length of the bristles 74 are not limited thereto.

The front drive module 80 includes, for example, a motor (not shown), a gear (not shown), and the like, and rotates the front drive shaft 75 connected to the gear.

The rear brushes 50 and 60 include rollers 52 and 62 having a rotational axis perpendicular to the traveling direction 2 and a plurality of chain hairs 54 and 64 formed around the rear brush module 40. Driven by. The bristles 54 and 64 may be arranged in rows in the longitudinal direction of the rollers 52 and 62, and the lengths of the bristles 54 and 64 may be substantially the same. However, the length and arrangement of the bristles 54 and 64 are not limited thereto.

The control module 30 is installed near the rear drive module 40 and serves to electrically control the movement of the cleaning device. The control module 30 is connected to the rear of the camera 35 toward the rear, and to shoot or observe the inside of the duct (not shown). The camera 35 may be coaxial with the front drive shaft 75.

Next, an example of the rear drive module 40 and the rear brushes 50 and 60 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a rear drive module and a rear brush connected thereto.

Referring to FIG. 3, the rear drive module according to the present embodiment includes a motor 41, a pair of spur gears 42 and 43 and two pairs of bevel gears 44, 45, 46 and 47.

The pair of spur gears 42 and 43 are engaged with each other, and one of the two 42 is coaxially connected with the motor 41. The axis of rotation of the motor 41 may be parallel to the travel direction 2.

The first bevel gears 44 and 45 are provided on the rotation shafts of the spur gears 42 and 43, which mesh with the second bevel gears 46 and 47, respectively. The inclination angles of the bevel gears 44, 45, 46, 47 are about 45 degrees to transmit the rotational force of the motor 41 to the rear drive shafts 56, 66 which are approximately perpendicular to the travel direction 2.

The rear drive shafts 56, 66 extend in opposite directions with respect to the rear drive module 40, the central axis of which may be on the same plane as the central axis of the front drive shaft 75. At the ends of the rear drive shafts 56, 66, rollers 52, 62 having a hairline 54, 64 formed therein are connected.

In this structure, the two brushes 50 and 60 rotate in the same direction.

As described above, in the cleaning apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment, the rotation axes of the front brush 70 and the rear brushes 50 and 60 are perpendicular to each other. When cleaning a square duct with a square cross section, the front brush 70 sweeps dust off the upper, lower and side surfaces of the duct, while the rear brushes 50 and 60 are located near the edges that are difficult to remove with the front brush 70. Brush off the dust.

However, depending on the cross-sectional shape of the duct to be cleaned, the rotation axis of the front brush 70 and the rotation axis of the rear brush 50, 60 may form an angle other than a right angle, and the rotation axis of the rear brush 50, 60 may be changed. An adjusting device may be added.

Then, the role of each brush 50, 60, 70 of the cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the cleaning operation of the front brush in the circular duct, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the cleaning operation of the front brush in the rectangular duct, Figure 6 is a cleaning operation of the rear brush in the rectangular duct. 7 is a side view for explaining a cleaning operation of a rear brush in a rectangular duct.

First, in the case of the circular duct 5 having a circular cross section as shown in FIG. 4, the distance from the rotational axis of the front brush 70 to the inner surface of the duct 5 is almost the same. In addition, since the trajectory of the collar hair 74 is approximately circular when the front brush 70 rotates, the force applied to the inner surface of the duct 5 is the same in almost all parts. Therefore, the inner surface of the duct 5 can be cleaned almost uniformly.

In the case of the rectangular duct 6 having a square cross section as shown in FIG. 5, the distance from the rotational axis of the front brush 70 to the inner surface of the duct 5 varies depending on the position. Therefore, the force applied to the inner surface of the duct 5 by the chain hair 74 is larger as it is closer to the rotation axis and smaller as far as it is far. For example, in FIG. 5, the force applied to the inner surface of the duct 5 is represented by the position ( Largest in 7) and smallest in position (8). Therefore, when only the front brush 70 is used, the cleaning is most clean in the position (7) and the cleaning is inadequate toward the position (8).

In order to clean the position 8 cleanly, a force may be applied to the position 8 to some extent by increasing the length of the bristles 74 or bringing the position of the rotating shaft close to the corner. However, in this case, the force exerted on the inner surface of the duct 6 at position 7 (or the position closest to the rotational axis) becomes too large, and the reaction force of the reaction applied by the duct 6 to the brush 70 is also increased, thereby increasing the front. The motor and gears of the drive module 80 may be overwhelmed.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the case of the rear brushes 50 and 60, since the rotating shafts are perpendicular to the side surfaces of the rectangular duct 6, the distances from all positions of the upper and lower surfaces above and below the rotating shaft are the same. All parts near the corner position 8 can be cleaned to the same extent cleanly.

Referring to FIG. 7, when the cleaning device is stopped at one position, only the vicinity of a specific position 9 in the longitudinal direction of the duct 6 is cleaned cleanly, but the cleaning device moves along the traveling direction 2 and the brush 50 is removed. In addition, because it moves, it is possible to clean the same degree over the entire length of the duct (6).

4 and 5 on the premise that the rotation axis of the front brush 70 is in the center of the ducts 5 and 6, otherwise, if the rotation axis is biased to one side, the inside of the ducts 5 and 6 Cleaning uniformity may be compromised. In addition, in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rotation shafts of the rear brushes 50 and 60 are positioned midway between the upper surface and the lower surface of the duct 6. ) The uniformity of cleaning may be reduced.

Therefore, it is necessary to align these axes of rotation in the correct position, the centering module 100 performs its role.

Then, the centering module and its operation according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing an example of the centering module of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the centering module shown in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a line AA of the centering module shown in FIG. 9. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the centering module according to the present embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, the centering module 100 includes a guide member 10, a movable member 12, a fixing member 14, a plurality of multiple links 20, and the like.

The guide member 10 is substantially cylindrical and hollow, and its central axis substantially coincides with the rotation axis of the front drive shaft 75. The central axis of the guide member 10 may also coincide with the center of the rear camera 35.

Both ends of the guide member 10 are provided with a generally disk-shaped flange or engaging members 16, 17 for engaging with other parts. The front coupling member 16 couples the guide member 10 with the front brush 70 and the front drive module 80, and the rear coupling member 17 couples the guide member 10 with the rear drive module 40. Let's do it.

The fixing member 14 has a short cylindrical shape surrounding the guide member 10 and is fixed to the guide member 10 adjacent to the rear coupling member 17.

The movable member 12 also has a short cylindrical shape surrounding the guide member 10, but unlike the fixing member 14, the movable member 12 can move freely in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 10.

9 and 10, the inside of the guide member 10 is provided with a substantially disk-shaped movable auxiliary member 13. The movable auxiliary member 13 is connected to the movable member 12 and moves together in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 10 as the movable member 12 moves. The guide member 10 may be provided with a pair of grooves extending in the longitudinal direction to connect the movable member 12 and the movable auxiliary member 13.

Inside the guide member 10, an elastic member 11, such as a spring, is further provided. One end of the elastic member 11 is fixed to the engaging member 16 and the other end is connected to the movable auxiliary member 13. The restoring force of the elastic member 11 increases as the distance between the movable member 12 and the fixed member 14 increases, and the direction thereof is directed toward the fixed member 14 from the movable member 12 side. That is, the elastic member 11 pushes the movable member 12 toward the stationary member 14.

The positions of the movable member 12 and the fixed member 14 can be interchanged. That is, the fixing member 14 may be located near the front coupling member 16 and the movable member 12 may be located behind it. In this case, the position of the elastic member 11 also changes from the front side to the rear side.

Referring again to FIG. 8, the multi-link 20 includes two bars having two substantially equal lengths as connected by two pairs of X-shaped links.

Of the four ends of the multi-link 20, the two ends of the guide member 10 side are connected to the movable member 12 and the fixing member 14 through the connecting member 15, and the connecting member 15 Can be rotated around. Wheels 25 are connected to the other two ends of the multi-link 20, that is, two ends far from the guide member 10. The wheel 25 rolls in contact with the inner surface of the duct (not shown).

Since the multi-link 20 is connected to the movable member 12 and the fixed member 14 in this manner, the height L of the link 20 also changes as the position of the movable member 12 changes. As the distance L between the movable member 12 and the fixed member 14 decreases, the height H of the link 20 increases, and conversely, the distance L between the movable member 12 and the fixed member 14 is increased. The larger H is, the lower the height H of the link 20 is.

The number of the multi-link 20 may vary depending on the case, if the cross-section of the duct is square may be four, one on each side. In this case, the angle between adjacent links 20, that is, the angle between adjacent links 20 when viewed from the left side of the centering module 100 in FIG. 2 is preferably at right angles. If the cross section of the duct is circular, the number of links 20 can be three and the angles between adjacent links can all be the same.

However, the number of the broken links 20 is not limited thereto, and the broken links 20 may be symmetrically distributed or the angles between the adjacent broken links 20 may be the same.

The multiple links 20 may have substantially the same structure and size and expand or fold to the same extent.

As described above, due to the restoring force of the elastic member 11 inside the guide member 10 in the centering module 100, the movable member 12 is pushed toward the stationary member 14, which is a broken link ( 20) acts as a force to unfold. Accordingly, if no force is applied from the outside, the movable member 12 stays at the position closest to the fixing member 14, whereby the multi-link 20 is unfolded as much as possible so that the height H is maximized.

When the linkage link 20 receives the force from the wheel 25 toward the guide member 10, the linkage linkage 20 collapses and the height H of the linkage linkage 20 is lowered. Thus, the movable member 12 and The distance L between the fixing members 14 is increased and the restoring force of the elastic member 11 is increased.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the multi-link 20 enters the duct 1, the wheel 25 pressurizes the inner surface of the duct 1, and as a reaction thereto, the inner surface of the duct 1 drags on the wheel 25. Gives. The force exerted by the wheels 25 on the duct 1 here is due to the restoring force of the elastic member 11.

When the restoring force of the elastic member 11 and the drag force on the inner surface of the duct 1 are in equilibrium, the position of the center axis of the centering module 100, that is, the center axis of the guide member 10 is fixed. The central axis coincides with the central axis of the guide member 10. For example, if the central axis of the guide member 10 does not coincide with the central axis of the duct 1, the wheels 25 provided in the at least one cutaway link 20 are spaced apart from the inner surface of the duct 1. Accordingly, the drag force on the inner surface of the duct 1 is smaller than the restoring force of the elastic member 11, so that the position of the guide member 10 is changed while the link 20 is unfolded again. As a result, in order for the restoring force of the elastic member 11 and the drag force on the inner surface of the duct 1 to be balanced, it means that the guide member 10 must come to the center of the duct 1.

Therefore, even if the pipe width of the duct 1 changes, the centering module 100 is always located at the center of the duct 1.

As such, when the central axis of the centering module 100 coincides with the central axis of the duct 1, the rotation axis of the front drive shaft 75 coaxial with the guide member 10 also coincides with the central axis of the duct 1. do. In addition, as described above, since the rotation axis extension lines of the rear drive shafts 56 and 66 meet the rotation axis of the front drive shaft 75, the rotation shafts of the rear drive shafts 56 and 66 may not be inclined and may be parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the duct 1. In this case, the rotary shafts of the rear drive shafts 56 and 66 are located at the center between the upper and lower surfaces of the duct 1. By doing in this way, the inside of the duct 1 can be cleaned more uniformly.

In addition, since the camera 35 is located at the center of the duct 1, the information captured by the camera 35 can be easily used for inspection of the duct 1.

Thus, in the present embodiment, by providing the front brush 70 and the rear brush 50, 60 having different rotation axes, it is possible to clean the vicinity of the angled corner of the duct. In this embodiment, the centering module can also be provided to make the duct internal cleaning more uniform.

In this embodiment, the elastic member 11 and the movable auxiliary member 13 are provided as a means for moving the movable member 12, but may have a different structure.

The duct described in this embodiment is used to circulate air, but may also be applied to ducts that allow other fluids such as liquids to flow.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, Of the right.

1, 5, 6: duct
2: direction of cleaning device
7, 8, 9: Position inside the duct
10: guide member
11: elastic member
12: movable member
14: fixed member
15: connecting member
16, 17: engagement member
20: multiple links
25: wheels
30: control module
40: rear drive module
41: motor
42, 43: spur gear
44, 45, 46, 47: bevel gear
50, 60, 70: brush
52, 62, 72: roller
54, 64, 74: Hair loss
56, 66: rear drive shaft
75: front drive shaft

Claims (19)

Long centering module in the first direction,
A first brush coupled to the centering module and having a rotation axis in the first direction, and
A second brush coupled to the centering module and having a rotation axis in a second direction different from the rotation axis in the first direction
Cleaning device of the fluid circulation duct comprising a. In claim 1,
And a rotation axis of the first brush and a rotation axis of the second brush are perpendicular to each other. In claim 2,
And a rotation axis of the first brush and the rotation axis of the second brush are on the same plane. 4. The method of claim 3,
And a third brush having the same rotation axis as that of the second brush and positioned opposite the second brush with respect to the centering module. 5. The method of claim 4,
And the second brush and the third brush rotate in the same direction. 5. The method of claim 4,
And the first brush and the second and third brushes are located at opposite ends of the centering module. In claim 6,
A first driving module for driving the first brush, and
A second driving module for driving the second and third brushes
Cleaning device comprising more. In claim 7,
The second drive module,
motor,
A pair of spur gears that mesh with each other,
A pair of first bevel gears, each coaxial with the spur gear, and
A pair of second bevel gears respectively engaged with the first bevel gear
Including;
One of the spur gears is connected to the motor
Cleaning device. The compound according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The centering module,
A cylindrical guide member having a central axis coinciding with the rotation axis of the first brush,
A fixing member fixed to one end of the guide member,
A movable member movable over the guide member,
A plurality of multi-links connected to the fixed member and the movable member, and
A plurality of wheels connected to the multiple links
Cleaning device comprising a. In claim 9,
The centering module further includes an elastic member having a restoring force for pushing the movable member toward the fixed member. 11. The method of claim 10,
The elastic member includes a spring installed in the guide member,
The first end of the spring is fixed at a position corresponding to the opposite end of the fixing member in the guide member,
The second end of the spring is provided to move together with the movable member
Cleaning device. In claim 11,
The centering module further includes a movable auxiliary member connected to the movable member and installed inside the guide member and connected to the second end of the spring. 11. The method of claim 10,
And a camera whose center coincides with the center axis of the guide member. Cylindrical guide member,
A fixing member fixed to one end of the guide member,
A movable member movable over the guide member, and
A plurality of multi-links connected to the fixed member and the movable member
Centering device for fluid circulation duct cleaning device comprising a. The method of claim 14,
And a resilient member having a restoring force for pushing the movable member toward the fixed member. 16. The method of claim 15,
The elastic member includes a spring installed in the guide member,
The first end of the spring is fixed at a position corresponding to the opposite end of the fixing member in the guide member,
The second end of the spring is provided to move together with the movable member
Centering device. The method of claim 16,
And a movable auxiliary member connected to the movable member and installed in the guide member and connected to the second end of the spring. 16. The method of claim 15,
A centering device comprising two pairs of X-shaped links connected to each other. The method of claim 18,
The centering device further comprises a plurality of wheels connected to the multiple link.

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