WO1989003191A1

WO1989003191A1 - Device for cleaning surfaces

Info

Publication number: WO1989003191A1
Application number: PCT/AT1988/000073
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heinrich Abbrederis
Original assignee: Heinrich Abbrederis
Priority date: 1987-10-14
Filing date: 1988-09-28
Publication date: 1989-04-20
Also published as: ATA271487A; AT388863B; DE3873543D1; EP0380524A1; EP0380524B1

Abstract

A device for cleaning surfaces has a suction head (6) with two concentric annular counterrotating brushes (24) on the side facing the surfaces to be cleaned. A cleaning fluid is sprayed through a duct (9) into the gap between the two annular brushes and then sucked through a suction duct (5), together with the impurities, into a tank (2) for the cleaning liquid (3). The rotating annular brushes (24) are driven by a hydraulic motor housed in the suction head (6), which is fed by ducts (19, 20). This suction head is also suitable for cleaning vertical or overhead surfaces.

Description

Device for cleaning surfaces

The invention relates to a device for cleaning surfaces by suction of the moistened contaminants, with a tank for a cleaning liquid, from which a line for the supply of the cleaning liquid leads to a suction head, and with a device for generating the negative pressure causing the suction, which is connected to the suction head via a flexible suction line, the tank, the line and the suction line forming a closed circuit for the cleaning liquid which is sucked off together with the impurities and fed to a filter for separating the impurities, and wherein the suction head is an annular wiping and or or brushing member, which is driven by a drive for circulating movement about an axis normal to the surface to be cleaned, and wherein the cleaning liquid within the path of the wiping and / or brushing member rotating around the suction mouth of the suction line is not.

As a rule, devices for wet cleaning of surfaces are designed as so-called wet vacuum cleaners. Water is applied to a horizontal surface to be cleaned and the moistened impurities are sucked off through a suction hose to the filter, which retains the solid components of the extracted medium in the manner of a conventional vacuum cleaner. It is disadvantageous that such a device can only be used on horizontal surfaces and that the water applied before the actual cleaning process is carried out usually remains on the surface to be cleaned for a longer period of time and can damage it, and the cleaned surface remains wet, which is often the case an accident risk.

A device of the type described at the outset is also known (FR-PS 2 403 774), in which either two counter-rotating rollers are arranged on the suction head, the axes of which are parallel to one another and parallel to the surface to be cleaned, or a brush ring which is arranged around the centrally arranged suction line mouth rotates, the rotary movement of this brush ring being caused by the recoil of nozzles arranged on its top surface, from which a pressure medium flows out. The disadvantage here is the unreliable drive of the brush element, because in the first αeπanπten variant causes a displacement Suction head along the surface to be cleaned in the direction normal to the roller axis also influences the rotation of the two rollers, so that it can happen that one roller is almost stationary and only the other roller is rotating. In the second variant, the operator must absorb the torque exerted by the rotating brush ring, which means additional effort. In addition, the supply of the cleaning liquid is unreliable, since this liquid is supplied in the region of the outer circumference of the brush ring and is therefore thrown outwards by its rotational movement, where the suction effect is no longer reliably provided.

The invention has for its object to avoid the disadvantages of the known devices and to improve a device of the type described above so that the drive of the wiping and / or brushing member takes place reliably, as well as the suction of the cleaning liquid supplied to the suction head. Furthermore, the aim is to create a handy, light-weight suction head of small dimensions, which can be operated easily and with little effort. The invention solves this problem in that the wiping and / or brushing element consists of two rings arranged concentrically to one another and driven in opposite directions about the common axis, the cleaning liquid being introduced into the gap between the two rotating rings and in that A hydraulic motor is arranged in the suction head for driving the orbital movement of both rings. The oppositely rotating rings of the wiping or brushing element prevent substantial torque from being transferred from the suction head to the operator, and the introduction of the cleaning liquid between the two rings ensures effective use of the cleaning liquid and prevents the same from being thrown outwards, especially by the Extraction caused air inflow drives the cleaning liquid radially inwards. The use of a hydraulic motor for driving the two rings brings significant advantages in terms of lightening the weight of the suction head and reducing the dimensions of this head, so that the handiness of the suction head and thus of the entire device is improved. Since - in contrast to the known construction described at the beginning - a displacement of the suction head along the surface to be cleaned does not affect the rotary movement of the two rings, the hydraulic motor does not need to be to be moderately strong.

The use of concentric rings as a cleaning member is known per se from US Pat. No. 3,606,631, but with this known construction a central arrangement of the suction opening in the suction head is not possible.

Since there is hardly any loss of cleaning liquid (generally a mixture of water and cleaning agent) from the suction head in the subject matter of the invention, so that this liquid essentially only wets that area of the surface to be cleaned which is cleaned immediately, is a feature of the construction according to the invention sensible cycle for the cleaning liquid possible. The cleaning liquid is then sucked off again immediately after the application (generally an injection) by the negative pressure prevailing in the suction head and fed through the suction line to the filter for the purpose of separating the contaminants. This filter is expediently an exchangeable membrane filter which can be used until it has to be replaced by the impurities or the blockages caused thereby. Over this period, the water-cleaning agent mixture is circulating in a closed circuit and can therefore be used again and again. Such a device can also be used on non-horizontal surfaces and the time of action of the cleaning liquid applied to the surface to be cleaned is very short, so that this liquid has no time to penetrate the surface and thereby damage it. Complicated surfaces can also be cleaned in all positions, even overhead, especially since the suction head can be designed as a component that can be easily guided by hand and the circumferential wiping and / or brushing element supports the cleaning effect. In general, this organ is formed by circumferential brush rings, but it can also, if desired, exert a scouring action, in particular if the pressure on the suction head is increased by hand, which is easily possible by the direct holding and guiding of the suction head. If necessary, this suction head can also be arranged on an interchangeable extension in order to be able to reach and clean more distant places more easily. With sufficient suction, the device according to the invention leaves an almost dry surface after cleaning, which can thus be walked on immediately without an accident. By choosing a suitable filter clean any surfaces, including shop windows etc., and the cleaning liquid can also be filtered in a biologically pure manner so that only absolutely pure water and the cleaning agent added to it remain in circulation.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of nozzles distributed along the circumference of the gap are provided for the introduction of the cleaning liquid and are connected to the line for the cleaning liquid via a distributor line. As a result, the inflow of the cleaning liquid in the gap between the two rings is uniform, so that the cleaning effect is uniform over the entire surface of the suction head.

According to a further development of the invention, the lines for the hydraulic motor are expediently provided in the suction line in the form of pressure hoses, so that these lines are protected and a clear, manageable arrangement is achieved. According to a further development of the invention, a pinion is located on the output shaft of the hydraulic motor, which pinion is arranged between two toothed rings facing one another of the two rings of the wiping and / or brushing member and meshes with these two toothed rings. This results in a simple, easy-to-assemble construction. Appropriately, according to the invention, a sight glass for the cleaning liquid is provided on the tank connected to the suction line, which is flushed with the cleaning liquid behind the filter, so that the condition of the cleaning liquid which is again supplied to the suction head can be checked. In the line leading to the suction head for the cleaning liquid there can be a pressure regulator, from which a return line leads into the tank. Furthermore, a heater can be provided in this line in order to heat the applied cleaning liquid.

In the drawing, the subject of the invention is schematically illustrated using an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 1 shows an overview of the device, Fig. 2 shows the suction head of the same in a larger scale on average.

The device has a tank 2 that can be moved on wheels 1 for the cleaning liquid, the liquid level of which in the tank 2 is indicated by 3. A vacuum is generated in the tank 2 above the liquid level 3 by an electric motor 4, for example by means of a conventional suction ventilator, which vacuum in a suction line 5, preferably a hose, to which a suction head 6 is connected. The motor 4 also drives a pump 7, which is expediently designed as a mechanical pump, which sucks in cleaning liquid from the tank 2 via a suction line δ and supplies cleaning liquid under pressure to the suction head 6 via a line 9. A horizontal filter 10, expediently a replaceable membrane filter with a correspondingly selected pore size, is installed in the tank 2 at a distance from its bottom, the suction line 8 leading below this filter 10 away from the tank 2, so that only pure liquid can enter the suction line 8. The state of this liquid can be checked through a sight glass 11, which likewise rises from the tank 2 below the filter 10 outside the latter and is connected at the top to the vacuum chamber 12 above the liquid level 3. The line 9 can be routed within the suction line 5, for example as a pressure hose. In this line 9 there is a pressure regulator 13 to which a pressure display device 14 is connected, which indicates the pressure prevailing in line 9. A return line 15 leads back from the pressure regulator 13 for any excessively conveyed cleaning fluid to the tank 2. Furthermore, a heater 16 for heating the cleaning liquid can be provided in the line 9, advantageously an electrical heating resistor which is supplied via lines 17.

Furthermore, the motor 4 drives a hydraulic pump 18, from which a pressure line 19 leads to the suction head 6 and a return line 20 from this. These two lines can also be arranged within the suction line 5, for example in the form of pressure hoses. In the pressure line 19 there is a three-way valve 21, by means of which a partial or complete short circuit between the two lines 19, 20 can be detected, so that the amount of the liquid flowing in the pressure line 19 to the suction head 16 can be set as desired. This serves to regulate the speed of a hydraulic motor 22 (FIG. 2) accommodated in the suction head 6, which serves to drive two brush rings 24, 25 forming a wiping or brushing element 23. For this purpose, each of the two brush rings 24, 25 is held in a receptacle 26 or 27, appropriately clamped, these two receptacles 26, 27 in the form of rails formed with a U-profile running in a ring around the central axis 28 of the suction head 6, specifically in opposite directions of rotation. For this purpose, the receptacles 26, 27 have upwardly projecting webs 29, 30, the inside and outside Sprockets 31 and 32 are provided, both of which mesh with a pinion 33, which is rotatably mounted on the AbtrLebsweWe 34 of the hydraulic otor 22. The two webs 29, 30 each have ball bearings 35 on the side facing away from the ring gear 31 or 32 for mounting on an outer or inner bearing sleeve 36 or 37. Both bearing sleeves 36, 37 are attached to the housing 38 of the suction head 6 in the form of sleeves and secured by screws 39. The housing 38 has a flange 40 inside for supporting and holding the hydraulic motor 22, to which the pressure line 19 and the return line 20, in particular in the form of pressure hoses, by means of suitable nipples or the like. are connected. The line 9 for the cleaning liquid to be supplied also opens into the suction head 6. The line 9 is angeschlosεen a ^{'Ringleituπg} 41, which extends at least over a large part of the circumference of the suction head 6 and from the nozzles 42 εhrere to face the surface to be cleaned 43 below. The nozzles 42 open out in an annular gap 44 between the two brush rings 24, 25 and spray the pressurized water / cleaning agent mixture there onto the surface 43 to be cleaned. This liquid cannot spread outwards, since this is prevented on the one hand by the outer brush ring 24, and on the other hand by the air flowing in from outside and sucked off through the suction line 5. This liquid therefore seeps in under the inner brush ring 25 and is sucked off via the suction line 5 together with the contaminants carried by it.

The described mounting of the two receptacles 26, 27 carrying the brush rings 24, 25 in the housing 38, which can be made of metal or plastic, ensures storage that is resistant to dust and other impurities and also insensitive to impacts, with both the brushes and. the storage can also be changed quickly and easily after removing the two bearing sleeves 36, 37. In order to easily guide the suction head 6 and also to be able to use it on vertical surfaces or overhead, the suction head 6 is dimensioned such that it can be guided with one hand. For this reason, for reasons of weight saving, it is expedient to reduce the weight of the hydraulic motor 22 to a minimum. A hydraulic motor, which is designed in the form of an internal gear motor and whose internal gear and housing are made of aluminum, is particularly suitable for this purpose, whereas the ring gear is made of plastic. The hollow output shaft 34 is in the aluminum gear pressed from steel, which carries at its end the pinion 33 also made of plastic. Such a hydraulic motor can be reliably driven by the hydraulic pump 18 via suitable flexible hydraulic lines, with the three-way valve 21 making it possible to easily control the speed. The amount of cleaning liquid supplied via the nozzles 42 can also be regulated by means of the adjustable pressure regulator 13. This is important in order to compensate for the decreasing flow rate of the filter 10 over time. If necessary, the supply of the cleaning liquid can also be switched off entirely by means of the pressure regulator 13.

The housing 38 is formed with a connecting piece 45 so that it can be connected to the suction line 5 by means of a plug closure. Likewise, the two hydraulic lines 19, 20 and the line 9 for the cleaning liquid can be separated from the suction head 6 by means of easily separable connections, in order to be able to replace the suction head with another version if necessary. It is therefore easily possible to adapt the device, in particular the suction head diameter, to the surface to be cleaned in each case. Furthermore, there is the possibility, by selecting the material of the filter 10, to adapt to the cleaning liquid used in each case and to the impurities to be expected.

In order to avoid contamination of the ball bearings 35 and to increase the suction effect, seals 46, 47, in particular made of felt, can be provided between the circumferential receptacles 26, 27 and the fixed components (bearing sleeves 36, 37) opposite them.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Device for cleaning surfaces by suction extraction of the moistened impurities, with a tank (2) for a cleaning liquid, from which a line (9) for supplying the cleaning liquid leads to a suction head (6), and with a Device for generating the negative pressure causing the suction, which is connected to the suction head (6) via a flexible suction line (5), the tank (2), the line (9) and the suction line (5) forming a closed circuit for which suctioned together with the impurities and a filter (10) for separating the impurities form cleaning fluid, and wherein the suction head (6) carries an annular wiping and / or brushing member (23) which is driven by a drive to rotate around one surface to be cleaned (43) is driven by the normal axis (28), and the cleaning fluid within the path of the W circulating around the suction mouth of the suction line (5) Isch- and or or brushing member (23) is applied, characterized in that the wiping and or or brushing member (23) consists of two concentrically arranged to each other, around the common axis driven rings (24, 25), the Cleaning liquid is introduced into the gap (44) between the two rotating rings (24, 25) and that a hydraulic motor (22) is arranged in the suction head (6) for driving the rotating movement of both rings (24, 25) .

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that for the introduction of the Reiπiguπgs fluid several along the circumference of the gap (44) vertεilze nozzles (42) are provided, which via a distributor line (41) to the line (9) for the Cleaning liquid are connected.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized gekennzεichnet that the lines (19,20) for the hydraulic motor (22) in the form of pressure hoses in the suction line (5) are provided.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that on the output shaft (34) of the hydraulic motor (22) sits a pinion (33) which between two mutually facing sprockets (31,32) of the two rings ( 24, 25) of the wiping and / or brushing member (23) is arranged, and meshes with these two ring gears (31, 32).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two ring gears (31,32) by means of bearings, for example ball bearings (35), are mounted on bearing sleeves (36,37) which on the housing (39) of the suction - Heads (S) are attached.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized ge indicates that on the tank (2) an inspection glass (11) for the cleaning liquid is provided, which is rinsed by the cleaning liquid behind the filter (10).

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized ge indicates that a common motor (4) for generating the negative pressure in the tank (2) and for driving the pump (7) for conveying the hydraulic fluid to Hydraulic motor (22) is provided, v / elcher motor (4) optionally also for driving a hydraulic pump (18) for driving the hydraulic motor (22) arranged in the suction head (6).

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized ge indicates that in the pressure lines leading to the hydraulic motor (22) a control element, e.g. a three-way valve (21) is provided for regulating the speed of the hydraulic motor (22).