WO1999042226A1

WO1999042226A1 - Cleaning head in a device for cleaning the window and facade surfaces

Info

Publication number: WO1999042226A1
Application number: PCT/DE1999/000134
Authority: WO
Inventors: Irén Dornier
Original assignee: Dornier Technologie Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 1998-02-19
Filing date: 1999-01-20
Publication date: 1999-08-26
Also published as: AU2711299A; EP1056550A1; DE19806928C2; DE19806928A1; ES2184414T3; ATE224244T1; DE19857668A1; DE19857668C2; DE59902748D1; EP1056550B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning head (1) comprising a plurality of hydrostatic bearings (16) which form a thin layer of water between the surface to be cleaned and the cleaning head (1) during operation thereof, wherein said cleaning head (1) is capable of sliding displacement on the water layer. When the water supply to the cleaning head (1) is interrupted at the end of the cleaning process, pushers (21) of lifting devices (20) extend outwardly so as to protrude from the front plane (22) of the cleaning head (1), wherein said pushers maintain a gap of a predetermined value between the cleaning head (1) and the surface to be cleaned. Air can also be injected in the area of the cleaning head (1) and drawn off through a suction channel (3) of said cleaning head so that any residual liquid can be removed from below the cleaning head (1).

Description

Cleaning head of a cleaning device for window and facade surfaces

The invention relates to a cleaning head for a cleaning device for window and facade surfaces, the cleaning head preferably having a generally trough-shaped cleaning chamber which is open at the end and is surrounded by an annular, circumferential suction channel.

The cleaning head can, for example, be an ultrasonic cleaning head which is provided with a resonator plate which forms the bottom of the cleaning chamber. The resonator plate is connected to a piezo oscillator, which causes the ultrasonic vibrations that are transmitted from the resonator plate to the wash water in the cleaning chamber, which fills the cleaning chamber when the cleaning head is in operation.

The cavitation caused by the ultrasonic energy quickly and effectively removes the dirt particles on the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning liquid fed into the cleaning chamber with overpressure causes a gap between the front edge edges of the peripheral wall of the cleaning chamber and the surface to be cleaned during operation, the cleaning liquid -2-

liquid / dirt mixture enters through this gap into the suction channel surrounding the cleaning chamber, which can be formed, for example, as a cross-sectionally rectangular groove in the edge of the peripheral wall and is connected to a vacuum source via a discharge channel. The cleaning liquid / dirt mixture is sucked into the suction channel together with air.

However, the invention preferably relates to a cleaning head, in the cleaning chamber of which cleaning agents such as e.g. Brushes are arranged that rotate during the cleaning process. The cleaning liquid can be sprayed out of the brush holders against the surface to be cleaned. A suction channel, which preferably surrounds the cleaning chamber in a ring, can be surrounded by a further ring-shaped channel into which air is introduced from a compressed air source and is sucked into the suction channel from the outside.

It is also within the scope of the invention that the cleaning head works with other means, for example with water vapor, which can be provided with suitable additives and is directed onto the surface to be cleaned.

So that the cleaning head can be guided over the surface to be cleaned, for example a window pane, without scratching it, it must be ensured that the cleaning head has no direct contact with the window pane during its movement. This is achieved in a particularly advantageous manner by forming what are known as hydrostatic bearings, which represent one aspect of the present invention and are described in more detail below.

When the cleaning process is finished, the supply of cleaning liquid or steam into the cleaning chamber is shut off, which then also causes the thin liquid or steam -3-

layer that eliminates and maintains the gap between the cleaning head and the surface to be cleaned during operation. This has the consequence in the previously known cleaning heads that they now lie directly on the surface to be cleaned, against which the cleaning head can be pressed, for example by means of pneumatic or hydraulic piston / cylinder arrangements, which need not be discussed in more detail here. If at the end of the cleaning process the cleaning head is in contact with the window, etc., not all of the remaining liquid can be suctioned off, so that liquid remains on the window at least in individual areas, usually in the corners of the cleaning head. This would have to be dried by an operator by hand in order to obtain a perfectly cleaned pane, facade surface or the like.

The present invention is therefore based on a further aspect of the task of designing a cleaning head so that all of the liquid that is still in the region of the cleaning head at the end of a cleaning process can be automatically removed from the disc, etc.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.

The cleaning head according to the invention is provided with a plurality of depositing devices which have contact elements which can be advanced beyond the end plane of the cleaning head, in order in this way to produce a gap of a predetermined size between the front edge edges of the cleaning head and the surface to be cleaned. Tappets, pins or the like are preferably provided as contact elements, which are between a retracted initial position and the advanced position -4-

Settling position in which they rest on the surface to be cleaned, can be moved.

The plungers or the like of the settling device are advantageously pretensioned by a spring device into the retracted starting position, in which they are flush with the end plane of the cleaning head or are a little withdrawn.

If, at the end of the cleaning process, the supply of cleaning liquid into the cleaning chamber is shut off or, preferably, shortly before this happens, the plungers or the like are extended or advanced in order to produce or maintain the desired gap between the cleaning head and the surface to be cleaned . Wash water from the cleaning device can be used to advance the plungers.

If the cleaning head has, for example, two opposing pairs of plungers in the region of the short edges of the mostly rectangular cleaning chamber, these pairs can each be fastened to a common bolt which is arranged displaceably in the rear region of the cleaning head. An expandable container can be provided behind this bolt, for example an expandable hose closed at the ends or the like made of a rubber-like material which can be connected to a water source and, when water is supplied, pushes the bolt as far as it will go, thereby reducing the plunger by one advance the predetermined distance of about 0.2 to 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.3 mm, over the end plane of the cleaning head.

As a result of this gap, which is not limited to the dimensions specified above, but depends on the size of the cleaning head, the working parameters, etc., even after the water supply to the cleaning chamber has been shut off, -5-

prevents air from the environment from entering the cleaning head area and being sucked out of the suction channel until the entire window area in the cleaning head area has dried completely. In this way, a surface can be cleaned automatically without manual reworking.

According to the other aspect of the present invention mentioned above, the cleaning head can be provided with a plurality of hydrostatic bearing devices, which is particularly preferred if it is a cleaning head with rotating cleaning agents. The cleaning head can have, for example, four opposing pairs of hydrostatic position devices, two pairs being able to be located in the corner regions of the cleaning head and two pairs each in the middle region. In between, the two pairs of depositing devices described above can be provided. However, it is emphasized that the hydrostatic bearing devices can also be provided according to the invention even with cleaning heads without a tappet.

It is further proposed that the hydrostatic bearing devices each have an end wall that lies in the end plane of the cleaning head, i.e. are arranged flush with the circumferential walls which delimit the cleaning chamber and the circumferential suction duct and also a compressed air supply duct which may also surround the latter.

A trough-shaped depression is preferably formed in the end wall of the bearing devices, which extends elongated in the center within the end wall and into which a channel opens, which can be connected to the cleaning fluid source via a line system. If liquid is supplied to the hydrostatic bearing devices during operation of the cleaning head, then the water emerging from the channel is first distributed in the trough-shaped depression and from there -6-

evenly over the remaining end wall, so as to create a gap of a predetermined size between the cleaning head and the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head slides on these hydrostatic bearings while guaranteeing the distance to the cleaning surface, so that practically no frictional forces counteract the advancement of the cleaning head and damage to the surface and the cleaning head is reliably avoided.

It is also proposed with great advantage that a switching element is arranged in the line system of the hydrostatic bearing devices, which not only prevents the supply of water, but can also connect the hydrostatic bearing devices to the vacuum source or vacuum source of the cleaning device. The result of this is that the liquid remaining on the surface to be cleaned is not only sucked off through the circumferential, annular suction channel, but also through the hydrostatic bearing devices. This further increases the effectiveness of the final drying process.

Further details of the invention result from the following description of an embodiment of the cleaning head according to the invention and from the drawing. Show:

1 is an end view of a brush cleaning head;

2 shows a section through a side wall region of the brush cleaning head along the line II-II;

Fig. 3 shows a section through the brush cleaning head along the line III-III in Fig. 1 and

4 shows a section through the brush cleaning head along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1. -7-

1 shows an end view of a cleaning head 1 which contains a cleaning chamber 2 which is surrounded by an annular suction channel 3. 5 brushes 4 are arranged in the cleaning chamber 2 and rotate during the cleaning process. Cleaning liquid emerges from openings, which is distributed in a circle as a result of the rotation of the brushes (reference number 5) and is thus sprayed against the pane to be cleaned. The bristles 6 of the rotating brushes 4 rest on the surface to be cleaned and carry out an effective cleaning process.

The suction channel 3 is formed by two walls 8, 9, which are arranged at a short distance from one another on the base body of the cleaning head 1, designated as a whole by the reference number 7, which preferably consist of sheet metal. The suction channel 3 opens into the rear area of the cleaning head 1 into a circumferential ring channel 10, which is connected via through bores 11 of a transverse wall 13 to a collecting space 14, from which the extracted liquid / dirt / air mixture is sucked off through a line 15, which is connected to a vacuum source.

The cleaning head contains 8 hydrostatic bearing devices 16, which are located opposite each other in pairs and in the end face 17 of which faces the surface to be cleaned, an elongated trough-shaped depression is formed, into which a channel 19 opens, through which water can be fed, which is below the end face 17 forms a thin layer of water as the hydrostatic bearing of the cleaning head during the cleaning process. Air can also be sucked in through the channel 19 towards the end of a cleaning process by connection to the vacuum source of the cleaning device, which draws off residual liquid from the surrounding area. -8th-

The cleaning head 1 also contains four settling devices 20, two of which are also opposite each other in pairs. The settling devices 20 each have a plunger 21 which, after or shortly before the water supply to the hydrostatic bearings is shut off, can be advanced beyond the end plane 22 (FIG. 2) of the cleaning head 1 in order to provide a gap of a predetermined width between the cleaning head and the one to be cleaned Adjust or maintain area.

FIG. 2 shows a section through the edge region of the cleaning chamber 2. There is a side wall 22 which forms both the hydrostatic bearing devices 16 and the tappets

21 of the depositing devices 20 holds. The flat trough-shaped depressions 18 in the end faces 17 of the hydrostatic bearing devices can also be seen. Between the hydrostatic bearing devices 16 and the depositing devices 20, sections 23 of the wall 22 are cut away.

The channels 19 of the hydrostatic bearing devices 16, which run perpendicular to the end plane 22, are connected at their upper end in FIG. 2 to a hose system 24, through which water can be supplied to the hydrostatic bearing devices 16.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which shows the depositing devices 20. The settling devices 20 each contain a pin or plunger 21, the shaft 25 of which has a bore 26 in the wall

22 passes through and carries a head portion 27 on the end face, which rests in the illustrated rear position of the settling device on the lower edge 28 of the associated wall portion. A collar 29 is attached to the shaft 25, on which a prestressed coil spring 30 is supported, which at the other end rests on the upper edge of the associated wall section. -9-

The shaft 25 also passes through the transverse wall 13, a further transverse wall 31 lying behind it, and is anchored in a bolt 32, behind which there is an expandable body 33 which is provided with a water connection 34.

To advance the head sections 27 beyond the end plane 22 of the cleaning head 1, water under pressure is introduced into the expandable container 33, which is made of a rubber-like material, whereby the cross bar 32 moves a small distance, for example a few millimeters, in FIG is moved down until the cross bar 32 hits the fixed wall 31. This defines the advanced position of the head sections 27 of the depositing devices 20.

When the water supply is shut off and a shut-off device is opened which allows the liquid to flow off on the container 33, the tappets return to the starting position shown in FIG. 4 by spring force.

Claims

- 10 claims

1. Cleaning head of a cleaning device for window and facade surfaces, so that the cleaning head (1) has a plurality of settling devices (20) which have contact elements (27) which are arranged over the

Front plane (22) of the cleaning head (1) can be advanced.

2. Cleaning head according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact elements (25, 27) are each biased by a spring device (30) in a retracted starting position in which they do not protrude beyond the end plane (22).

3. Cleaning head according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contact elements (25, 27) can be advanced by supplying water.

4. Cleaning head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that two mutually opposite contact elements (25, 27) are attached to a cross bar (32) which is arranged displaceably.

5. Cleaning head according to claim 4, characterized in that an expandable container (33) which can be connected to a water source is arranged on the side facing away from the end face of the cleaning head (1) behind the cross bar (32). - 11-

6. Cleaning head according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cleaning head has a front, generally trough-shaped cleaning chamber (2) which is surrounded by an annular, circumferential suction channel (3).

7. Cleaning head according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cleaning head (1) further comprises a plurality of hydrostatic bearing devices (16).

8. Cleaning head according to claim 7, characterized in that the hydrostatic bearing devices (16) each have an end wall (17) which are arranged flush with the edge edges of the peripheral walls (8,9) of the cleaning head (1).

9. Cleaning head according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that in the end wall (17) of the hydrostatic bearing device (16) in each case a trough-shaped shallow recess (18) is formed, into which a through hole (19) opens, which via a Pipe system (24) can be connected to a water tank.

10. Cleaning head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a switching element is arranged in the line system (24), which can connect the hydraulic bearing devices (16) to a vacuum source.