WO2013105001A2

WO2013105001A2 - In-cage motorized glass cleaner apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2013105001A2
Application number: PCT/IB2013/000883
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wasfi Alshdaifat; Eida Almuhairbi; Farah Afif KASSAB
Original assignee: Wasfi Alshdaifat; Eida Almuhairbi; Kassab Farah Afif
Priority date: 2013-05-07
Filing date: 2013-05-07
Publication date: 2013-07-18
Also published as: CN105392405A; CN105392405B; WO2013105001A3

Abstract

To provide a time, fluid, and labor saving, glass cleaner apparatus (20), that is further effective and safe, depending mainly on a two motorized cleaning devices, built-in a cage (21) carrying one to two workers, the cage (21) is suspended, and moving up/down, or sideways opposite to the glass to be cleaned. The motorized cleaning device, is installed inside a moveable housing (30), moving on four wheels, forward toward a deep glass (surface) in the facade, or retarded backward for cleaning a protrusing facade glass (surface). The motorized device consists of a motor (29), installed on a base plate, to drive the rotation of a camshaft (28), which is in touch with the rear end of a telescopic shaft (26), that moves up/down, and as a result creating an up/down reciprocating movement of a cleaning brush (22), installed at its front end, a rinse/compress/drain option is also provided.

Description

IN-CAGE MOTORIZED GLASS CLEANER APPARATUS

Description of the Invention

Technical Field of Invention

This invention relates to apparatuses, used in the cleaning of the facades and windows outer surfaces of high rise buildings.

Background Art

Commonly, the cleaning of the facades of high rise buildings, including glazed surfaces, and sealed windows, is carried out by means of manual operation, by a swinging worker, suspended by ropes, these workers follow three steps to clean the windows: a- using their tools, they position themselves and their suspended cleaners buckets opposite to the target window to be cleaned, b- using a brush soaked in a cleaning fluid to brush or scrubb a window, c- using a squeegee or rubber blade, to scrape all the excess liquid, from the glazed window. Anyway, This common method of low quality cleaning is expensive, uncomfortable, time consuming, and considered as one of the most dangerous occupations in industry.

Another method used, is a scaffold (3D open cage) vertically suspended by a rope from the roof of the building, pulled up depending on top mounted motors, moving down depending on gravity, the scaffold is carrying inside it the workers, and their materials, this method is not far differren from the prior one, even the workers here are not suspended directly, but still there should be a space kept in-between the metallic box, and the facade, so that it will not be scratched or damaged by the box. Recently, for an improved safety, labor, and time saving; numerous inventions have been proposed, aiming to replace the workers and their cleaning materials, either by providing an apparatus (casing or rectangular box) with self contained means, cotrolled by an operater, remotely located upon the ground, e.g: Pat. No.s U.S.: 3298052; 3,715,774, or by remote control means, aiming to control remotely the use of mechanical devices in e.g a suspended carriage with wheels, to raise and lower the cleaning head, along the building glazed facade, and to control the sprays of the fluid, and scurpping the facade with brushes, these involve the use of rotating, or non-rotating brushes, these are available in the prior art, such as: U.S. Pat. No.s 3,344,454; 4,025,984; 4,198, 724. A most recent remotely controlled apparatus, for cleaning building facades, without the need of guides, or tracks on the facade, is disclosed in Pat. No.: US 7,823,242, wherein it is using a suspended master frame, containg the cleaning tools, with installed counterweights, and outer sliding pads wheels, the entire cleaning operation is effected and monitored, by an operator in a safe remote location, for example, by means of closed circuit television, with cameras mounted as desired on the carrier frame. A television receiver is mounted at the remote control station, to permit for the operator, to monitor and control the cleaning process.

Despite most of the remotely controlled apparatuses can carry out the cleaning relatively, still they are extremely expensive to buy, highly expensive to rent, only cleaning flat facades without protrusions, do not have a technique that closes the opened windows, even manually, spraying the water against the glass, which may create more water consumption, spraying, and drizzling.

In total, to keep all the benefits of the various techniques used in the art, and to solve most or all of their negative drawbacks, the newly developed invented device should not suspend freely and unsafely the workers, and should not use a remote control means which are expensive, and not capable on cleaning protrusions in the facades, as a result, the best way is to use the cage with the two workers, but instead of letting them lean sideways towards the facade, to carry out a laborious cleaning process, their cages are provided with a built-in motorized cleaning devices, with an extendable / adjustable cleaning head, to clean the deep surfaces of the facades, wherein the whole apparatus can be rotated sideways, to clean facades protrusions sides, while the workers job, is just to monitor a high quality cleaning process, without being remotely located, or being laboriously hanging, swinging, leaning, or twisting themselves. Disclosure of Invention

Brief Description

To provide a time, fluid, and labor saving, glass cleaner apparatus, that is further effective and safe, depending mainly on a two motorized cleaning devices, built-in a cage carrying one to two workers, the cage is suspended, and moving up/down, or sideways opposite to the glass to be cleaned.

The motorized cleaning device, is installed on a moveable box (drawer or housing), moving on four wheels, to be moved forward toward a deep glass (surface) in the facade, or retarded backward for cleaning a protruding facade glass (surface).

The motorized device is supported on the box (drawer), a motor is installed on a base plate of the box (housing), to drive the rotation of a camshaft, which is in touch with the rear end of a telescopic shaft, that moves up/down, and as a result creating an up/down reciprocating movement of a cleaning brush, which is connected to the front far ends of the telescopic shaft.

The telescopic shaft, is also retardable depending on a hydraulic circuit, it is retarded either to cooperate with the facade depths variations, as a result the cleaning head, forward and backward movement is adjustable, or to retard back the cleaning brush to tilt longitudinally its two halfs towards each other, by passing it through a narrow passage in-between two rotating pipes.

Cleaning liquid is supplied through a hose from a tank mounted at the top of the building, towards the cage, then it passes towards the back of the cleaning head, where it is distributed through smaller tubes towards nozzles at the back surface of the brush sponge. Brief Description of the Drawings:

• FIG. 1: Illustrates a 3-dimensional view for the whole apparatus suspended with the worker, through part of the working area.

• FIG. 2: Illustrates a 3-dimensional view for the used apparatus with its outer shape, and its motorized devices inner tools. • FIG. 3: Illustrates a 3-dimensional view for the motorized device mechanism.

• FIG. 4: Illustrates a back view for the cleaning brush, and the connection locations.

· FIG.s 5 (A, B, C): Illustrates brief steps of cleaning operations.

• FIG.s 6 (A, B): Illustrates brief steps of the draining operation.

• FIG. 7: Illustrates a 3-D view for the whole apparatus with the brush 22 parts are clapped (tilted) toward each other.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention:

Detailed description of operation

In order to make it easy to carry out the invention, a detailed description of the parts of the invention, supported with figures is provided here, as each part has many features, we made it easy to read, by referring to each feature with a number included in the parts description text, and in the parts numbering list, the numbering of parts features is indicated here by starting it sequentially from number 20, whenever a part feature appears in a text, it is directly assigned its required serial number. As example in FIG. 1, the parts' features are arranged sequentially from number 20 to 21, 22...

1- The whole apparatus 20 view relative to the worker, and a target area to be cleaned. FIG.s (1, 2): The in-cage motorized cleaning apparatus 20 consists mainly of the cage 21, a motorized cleaning mechanism, water supply system, drainage system, and suspending mechanism, these are working like in the following:

a- The cleaning mechanism (FIG.s. 2, 3, 4):

To simulate the cleaning operation followed by a laborer, wherein he uses his hand to move up/down a spongy rubber brush against a window glass, then dipping it in the water and compressing it, to repeat the cleaning again, it is required here in this invention basically to have a spongy flat rubber brush 22, that is moved up and down against the window glass 23, via a motorized mechanism, and then to be pulled back to be compressed and dried after a specific period of use, evaluated by the worker, and then returned back to clean the glass (facade) 23, this means the following parts are needed to achieve these tasks:

a- The spongy flat (rubber) brush 22 (FIG. 4):

The selected shape for the brush 22 is to be flat, to provide a firm attach against the glass, while moving up and down,

b- The wiper rubber 24:

A double wiper rubber 24 is used for wiping the excess water after the glass is cleaned by the wet spongy brush 22, while it is going down, it should have many features: 1- its support arm 25 is installed to the same main carrier frame of the cage 21, 2- the support arm 25 is to be telescopically adjusted to be advanced forward or retarded backward, depending on the facade depth, or protrusions. 3- it is adjusted to be always in touch with the top dead edge, that the brush 22 may reach. 4- it is moving down with the movement of the cage 21.

c- Brush reciprocating mechanism (FIG.s 2, 3):

To make the brush 22 reciprocates (Up/Down), it need to be moved through a connected reciprocating shaft 26. A selected mechanism to make this shaft 26 move up and down from its front end (brush 22 side), is to connect it to the brush through a ball joint 27, while from it is rear end, it is required to install a rotating camshaft 28, at a distance a little forward from its far end toward the brush 22, the camshaft 28 is rotated by an electric motor 29, mounted on the box (drawer, or mechanism housing 30) top base 31 , meanwhile, at the location where the camshaft 27 is in touch with the reciprocating shaft 26, a partially elliptical protrusion 32 is made, to prevent the damage of the reciprocating shaft 26 edge, and to smoothen its movement.

The reciprocating shaft 26, should be pivoted to the mechanism housing opening 33 via side pivots 34, to assist the stable reciprocation of the shaft 26, but still the reciprocating shafts 26, does not retard (reciprocate) up, unless a tensioned spring 35 is used, the spring 35 is put under tension, when the front end of the reciprocating shaft 26 is moved down, due to being pushed up from the rear side by the camshaft 27, when the cam effect is released from the reciprocating shaft 26 end, the tension of the spring 35 lifts the reciprocating shaft 26 front end up, and as a result the brush 22 is lifted up too.

Note 1: The reciprocating speed of the brush 22, is controlled by the side motor 29 that is rotating the camshaft 26, the motor's speed is controlled by the worker.

Note 2: The housing 30 of the mechanism, is supported through vertical legs 36 on wheels 37, which allow not only moving the mechanism forward and backward, but also sideward to clean facade protrusions that are located to the right or lift of the cage 21.

Note 3: The housing is having from its front side a vertical slot (opening) 33, to let the reciprocating shaft 26 extend through it, and to move up/down.

Note 4: the retard spring 35 is supported from one side to a beam 38 installed on the top surface of the housing 30.

Fluid feeding to the brush:

Because spraying the water directly on the windows surface ahead of the spongy rubber, and because the scrubber brushes and removal means are generally positioned to the location at which the washing liquid is sprayed on the window surface, a large amount of liquid is needed, in addition to that a large amount of water is wasted, to overcome such issues, it is required to apply a film of cleaner instead of a spray, which will dry rapidly, and when subsequently brushed off, the glass is cleaned very effectively.

To feed the water to the brush 22, the water from a roof top mounted tank is sent through the fluid hose 39, is entered toward the brush 22 back, where a modified spongy rubber brush 22 is provided in this invention, which is getting the fluid fed directly to inside it from its back, which is covered with a strong but flexible plastic or rubber, the water is passed toward an elongated cylindrical groove made along the center of the sponge, wherein the fluid is directed through nozzles towards the front part of the brush 22, which is facing the glass 23, but this fluid will not be sprayed out of the brush 22, because its nozzles ends are closed by the spongy rubber from the front side of the brush 22, that is to let the fluid penetrate the brush 22 to its front side, but without being sprayed out, instead it will make the front side of the brush 22, wet enough to apply the fluid to the glass 23, as a film of fluid. - The drainage mechanism (FIG.S 4, 6, 7):

To rinse/compress the spongy rubber brush 22, the provided mechanism here is working by dragging the foldable flat brush 22 back to pass through a passage, which will hit on the back of the top and lower parts of the brush 22, as a result the top part of the brush is tilted down, and the bottom part of the brush 22 is tilted up, to become facing each other, or in another way compressed against each other, as a result, dirty water is expelled out, and start dropping down, where a drainage basin 40 is installed on the front lower side of the cage 21.

To drag the cleaner head (brush) 22 back, it is required to drag the reciprocating shaft 26, as a result the reciprocating shaft 26 should be modified to be telescopic. To use a force to pull the brush 22 for rinsing/compressing, and to push it back again towards the glass 23, the force should be applied to the brush 22 center, and as a result while pulling back the brush 22; the first small diameter reciprocating shaft 41, goes to inside the second bigger diameter shaft 42, a selected conventional mechanism to achieve this, is to use a hydraulic piston- cylinder system, wherein the piston-rod 43 (not shown) which is inserted to inside the hydraulic-cylinder 44, through a piston, is connected from the other side to the small diameter shaft 41, at its front inner end 45, while the rod 43 is built-in and extending inside the small diameter shaft 41, the hydraulic cylinder 44 (not shown) is built-in inside the big diameter (main) telescopic shaft 42. The passage made to tilt each part of the brush forward and then against the other, is created by making a horizontal slot 46 in the front side of the big shaft 42, this slot 46 will force the two parts of the brush 22, when they are pulled back by the hydraulic rod 43, to tilt forward and towards each other, so that it can be passed through the slot 46 to be compressed.

The hydraulic circuit (FIG. 3) further consists conventionally from a hydraulic pump 47, a hydraulic fluid suction hose 48 in-between the pump 47 and the fluid reservoir 49, a pressure hose 50 delivering the pumped fluid from the pump 47 to the cylinder 51, before the piston, a return hose

52 for the fluid behind the piston, the circuit also includes a selector valve

53 to reverse the direction of the hydraulic fluid, so that the piston-rod 43, has a two way forced movements, only under the effect and control of an electric switch, managed by the worker.

Note 1: to pull back the brush 22, for rinsing/draining, the worker first switch off the motor 29.

Note 2: A water drainage hose 54 is fixed on the bottom part of the drainage basin 40, and ending form its other side in a garden or a sewage manhole. - Safety suspending mechanism (FIG. 1):

The apparatus 20 is hung freely by two separate ropes 55, while moving up or down, these first ropes 55 are rotated separately around a synchronized first pulley and a second pulley, driven by a roof top mounted 2-way motor.

Brief steps of cleaning operations FIG.s 5 (A, B, C).

- FIG. 5- A: the cleaning brush 22 is in touch with the glass 23, at the middle (horizontal position. - FIG. 5- B: the cleaning brush 22 moved up and cleaned upwards, due to the pulling up of the retard spring 35 on the reciprocating shaft 26.

- FIG. 5- C: the cleaning brush 22 moved down and cleaned downwards, due to the pulling up of the camshaft 28 on the big reciprocating shaft 42 rear end, as a result, the front end in touch with the brush 22 moved down.

Brief steps of the draining operation FIG.s 6 (A, B).

- FIG. 6- A: The cleaning brush 22 is pulled back by the piston-rod 43, which retarded nearly 2/3 its extension distance, to inside the hydraulic cylinder 44, while the small reciprocating shaft 41 too, is pulled back to inside the big reciprocating shaft 42.

- FIG. 6- B: The cleaning brush 22 is pulled back fully by the piston- rod 43, which retarded for its full extension distance, to inside the hydraulic cylinder 44, while the small reciprocating shaft 41 too, is pulled back to inside the big reciprocating shaft 42. Here the brush 22 parts are clapped (tilted) toward each other, and pressed while passing to inside the slot 46.

FIG. 7: A 3-D view for the whole apparatus with the brush 22 parts are clapped (tilted) toward each other, and pressed while passing to inside the slot 46, to compress and drain the dirty water from the brush 22, toward the basin 40.

Industrial applicability

The subject invention has the following benefits, which make it easier to be industrially applicable:

1- All the apparatus devices: the cage, motorizing mechanisms, water supply tube, tank, pump, and the supporting frames can be easily manufactured from available tools and materials used successfully in other types of arts with easy modifications.

2- Modifying a cage, without disturbing its final operating shape, to be an A cleaning apparatus for civil services.

3- For the first time, an apparatus can change the cleaning laborers tasks in a cage, from a laborious, manual, difficult, low quality, time consuming job, to monitoring and controlling a high quality, quick, and easy cleaning of detailed facades, with protrusions.

4- Fast installation of the apparatus, compared to the manners and devices in the art.

5- Fast cleaning than any other apparatus or a laborer cleaner, due to the use of workers that would not bear or lean against the facade, in addition to using a fast reciprocating cleaner.

6- Inner water supply and distribution to the cleaning brush, will guarantee water consumption saving to extreme limits.

Parts Drawing Index:

20 Motorized cleaning apparatus. 40 Drainage basin.

21 Cage. 41 Small diameter shaft.

22 Flat brush. 42 Big diameter shaft.

23 Glass (facade). 43 Piston-rod.

24 Wiper rubber. 44 Hydraulic cylinder.

25 Support arm. 45 Small shaft front end.

26 Reciprocating shaft. 46 Slot.

27 Ball joint. 47 Hydraulic pump.

28 Camshaft. 48 Suction hose.

29 Motor. 49 Reservoir tank.

30 Mechanism's housing. 50 Pressure hose.

31 Base. 51 Hydraulic cylinder.

32 Elliptical protrusion. 52 Return hose.

33 Opening (slot). 53 Selector valve.

34 Pivots. 54 Drainage hose.

35 Tension spring. 55 Ropes.

36 Legs. 56 First pulley.

37 Wheels. 57 Second pulley.

38 Beam.

39 Fluid hose.

Claims

1- A motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) for cleaning high rise buildings, comprising:

a manned cage (21) with built-in motorized glass cleaner apparatus; a sideways moveable mechanism housing (30);

a motorized up/down (reciprocating) moveable flat brush (22);

a foldable flat brush (22);

a wiper rubber (24),

water supply and drainage accessories;

a rinse/compress mechanism;

a drainage mechanism;

a hydraulic circuit;

2- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the manned cage (21), is a conventional cage (21) carrying workers (cleaners), modified by building inside it a two motorized cleaning apparatuses.

3- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the sideways moveable mechanism housing (30), is supported via legs (36) on wheels (37), to be moveable to advance toward a deep facade surface, or retarded to clean a facade protrusion, or to be rotated to right or left, to clean facades right or left side protrusions.

4- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism housing (30) is enclosing the motor (29), camshaft (28), hydraulic circuit, and main shaft (42), where it is having a vertical slot (33) in its front side, to allow the reciprocation of the reciprocating shaft (26), that is supported from one end on the camshaft (28), and extending from its middle side through the housing (30) slot (33), toward the cleaning brush (22).

5- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the wiper rubber (24) is supported via an advance/retard arm (25), supported on the cage (21) frame top edge, the wiper (24) is adjusted to be always located to be in touch with the top dead edge that the brush (22) may reach, and to be moving down with the movement of the cage (21).

6- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating mechanism consist of a motor (29), driving a camshaft (28), installed on the housing base (31), the camshaft (28) is driving the reciprocation of the telescopic reciprocating shaft (26), that is pivoted on the front exit side of the housing 30 via pivots (34), and connected from its far end, to a ball-joint (27), on the back of the flat cleaning brush (22), a retard spring (35) supported from one side to a beam (38) installed on the top surface of the housing (30), is used to pull the front end of the big reciprocating shaft (42) up after being tilted down, and thus moving the brush (22) up and down against the window glass (23).

7- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the rinse/compress/drain mechanism is activated by the worker, by switching off the cleaning, and switching on the rinse/compress mechanism, wherein the hydraulic circuit is activated to pull back the brush (22), via the piston-rod (43), which pulls the small telescopic shaft (41) to move back through the big shaft (42), until the upper and lower parts of the brush (22), hit the top and lower edges of the big shaft (42), as a result the brush (22) top part is tilted forward and downward, while the lower part is tilted forward and upward, with further pull back on the brush (22), it is forced to move through the slot (46) that is in-between the big shaft (42) upper and lower ends, as a result the brush (22) parts are pressed further against each other, wherein the dirty fluid is expelled out, towards the drainage basin (40), which is installed on the front lower side of the cage (21).

8- The motorized glass cleaner apparatus (20) according to claim 1, wherein the water supply is provided to each of the brushes (22), from a top mounted water tank, through two hoses (39) coupled to the suspending ropes (55), where each hose (39) end at the back of a brush (22), distributing the water through it to nozzles behind the brush (22) front surface.