|
(11) | EP 1 002 589 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Cleaning apparatus |
| (57) The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning strongly defiled
objects by means of a jet spray from a spray nozzle (8) powered by the pressurized
cleaning fluid of a high-pressure cleaner (7). According to the invention the object
to be cleaned is placed in sealable chamber (1,2,3) in order to retain the dirt that
is removed. |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning strongly defiled objects.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] GB-A-2,225,612 discloses a high-pressure cleaner for cleaning objects by means of a jet spray. The apparatus comprises a high-pressure pump, a container for the cleaning agent and a spray nozzle for applying the mixture of cleaning liquid and cleaning agent to the object to be cleaned. Although the apparatus disclosed in GB-A-2,225,612 is a very effective tool in cleaning heavily defiled objects, there is a significant drawback in that the high-pressure jet spray blasts the dirt and bacteria into the ambient atmosphere. Thereby the operator of the apparatus and the direct environment in the area in which the cleaning operation is performed will be exposed to unacceptably high levels of contamination. In particular, when cleaning such objects as sewage pumps, which have to be cleaned in situ so that they may be transported for maintenance or repair, the levels of contamination pose an unacceptable risk to both operator and direct environment. The sewage pump is for such purpose raised from the sewage and placed on the street in the vicinity of the manhole or other opening of the sewage. While cleaning the pump, the dirt from the sewer will be blasted into the air and pollute the direct environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method of cleaning such strongly defiled objects without exposing the environment or the operator to unacceptable contamination with dirt and bacteria that are removed from the object to be cleaned. This object is achieved with an apparatus according to claim 1, and with a method according to claim 12. By placing the object to be cleaned in a sealable chamber and applying the jet spray from the spray nozzle in said chamber, the removed dirt and bacteria are contained within that said chamber, without any risk of the operator or the environment being polluted. According to another object of the invention, the jet nozzles are connected to a mobile high-pressure cleaner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] In the following detailed part of the description, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiment of a cleaning apparatus according to the invention shown in the drawings, in which
Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus according to the invention connected to a conventional high-pressure cleaner,
Figures 2 and 3 show side views of the cleaning apparatus, and
Figure 4 shows a top view of a cleaning apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A cleaning apparatus according to the invention is formed by a housing 1 comprising a frame 2 on which the outer walls of the housing are attached. The cavity 3 within the walls thus providing a space for receiving a product to be cleaned. The apparatus is provided with a door 4 which can be closed sealingly so as to be able to load and unload the object to be cleaned. The apparatus is provided with a conduit 5 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the nozzles. This conduit 5 extends at least at one of its ends out of the housing 1 and is provided there with a quick-coupling 6 so as to allow easy connection to the source 7 of pressurized cleaning liquid, which is preferably a conventional and commercially available high-pressure cleaner. The conduit 5 is branched off to each spraying nozzle 8 and at the end of each branch leading to a spray nozzle, a valve 9 is located, preferably an electro-magnetic valve, which allows selective use of the various spray nozzles 8.
[0006] The apparatus comprises a rotatable platform 10 on which the object to be cleaned can be placed. The platform 10 is driven by an electric gear motor 11 so as to be able to rotate back and forth over 360° or to continuously rotate, thereby exposing each part of the object to be cleaned to the spraying nozzles. In a pre-ferred embodiment, the spraying nozzles 8 are divided in the housing 1 along one vertical line, one above the other so as to cover the object to be cleaned in a plurality of horizontal sections. The nozzles 8 are preferably of a type that allow effective cleaning from a relatively large distance between the spray nozzle and the object to be cleaned, because one difficulty encountered in such automatic cleaning apparatus is that the distance at which the nozzle 8 operates from the object to be cleaned is bigger than that when a conventional high-pressure cleaner is used.
[0007] The apparatus comprises a programmable controller 12 that controls the washing sequence. The programmable controller 12 operates the electronic valves 9 of the nozzles 8 and steers the electric motor 11. There may also be provided a valve for selecting the cleaning agent and a control mechanism for selecting between warm and cold water.
[0008] If the object to be cleaned is a sewage pump, the cleaning operation will start with lifting the pump from the sewage system. The door 4 at the top of the cleaning apparatus will be opened and the sewage pump 16 will be conveyed into the cleaning apparatus until it rests on the rotatable platform 10. The cleaning cycle that functions can comprise the following steps:
1) a high-pressure cleaning with the lower spray nozzle which is directed angularly upwards towards the outlet of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform does not rotate,
2) high-pressure cleaning with a spray nozzle at the level of the pump inlet for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform does not rotate,
3) high-pressure cleaning with the lower spray nozzle angularly upwards into the outlet of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump does not rotate,
4) high-pressure cleaning with the higher spray nozzle downwards towards the top of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform rotates back and forth over 360°,
5) high-pressure cleaning with the higher spray nozzle over the upper part of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform rotates back and forth over 360°.
6) high-pressure cleaning with the nozzle that sprays at an oblique angle downwardly towards the middle part of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
7) high-pressure cleaning with the nozzle placed at the level of the house of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
8) high-pressure cleaning with a nozzle at the level of the suction end of the pump, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
9) disinfection with all seven nozzles in the chamber for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
10) a pause in the programme for about 10 minutes,
11) a rinsing with all seven nozzles without the use of any additives to the rinsing fluid, preferably with 60° warm water at a pressure between 155 and 175 bars using about 15-18 liters per minute, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°.
[0009] Below the platform 10, a collecting tray 13 is placed which collects the dirt and rinsing fluid and leads it to a container 14 below the collecting tray 13. The container 14 can be supplied with a filter that retains the dirt and allows the fluid to pass to a drainage pipe leading the fluid into the sewage system.
[0010] The nozzles 8 are preferably connected to a nozzle tree 15. The nozzle tree 15 is according to a preferred embodiment extending vertically along one of the side walls of the cleaning apparatus. The nozzle tree 15 may extend inside the housing 1 of the cleaning apparatus or outside the housing 1. In a preferred embodiment, the cavity 3 defined by the side walls of the cleaning apparatus forms a rectangular base surface. The nozzle tree 15 extends vertically upwards from one of the corners of said base surface.
[0011] The apparatus may be provided with an integrated high-pressure cleaner, comprising a source of high-pressure liquid.
[0013] The cleaning programme is controlled by an electric controller in the form of a programme logic control (PLC). The PLC 12 controls the rotation of the platform 10 by steering the electric motor 11, controls the valves 9 and selects the cleaning agent. The PLC can further be integratead in the cleaning apparatus or may be in another embodiment arranged with the high-pressure cleaner.
LIST OF PARTS
- a housing (1) defining a sealable chamber to receive an object to be cleaned,
- at least one spray nozzle (8) being provided in the chamber for spraying the object to be cleaned, said spray nozzle (8) being connectable to a source (7) of pressurized cleaning fluid, and
- means for creating a relative movement between the object to be cleaned and the at least one spray nozzle or nozzles (8).
- raising the sewage pump (16) from the sewerage,
- placing the sewage pump (16) in a sealable chamber,
- sealing the chamber,
- applying cleaning fluid from at least one spray nozzle (8) in the chamber to the sewage pump (16) in the chamber.