Device for cleaning of particles and filth from surfaces, particularly of panels designed for further processings

Abstract

 Device for cleaning of particles and filth from surfaces, particularly of panels designed for further processings, that is assembled on the upper part of entrainment means (rollers 8) of the panels (7) to be treated and is composed of a stationary metallic support structure (11), laid onto the floor, by cleaning means (12) of the surfaces of the panels (7), adapted to remove the impurities by adhesion, by washing means (22 ; 27) of the cleaning means (12) for wetting and collecting the impurities, by scraping means (28 ; 35 ; 41) of the cleaning means (12), and by water drying means (29 ; 42) for drying the water from the cleaning means (12), by allowing these latter to remove again the impurities from the surfaces to be cleaned of additional panels (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for cleaning of particles and filth and/or remainders of processings of various kind from surfaces, particularly of surfaces of panels designed for further processings, such as for example for coverings, paintings, rolling, etc..

[0002] At the present time, for effecting the cleaning of particles and filth of various kind from surfaces, and particularly from surfaces of panels designed for further processings, as for example for coverings, paintings, rolling, etc., there are commonly used devices of various kind adapted to remove in advance such particles, fifth, impurities etc., which have been deposited onto the same surfaces, in such a way as to obtain surfaces as much as possible smooth and free of such particles, fifth, impurities, etc..

[0003] There are known various types of devices employed at the present time for effecting such cleaning of the surfaces, which may be subdivided essentially in four different typologies:

1) roller brushing machines with upper suction system with a centralized suction hood, constituted by one or more stationary roller brushes actuated in rotation and arranged on the upper part of the panels, which are entrained and let to move forward in an unique direction by suitable entrainment means, and such roller brushes act onto the surfaces to be cleaned, in a manner to remove the particles, fifth, impurities, etc., from the panels surfaces, that are then sucked from the environment by an external suction system constituted by one or more suction hoods, which convey the air flow, loaded with the impurities, into a centralized system of traditional type ;

2) transversal band brushing machines with suction system generally placed at the end portions of the rotating band, which is arranged on the upper part of the panels that are advanced forward in a single direction by suitable advancement means, and the suction of the air and the particles deposited onto the panels is carried out by suction hoods of such suction system, which provide for conveying the sucked air and impurities toward the centralized suction system of traditional type;

3) rotating and counter-rotating roller brushing machines, in which the brushing heads are assembled onto suitable carousels rotating around their own axis and the single rollers are rotating around their own axis, and are arranged into contact with the panels which are moving in a single advancement direction only, while the suction of the air and the impurities is generally effected with a central and centralized system of traditional type;

4) compressed air devices, which use the compressed air generated by compressors (of the type of rotary screw, centrifugal, pistons compressors, etc...) and are provided with stationary or rotating nozzles adapted to direct high pressure air jets onto the surface of the underlying panels, which are moved in a single direction by suitable advancement means, thereby removing the impurities from the panels surfaces.

[0004] However, all the above-described devices do not guarantee an adequate cleaning of the panels surfaces, in an accurate and absolute manner, in that in the devices using some brushes the impurity particles are nested easily among the bristles of these latter, which particles, owing to the centrifugal force of the same brushes, are projected again onto the processed surfaces, thereby without obtaining the pre-established result, whereas in turn in the compressed air jet devices the high pressure of the air blown onto the surfaces may do the impurity particles to rebound again onto the surface to be cleaned, or the mechanical action of the brushes and/or of the jets may be not sufficient for cleaning accurately the surfaces to be treated, or the particles may be projected again onto the surfaces to be cleaned owing to the too high energy.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide for a device for cleaning of particles and fifth, and/or remainders of processings of various kind from surfaces, in particular from flat surfaces of panels designed for further processings, such as for example for coverings, paintings, rolling, etc., which device is made with such new and innovative constructive and processing characteristics that to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks of the devices used at the present time, so as to attain panels surfaces with an accurate and absolute cleaning.

[0006] The cleaning device according to the invention is made with the constructive characteristics substantially described, with particular reference to the attached patent claims.

[0007] The invention will be better understood from the following description, that is given by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 shows a perspective front view of the device for cleaning surfaces according to the present invention, in a first embodiment thereof, and with an underlying panel displaced in different advancement positions thereof for cleaning its flat upper surface ;
• Figure 2 shows a front view of a constructive variant of the cleaning device of the Fig. 1, with the panel displaced below the same device during the cleaning phase ;
• Figure 3 shows a partial front view of the cleaning device of the Fig. 1, in another constructive variant thereof;
• Figure 4 shows a front view of the present cleaning device, in a second embodiment thereof, and with an underlying panel displaced in the cleaning phase ;
• Figure 5 shows a front view of an enlarged constructive item of the cleaning device of the Fig. 4. In the above-mentioned figures, it is schematically represented a device 6 for cleaning of particles and filth and/or remainders of processings of various kind from surfaces, particularly of flat surfaces of panels 7 designed for further processings, such as for example for coverings, paintings, rolling, etc..

[0008] This cleaning device 6 is assembled on to the upper part of entrainment means of the traditional type, as for example a set of powered rollers 8 arranged in succession to each other and defining an upper sliding plane, onto which the different panels 7 are placed and entrained, the upper surface 9 of which turned upward must be cleaned by the present cleaning device. Naturally, it might be necessary to clean also the lower surface of the panels, by providing in such case another cleaning device in correspondence of such lower surface.

[0009] As visible from the Fig. 1, the panels 7 are arranged selectively onto the first rollers 8 of the set of rollers, which are actuated in rotation in the same rotation direction (indicated with arrows A) by at least a motor or suitable transmission members (not indicated), associated with the same rollers, in a manner to provide for the advancement of the panels in the sole advancement direction B.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a panel 7 displaced in three different advancement positions thereof with respect to the set of powered rollers 8 and the present cleaning device 6, and particularly in the first left position it is shown the panel 7 before to be loaded onto the rollers 8, and onto the upper surface 9 of which there are disposed two impurities 10 that must be removed by the cleaning device 6. In the second central position of the Fig. 1, it is noted such panel 7, which has just been loaded onto the powered rollers 8, and is let to advance gradually in the direction B. In this case, a panel central portion (not indicated) is positioned below the cleaning device 6, that therefore provides to clean the upper surface of the same panel, as it will be described, while the initial portion of the panel (indicated with 7') is not yet positioned below the cleaning device 6 and onto the upper surface of such initial portion of panel 7' there is also noted an impurity 10 to be removed. In the third panel position of the Fig. 1 (of right), it is noted the panel 7 that has been unloaded from the terminal area of the powered rollers 8, after having been passed below the cleaning device 6, and with its upper surface 9 completely cleaned from all the impurities. The cleaning device 6 according to the present invention is substantially composed of one stationary metallic support structure 11, laid onto the floor, formed by a set of section bars joined to each other (not indicated), and by a cleaning means 12 for the upper surfaces 9 of the panels 7, which is supported by such stationary support structure 11 and is arranged in a position overlying the set of powered rollers 8, and is made and actuated in rotation as it will be hereinafter described.

[0011] The different metallic section bars of the support structure 11 are shaped in such a manner as to support the stationary cleaning means 12 in a transversal position of and spaced away above the set of entrainment rollers 8, and the panels 7 arranged and sliding above the same rollers.

[0012] Such cleaning means 12 is composed of a set of lengthened entrainment rollers, in the example formed by three rollers 13, 14 and 15, fixed to and supported by the support structure 11, and by a continuous band 16 wound around said above entrainment rollers and actuated in rotation by the same, which band is made as it will be described and serves for removing all the impurities that are present onto the upper surface 9 of the panels 7, thanks to the fact to slide always into contact with the same upper surface. The entrainment rollers 13, 14, 15 are shaped with a cylindrical shape and arranged preferably in a horizontal position, and are placed parallel to and equally spaced from each other to form an equilateral triangle, in such a way that they are all arranged in an upper and spaced away position with respect to the rollers 8 and the panels 7, and in a position transversal to the advancement direction of the same panels, and that the two upper rollers 13 and 14 are aligned to each other along an horizontal plane, and the third lower roller 15 is placed in the middle of the horizontal plane formed between the two rollers 13 and 14. The cylindrical rollers 13, 14 and 15 are actuated in rotation by at least a suitable actuating means, such as at least a gearmotor 17, supplied by the electrical supply circuit of the cleaning device 6, and that in the example is fixed laterally to said cylindrical rollers, and it is adapted to actuate in rotation at least one of the same rollers, for example the upper roller 13, but that naturally may actuate in rotation also the remaining cylindrical rollers 14 and 15, thereby determining also the rotation of the continuous band 16, and in this case the rotation occurs in the rotation direction C. In turn, the continuous band 16 being wound around said three cylindrical rollers 13, 14 and 15 has the same length of all the cylindrical rollers, and therefore covers all the external surfaces of the same rollers, and thereby is arranged in the transversal direction with respect to the advancement direction B of the panels 7, and onto such continuous band 16 it is fixed onto its entire surface an external band 18 composed of a polyurethanic rubber having characteristics of variable softness and formed by the reticulated polyurethanic gel material, the properties of which will be described hereinafter.

[0013] The position of the continuous band 16 may be regulated in height with respect to the panel 7 arranged onto said entrainment rollers 8 and entrained by the same in the advancement direction B, depending on the thickness of each panel to be cleaned, and this is obtained thanks to the fact that the lower cylindrical roller 15 is pivoted with its rotation pivot 19 into a vertical through slot 20, provided into the correspondent side plates 21 of the stationary support structure 11 (in the Fig. 1 it is visible only one of the two side plates), and into which there are pivoted and supported all the cylindrical rollers 13, 14, 15. In this way, it is sufficient to regulate the position in height of the rotation pivot 19 along the vertical through slot 20 of the two side plates 21, for changing consequently the position of the lower roller 15 and therefore also the position of the continuous band 16 with respect to the upper surface of the relative panel to be cleaned, thereby allowing to keep said band 16 and the relative external band 18 always into contact with the external surface of each panel and thus to clean the same surface during the rotation of the band 16 determined by the rotation of the rollers 13, 14 and 15. By synchronizing the advancement of the panels 12 along the path defined by the powered rollers 8 and the rotation of the continuous band 16, and by regulating from time to time the height of the lower roller 15 in a manner to adapt the height of the band with respect to the height of the panel 7, it is so possible to remove with absolute certainty all the impurities present onto the upper surface 9 of each panel, thanks to the mechanical properties of adhesion of the reticulated polyurethanic gel, by effecting in this manner an accurate and safe cleaning of these upper surfaces, so that they result to be smooth and free of any impurity and they lend themselves in an optimum manner to be submitted to possible subsequent processing phases of the panels, as for example the coverings, paintings, rolling, etc..

[0014] The property of the reticulated polyurethanic gel, constituting the external band 18 of the continuous band 16, consists to become slippery (and so easily washable) when it is wet by a liquid, and this condition makes particularly easy the washing and the cleaning of the same external band from the impurities which are collected by adhesion, in that in such case a surface layer of water (not indicated) is formed onto the external band 18, which collects all the impurities removed from the panels upper surface, and furthermore the surface of such external band 18 becomes adhesive again as soon as it is dried, by arranging itself again for collecting additional impurities by adhesion.

[0015] For wetting the external band 18 of the continuous band 16 after the removal of the impurities from the upper surface of each panel 7 being passing below the above-mentioned cleaning means 12, the present cleaning device 6 comprises also cleaning means 22, positioned on the upper part of one of the upper cylindrical rollers, in the indicated example of the roller 14, in the upper zone of the movement reversal of the continuous band 16, which are composed of a band brush 23 wound around and supported by two pulleys 24 and 25, aligned and spaced away to each other in the transversal direction of the continuous band 16, of which the pulley 25 is actuated in rotation, in the direction indicated with the arrow D, by an electric gearmotor 26 connected into the electrical circuit of the cleaning device and also fixed to the support structure 11, and such band brush 23 is extended for the entire width of the continuous band 16 and the bristles of such band brush 23 are into sliding contact with the underlying surface of said external band 18. A nozzle 27 is situated on the upper part of the band brush 23 and is connected to the water supply line and slightly raised with respect to the surface of the same brush, in such a way that during the rotation of the band brush 23 in the transversal direction of the continuous band 16, the nozzle directs a water jet on to the same band brush, and this latter provides for supplying the water on to the entire surface of said external band 18, by wetting it.

[0016] Moreover, the present cleaning device comprise some scraping means 28 of the water distributed onto the surface of the external band 18, and some water drying means 29, arranged in succession to each other, downstream the band brush 23 in the advancement direction C of the continuous band 16. In particular, the scraping means 28 are constituted substantially by a lengthened box 30 made of plastic material, fixed to the support structure 11 in a position approached to said band brush 23, in the upper part of the continuous band 16, and extended in the transversal direction for the entire width of such continuous band, and into the lengthened box 30 a scraper 31 of flexible material is fixed for the entire length of such box, in a manner that the scraper be into sliding contact with the surface of the external band 18 and, during the rotation of this latter in the C direction, removes the layer of water distributed previously, together with all the impurities removed from the upper surface of the relative panel 7, and that the collected water and impurities are then conveyed and discharged outward through suitable collecting conveyors 32, also secured to the support structure 11, thereby cleaning completely the external band 18 from the collected impurities.

[0017] In turn, the water drying means 29 are substantially constituted preferably by one or more electric heating elements 33, connected into the electric circuit of the cleaning device 6 and adapted to be turned on and off by the electric control means of the same device, said heating elements 33 being supported by the support structure 11 in the transversal direction and on the upper part of the continuous band 16, for the entire width of this latter, in a manner to generate infrared radiations of adequate power, which are directed along all the surface of the external band 18 for drying quickly this latter after the removal of the water and the impurities therefrom. For better directing and concentrating the infrared radiations against the external band 18, a metallic sheet 34 is fixed around the heating element (s) 33, which is adequately bent downward, for preventing dispersions of such infrared radiations outward.

[0018] Under these conditions, then, as soon as such external band has been dried, it recovers again its adhesive properties, so that the continuous band 16 is moved forward again as soon as an additional panel 7 has been placed below the above-mentioned cleaning means 12, with the consequent removal of the impurities from the upper surface of the same panel with the same above-mentioned criteria. Fig. 2 shows the cleaning device in a constructive variant thereof, with a panel 7 displaced below the cleaning means 12. This device is identical to and operates in the same manner than that one of the Fig. 1, so that the identical components are marked with the same reference numerals, except the fact that in this case the band brush 23 isn't provided and the dripping water is let to fall down through one or more nozzles 27 directly onto the surface of the external band 18 and is distributed uniformly for the entire length of the same band.

[0019] Fig. 3 shows an additional possible variant of the present cleaning device, in which it is noted that the dripping water is let to fall down directly onto the entire surface of the external band 18 through one or more nozzles 27, as in Fig. 2, whereas the scraping means are shaped as a roller 35, made of plastic material or the like, as for example polytetrafluoroethylene, arranged into contact with the external band 18 transversally along all its surface, and moved by an electrical motor (not shown), thereby removing the water 36 with the impurities and discharging it at the external end portions into suitable collecting conveyers (not shown).

[0020] The Fig. 4 shows also the present cleaning device in a second possible embodiment thereof, in which it is composed of a cylinder of large diameter 37, supported by the support structure 11 and positioned transversally to the advancement direction B of the underlying panel 7, and extended at least for the entire width of this latter, which cylinder is displaceable vertically in height in different manners, for regulating its height depending on the height of the panels to be treated, and it is actuated in rotation by the relative gearmotor (not shown) in the C direction, identical to the advancement direction of the panel 7. Onto the surface of the cylinder 37 the usual continuous band 38 is fixed, to which the external band 39 of reticulated polyurethanic gel material is applied (see the enlarged item of the Fig. 5). In this second embodiment, the washing means 40 of the band 39, the scraping means 41 of the impurities and the drying means 42, are the same used for the variant of the cleaning device shown in the Fig. 2.

[0021] With the cleaning device according to the present invention, therefore it is possible to obtain a perfect and efficient cleaning of surfaces of panels needing subsequent processings as painting, rolling, etc..

[0022] Such cleaning device may be used advantageously as a machine for cleaning panels/wings etc.. in the painting lines (glossy and opaque lacquering) in the field of wood/furniture/furnishing, and also in any other technological field, wherein the total lack of impurities onto the surfaces of these products is essential for an efficient and satisfying final painting.

[0023] Such cleaning machine may be advantageously assembled even into the painting booth and guarantees the perfect cleaning of all the products to be painted.

Claims

1. Device (6) for cleaning of particles and filth and/or remainders of processings of various kind from surfaces, particularly of flat surfaces of panels (7) designed for further processings, such as for example for coverings, paintings, rolling, etc., wherein the panels (7) are displaced onto and entrained by entrainment means as powered rollers (8) or the like, in a sole advancement direction (B), characterized for being assembled on the upper part of said entrainment means (8) and for being substantially composed by a stationary metallic support structure (11), laid onto the floor, formed by a set of section bars joined to each other, by cleaning means (12) for the upper surfaces (9) of the panels (7), arranged in a position on top of said entrainment means (8), adapted to remove by means of adhesion the impurities finding themselves onto said upper surfaces (9), by washing means (22; 27) of said cleaning means (12) for wetting and collecting the impurities deposited thereon, by scraping means (28; 35; 41) of said cleaning means (12), for removing the distributed water and the impurities collected by said cleaning means (12), by conveying then the water toward collecting and draining means (32), and by water drying means (29 ; 42) for drying the water from said cleaning means (12), by allowing these latter to remove again the impurities from the surfaces to be cleaned of further panels (7).

2. Device for cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that said support structure (11) is shaped in such a way as to support said stationary cleaning means (12) in a transversal and spaced away position over said entrainment means (8), and the panels (7) arranged and sliding on to these latter.

3. Device for cleaning according to claim 2, characterized in that said cleaning means (12) are composed by a set of powered lengthened rollers, formed for example by three rollers (13, 14, 15), secured to and supported by said support structure (11), and by a continuous band (16) wound around said entrainment rollers (13, 14, 15) and actuated in rotation by the same, as well as sliding always into contact with the upper surface of said panels (7), said entrainment rollers (13, 14, 15) being shaped of a cylindrical shape and arranged preferably in a horizontal position, and being placed parallel and equally spaced from each other to form an equilateral triangle, in such a way that they are all arranged in an upper and spaced away position with respect to said entrainment means (8) and the panels (7), and characterized in that said continuous band (16) is wound around said cylindrical rollers (13, 14, 15) and has the same length of all the cylindrical rollers, and therefore covers all the external surfaces of the same rollers, and is arranged in the transversal direction with respect to the advancement direction (B) of the panels (7), and onto said continuous band (16) at least an external band (18) is secured onto the entire surface thereof, which band is composed by a polyurethane rubber having characteristics of variable softness and formed by the reticulated polyurethane gel material, and is always placed into contact with the upper surface of the panels (7), for removing by adhesion all the impurities present onto the same surface.

4. Device for cleaning according to claim 3, characterized in that the position of said continuous band (16) may be regulated in height with respect to the panel (7) arranged onto said entrainment means (8), depending on the thickness of each panel to be cleaned, and this is obtained thanks to the fact that the lower cylindrical roller (15) is pivoted with its rotation pivot (19) into a vertical through slot (20), provided into the correspondent side plates (21) of the stationary support structure (11), and into which all the cylindrical rollers (13, 14, 15) are pivoted and supported, in such a way that by regulating the position in height of the rotation pivot (19) along the vertical through slot (20) of the two side plates (21), the position of the lower roller (15) and therefore also the position of said continuous band (16) is changed with respect to the upper surface of the relative panel to be cleaned, thereby allowing to keep said band (16) and the relative external band (18) always into contact with the external surface of each panel to be cleaned.

5. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said external band (18) constituted by said reticulated polyurethane gel becomes slippery (and so easily washable) when it is wet by a liquid, and this condition makes particularly easy the washing and the cleaning of the same external band from the impurities which are collected by adhesion, in that in such case a surface layer of water is formed onto the external band (18), which collects all the impurities removed from the panels upper surface, and furthermore the surfaces of such external band (18) becomes adhesive again as soon as is dried, by prearranging itself for collecting again additional impurities by means of adhesion.

6. Device for cleaning according to the previous claims, characterized in that said cleaning means (22), adapted to wet said external band (18) after the removal of the impurities from the upper surface of each panel (7), are arranged in the upper part of at least one of the upper cylindrical rollers (14), in the upper zone of the movement reversal of said continuous band (16), and are composed by a band brush (23) wound and supported by two powered pulleys (24, 25), aligned and spaced away to each other in the transversal direction of the continuous band (16), said band brush (23) being extended for the entire width of said continuous band (16) in a manner that its bristles are into sliding contact with the underlying surface of said external band (18), said cleaning means (22) comprising also at least a nozzle (27), situated on the upper part of said band brush (23) and connected to the water supply and slightly lifted up with respect to the surface of the same brush, in such a way that during the rotation of said band brush (23) in the transversal direction of the continuous band (16), said nozzle (27) directs a water jet on to the same band brush, and this latter provides for supplying the water on to all the surface of said external band (18), by wetting thereof

7. Device for cleaning according to the previous claims, characterized in that said scraping means (28) are constituted substantially by a lengthened box (30) made of plastic material, fixed to said support structure (11) in a position approached to said band brush (23), over said continuous band (16), and extended in the transversal direction for all the width of such continuous band, and into the lengthened box (30) a scraper (31) of flexible material is fixed for all the length of such box, in a manner that the scraper finds itself into sliding contact with surface of the external band (18) and, during the rotation of this latter in the C direction, removes the layer of water distributed previously, together with all the impurities removed from the upper surface of the relative panel (7).

8. Device for cleaning according to the previous claims, characterized in that said drying means (29) are substantially constituted preferably by at least an electric heating element (33), connected into the electric circuit of the cleaning device and adapted to be turned on and off by the electric control means of the same device, said heating element (33) being supported by the support structure (11) in the transversal direction and over the continuous band (16), for all the width of this latter, in a manner to generate infrared radiations of adequate power, which are directed along all the surface of said external band (18) for drying quickly this latter after the removal of the water and the impurities therefrom, said heating element (33) being covered by a metallic sheet (34) adequately bent downward, for better directing and concentrating the infrared radiations against the external band (18), and preventing dispersions of such infrared radiations outward.

9. Device for cleaning according to the previous claims, characterized in that the dripping water is let to fall down through at least a nozzle (27) directly onto all the surface of said external band (18), and that said scraping means are shaped as a powered roller (35) or a stationary roller made of plastic material or the like, as for example polytetrafluoroethylene, arranged into contact with the same external band, transversally along all its surface, thereby removing the water (36) with the impurities and discharging it at the external end portions into suitable collecting conveyers.

10. Device for cleaning according to the previous claims, characterized by a powered cylinder of large diameter (37), supported by the support structure (11) and arranged transversally to the advancement direction B of the underlying panel (7), and extended at least for all the width of this latter, which cylinder is displaceable vertically in height in different manners, for regulating its height depending on the height of the panels to be treated, and that onto the surface of said cylinder (37) a continuous band (38) is fixed, to which an external band (39) of reticulated polyurethane gel material is applied, which is kept into contact with the upper surface of the panels (7).

Drawing