Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Patent
1995-05-22
1997-01-14
Simone, Timothy F.
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
15 521, 15 531, 15 82, 15 884, B60S 300
Patent
active
055927106
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a brush head, especially for the cleaning of large objects such as aircraft, having a brush roller which is motor-driven in a predefined direction of rotation, carries a bristle crown consisting of centrifugally supported, flexurally soft bristles and acts with the bristles against a surface which is to be cleaned.
BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART
In DE-A1-40 35 519 of the Applicant, it has already been proposed to equip a large manipulator with a remote-controllable brush head. The known large manipulator includes an articulated pole which is constructed of a plurality of extension arms which are mutually pivotable at their ends. The basic extension arm of which is mounted rotatably about a vertical axis on a bearing pedestal disposed on an underframe and the end extension arm includes a multiple joint which can be fitted with the brush head. From this publication, it is also known to assemble the brush rollers and their supporting bodies from three roller sections which can be axially separated from one another and are mounted, by means of mutually independent torque pickups, on a brush shaft. The brush shaft enables an adjustable alignment of the brush roller, relative to a surface to be worked, and according to the difference in the torques measured between the outer roller sections during the cleaning operation. With these measures, however, it is not yet possible, with certainty, to prevent damage to the surface to be cleaned.
The object of the invention is therefore to develop a brush head of the type defined in the introduction, which, in critical situations, enables an emergency cut-out of drive units so as to prevent damage to the surface to be cleaned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The solution according to the invention is based upon the notion that, whenever a predefined depth of penetration is reached, an emergency cut-out of the manipulator carrying the brush head is effected, so that any after-running of the brush head is able to be checked. In order to achieve this, it is proposed, according to the invention, that at least one contact sensor, which is preferably jointly rotated with the brush roller and is disposed in recessed arrangement within the bristle crown, should be provided to trigger an emergency cut-out of drive units.
In order to prevent malfunctions of the contact sensor, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention the contact sensor exhibits a threshold switch, which can be set to a radial response force, for triggering an emergency off-signal. For this purpose, the contact sensor can include a sensing bristle carrier, which is disposed such that it is radially displaceable or pivotable relative to the brush roller and is fitted with a tuft of rigidly elastic sensing bristles, and a switching member, which can be actuated by the radial motion of the sensing bristle carrier, for triggering the emergency off-signal. The sensing bristles are herein shorter than and preferably about half as long as the flexurally soft bristles of the bristle crown disposed on the brush roller.
A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the sensing bristle carrier include a preferably spring-loaded brace for adjusting the response force of the switching member, while the switching member can be configured as a microswitch that is disposed radially within the sensing bristle carrier for triggering the emergency off-signal. For the adjustment of the switching path and hence also of the response sensitivity, a radially adjustable actuating member for the switching member can be provided on the sensing bristle carrier.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the sensing bristle carrier is configured as a lever, which extends over part of the circumference of the brush roller and is limitedly pivotable relative to the brush roller about an axis parallel to the rotational axis, counter to the preferably adjustable force of the brace spring and against the switching member and which can be curved in the pe
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patent: 5115531 (1992-05-01), Suzuki
Robotersysteme, Springer-Verlag 1987; Sensoren fur Roboter, by P. Levi and L. Vajta, pp. 1-15.
Birk Gerhard
Maier Dieter
Wanner Martin
Putzmeister-Werk Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Simone Timothy F.
Till Terrence R.
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