Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-29
2002-04-30
Moore, Chris K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S345000, C015S387000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06378163
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to surface cleaning devices for removing dirt, buildup, paint, asbestos, coating materials, or any other buildup or layer on a particular surface by any of a number of methods including cleaning abrading, treating, sanding, grinding, or scraping. More particularly, the invention relates to a high fluid pressure cleaning and removal system for use in removing coatings and buildup from hard, often porous, and generally unpermeable surfaces such as concrete, brick, stone, asphalt, etc. Specifically, the invention is a surface cleaning and removal system using high pressure water with a number of different sized, shaped, and usage housings that include at least one rotating jet of high pressure cleaning water that is vacuumed out of the housing after cleaning by a high suction vacuum where the housing includes one or more rows of annular or peripheral sealing means such as brushes, rubber seals, rubber wipers, or other similar flexible yet sealing instruments.
2. Background Information
For decades, various devices have been used to attempt to clean generally planar surfaces such as walls, floors, driveways, sidewalks, etc. which are generally flat and hard, yet often porous. Specifically, cleaning has been necessary to remove applied layers or coatings such as paints, etc., as well as unintentional accumulated deposits buildup. For instance, many structures or buildings are built of concrete, brick, stone, block, or other similar materials which are painted and otherwise coated over time. In addition, dirt, pollution, smog and other airborne particles often also deposit thereon. At some point in time, these coatings and deposits may need removed.
This removal can be further complicated by additional factors such as asbestos coatings which can only be removed using methods certified by the Federal government due to the hazardous effects of airborne asbestos particles. For this reason, the removed material must be completely contained so as to avoid any airborne implantation of the particles.
In the past, sandblasting or other treating of surfaces by impingement of the surface with particulate abrasive material has often been used to remove the above-referenced materials from the above-referenced hard surfaces. However, sandblasting has various disadvantages including the degradation or destruction caused by the abrasive sand or other particulate material to the surface being cleaned. In addition, sand is generally messy and hard to contain. Furthermore, the use of sand or other abrasive materials requires a large supply of such material available at the job site, and therefore requires material transportation cost. A further disadvantage of the use of sand is the difficulty in removing the contaminants from the sand. Finally, often the structure being cleaned must be completely contained such as in a sealed tent or a wrap to assure containment of the sand or other abrasive material, and in the case of hazardous material removal, to assure containment of the loosened and removed hazardous material so that proper disposal is assured.
In response, several attempts have been made at alternative surface cleaning devices. For instance, devices using cleaning liquids directed against the surface have also been suggested, such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,179. The cleaning apparatus in '179 patent is for cleaning a generally planar and horizontal surface. The device includes a jet of cleaning liquid directed against the surface. Other liquid cleaning devices have also been invented.
The present technology of liquid cleaning devices has several disadvantages. First, the pressure and acceleration of the liquid is often merely sufficient to rinse away loose dirt and other buildup while not being sufficient to remove applied coatings. Second, many of the current cleaning devices do not provide a sufficient surface cleaning area to make use of the device feasible on buildings, driveways, etc., which include very large surface areas. Third, the prior art fluid cleaning devices have proved inefficient or completely ineffective at containing the cleaning fluid as well as the debris created therefrom, whereby such containment is critical for a number of reasons including overall cleanliness of the project and overall containment of any hazardous materials found in the removed coatings and buildup. Furthermore, all of the current fluid cleaning devices do not provide for any ability to clean nonplanar and often nonhorizontal surfaces. Similarly, corners and edges and other tight spots are also not addressed by the current fluid cleaning devices.
Clearly, an improvement is needed in the cleaning device area to overcome some or all of the disadvantages and problems addressed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved cleaning device.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide an improved surface cleaning device with a material removal system coupled thereto.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide an improved surface cleaning device that uses fluids such as water to perform the cleaning.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide an improved surface cleaning device using a high pressure fluid such as high pressure water.
It is further an objective of the invention to provide a surface cleaning and debris removal system using high pressure water in which coatings and other buildup are removed from the surface being cleaned.
It is further an objective of the invention to provide a surface cleaning device capable of cleaning hazardous or otherwise environmentally unfriendly material from a surface.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning device using high pressure water where a removal system is coupled thereto and assures substantially if not all of the water and debris is maintained within the system.
It is further an objective of the invention to provide a surface cleaning device using high pressure water in which the housing is movable along the surface while also supplying a vacuum that maintains all of the fluid and debris within the housing.
It is further an objective of the invention to provide a surface cleaning device using high pressure water in which one or more peripheral sealing elements are positioned around the outermost edge of the walls defining the housing so as to provide improved vacuum without inhibiting movement of the housing.
It is further an objective of the invention to provide various different housing designs and configurations for use on horizontal surfaces, vertical surfaces, within rails or other vertical supports, in corners, along edges, and in other tight areas.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide a quick-connect connector for use in connecting the vacuum hose to the housing such that connection and disconnection may be rapidly performed.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide such a quick-connect that is rotatable during use.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide a surface cleaning device using high pressure water in which the water is ejected against the surface via a jet.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide the above-described surface cleaning device in which the jet is rotatable within the housing.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide the above-referenced surface cleaning device in which the rotatable jet includes a brush or similar mechanism.
These and other objectives and advantages of the invention are obtained by a surface cleaning and material removal system for cleaning material from a surface, the system including: a housing having a base and at least one wall extending from the base defining a cavity between the wall and the base; a drive shaft extending through the housing into the cavity; a rotatable cleaning mechanism attached to the drive shaft and positioned within the cavity; an air motor for
Crock Terry
Moll Frank J.
Moore Chris K.
Sand & Sebolt
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