Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2003-07-22
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S387000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06594855
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning of a roadway, in particular of a starting/landing runway in an airport in accordance with the main claim of claim 1. The invention relates to a cleaning apparatus which is equipped with one or more such devices.
A strong rubber abrasion is caused by the projecting wheels of a landing aircraft on the starting or landing runway of an airport in the so called touchdown zone. This closes the pores of the coating on the runway and thus exerts an influence on its coefficient of friction as well as its drainage characteristics. Since the coefficient of friction of the runway coating will influence in a major way the touchdown and braking conduct of a landing aircraft, this value is measured several times a day with a special vehicle provided with an integrated measuring system and then communicated to the pilots. When the value is below a predetermined minimum value, it is the duty of the operator of an airport to improve the friction coefficient and to remove the remnants of rubber abrasions. Cleaning is usually performed with a special cleaning apparatus by using water jets under a high pressure.
A cleaning apparatus of this kind is known from EP 0 400 758 B1, wherein a water jet is aimed under a high pressure with a pivotally attached distributor accommodated inside a housing on the surface to be cleaned. In order to prevent damage to the surface, the water jet is moved with a predetermined minimum speed linearly over the surface so that the time period of dwelling in a certain location is reduced. This cleaning apparatus, however, is not provided with any measures for removal or elimination of the dissolved dirt particles from the surface.
DE 295 16 812 U1 discloses a floor cleaning machine provided with a cleaning and/or polishing wheel which is mounted pivoted on the vertical axis in the lower part of a housing. Driving of the cleaning and/or polishing wheel is achieved with an electric motor whose driving shaft is arranged so that is shifted laterally to the rotation axis of the cleaning and/or polishing wheel. In order to prevent escaping of the abrasion remnants or the dirt particles from the lower housing, a suction housing, which provided with a suction pump connected to it via a through opening, is mounted on the lower housing.
The suction pump, however, is equipped with its own driving motor which is separate from the driving operations of the cleaning and/or polishing wheel.
The objective of this invention to provide a cleaning apparatus equipped with cleaning devices of the type mentioned above, which enables improved cleaning with a simple and compact construction.
This objective is achieved with an apparatus and cleaning device that is provided with the characteristics disclosed in claims 1 to 10.
According to the cleaning apparatus of this invention, the distributor, which serves to apply a fluid at a high pressure, for instance water under a high pressure, is integrated with a fan wheel for removal of the dissolved dirt by suction inside a housing, operated so that they are set in motion with a common drive. The water is applied with the rotating motion of the distributor device so that it is uniformly distributed on the surface to be cleaned. Suction is also produced at the same time due to the rotating movement of the fan wheel. This serves to remove the particles separated from the surface as well as the cleaning water from the surface so that they are sucked into the housing and then transported away through a ventilation channel. A particularly effective and efficient cleaning is thus enabled thanks to the separation and removal by suction of the dissolved material, and this can be carried out in one working operation. Since no separate driving motors and corresponding storage areas will be required for the distributor and suction device, the cleaning apparatus can be achieved with very compact and light construction characteristics. Moreover, thanks to a very small number of the driving elements, not only are the costs reduced, but also the expenses related to the assembly or maintenance of the cleaning apparatus are lowered.
Advantageous embodiments and preferable modifications of the invention are further disclosed in dependent claims.
The distributor device is thus provided for example in a particularly advantages embodiment with at least one ventilation baffle. This can be used to produce a reduced pressure on the entire surface to be cleaned.
This reduced pressed lifts the separated particles from the surface and prevents them from being deposited there again. An air current is created by to rotary motion above the ventilation baffle, which transports the lifted particles in the region of the fan wheel. Solid substance particles thus can be picked up in the air and sucked out at the same time already at this point. The additional air current produced in this manner not only contributes to an improved efficiency of cleaning, but it also prevents discharging of water or of a spray fog from the housing.
In an advantageous embodiment from the viewpoint of the construction, the distributor device is provided with a distributor head mounted at the lower end of the driving shaft having a plurality of washing arms, wherein a ventilation guide is mounted on each washing arm.
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patent: 5970574 (1999-10-01), Thrash, Jr.
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Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Heretsreid-Umwetec GmbH & Co. KG
Till Terrence R.
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