EP0813914A2 - Device for cleaning surfaces with a cleaning strand - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (1) is used to clean surfaces, for example on plates, and has a cleaning device (2) which rotates endlessly and has an upper run (3) and a lower run (4) and two deflection rollers (5, 6) in between. One strand is the cleaning strand, which is held by a guide (8) and pressed against the surface to be cleaned. The carrier belt (7) is partially recessed or flattened on at least one long side and is thus narrower than its remaining length range. At least one part (8a) of the guide (8) which is at the front in the direction of advance of the cleaning run can be deflectable or flexible from the direction of advance towards the outside, thereby acting on the inside (7a) of the carrier belt (7), and the guide (8) essentially has one C-shaped cross section, which takes up the entire width of the carrier belt (7). The narrower opening slot (10) of the guide (8) has a width that is smaller than that of the carrier belt (7), but is equal to or larger than the recessed or flattened area of the carrier belt (7), so that when the part () 8a) this recessed area of the carrier belt (7) enters the guide (8), so that the subsequent further area of the carrier belt (7) is threaded.

Description

The invention relates to a device for cleaning surfaces, in particular on plates, foils or laminates, for example made of plastic, with a cleaning device having an upper strand and a lower strand and at least two deflecting rollers or rollers, which with the one strand as the cleaning strand has the surface to be cleaned acted upon and attached to its inner side facing the deflection rollers or rollers on a supple, tension-resistant carrier tape or belt, the device having a pressing device with a guide for the cleaning strand, by means of which the cleaning strand against the surface to be cleaned during its advancing movement by the Leadership is pressable.

Such a device is known for example from DE-42 13 342 A1. Such a cleaning device is described in column 1, lines 11 to 14, which has bristles on its upper and lower run, so that a rotating brush is formed.

With such devices and cleaning devices, there is a certain problem if the cleaning device itself, mentioned Example so the bristles are worn out, so that the cleaning device must be replaced. In the previously known devices, the guides are designed to be divided so that the assembly of several identical belts with bristles can be arranged next to each other and to replace such bristled belts or comparable cleaning devices, as are also described in DE-42 13 342. It can thereby be achieved that, on the one hand, they are held securely and well in their guidance and are at least partially encompassed, but can nevertheless both be inserted into and removed from the guidance by disassembling the guidance.

In addition to the assembly effort and the complexity of split guides, such split guides require a correspondingly large amount of space due to the required connecting means.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device of the type mentioned at the beginning in which the space required for the guides is reduced and, despite their endless shape, the cleaning device or devices can be easily introduced into the guides which overlap them.

To solve this apparently contradictory task, the device mentioned above is characterized in that the carrier belt is partially recessed or flattened on at least one long side and is therefore narrower than its remaining length range, that at least one part of the guide in the feed direction of the cleaning strand radially extends from the feed direction outside and thereby the inside of the carrier belt is deflectable or flexible and that the guide has a substantially C-shaped cross-section which takes up the entire width of the carrier belt, the narrower opening slot of the guide profile having a width that is smaller than that of the strap, but the same or larger than the recessed or flattened area of the carrier belt.

In this way it is possible to dispense with a division of the guide for inserting the carrier belt, although the carrier belt is endlessly rotating. It can simply be placed on the outside over the deflection rollers and the guide. If the front part of the guide in the direction of advance of the cleaning strand is then deflected outward and thereby acts on the inside of the carrier belt, it slips into the guide when its recessed or flattened area reaches the beginning of the guide.

It is therefore practically possible to carry out an automatic threading of the carrier belt due to the deflectable guide and the corresponding region-wise recess of the carrier belt. The deflectable end of the guide is located near one of the deflecting rollers, so that an inward force component on the carrier tape additionally presses it into the guide beginning, and the narrower dimension of the carrier belt allows this. The subsequent wider part of the carrier belt is then gripped by the guide in the usual way. If the narrower area has been moved over the entire guide, the carrier belt as a whole is threaded in and the deflection of the guide can either be canceled shortly beforehand or at the latest then then.

The cleaning device can preferably be a linear brush with a carrier belt having the bristles, the width of the carrier belt being greater than that of the bristle field and at least one bristle-free edge of the carrier belt being overlapped by the C-shaped profiled guide in the use position. It may therefore be sufficient if the C-shape and the overlap affect only one edge of the carrier belt. This overlapped edge area is then to be provided with the recess or flattening when threading this area of the guide can be gripped by the carrier belt after its exempted location.

Due to the inventive design of the guide and the carrier belt or carrier tape, a division of the guide in its longitudinal direction is superfluous, so that it can be designed to save space.

It is particularly expedient for good guidance and threading if the carrier belt is overlapped by the profile of the guide on both longitudinal edges and is recessed and flattened on both sides in the narrower area. This results in a symmetrical guidance with a correspondingly secure mounting of the cleaning device during its operation and nevertheless allows the simple threading of a new cleaning tape of this type after the old one has been removed. To remove the carrier tape, there is, for example, the option of simply cutting through it when it is no longer useful due to wear.

The carrier belt can be a flat belt or a V-belt and optionally a toothed belt. A V-belt is particularly advantageous because it can be pulled through the guide by sufficient deflection rollers with sufficient force, within which it is also subjected to a frictional force when pressed against the surface to be cleaned. With a toothed belt, the drive can be transferred even better to the rotating carrier belt. In the case of a V-belt, the flattening can be chosen so that in the flattened or recessed area the width, which is present on the inside of this V-belt, is then also present on the outside, ie the V-flanks are removed in this area.

It has already been mentioned that the deflectable or flexible part of the guide can be arranged near the deflecting roller, from which the carrier tape or the carrier belt enters the guide.

This facilitates the threading process described above, which can be automated in that a working cylinder or a lever engages on the deflectable or flexible or pivotable part of the guide, which lever engages or is mounted between the upper and lower runs. Manual operation would also be possible, but remote control and automation are preferred in order to avoid the need to intervene between the upper run and lower run.

The invention enables a further embodiment of considerable advantage, which allows the carrier belt to be removed from the guide in an analogous manner, as can be threaded into it. This embodiment of the invention can consist in that the guide or the guide profile is designed to be movable or pivotable away from the cleaning strand so that the part of this belt or belt following the narrower point of the carrier tape or belt runs out of the latter when the guide is moved inwards. Since the carrier belt has a tension, a movement of the guide inwards means that the overlapped part of the belt comes into contact with the corresponding webs of the profile with greater force. As soon as the narrower area of the belt reaches the beginning of the guide, it is deflected radially outward with respect to it, so that the following part no longer runs into the guide, ie is "unthreaded".

An essential part of the device according to the invention is the cleaning device with a carrier tape or belt which rotates over at least two deflecting rollers or rollers and can be used in the device mentioned at the beginning. It is essential for the solution of the task that the carrier tape or the carrier belt has at least one unilateral or two opposing cutouts on the longitudinal narrow sides and is narrower in the area of the cutout than in the subsequent area. The carrier tape or strap can be wider than the bristle field it supports and the side (s) The recess (s) can have a dimension in the transverse direction of the extension of the belt or band which is equal to or less than the width of the bristle-free edge region. Such a carrier belt of a cleaning device can be used in a device defined at the outset and, due to the cutouts on the longitudinal narrow sides, can be threaded well into longitudinal guides, it only requiring a certain deflection at the entry of the guide, so that initially the narrower area corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the guide, so that the wider area then slips into the guide and is threaded by itself.

The transition from the greatest width of the band or belt to the narrowest point can be rounded or beveled in the area of the cutout, in order to facilitate the threading process in particular, but possibly also the threading out.

Fig.1

eine Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung mit einem um zwei Umlenkrollen umlaufenden beborsteten Reinigungsgerät, welches im Bereich der zu reinigenden Fläche durch eine Führung gehalten ist, die an ihrem Einlauf nach außen auslenkbar ist, wobei die Vorrichtung aus Platzgründen unterbrochen dargestellt ist und der Eintrittsbereich in die Führung ausgelenkt dargestellt ist,

Fig.2

in schaubildlicher Darstellung einen Ausschnitt des eigentlich endlos umlaufenden, beborsteten Trägerbandes, das als Reinigungsgerät dient, wobei der durch seitliche Ausnehmung oder Aussparungen verschmälerte Bereich dieses Riemens dargestellt ist,

Fig.3

einen Auschnitt der Führung und des die seitlichen Aussparungen aufweisenden Riemens in Gebrauchsstellung,

Fig.4

eine etwa der Fig.3 entsprechende Darstellung, bei welcher ein Teil des Riemens in der Führung und ein weiterer Teil des Riemens außerhalb der Führung angeordnet ist, was durch den schmaleren Bereich zwischen diesen beiden Zonen ermöglicht ist, da der schmalere Bereich eine geringere Abmessung als die äußere Öffnung der Führung hat,

Fig.5

in schaubildlicher Darstellung den Vorgang des Einfädelns eines Trägerriemens mit einer Borstenreihe wobei sein schmalerer Bereich bereits in den Anfang der ausgelenkten Führung eingetreten ist, so daß im weiteren Vorschubverlauf dann der nachfolgende nicht ausgenommene Teil des Riemens in die Führung eintritt und somit eingefädelt wird sowie

Fig.6

eine der Fig.5 entsprechende Darstellung, bei welcher die Führung in gegenüber Fig.5 entgegengesetzter Richtung nach innen bewegt wird, so daß im Bereich der Aussparung der Trägerriemen aus der Führung herausbewegt werden kann.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows in a schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a side view of a device according to the invention with a bristle cleaning device rotating around two deflection rollers, which is held in the area of the surface to be cleaned by a guide which can be deflected outwards at its inlet, the device being shown interrupted for reasons of space and the entry area into the guide is shown deflected,

Fig. 2

in a diagrammatic representation, a section of the actually endlessly circulating, bristled carrier tape, which serves as a cleaning device, the area narrowed by the lateral recess or cutouts Belt is shown

Fig. 3

a cutout of the guide and the belt having the lateral recesses in the use position,

Fig. 4

a representation corresponding approximately to FIG. 3, in which a part of the belt is arranged in the guide and a further part of the belt outside the guide, which is made possible by the narrower area between these two zones, since the narrower area has a smaller dimension than has the outer opening of the guide,

Fig. 5

in a graphical representation the process of threading a carrier belt with a row of bristles whereby its narrower area has already entered the beginning of the deflected guide, so that in the further course of the feed the subsequent non-exempted part of the belt then enters the guide and is thus threaded as well

Fig. 6

a representation corresponding to FIG. 5, in which the guide is moved inward in the direction opposite to FIG. 5, so that the carrier belt can be moved out of the guide in the region of the recess.

A device designated as a whole by 1 is used for cleaning surfaces, which can be top or bottom surfaces of plates, foils or the like. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the device 1 is arranged so that it can clean a top located below it. In the same way, however, the device 1 turned through 180 ° can be used to clean an underside of a plate or the like.

The device 1 has a cleaning device, generally designated 2, which has an upper run 3, a lower run 4 and two deflection rollers 5 and 6, one run, in FIG. 1 the lower run 4 serving as a cleaning run and acting on the surface to be cleaned, which is not shown in more detail in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity.

On its inside facing the deflection rollers 5 and 6, which can also be rollers, this cleaning device is attached to a supple, tension-resistant carrier tape or carrier belt 7 or this carrier belt 7 is an essential component of the endlessly rotating cleaning device.

The device 1 has a pressing device (not shown in more detail) with a guide 8 for the cleaning strand, which runs through this guide 8 and by means of which it can be pressed by the guide 8 against the surface to be cleaned in its direction of advance according to the arrow Pf1. This pressure can be predetermined as required and as required. In the exemplary embodiment, the feed direction is provided from left to right according to arrow Pf1.

The reverse arrangement, in which an underside is cleaned, is indicated in further figures.

Above all in FIGS. 2 to 6, it can be seen that the carrier belt 7 belonging to the cleaning device 2 is partially recessed or flattened on at least one long side, in the exemplary embodiment shown on both opposite longitudinal sides, and is thus narrower than its remaining length range. Especially in FIG. 2, these precisely opposite recesses 9 can be clearly seen.

A part 8a of the guide 8 which is at the front in the direction of advance of the cleaning strand is outward from the direction of advance as shown in FIG and in doing so the inner side 7a of the carrier belt 7 can be deflected or swung out or bent, as shown in FIG. 1. The outward deflection takes place in the sense that in this deflected area the lower run 4 is at a greater distance from the upper run 3 than in the other areas.

According to FIGS. 3 to 6, the guide 8 has a substantially C-shaped cross-section, which can accommodate the entire width of the carrier belt 7, the narrower opening slot 10, through which the bristles sitting on the carrier belt 7 according to FIG. 3 can protrude from the guide profile - has a width which is smaller than that of the carrier belt 7, but is equal to or greater than the recessed or flattened region of the carrier belt 7. This is particularly clear from FIGS. 3 and 4.

It is thus possible, for example according to FIG. 1 and according to FIG. 5, to deflect the front part 8a of the guide 8 in the feed direction, so that the carrier belt 7 has to run over it, but at the same time receives an opposite tension. If the area of the carrier belt 7 which is narrower through the recesses 9 reaches the entry region of this deflected part 8a of the guide 8, it can enter the guide from above due to the dimensional relationships described above, so that the subsequent, non-recessed area of the carrier belt 7 then moves with it full width enters the guide end face, so it is automatically threaded when the carrier belt 7 is rotated in the direction of arrow Pf1. Thus, due to these geometrical relationships, the carrier belt with its bristles 11 can be automatically threaded into the guide, that is, a split guide 8 is not required for mounting or later insertion of a new carrier belt 7. The guide 8 can be designed to save space, and several can also be used such guides can be arranged immediately adjacent to each other, so that then several such carrier straps 7 can then run parallel to one another in these guides. For example, the guides shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 can each have corresponding guides adjacent to one another, in which corresponding carrier belts 7 can likewise run.

It has already been mentioned that the carrier belt 7 carries bristles 11. The cleaning device in the exemplary embodiment is therefore a linear brush with a carrier belt 7 having the bristles 11. The width of the carrier belt 7 is larger than that of the bristle field and the bristle-free edges of this carrier belt 7 are in the use position according to FIG. 3 and also according to FIG 6 overlapped by the C-shaped guide 8. During operation, the carrier belt 7 is thus held very well by the guide 8.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 4, the carrier belt 7 is a flat belt, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 a V-belt. In both cases it can also be designed as a toothed belt.

The flat belt is useful if several rows of bristles are to be provided on its cleaning side, while the V-belt is particularly expedient if a row of bristles is arranged on the outside of this belt 7.

1 and 5 in particular, it can be seen that the deflectable or flexible part 8a of the guide 8 is arranged near the deflection roller 5, from which the carrier tape or the carrier belt 7 enters the guide 8. There, such a deflection on the belt 7 can achieve the corresponding tension acting in the opposite direction, which is useful when threading according to FIG. 5.

You can see in Fig. 1 and 5 each in a schematic Representation of a working cylinder 12 engaging on the deflectable or flexible or pivotable part 8a of the guide 8. It would also be possible to deflect with the aid of a lever which engages or is mounted in a suitable manner between the upper and lower run of the cleaning device 2.

FIG. 6 shows how the endlessly rotating cleaning device 2 having the carrier belt 7 can also be threaded well out of the guide 8 on its longitudinal narrow sides due to its one-sided or two mutually opposite recesses or recesses 9. For this purpose, the guide 8 or the guide profile is designed to be movable or pivotable away from the cleaning strand, ie the strand 4 in the exemplary embodiment, as indicated by the arrow Pf2 in FIG. It is thereby achieved that the part of this belt or belt 7 following the narrower point of the carrier belt or belt 7 between the mutually opposite recesses or recesses 9 runs out of the latter when the guide 8 is moved inwards. By moving the guide inwards towards the opposite strand, the belt tension is used to ensure that the belt emerges from the guide profile in its narrower area through the opening slot 10, so that the following part then runs outside the guide, so that after one Circulation of the carrier belt 7 no longer runs within the guide 8, as conversely when threading, practically less than one revolution is sufficient to move the carrier belt completely into the guide region.

Two extremely simple measures, namely the deflectability of a part 8a of the guide 8 and the provision of recesses or recesses 9 on the long sides of the carrier belt 7, make it considerably easier to replace the cleaning devices with these carrier belts 7. Due to the flattening on the side flanks, the belt-like brush can be threaded almost automatically when the guide is in the vicinity of the guide roller 5 is moved out of the normal path of the belt 7 and lifted off. As soon as the narrow point in the region of the recess 9 reaches the lifted guide, the belt 7 jumps into the working position, so that after one revolution the entire endless brush has come into its correct position. The guide can then be relieved of the part 8a, so that it assumes its overall stretched position. Analogously, automatic removal of the carrier belt 7 is possible by pulling the guide in the area of its part 8a inwards. As a result, the carrier belt 7 automatically jumps out of the guide, so that it can then be easily pulled off the guide by hand.

Claims (10)

Device (1) for cleaning surfaces, in particular on plates, foils or laminates, for example made of plastic, with a cleaning device (2) having an upper run (3) and a lower run (4) and at least two deflecting rollers (5, 6) or rollers ), which acts on the surface to be cleaned with the one strand as a cleaning strand and is fastened on its inside facing the deflecting rollers (5, 6) or rollers on a supple, tensile carrier tape or belt (7), the device (1) has a pressing device with a guide (8) for the cleaning strand, by means of which the cleaning strand can be pressed against the surface to be cleaned during its advancing movement by the guide (8), characterized in that the carrier belt (7) is partially recessed on at least one long side or is flattened and thus narrower than its remaining length range that at least one part in the forward direction of the cleaning strand l (8a) of the guide (8) from the feed direction to the outside and thereby the inside (7a) of the carrier belt (7) is deflectable or flexible and that the guide (8) has a substantially C-shaped cross section, which the entire Width of the carrier belt (7) takes up, the narrower opening slot (10) of the guide profile having a width that is smaller than that of the carrier belt (7) but equal to or greater than the recessed or flattened area of the carrier belt (7). Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning device is preferably a linear brush with a carrier belt (7) having the bristles (11), the width of the carrier belt (7) being greater than that of the bristle field and at least one bristle-free edge of the carrier belt (7) in the position of use is overlapped by the C-shaped guide (8). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carrier belt (7) is overlapped by the profile of the guide (8) on both longitudinal edges and is recessed or flattened on both sides in the narrower area. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the carrier belt (7) is a flat belt or V-belt and optionally a toothed belt. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the deflectable or flexible part (8a) of the guide (8) is arranged near the deflection roller (5) from which the carrier tape or the carrier belt (7) into the guide ( 8) occurs. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a working cylinder (12) or a lever which engages or is mounted between the upper and lower run engages on the deflectable or flexible or pivotable part (8a) of the guide (8) is. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the guide (8) or the guide profile is designed to be movable or pivotable away from the cleaning strand so that the part of this belt or belt (7) following the narrower point of the carrier belt or belt when the guide (8) moves inwards, it runs out of it. Cleaning device with a carrier tape or belt which rotates over at least two deflecting rollers or rollers for use in a device according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the carrier tape or the carrier belt has at least one unilateral or two mutually opposite recesses (9) on the longitudinal narrow sides and is narrower in the region of the recesses (9) than in the subsequent region. Cleaning device according to claim 8, characterized in that the carrier tape or strap (7) is wider than the bristle field carried by it and that the lateral recess (s) (9) in the transverse direction of the extent of the belt (7) or tape have a dimension that is equal to or less than the width of the bristle-free edge region. Cleaning device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the transition from the greatest width of the band or belt (7) to the narrowest point in the region of the recesses (9) is rounded or chamfered.

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