EP3878560A1 - Cleaning device for cleaning the inner walls of containers and method for same - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning device for cleaning the inner wall of a container with cleaning fluid under increased pressure, comprises an inflow section (12) for cleaning fluid with an inflow housing (14) and a cleaner head (16) with a cleaner head housing (18), which is arranged rotatably relative to the inflow section (12), wherein at least one longitudinal axis (X) of the cleaner head housing (18) runs in a different direction than the longitudinal axis (Y) of the inflow housing (14) and the cleaner head (16) comprises a plurality of nozzle devices (48, 50) each comprising nozzles (22) and are each rotatable relative to the cleaner head housing (18), the nozzle devices (46, 50) being adapted to, when the cleaner head (16) rotates relative to the inflow section (12) at different speeds of rotation about the longitudinal axis (X) of the cleaner head housing ( 18) to be movable.

Description

Field of invention

The invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning the inner walls of containers with cleaning fluid under increased pressure, as well as a method for cleaning the inner wall of a container with such a cleaning device.

Background of the invention

Containers whose inner walls have to be cleaned regularly are used in a wide range of applications. High demands are made on the quality of cleaning, particularly in the food and beverage sector, but also in the chemical and pharmaceutical sector and in bioreactors.

Cleaning devices known in the prior art are introduced into the container to be cleaned through an opening. The cleaning liquid is ejected under pressure in the direction of the inner walls of the container via one or more cleaning nozzles. In order to achieve a good cleaning effect, rotating nozzle heads are used, whereby the pressure of the cleaning liquid can be used to drive the moving components of the cleaning device.

From the DE 100 24 950 C1 an orbital washing head is known with an externally driven nozzle head carrier mounted on a support tube, cleaning fluid being sprayed onto the inner walls of the container to be cleaned via cleaning nozzles.

Presentation of the invention

The invention is based on the object of improving known cleaning devices for cleaning the inner walls of containers in such a way that they not only offer an improved cleaning result, but the cleaning can also be carried out more quickly.

This object is achieved by a cleaning device for cleaning the inner walls of containers with the features of claim 1 and a method for cleaning the inner walls of a container with the features of claim 13. Preferred embodiments follow from the remaining claims.

The cleaning device according to the invention for cleaning the inner walls of containers with cleaning fluid under increased pressure comprises an inflow section for cleaning fluid with an inflow housing and a cleaner head with a cleaner head housing, which is arranged rotatably relative to the inflow section. A longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing runs in a different direction than the longitudinal axis of the inflow housing. The inflow section comprises a stator, a rotor and a gear, and the cleaner head comprises a plurality of nozzle devices, each of which comprises a plurality of nozzles, each of which can be rotated relative to the cleaner head housing, and which are adapted to rotate at different speeds when the cleaner head rotates relative to the inflow section to be movable about the longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing.

The cleaning device according to the invention thus comprises an inflow section and a cleaning head, the housings of which each define a longitudinal axis which run in a different direction to one another. By the preferred provision of a stator, a rotor and a The cleaning machine is turbine-driven by the transmission in the inflow section.

According to the invention, the cleaner head can be rotated relative to the inflow section. Several nozzle devices with nozzles are provided on the cleaner head. When the cleaner head rotates relative to the inflow section, the plurality of nozzle devices can be moved around the longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing at different speeds of rotation. This has the consequence that with the superimposed movement of the rotation of the cleaner head relative to the inflow section on the one hand and the rotations at different speeds of the nozzle devices relative to the cleaner head housing, the focused jets of cleaning fluid emerging from the nozzles depict different patterns on the inner wall of the container. If the cleaning device according to the invention is used in a container with a cylindrical container wall and the nozzles of the nozzle devices are point jet nozzles in order to achieve the highest possible cleaning effect, the nozzle devices which can be moved at different speeds of rotation form different patterns on the container wall during operation. Thus, the nozzle device produces steep curves with a high rotation speed and the nozzle device produces flat curves of the path courses with a lower rotation speed, with which the cleaning liquid impinges on the inner wall of the container. In addition, by providing several separate nozzle devices, a higher flow of cleaning fluid can be generated and a more intensive coverage of the individual cleaning patterns is possible. In this way, a container to be cleaned can not only be cleaned more quickly, but also more thoroughly.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, exactly two nozzle devices are provided, which on opposite axial ends are arranged in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing. This represents a very simple design and, due to the possibility of a symmetrical arrangement of the nozzle device at opposite axial ends of the cleaner head, the respective pressure loss of the cleaning liquid can be kept the same until it emerges from the nozzles, so that the same pressure of cleaning liquid is applied to both nozzle devices .

The nozzle devices preferably each comprise a nozzle disk, on the radial circumference of which there are a plurality of nozzles which are suitable for dispensing the cleaning liquid so that the cleaning liquid is dispensed onto the container wall during use.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a driving gear of a set of teeth is attached to the inflow section, each of which meshes with a driven gear that is firmly connected to one of the nozzle disks. In this way, the rotation of the nozzle devices around the longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing is generated in a very simple, robust and maintenance-free manner. The different speeds of rotation of the nozzle devices according to the invention around the longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing can preferably be generated by the fact that when using a set of gears, the driven gears have a different number of teeth with the same material.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each gear wheel of the gear set has a different number of teeth. The advantage of this gearbox is that it minimizes wear and tear on the individual teeth. Since a gear of each gear pair is a different one Number of teeth, two teeth will not mesh at the same time.

According to a preferred embodiment, at least one nozzle device comprises a nozzle disk on the circumference of which several nozzles are arranged, the several nozzles each being fitted into a first opening in the nozzle disk and into a second opening in the driven gear or an element firmly connected to the driven gear. This solution offers the advantage that the at least one nozzle device can be fastened exclusively by means of the fitted nozzles and no further fastening elements are required. For this purpose, a double fit has to be produced, which places higher demands on the manufacturing tolerances, but in this way a simplified assembly and disassembly of the at least one nozzle device can be realized. This preferred embodiment of the cleaning device can also be implemented in a cleaning device with only a single nozzle device that can be rotated relative to the cleaner head housing.

The longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing preferably runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inflow housing. In addition, the nozzle disks are preferably rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the cleaner head housing and the nozzles are attached to the nozzle disk. When using point jet nozzles, this leads to a cleaning pattern on the inner wall of a container to be cleaned, in which the surfaces to be cleaned can be reached as efficiently as possible, i.e. with a short cleaning time.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotor is connected to the drive side of a gear, preferably with a highly reduced gear, and an output shaft of the gear is connected to the cleaning head. This way the rotating one rotates Cleaner head housing rotating at the same speed as the output shaft of the gearbox. Providing a compact gear has the advantage that, due to the small space requirement in the inflow section, the cleaning fluid can flow under pressure through the inflow housing and into the cleaner head housing with the lowest possible pressure loss after driving the rotor.

1. (a) Anordnen der Reinigungsvorrichtung im Inneren des zu reinigenden Behälters;
2. (b) Einleiten von Reinigungsflüssigkeit unter Druck in den Einströmabschnitt;
3. (c) Antreiben des Rotors durch die den Einströmabschnitt durchströmende und in das Reinigerkopfgehäuse strömende Reinigungsflüssigkeit;
4. (d) Antreiben eines Getriebes durch den Rotor;
5. (e) Rotieren des Reinigerkopfgehäuses relativ zum Einströmgehäuse durch eine drehstarre Befestigung des Reinigerkopfgehäuses an der Abtriebswelle des Getriebes; und
6. (f) Rotieren mehrerer Düsenvorrichtungen, die jeweils Düsen umfassen, relativ zum Reinigerkopfgehäuse, wobei bei einer Rotation des Reinigerkopfgehäuses relativ zum Einströmgehäuse die Düsenvorrichtungen mit unterschiedlichen Drehgeschwindigkeiten relativ zu dem Reinigerkopfgehäuse rotieren und die Reinigungsflüssigkeit durch Düsen der Düsenvorrichtungen ausgegeben wird.

The method according to the invention for cleaning the inner walls of a container with the cleaning device according to the invention comprises the steps:

1. (a) placing the cleaning device inside the container to be cleaned;
2. (b) introducing cleaning liquid under pressure into the inflow section;
3. (c) driving the rotor by the cleaning liquid flowing through the inflow section and flowing into the cleaner head housing;
4. (d) the rotor driving a gearbox;
5. (e) rotating the cleaner head housing relative to the inflow housing by means of a torsionally rigid attachment of the cleaner head housing to the output shaft of the gearbox; and
6. (f) Rotating a plurality of nozzle devices, each comprising nozzles, relative to the cleaner head housing, wherein when the cleaner head housing rotates relative to the inflow housing, the nozzle devices rotate at different speeds relative to the cleaner head housing and the Cleaning liquid is discharged through nozzles of the nozzle devices.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

eine Gesamtansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Reinigungsmaschine; und

Fig. 2

eine Durchsicht mit Details der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Reinigungsvorrichtung.

The invention is described purely by way of example in the following figures. Show:

Fig. 1

an overall view of the cleaning machine according to the invention; and

Fig. 2

a review with details of the in Fig. 1 illustrated cleaning device.

Ways of Carrying Out the Invention

The invention is described below on the basis of a specific exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows an external view of the cleaning device 10. The cleaning device has an inflow section 12, of which the inflow housing 14 is visible in the external view, and a cleaner head 16, of which the cleaner head housing 18 and two nozzle disks 20 are shown, from which nozzles 22 extend outward .

For the sake of simplicity, the inflow section 12 is shown only up to the area of an inflow opening 24. In the area of the inflow opening 24, a support tube (not shown) can be detachably connected, which has the dual function of carrying the cleaning device when it is inserted through the container opening into a container to be cleaned, but also of supplying cleaning fluid under pressure through the inner volume.

In the present example, the inflow housing is designed to be rotationally symmetrical and extends in the axial direction Y.

The cleaner head 16 and the cleaner head housing 18 are arranged such that the longitudinal axis Y of the cleaner head housing 18 is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y of the inflow housing 14. During operation, the cleaning head housing 18 rotates in the direction of rotation R1 about the axis Y, while the nozzle disks 20 rotate in the direction of rotation R2 about the longitudinal axis X of the cleaning head housing 18.

The rotation between the inflow housing 14 and the cleaner head housing 18 takes place at a suitable point, in the present case where the radial shaft seal 26 is indicated.

In Fig. 2 is a review of the in Fig. 1 shown device to make the details of the drive clear. It is shown how the cleaning device is driven by the flow of cleaning fluid flowing through it by means of a turbine drive. The turbine is driven via the flow F of the pressurized cleaning fluid, which enters the closed inner cavity of the inflow section 12. The cleaning fluid drives a turbine device which comprises the stator 28 and the rotor 30. When the cleaning liquid enters the stationary inflow housing 14 with the volume flow F, the cleaning liquid hits the stator 28. The stator 28 has incisions arranged at an angle, via which the cleaning liquid is directed onto the turbine blades of the rotor 30. The rotor 30 is arranged downstream of the stator 28 in the direction of flow. The rotor is connected to a drive shaft in a rotationally rigid manner, which drives a preferably highly reduced gear, preferably a three-stage or four-stage planetary gear. This gear is a conventional gear and is located in the in Fig. 2 cartridge 32 shown. The cartridge is fixedly connected to the inflow housing in a suitable manner. The connection can be designed in any way, however, it must be ensured that there are sufficient free cross-sectional areas through which the liquid can flow in order to keep an undesired pressure loss low. In the present case, in Fig. 2 Fastening webs 34 for attaching the cartridge 32 to the inflow housing are shown.

The output shaft 36 of the transmission is connected to the cleaner head housing 18. The attachment point 38 is in Fig. 2 shown and is only to be understood as an example, since the torsionally rigid connection between the output shaft 36 and the cleaner head housing 18 can take place in any desired manner.

Due to the rotatability of the cleaner head housing 18 relative to the inflow housing 14, the two housings are fastened rotatably relative to one another in the area of the radial shaft seal 26. For this purpose, a fastening stub 40 is provided on the cleaner head housing 18. A roller bearing is preferably used for relative mobility with as little friction as possible.

The drive wheel 42 is attached to the inflow section 12 in a rotationally rigid manner relative to the inflow housing 14. The drive wheel 42, which is fixedly attached to the inflow section, meshes with the gear wheel 44 of a first nozzle device 46 and with the gear wheel 48 of a second nozzle device 50.

The nozzle devices are rotatable about the in Fig. 1 shown longitudinal axis X of the cleaner head housing 18 mounted in the cleaner head housing. Rolling bearings are preferably used for the lowest possible friction bearing.

The gears 44, 48 of the nozzle devices 46, 50 are connected to the respective nozzle disks 20 in a rotationally rigid manner. On the radial outer circumference of the nozzle disks, four outlet nozzles 22 are each arranged at an angle of 90 ° to one another. In the same way, however, a different number of nozzles 22 can be provided, which are preferably evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the nozzle disks 20.

The nozzle disks 20 are each fastened by precisely fitting the nozzle 22 through a first opening 52 in the nozzle disk 20 and a second opening 54 in the gear 44 or 48 of the associated nozzle device. In this way, no additional fastening elements are required and the nozzle disks can be easily installed and removed again if necessary. However, it must be ensured that the two openings 52, 54 are precisely aligned and dimensioned in order to enable the nozzles 22 to be pressed in firmly during assembly. This type of fastening can also be provided for only one nozzle device and is also suitable in the same way for cleaning devices with only one nozzle device.

If the cleaning fluid flows with the volume flow F and under pressure into the inflow section 12 of the cleaning device 10, the cleaning fluid drives the rotor 30, which is connected in a rotationally rigid manner to the drive shaft of the planetary gear arranged in the cartridge 32. The output shaft of the planetary gear 36 is in turn connected to the cleaner head housing 18 in a torsionally rigid manner. The drive wheel 42, with which the first gear wheel 44 of the first nozzle device 46 and the second gear wheel 48 of the second nozzle device 50 mesh, is also connected in a rotationally rigid manner relative to the cleaner head housing 18. Thus, when the cleaning head housing 18 is set in rotation relative to the inflow section 12 by the drive of the rotor via the interposed planetary gear is, both the first nozzle device 46 and the second nozzle device 50 are set in rotation. The cleaning liquid emerging from the nozzles 22 is thus mapped to the inner wall of the container to be cleaned in the form of steeply rising or steeply falling curves on the inner wall of the container when it is as focused as possible through the nozzles 22 in the form of point jet nozzles.

The gear wheel 44 of the first nozzle device 46 differs from the gear wheel 48 of the second nozzle device 50 in that the gear wheel 48 has a significantly smaller number of teeth than the gear wheel 44. Since the drive wheel 42 is stationary with respect to the inflow housing 14, when the cleaner head housing 18 rotates relative to the inflow housing 14, the first nozzle device 46 and second nozzle device 50 are driven at different rotational speeds, with the second nozzle device 50 being driven at different speeds in the example according to FIG the gearwheel 48 with a smaller number of teeth has a higher speed of rotation about the X-axis than the first nozzle device 46, the gearwheel 44 of which has a larger total number of teeth.

In order to keep the wear of the gear set 42, 44, 48 low, the drive gear 42 and the gear wheels 44 and 48 each have a specially calculated number of teeth. This leads to the desired repetitive patterns in which corresponding teeth are simultaneously in mesh.

In addition, the number of teeth of the toothed wheel 44 of the first nozzle device 46 and of the toothed wheel 48 of the second nozzle device 50 is selected so that the cleaning liquid emerging from the point jet nozzles hits the inner wall of the container in different basic patterns. By providing these different patterns, a achieve more intensive coverage of the pattern and thus more intensive and faster cleaning.

List of reference symbols:

10

contraption

12th

Inflow section

14th

Inlet casing

16

Cleaning head

18th

Cleaner head housing

20th

Nozzle disc

22nd

jet

24

Inflow opening

26th

Radial shaft seal

28

stator

30th

rotor

32

Cartridge for gear

34

Fastening webs

36

Output shaft

38

Attachment point

40

Mounting socket

42

drive wheel

44

Gear of the first nozzle device

46

first nozzle device

48

Gear of the second nozzle device

50

second nozzle device

52

first opening

54

Second opening

Claims (13)

Cleaning device for cleaning the inner wall of a container with cleaning liquid under increased pressure, comprising: - An inflow section (12) for cleaning liquid with an inflow housing (14); and - A cleaner head (16) which is rotatably arranged relative to the inflow section (12) and has a cleaner head housing (18); whereby - A longitudinal axis (X) of the cleaner head housing (18) runs in a different direction than the longitudinal axis (Y) of the inflow housing (14); and - The cleaner head (16) comprises a plurality of nozzle devices (46, 50) which - each comprising a plurality of nozzles (22); - are each rotatable relative to the cleaner head housing (18); whereby - The nozzle devices (46, 50) are adapted to be movable about the longitudinal axis (X) of the cleaner head housing (18) when the cleaner head (16) rotates relative to the inflow section (12) at different speeds of rotation. Cleaning device according to claim 1,
characterized in that
a driving gear (42) of a set of teeth is attached to the inflow housing (14) that meshes with a driven gear (44, 48) which is fixedly connected to one of the nozzle devices (46, 50). Cleaning device according to claim 2,
characterized in that
the driven gears (44, 48) have a different number of teeth. Cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3,
characterized in that
each gear (42, 44, 48) of the gear set has a number of teeth which corresponds to a prime number. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
at least one nozzle device (46; 50) comprises a nozzle disk (20), on the circumference of which a plurality of nozzles (22) are arranged, the plurality of nozzles (22) each in a first opening (52) in the nozzle disk (20) and in a second opening (54) in the driven gear (44; 48) or an element fixedly connected to the driven gear (44; 48) is fitted. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the inflow section (12) comprises a stator (28), rotor (30) and a transmission. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the cleaning device further comprises a drive which is rigidly coupled to the cleaning head by the support tube. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
two nozzle devices (46, 50) are provided which are arranged at opposite axial ends in the direction of the longitudinal axis (X) of the cleaner head housing (18). Cleaning device according to claim 8,
characterized in that
the nozzle devices (46, 50) each comprise a nozzle disk (20), on the circumference of which a plurality of nozzles (22), preferably four nozzles, are arranged, which are suitable for dispensing cleaning fluid in a substantially radial direction. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the longitudinal axis (X) of the cleaner head housing (18) is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the inflow housing (14). Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the nozzle devices are rotatable about an axis (X ₁ ; X ₂ ). Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that - The rotor (30) is connected to the drive side of a gear, preferably with a multi-stage planetary gear, and - An output shaft (36) of the transmission is connected to the cleaning head (16). Method for cleaning the inner walls of a container with a cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: (a) placing the cleaning device inside the container to be cleaned; (b) introducing cleaning liquid under pressure into the inflow section; (c) driving the rotor by the cleaning liquid flowing through the inflow section and flowing into the cleaner head housing; (d) the rotor driving a gearbox; (e) rotating the cleaner head housing relative to the inflow housing by means of a torsionally rigid attachment of the cleaner head housing to the drive shaft of the gearbox; and (f) Rotating a plurality of nozzle devices, each comprising nozzles, relative to the cleaner head housing, wherein when the cleaner head housing rotates relative to the inflow housing, the nozzle devices rotate at different speeds relative to the cleaner head housing and the cleaning liquid is dispensed through nozzles of the nozzle devices.

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