Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
  • A47L11/4036—Parts or details of the surface treating tools
  • A47L11/4044—Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/34—Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
  • A47L11/4061—Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
  • A47L11/408—Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
  • A47L11/4088—Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits

Definitions

• the device is a method of the invention as being “hygienic” to distinguish it from the only cleaning obtained with existing devices.
• Such devices generally proceed by a coarse spraying of water under high pressure, and its recovery is carried out by a low air flow rate of 25 to 40 liters per minute subjected to a vacuum of -1800 to -2500 mm of column d only water, both of these working conditions do not allow a hygienic supports, or even a deep cleaning.
• Such devices are also particularly ill-suited not only for hygiene but even for cleaning woven or non-woven textiles (on floors, walls or furniture), the drying of which is obtained only in 24 hours and sometimes more.
• undesirable water flows cannot be avoided at the level of their working head brought into contact with the support to be cleaned, the spraying device which is associated with it and which is outside the air suction duct not being itself contained in a particular duct beyond the outlet of the spraying which, therefore, takes place at the open air.
• a cleaning apparatus comprising a water tank with a heating device, a pump for transporting the water to a supply pipe as well as a dirty water collection tank to which a vacuum pump is connected and from which having a suction pipe: the supply pipe and the suction pipe lead to a rigid cleaning head intended exclusively for cleaning textiles on the floor; plaster, terracotta, thermoplastic, plaster cannot be cleaned; and all the parts of the cleaning device are controlled by microprocessors and a control panel from which the operator can direct operations.
• German document G8613576.7 which describes a cleaning device which partly responds to the drawback mentioned above since the pressure water supply duct is located inside the suction mouth of the air, all the other elements being also described as elsewhere in the present invention, but in this German document according to a specific embodiment since the objective is to spray a solvent under pressure against the surface of a wall to clean to remove paint particles.
• the apparatus of the present invention allows: - Or to implement a new process according to the invention responding to the drawbacks of known processes for not only deep cleaning qualified as ultra cleanliness but also and above all hygienic treatment by humidification, using cold water, or moderately heated surfaces to be treated, whose drying is quickly obtained, and this thanks to a very fine micronization of the water diffused in small quantity, simultaneously subjected to a very strong suction of air which can reach up to 100 liters per second, with a vacuum 65 KPa, - either to perform a cleaning by high pressure mist with also a strong suction.
• - clean water is diffused on the surface of the support to be hygienized in the form of a true micronization within and by at least one terminal disposed against said surface, of a mist composed of very fine droplets of at plus 30 microns, preferably 5 to 10 microns, only obtained at low pressure, slightly higher by at least 0.1 bar compared to that prevailing in the external environment, and at most under a pressure of approximately 2 bar ;
• Drying is also perfectly achieved in a very short time, instantaneous and up to 3 hours approximately for textile surfaces, and the depollution of the treated support carried out in depth thanks to the micronization of the water which moistens in depth. the pores of the material, facilitating the removal of the finest particles which they retain, so much so that one can qualify the result as "bio-cleanliness".
• This process makes it possible to work in class 10 premises, that is to say which do not admit more than 10 polluting particles of 0.3 micron per foot, said apparatus not rejecting any germ or particle.
• the method does not leave on the surface treated with maximum 10 CFU of bacteria per 25 cm and even, as the case may be, less than 2 CFU per 25 cm, and reduces the germs, bacteria, microorganisms contained in and on the pores of the support by a rate of 10 by participating in elimination of Biofilm (gangue from 1 to 10 microns thick permanently bonded to the support), with a visual cleanliness index of 0 in the Bacharach scale, the definition of which is given at the end of this description.
• the apparatus or device according to the present invention may allow, by its very strong suction also the implementation of a surface cleaning process, as indicated above, by high pressure mist , bringing the micronization pressure of the water to around 150 to 200 bar, on vertical or horizontal walls, the suction power and the tightness of the terminal relative to the treated surface, always preventing the flow of water outside its periphery; the temperature of the water can be brought up to 60 degrees C and then allows in this case for certain supports to clean effectively and / or even to scour all surfaces, as in certain cases could do some existing devices to date, but with better efficiency without pouring water and products.
• the device is essentially characterized by a set of means allowing the micronization of the water at variable flow rate and temperature, associated with means simultaneously producing a very strong suction of air, adjustable in depression and in flow rate, said means being simultaneously controlled by at least one central electronic means such as a microcomputer which ensures by means of a software package the regulation of the water and air flow rates, the whole according to a choice determined manually by the operator depending on the nature of the material to be cleaned, and the nature and extent of its pollution.
• a set of means allowing the micronization of the water at variable flow rate and temperature, associated with means simultaneously producing a very strong suction of air, adjustable in depression and in flow rate, said means being simultaneously controlled by at least one central electronic means such as a microcomputer which ensures by means of a software package the regulation of the water and air flow rates, the whole according to a choice determined manually by the operator depending on the nature of the material to be cleaned, and the nature and extent of its pollution.
• a large number of automatic programs can be provided for processing all the supports such as at least 36 settings such as: ceilings, walls, floors, furnishings, etc., whatever the nature of their material such as wood of all kinds , jute, textiles, plaster, marble, thermoplastics, terracotta, stucco, etc. All the parameters being preset for each of these cases thanks to said central electronic means of the device according to the invention, taking into account the fragility of the support. and the required hygiene rate, even up to 80 m horizontal distance and 30 m vertical distance.
• the hygienic device according to the invention in addition to the elements mentioned above, and some of which are known to existing devices, according to the invention comprises a means of humidifying the surface of the object to be hygienized under the form of a very fine nebulization, emitted by at least one micronization spout near said surface, of water taken from a clean water storage tank, said micronization spout being integrated in a terminal device located at the end of a windsock, preferably flexible, suction.
• Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the various elements of the device.
• Figure 2 is a schematic view in vertical section of the chamber containing the organs ensuring the suction of air, associated with the chamber receiving the polluted water after cleaning the treated surface.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the keyboard allowing the automatic management of the process, and comprising the screen displaying the state of the programmed functions.
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of the device which allows two employees to work at the same time using the same central unit in the same room or in two different rooms.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic view partly broken away, given by way of example, of a terminal located at the end of the air bag, and which contains the micronization member.
• the device comprises the tank 1 containing the clean water intended for micronization and the tank 2 receiving the water recovered by suction loaded with polluting elements.
• Each of these tanks itself comprises a probe 3 noting the fullness of the corresponding tank and a probe 4 noting its empty state.
• Said probes 4 and 3 of the clean water tank 1 control in a coordinated manner the electrostatic valve 5 which authorizes or stops, according to the order received, the filling of said clean water tank 1.
• the arrival of water clean connected to the network is controlled by the central computer if the clean water tank is empty; the high level probe stops and closes the water inlet solenoid valve.
• the probes 3 and 4 of the tank 2 for recovering polluted water also control in a coordinated manner the motor pump 6 which authorizes or stops the emptying of said tank when the latter is connected to an external evacuation pipe.
• the suction of air through the tank 2 into which the flexible external suction pipe 7 opens is obtained by means of two centrifugal turbines 8 (with multiple stages), connected in series through the pipe 16 in order to reach a low vacuum, each being driven by an electric motor 9, the suction of the first turbine is in relation to the tank 2 in which it causes the air vacuum and the exhaust of the second turbine being put into the atmosphere through a tube adjusted at the outlet 54.
• the micronization of the clean water contained in the tank 1 is obtained by pressurization by means of the electric pump 10 which conveys it through the piping 12 to the organ 1 1 of micronization placed near the end of the flexible air bag suction 7.
• the clean water thus propelled by the electric pump 10 can be brought to variable temperatures always lower than the critical temperature supported by the material to be hygienic.
• the device is completed by the valve 18 which controls the supply of pressurized water to the micronization member 1 1; by the discharge valve 19, which more or less opens as a function of the pressure prevailing in the conduit 12 according to the closed state of the valve 18, makes it possible to return the excess water under pressure in the tank 1 ; by thermostat 20 which regulates the heating intensity of the heating body
• the motorized solenoid valve 21 which, depending on a programmed setpoint, more or less communicates the tank 2 with the atmosphere to adjust the vacuum which prevails there; by the motorized hatch 22 which, as a function also of a programmed setpoint, regulates the air flow sucked by the more or less significant closure of the opening 23 of the trunk 26 which makes the tank 2 communicate with the first of the turbines 8.
• Said opening 23 is protected by the deflector 51 which prevents the suction by the turbines 8 of the particles conveyed by the polluted air introduced into the tank 2 coming from the suction sleeve 7, as well as the suction of the condensation which can occur in this same bin.
• the driving members constituted by the motors 9 which drive the turbines 8 are contained in the enclosure 24 which contributes by itself to the soundproofing in which the muffler 27 placed on the pipe 28 participates through which the air sucked by the turbine 8 is discharged into the atmosphere.
• the tubing 28 comprises the conical venturi nozzle 29 intended to suck the ventilation air from the motors 9 in order to contribute to their cooling as well as to discharge out of the room being cleaned, through the tubing. 28 which can have a very long length, polluting particles of all kinds which can be emitted by the motors 9 themselves during their operation.
• the tank 2 meanwhile, in addition to the probes 3 and 4, includes an emergency probe 30 intended to prevent, in the event of failure of the high probe 3, that the polluted water recovered, or the foam which may float, does not goes up to the opening 23 of the suction tube 26 of the turbines.
• the computer by means of a small electric pump commands the latter to take in an anti-foam container 55 the 25 to 50 ml necessary and thus makes it possible to reduce the foam in the liquid state.
• This same opening 23 of this suction tube 26 is capped with a cap 52 to prevent the direct introduction of water into this conduit 26 during the washing of the tank 2, its cover being removed.
• the disinfectant is renewed with each filling of clean water after the drain pump empties the dirty water tank.
• the antifoam is then automatically renewed in the dirty water tank.
• the tank 2 further comprises a container of generally cylindrical micro-perforated shape 31 which is removably attached to the air suction tube 7, and which receives through the latter the polluted water recovered and the air simultaneously sucked .
• Said container 31 constitutes a filter which retains the solid particles contained in the dirty water, which alone passes through it and fills the tank 2.
• the device thus constituted makes it possible to carry out the hygienic treatment of the surfaces by simultaneously operating the motor 10 for pressurizing the clean water contained in the tank 1 and the motors 9 for creating the vacuum in the tank 2 by means of turbines
• the vacuum and the flow rate of the aspirated air are automatically and individually controlled by solenoid valve 21 and the motorized hatch 22 and a speed variator of the motors 9.
• the flow of miconized water may vary from 0 to 70 liters per hour by the play in closing the valve 18; and by the play of the hatch 22 the flow rate of the sucked air can itself vary up to 100 liters per second under a static depression which can go up to -5000 or -6500 mm of column or 65 KPa of water approximately by the clearance of the valve 21.
• the temperature of the micronized water will itself be variable being preheated in the coils 13 which externally envelop the motors 9 of the turbines 8 where they recover the calories produced by their operation, ensuring by the same makes their cooling and the economic recovery of the energy which, without this provision, would be dissipated in pure loss inside the enclosure 24.
• a disinfectant product, of the hydrogen peroxide type contained in an auxiliary tank 44 can be diluted in the water of the tank 1, under the control of the solenoid valve 45 controlled by the computer, likewise for the defoamer.
• Each of these adjustments could be carried out manually by direct action on each of the above-mentioned control members.
• microprocessors which act as a microcomputer and continuously control each of the functions according to the instructions manually chosen by the operator with a view to the desired result and displayed on the screen at liquid crystals 37 which the apparatus comprises; this screen can display: the type of media to be cleaned, if disinfectant and / or antifoam are added, the type of terminal according to the number of micronization nozzles (always relative to the type of media to be treated), maintenance connection, also the diagnosis of possible faults, and the hourly counting of the operating time for revision, as well as the display of the device's data sheet (type, serial number, version etc ... ) ....
• All the functions can thus be automatically determined by a microprocessor according to the choice fixed by the operator, this program automatically fixing the parameters (pressure, temperature, flow of micronized water; vacuum, flow air intake) corresponding to the best hygiene criteria for the different surfaces to be treated: ceilings, floors, walls, etc. and depending on their nature: stone, plaster, wood, plastic fabrics, glass, marble. ..
• a second microprocessor is assigned to the control logic, according to the previously chosen program and ensures by permanent control of the corresponding organs the regulation of the vacuum and the air flow; regulation of the flow rate and the temperature of the micronization water; as well as the regulation of the power absorbed, so as not to exceed the power authorized in the various electrical installations of the customers, which can be limited to 12, 16 or 22 amps.
• Internal computers allowing, thanks to an "integrated" interface card or modem and / to a known standard RS232 output socket, located on the front panel of the control panel, to connect to the telephone network. It is thus possible to remotely collect:
• the computer program also allows:
• the necessary commands are carried out from a keyboard 38 (fig. 3) which has two keys 39 and 40 allowing the incrementation and decrementation of the programs stored in memories, and two keys + and - (41 and 42) allowing to increase or decrease the intensity of each of the values automatically entered by the program (pressure, flow, vacuum, temperature) and an "Enter” 43 key validating the chosen program as well as each of the corresponding values of the various operating parameters.
• a key can be used to cancel any action or program in progress and a specific light, of the "led” type, red illuminating a triangle button with an exclamation mark can warn of a possible defect which must then be sought. to view it and know its nature in order to correct it.
• the screen 37 informs at all times of the state of the operating parameters.
• Each of the above functions can also be ordered or modified by the keyboard, under the control of the microcomputer which can oppose outliers.
• venturi device 29 which contributes to the cooling of the motors 9, the energy saving being obtained by recovering the calories naturally produced by the motors 9 of the turbines 8 during their operation by to the coils 12 which surround the turbines and in which the clean water circulates as soon as it leaves the tank 1.
• the flexible tube 7 which conducts the sucked air, and which carries at its end the member 11 of micronization may be of sufficient length so that one can work inside a room, the device itself remaining outside the building. It is the same for the evacuation tube placed at the outlet 54 of the turbines 8 (FIG. 1).
• the device may include two micronization-suction equipment represented by the tubes 7 A and 7 B of FIG. 4 each associated with a separate tube of clean water and each carrying a terminal. In this case, according to this figure, it is provided that any of these two pieces of equipment can be put into service by the mere fact that its micronization-suction terminal which is at its end is brought into contact with a surface to be treated .
• each of the tubes 7 A and 7 B is provided at its downstream end located inside the tank 2 with a motorized valve 33 A or 33 B slaved to a pressure sensor 32 A or 32 B which simultaneously controls a 34 A or 34 B solenoid valve capable of opening or closing the branch circuit 35 A or 35 B which bypasses the corresponding turbine 8 between its evacuation tube 54 and the suction tube 7 A or 7 B
• the pressure which prevails inside is close to atmospheric pressure.
• the sensor 32 A immediately controls the closing of the motorized valve 33 A and simultaneously causes the opening of the solenoid valve 34 A which recycles the discharge air towards the tube 7 A in a sufficiently small quantity so as not to significantly increase the pressure therein. reigns close to atmospheric pressure, which keeps the valve 33 A closed, isolating this tube 7 A which therefore does not participate in the action of the device. It would be the same for tube 7 B.
• each sensor 32 which controls the associated solenoid valve 34 also controls the solenoid valve 18 which is on the micronization water circuit, so that the automaticity of the hygienic operation is complete, each air bag 7 comprising associated with it a tube 47 for transporting clean water.
• the terminal 46 ( Figure 5), to which adjoin the air hose 7 and the water inlet tube 47 which itself carries the micronization nozzle 11 is maintained, by the sole effect of the prevailing depression in the air duct 7, in contact with the surface to be cleaned.
• the micronizing member 1 1 is located at a certain distance but close, however, to the surface to be cleaned.
• the terminal 46 is also characterized by the fact that the tube 47 which leads the pressurized water to the micronization member 11 and the air duct 7 are parallel and adjoining inside said terminal 46.
• Said tube 47 which carries the organ 1 1 for micronizing the water near the end of the terminal 46 continues beyond said organ 1 1 and continues without interruption or opening of its wall in the area 53 located beyond this member to its own end which is in the same plane as that of the air duct 7 together forming the same double duct mouth which ensures, when it is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, a perfect seal of said terminal relative to the outside, which avoids any untimely sagging outside said terminal.
• the latter can also carry at its base a flexible elastic peripheral lip 48 which, projecting from the lower edge of the mouth of said terminal, makes it possible to ensure this same tightness on surfaces which do not have perfect flatness.
• Said brush 50 can be of cylindrical shape (not shown) animated by a rapid and continuous rotary movement in the horizontal plane to satisfy the most difficult hygienic conditions.
• said terminal can also be provided with rollers in order to keep its height constant relative to the treated surface, the elastic peripheral lip maintaining the seal described above.
• Such a terminal retaining its same general characteristics, can adopt an external configuration which allows it to facilitate its handling according to all the configurations of the object to be hygienized.
• the periphery of its mouth can have very diverse shapes and dimensions, which may range, by way of example only, from approximately 4 cm to approximately 40 cm, its shape in this case being oblong. It can also be placed at the end of a telescopic extension to reach surfaces in high situations.
• this device ensures a considerable time saving in its commissioning, this consisting in the only choice by the operator of the program corresponding to the nature of the surface to be treated, the integrated microcomputer ensuring determining the various corresponding parameters, as well as maintaining their consistency during the operation.
• the start-up thus simplified can be preceded in certain cases by the manual installation of a detergent on the surface to be treated. Whereas currently it takes no less than six operations to achieve this result, each of the phases requiring manual intervention.
• the automatic organization of the programs and the storage of all the parameters defined by prior tests ensure their consistency, thereby preventing any error as a result of the incompatibility which would be noted between the different parameters chosen.
• the simple fact of displaying said nature on the screen of the machine imposes and maintains all the conditions of pressure, flow and temperature of water, depression and flow d air, including possible flows of disinfectant and / or anti-foam products, any other adjustment that one would like to impose for the hygiene of said surface being refused by the microcomputer. While such adjustment errors could adversely affect the quality of hygiene and even the conservation of the object treated when using any other material whose manual adjustments have no automatic control of their compatibility.
• Tests with a device of the present invention, used according to the process of micronization of water according to the present invention made it possible to verify the objective of the latter, namely to obtain very good qualities of "hygiene” and of 'ultra cleanliness, or also called “bio cleanliness” while respecting hospital and food standards: we could then effectively measure after such tests that we obtained:

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• Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
• Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)

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• 1996
  • 1996-02-21 FR FR9602312A patent/FR2744935A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 1997
  • 1997-02-20 EP EP97906236A patent/EP0889702B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-02-20 CA CA 2247518 patent/CA2247518A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-02-20 AU AU20992/97A patent/AU2099297A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-02-20 WO PCT/FR1997/000319 patent/WO1997030623A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-02-20 DE DE69703037T patent/DE69703037D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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