EP1002589A1

EP1002589A1 - Cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP1002589A1
Application number: EP98122011A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bent Laursen
Original assignee: Alto Danmark AS
Current assignee: Alto Danmark AS
Priority date: 1998-11-20
Filing date: 1998-11-20
Publication date: 2000-05-24
Also published as: NO995599D0; NO995599L

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning strongly defiled objects by means of a jet spray from a spray nozzle (8) powered by the pressurized cleaning fluid of a high-pressure cleaner (7). According to the invention the object to be cleaned is placed in sealable chamber (1,2,3) in order to retain the dirt that is removed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning strongly defiled objects.

BACKGROUND ART

GB-A-2,225,612 discloses a high-pressure cleaner for cleaning objects by means of a jet spray. The apparatus comprises a high-pressure pump, a container for the cleaning agent and a spray nozzle for applying the mixture of cleaning liquid and cleaning agent to the object to be cleaned. Although the apparatus disclosed in GB-A-2,225,612 is a very effective tool in cleaning heavily defiled objects, there is a significant drawback in that the high-pressure jet spray blasts the dirt and bacteria into the ambient atmosphere. Thereby the operator of the apparatus and the direct environment in the area in which the cleaning operation is performed will be exposed to unacceptably high levels of contamination. In particular, when cleaning such objects as sewage pumps, which have to be cleaned in situ so that they may be transported for maintenance or repair, the levels of contamination pose an unacceptable risk to both operator and direct environment. The sewage pump is for such purpose raised from the sewage and placed on the street in the vicinity of the manhole or other opening of the sewage. While cleaning the pump, the dirt from the sewer will be blasted into the air and pollute the direct environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method of cleaning such strongly defiled objects without exposing the environment or the operator to unacceptable contamination with dirt and bacteria that are removed from the object to be cleaned. This object is achieved with an apparatus according to claim 1, and with a method according to claim 12. By placing the object to be cleaned in a sealable chamber and applying the jet spray from the spray nozzle in said chamber, the removed dirt and bacteria are contained within that said chamber, without any risk of the operator or the environment being polluted. According to another object of the invention, the jet nozzles are connected to a mobile high-pressure cleaner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed part of the description, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiment of a cleaning apparatus according to the invention shown in the drawings, in which
Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus according to the invention connected to a conventional high-pressure cleaner,
Figures 2 and 3 show side views of the cleaning apparatus, and
Figure 4 shows a top view of a cleaning apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A cleaning apparatus according to the invention is formed by a housing 1 comprising a frame 2 on which the outer walls of the housing are attached. The cavity 3 within the walls thus providing a space for receiving a product to be cleaned. The apparatus is provided with a door 4 which can be closed sealingly so as to be able to load and unload the object to be cleaned. The apparatus is provided with a conduit 5 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the nozzles. This conduit 5 extends at least at one of its ends out of the housing 1 and is provided there with a quick-coupling 6 so as to allow easy connection to the source 7 of pressurized cleaning liquid, which is preferably a conventional and commercially available high-pressure cleaner. The conduit 5 is branched off to each spraying nozzle 8 and at the end of each branch leading to a spray nozzle, a valve 9 is located, preferably an electro-magnetic valve, which allows selective use of the various spray nozzles 8.
The apparatus comprises a rotatable platform 10 on which the object to be cleaned can be placed. The platform 10 is driven by an electric gear motor 11 so as to be able to rotate back and forth over 360° or to continuously rotate, thereby exposing each part of the object to be cleaned to the spraying nozzles. In a pre-ferred embodiment, the spraying nozzles 8 are divided in the housing 1 along one vertical line, one above the other so as to cover the object to be cleaned in a plurality of horizontal sections. The nozzles 8 are preferably of a type that allow effective cleaning from a relatively large distance between the spray nozzle and the object to be cleaned, because one difficulty encountered in such automatic cleaning apparatus is that the distance at which the nozzle 8 operates from the object to be cleaned is bigger than that when a conventional high-pressure cleaner is used.
The apparatus comprises a programmable controller 12 that controls the washing sequence. The programmable controller 12 operates the electronic valves 9 of the nozzles 8 and steers the electric motor 11. There may also be provided a valve for selecting the cleaning agent and a control mechanism for selecting between warm and cold water.
If the object to be cleaned is a sewage pump, the cleaning operation will start with lifting the pump from the sewage system. The door 4 at the top of the cleaning apparatus will be opened and the sewage pump 16 will be conveyed into the cleaning apparatus until it rests on the rotatable platform 10. The cleaning cycle that functions can comprise the following steps:
1) a high-pressure cleaning with the lower spray nozzle which is directed angularly upwards towards the outlet of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform does not rotate,
2) high-pressure cleaning with a spray nozzle at the level of the pump inlet for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform does not rotate,
3) high-pressure cleaning with the lower spray nozzle angularly upwards into the outlet of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump does not rotate,
4) high-pressure cleaning with the higher spray nozzle downwards towards the top of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform rotates back and forth over 360°,
5) high-pressure cleaning with the higher spray nozzle over the upper part of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the platform rotates back and forth over 360°.
6) high-pressure cleaning with the nozzle that sprays at an oblique angle downwardly towards the middle part of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
7) high-pressure cleaning with the nozzle placed at the level of the house of the pump for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
8) high-pressure cleaning with a nozzle at the level of the suction end of the pump, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
9) disinfection with all seven nozzles in the chamber for about 20 seconds, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°,
10) a pause in the programme for about 10 minutes,
11) a rinsing with all seven nozzles without the use of any additives to the rinsing fluid, preferably with 60° warm water at a pressure between 155 and 175 bars using about 15-18 liters per minute, whereby the pump rotates back and forth over 360°.
Below the platform 10, a collecting tray 13 is placed which collects the dirt and rinsing fluid and leads it to a container 14 below the collecting tray 13. The container 14 can be supplied with a filter that retains the dirt and allows the fluid to pass to a drainage pipe leading the fluid into the sewage system.
The nozzles 8 are preferably connected to a nozzle tree 15. The nozzle tree 15 is according to a preferred embodiment extending vertically along one of the side walls of the cleaning apparatus. The nozzle tree 15 may extend inside the housing 1 of the cleaning apparatus or outside the housing 1. In a preferred embodiment, the cavity 3 defined by the side walls of the cleaning apparatus forms a rectangular base surface. The nozzle tree 15 extends vertically upwards from one of the corners of said base surface.
The apparatus may be provided with an integrated high-pressure cleaner, comprising a source of high-pressure liquid.
In another embodiment the cleaning apparatus is connectable to the high-pressure cleaner.
The cleaning programme is controlled by an electric controller in the form of a programme logic control (PLC). The PLC 12 controls the rotation of the platform 10 by steering the electric motor 11, controls the valves 9 and selects the cleaning agent. The PLC can further be integratead in the cleaning apparatus or may be in another embodiment arranged with the high-pressure cleaner.

LIST OF PARTS

1: housing
2: frame
3: cavity
4: door
5: conduit
6: quick-coupling
7: source of pressurized cleaning fluid
8: spray nozzle
9: valve
10: rotatable platform
11: electric motor
12: PLC
13: collecting tray
14: container
15: nozzle tree
16: sewage pump

Claims

Cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing (1) defining a sealable chamber to receive an object to be cleaned,

at least one spray nozzle (8) being provided in the chamber for spraying the object to be cleaned, said spray nozzle (8) being connectable to a source (7) of pressurized cleaning fluid, and

means for creating a relative movement between the object to be cleaned and the at least one spray nozzle or nozzles (8).
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the source (7) of pressurized fluid is a mobile high-pressure cleaner.
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the source (7) of pressurized fluid is comprised in the cleaning apparatus.
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised by comprising a rotatable platform (10) for carrying and rotating the object to be cleaned.
Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the rotatable platform (10) is driven by a geared electric motor (11).
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised by the at least one spraying nozzle (8) being provided with an upstream valve (9) which can be selectively opened and closed.
Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the valve (9) is a remote controlled valve, preferably an electro-magnetic valve.
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, charcaterised by comprising a programmable logic controller (12).
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the seaable chamber can be opened at the top.
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the sealable chamber can be opened at the one of its side walls.
Use of the apparatus according to any of the claims 1 to 10 for cleaning a sewage pump.
Method of cleaning a sewage pump in situ, comprising the steps of:

raising the sewage pump (16) from the sewerage,

placing the sewage pump (16) in a sealable chamber,

sealing the chamber,

applying cleaning fluid from at least one spray nozzle (8) in the chamber to the sewage pump (16) in the chamber.
Method according to claim 12, characterised by the step of rotating the sewage pump (16), preferably back and forth, during the application of the cleaning fluid.
Method according to claim 13, characterised by the step of applying the cleaning fluid from a plurality of spray nozzles (8) in the chamber sequentially.
Method according to any of the claims 12 to 14, characterised by a disinfection step.
Method according to any of the claims 12-15, characterized in that the spray nozzle is connected to a mobile high-pressure cleaner.