EP0164315A2 - Road-sweeping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The road-sweeping apparatus has a suction nozzle, a container for sweepings, a suction device and a fluid line for guiding fluid from the container for sweepings into the region of the suction nozzle and for binding the dust and the fluid. Mounted in the fluid line is a closing member which only opens in the presence of a flow of suction air. Apart from the dust/dirty water system which acts on the suction air flow, there is also arranged a second water system. In this arrangement, the former is designed as a circulating system and the latter as an open user system. The road-sweeping apparatus operates without any risk of water running out from the water circuit. Nevertheless, it has the advantage of not having to use the normal dirt-loaded water for relatively awkward areas to be sprayed in the road-sweeping apparatus.

Description

The present invention relates to a street sweeper with at least one suction nozzle, a waste container, a suction device and a liquid line in order to conduct liquid from the waste container into the area of the suction nozzle and to bind the dust to the liquid.

A street sweeper with negative pressure delivery has become known, in which the waste is moistened on the way from the pick-up point to the collecting container in the sweeper. The rubbish is conveyed from the intake point directly into the collecting container, which is under vacuum, and is moistened in the process. (DE-PS 824 800)

The prior art also includes a floor cleaning and maintenance machine with a cleaning tool, to which a cleaning agent is fed from nozzles at a downward gradient and in which the mixture of the cleaning agent and the air which enters between the tool and the surface to be treated is extracted. The cleaning tool is a hollow body in the form of a truncated cone, which points downward with the further end, in which the nozzles open tangentially and inclined to the surface to be treated near its lower edge. This creates a vortex that loosens the liquid flowing out of the nozzles and the incoming air, which distributes the liquid evenly, loosens and sucks up the dirt. (DE-PS 948 081) The more recent state of the art also includes a suction cleaning device with a closed chamber for holding dust or similar material, together with an added liquid, such as water. This device has a suction channel with an outlet end connected to the chamber and with an inlet end in the immediate vicinity of a surface to be cleaned for receiving dust or similar material. This device is provided with a return device for supplying water or another liquid from the chamber into the suction channel for the purpose of mixing with dust or similar material which is drawn into the suction channel by the suction effect. There is a pump in the return line for supplying water to the air suction line. (DE-OS 2 545 137)

Although this pump prevents the water from the garbage container from flowing effortlessly into the suction line when the pump is switched off, this construction is unsatisfactory in this regard, since it has another damage-prone element, namely the pump, and it cannot prevent it When the suction fan is switched off, water gets into the suction line and, in the event of longer downtimes, the waste container which also serves as a water reservoir runs out. The same two disadvantages of the expiry also have the two other previously mentioned prior publications. For this reason, the present invention aims to provide a street sweeper that works with regard to water circulation without the risk of leakage and still has the advantage of not having to use the normal dirt-laden water for more sensitive areas of the street sweeper to be sprayed.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide such a machine in which the line carrying the wetting water for the dust can be removed without the risk of the waste / waste water container leaking when it is emptied.

According to the invention, the wetting water of such a street sweeper is prevented from escaping by arranging in the liquid line a closing element which only opens when there is a suction air stream.

• Fig. 1 in gemischt schematisch-konstruktiver Darstellung den Innenaufbau einer Strassenkehrmaschine mitentsprechender Schaltung von Antriebs- und Steueraggregaten,
• Fig. 2 das Bodenventil zum Kehrichtbehälter in vergrösserter Darstellung.

An exemplary embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is subsequently explained, for example, using a drawing. Show it:

• 1 is a mixed schematic-constructive representation of the internal structure of a street sweeper with a corresponding circuit of drive and control units,
• Fig. 2 shows the bottom valve to the rubbish bin in an enlarged view.

The street sweeper has a garbage container 45 which tapers conically downwards and which simultaneously serves as a dirt and circulating water reservoir. It is provided with a container lid 47 and is pivotally held in a tipper bearing 48 for emptying. A suction nozzle 35, connected via a flexible suction hose 36 to a knee tube 37, serves to take up street rubbish in order to feed it through the hose 36 and the knee tube 37 attached to the container 45 to the interior of the container 45. Inside the waste bin 45 there is a dirty water filter 34 with a mesh size of, for example, 1 mm. A suction blower 38 sucks in the air 39, which is discharged from dust and water, through the screen grille 46 and blows it through an exhaust port 40 into the atmosphere. The mixture of moist waste and water which precipitates in the upper part of the waste container 45 reaches the lower part of the container 45 and, as far as the fine particles are concerned, is held and washed away by the filter 34, after which it can collect in the lower part of the container 45.

A filler neck 26 for so-called recuperation water leads via a check valve 27 into the humidification water line, in which there is a water slide 28, which normally blocks the way of the water flowing in from the container 45. This slide 28 is connected via a shift lever 28a to a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 8, which then opens the slide 28 in a controlled manner as soon as it is sucked blower 38 an air flow is generated. In the bottom of the container 45 and belonging to it there is a bottom valve 29 with a separation point 30 for connecting the humidification water line. A pin 51 is fastened in the connecting piece 50. The bottom valve 29 with valve seat 52 and spring-loaded closing body 53 automatically goes into the closed position when the container 45 is tilted up and prevents the water filling 33 from escaping from the container 45. When the container 45 is lowered, the pin 51 presses the closing body 53 off the seat 52 into its open position as shown in the figure.

At the water nozzle 31, the humidifying water enters the suction channel in the area of the suction nozzle 35 when the street sweeper is operating, and there, in particular, humidifies the finer dust particles of the refuse that are sucked up from the street.

The hydraulic drive and control system includes a main hydraulic pump 1, which is driven by a diesel engine 2. A filling pump 3 is assigned to the hydraulic pump for the method. A ydrozahnradpumpe _H 4 serves to drive the fan 38 by means of a hydraulic motor 6, while a hydraulic gear pump 5 serves for generating the movements. The hydraulic oil is collected in two hydraulic oil tanks 7. The aforementioned double-acting hydraulic cylinder 8 for opening and closing the water slide 28

is controlled via a four-way valve 9. This hydraulic system also includes a pressure switch 10 and a tilt cylinder 11 for tilting the refuse container 45 and a hydraulic cylinder 12 for actuating the container lid 47.

The control circuit for locking the dampening water blocking slide 29 includes a magnet 13 as well as a hydraulically operated electrical switch 14 and an on / off switch 15 for water recuperation. The electrical switch 14 is switched via the pressure switch 10, which causes the on / off switch 15 to be switched and thus the water slide 28 to be opened by actuating the hydraulic cylinder 8 via the magnet 13. If for any reason the pressure at the switch 10 drops below an adjustable minimum, the water supply is accordingly interrupted by pivoting the water slide 28 into the closed position.

In addition to this essentially self-contained dirty water system, an open fresh water system that is independent of this system is provided, with a fresh water tank 16, through the filler neck 17 of which fresh water can be filled. A water filter 18 is located in a supply line in front of a water pump 19, the V-belt drive 20 of which is shown schematically. A maximum pressure valve 21 enables an overflow from the pressure side into the suction side of the water pump 19. The water pump 19 supplies two water regulators in accordance with the position tap 23 a water nozzle 24 to the plate broom 25 of the machine or a water injection nozzle 22 which is arranged in the elbow 37.

The fresh water tank 16 with a volume of 200 liters only allows a very limited range of action for the machine, since in addition to the nozzles 24 for the plate brooms and the spray nozzle 22 for the elbow pipe, other machines for lubricating the dirt to be conveyed in the suction line with additional nozzles have considerable amounts of water from the fresh water tank.

The water recuperation system now allows an additional 80 - 150 liters of water 33 to be filled into the waste bin 45 before starting work. This water is used exclusively for the lubrication of the suction mouth 35, the suction hose 36 and the elbow 37. The fresh water nozzle 22 is only used in the case of extremely extreme dirt accumulation.

The water accumulating with the dirt is processed in the waste bin 45 and used again and again.

The water loss is very small and is replaced by adding fresh water to the broom 25.

The radius of action has now become so large that it is no longer necessary to refill fresh water with dirt before it reaches a full tank. The fresh water filling is often sufficient for several rubbish bins.

Fresh water is poured into the refuse container 45 via the filler neck 26 and the check valve 27. The bottom valve 29 is open. The amount of water is approx. 80 - 150 l, depending on the degree of pollution. The water slide 28 is blocked, i.e. no water flows to the suction mouth. At the same time, the sieve 34 is thereby cleaned of dirt.

The sweepings 42 with the water from the nozzles 24 are sucked up in the suction mouth 35.

The suction force in the entire suction line now draws in the water of the water filling 33 through the water nozzle 31, is carried along with the garbage 43 and gets back into the garbage container 45. The water "lubricates" the entire suction line perfectly and prevents the same from becoming blocked.

In the waste bin 45, the water is always above the dirt and can flow back to the suction mouth at any filling level via the sieve 34 which extends over the entire height. The water cycle is thus closed. The suction force in the suction pipe is generated by evacuation of the dirt container by the blower 38.

With the hydraulic tilt cylinder 11, the waste container can be tipped over the pivot bearing 48.

At the same time, the cover 47 is opened by means of the hydraulic cylinder 12.

The bottom valve 29 closes immediately during the tilting process and prevents water or dirty water from flowing out.

If it is dirty, the valve can be cleaned well from the outside.

Usually the fresh water filling is now sufficient for several tank fillings. The amount of water in the waste bin must be returned after each tipping.

Claims (8)

1. Street sweeper with at least one suction nozzle (35), a waste container (45), a suction device (38) and a liquid line to guide liquid from the waste container (45) into the area of the suction nozzle (35) and to bind the dust (43 ) to effect the liquid, characterized in that a closing member (28) which only opens when there is a suction air flow (39) is arranged in the liquid line. 2. Street sweeper, preferably according to at least one of the claims, characterized in that the control units are driven hydraulically. 3. Street sweeper, preferably according to at least one of the claims, characterized in that the hydraulic main pump (1) is driven by an internal combustion engine (2). 4. Street sweeper, preferably according to at least one of the claims, characterized in that the closing member is designed as a hydraulically operated rotary valve (28). 5. Street sweeper with at least one suction nozzle, characterized in that in addition to the dust / dirty water system (33) acting on the suction air flow, a second water system (16) is arranged, preferably the former (33) as a circulation system, the latter (16) as an open consumer system is trained. 6. Street sweeper, preferably according to at least one of the claims, characterized in that the consumer system has a fresh water tank (16) for the purpose of feeding at least one water spray point (22; 24) for a rotating brush (25) and optionally a spray point in the area of the introduction the wetted waste (43) from the suction nozzle (35) into the waste container (45). 7. Street sweeper with at least one suction nozzle, characterized in that the liquid line leading from the waste container (45) to the suction nozzle (35) is connected via a bottom valve (29) to the bottom of the lowered container .- (45). 8. Street sweeper, preferably according to at least one of the claims, characterized in that the valve housing with seat (52) and spring-loaded closing body (53) form part of the container (45) and that the connecting line socket (50) has an insert, e.g. has a rod (51) which lifts the closing body (53) from its seat (52) when the line is connected.

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