Automatic machines for cleaning outer wall of a high-rise building

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6170109
  • Patent Number
    6,170,109
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, May 13, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 9, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A machine for cleaning the outer wall of a high-rise building using a pneumatic system or a vacuum system consists of a case divided into three chambers vertically arranged having an opened-anterior side where edges of all chambers having rubber plates or brushes mounted all along their rims. In each upper and lower chamber there is mounted a roller having its surface aligned with an edge of the rubber plates or brushes. The machine is pressed against a wall to be cleaned be either a pneumatic or vacuum mechanism. The machine moves along a wall which cleaning by shifting a cable tied at the top of a case. In a middle chamber, there is a drum-brush whose hair sticks out over the level of the edge of the rubber plate or brushes. There is also tubing to eject water and/or detergent solution to the drum-brush, and where the drum-brush is motor-driven in cleaning the wall.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Technical Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to an automatic cleaning machine for outer wall of high-rise buildings which can vertically move during cleaning action and easy to operate.




2. Description of the Prior Art




At present, cleaning high-rise surfaces such as glass windows, outer wall of high-rise buildings and advertising boards are unavoidable. Yet, there is not any efficient machine for such purpose. Manual cleaning using personnels to be carried with the platform is generally used which is laborious, dangerous, time-consuming and very costly, yet the outcome is not satisfactory since there are many blind spots on the large area which limit the range of manual cleaning. Hazard can also happen by abnormal air turbulance between high-rise buildings. Besides, sun-burning or wind-chilling atmosphere makes it even more difficult to find labors for such work with the very high risk.




There have been prior inventions; U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,446 of Chang KK and U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,557, which can work automatically. However, their machines can do the cleaning action only when the machines are held in fixed position on the wall by mean of vacuum suction cups which require very smooth surface to do so. On a normal slightly rough surface like the outer surface of a concrete wall, it is thus impossible to use their machines since there will always be small empty spaces for air to continuously flow through and therefore vacuum can not be achieved.




The present invention, however, can clean both thoroughly smooth surfaces like glass windows and slightly rough surfaces like cement walls outside high-rise buildings with highest efficiency. This machine can move at the same time while it is cleaning the surfaces and thereby cleaning can be performed continuously and save lots of time and efforts.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




A machine for cleaning outer wall of a high-rise building using a pneumatic system consists of a case divided into at least 3 chambers vertically arranged having an opened-anterior side where the edge of each of the three chambers having rubber plates or brushes mounted all along its rim.




In each upper and lower chamber there mounted a roller having its surface align with edge of said rubber plate. At the back of each of two chambers, there is a hollow tube mounted thereto with one end inside and the other end outside each chamber. Within each hollow tube at its external part outside the machine case, there is a right-angled tube installed with its one end inside the hollow tube pointed away from the case and its other end outside the hollow tube connected to an air pump in a manner that when the pump is turned on, there creates forces resulting in pressing the machine against a wall to be cleaned. Machine can move vertically by mean of pulling or releasing a cable tied at the top of the case.




In the middle chamber of the machine, there is a drum-brush whose hair sticking out over the level of said rubber plate edge, where at the back of middle chamber there is tubing(s) to eject water and/or detergent solution to the drum-brush, and where the drum-brush is motor-driven in cleaning the wall. This machine is pressed against a wall to be cleaned by using a pneumatic system or a vacuum system, and is able to move along the wall while cleaning.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

shows the structure of the invention of pneumatic type in three dimensions.





FIG. 2

is a sectional side view of the invention shows how all the components are arranged.





FIG. 3

shows how the invention operates.





FIG. 4

shows the invention of pneumatic type with additional components.





FIG. 5

shows how the invention of vacuum type operates.





FIG. 6

shows the invention without rollers.





FIG. 7

shows the invention without rollers, brush and motor.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Machines for cleaning outer wall of high-rise buildings are invented to clean outer surface which is slightly rough like those cement walls and those thoroughly smooth like those glass windows.




The principle in operating these machines and the great advantage over those prior arts is that simultaneous while the machine is cleaning, it can move along the surface to be cleaned.




There are two systems that can be used to press the machine against the wall while cleaning; i.e.,




1. Pneumatic System:




As shown in

FIG. 1

, machine


1


is a machine for cleaning outer wall of a high-rise building consists of a case


2


(can be made of either plastic or stainless steel). Side


3


is an opened side of case


2


which is an anterior side while all the other sides are closed and side


4


is a posterior side of case


2


.




Case


2


is divided into


3


chambers: chamber


5


, chamber


6


and chamber


7


.




In chamber


6


, there is a drum-brush


8


installed thereto having two shafts


9


and


10


rotating within circular holes or ball bearing cartridges


11


. Shaft


10


extends outside case


2


with its end having a pulley


12


mounted thereto. Drum-brush


8


rotates about its axis to do the cleaning action when a motor


13


installed outside case


2


is turned on to rotate shaft


10


through pulley


12


and conveyor belt


14


.




In chamber


5


, there is a roller


15


with its shafts


16


rotates about its axis within circular holes or ball bearing cartridges


17


.




In chamber


7


, there is a roller


18


with its shafts


19


rotates about its axis within circular holes or ball bearing cartridges


20


.




Roller


15


is identical to roller


18


can be made of either plastic or rubber. The shafts are made of metal. The two rollers allows proper moving of machine


1


along the surface to be cleaned and prevent the machine not to be pressed to close to the wall but remains at a constant distance such that the hairs of drum-brush


8


can be pressed onto the wall with consistently uniform force all through the cleaning action.




At anterior side


3


of case


2


, there mounted rubber plate or brush


21


all along the edges of chambers


5


,


6


and


7


.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, surface of roller


15


and


18


are aligned at the same level as the rim of rubber plate


21


, while the tip of the hairs of brush


8


stretch out to a distance D (which can be 1, 2 or 3 centimeters as designed). This distance D depends on the size of pressing force exerts by the brush hairs onto the wall.




At posterior side


4


of case


2


, there are rigid hollow tubes


22


with empty spaces


25


installed at both chamber


5


and chamber


7


. Ends


23


of tubes


22


are inside case


2


while their outer ends


24


are outside case


2


.




At part of tubes


22


outside case


2


, each there is a right-angled tubing


26


mounted to having its end


27


within space


25


of tube


22


and points towards end


24


of tube


22


.




The other end


28


of right-angled tubing


26


sticking outside tube


22


is connected to pipe


29


which is a rubber or plastic pipe of an air pump. Air pump is an important component of pneumatic system of machine


1


and is conventional. Air pump can be installed either at the lowest floor or at the top floor of a high-rise building and must be able to pump the air at a high velocity and a high pressure (about 1500 psi) great enough to press machine


1


against the wall to be cleaned while machine


1


simultaneously moves downward. Machine


1


is hanging from the top floor of a high-rise building through a cable


31


which is tied to the top of case


2


to allow machine


1


to move vertically by pulling or releasing the cable.




At the back of chamber


6


, there is a tube


30


mounted to for delivering water or cleaning solution to be ejected to brush


8


by a water pump installed at the top floor of the building.




As in

FIG. 3

, when a wall


32


of a high-rise building is to be cleaned, machine


1


is hanged at a top position of the area need to be cleaned by facing its anterior side


3


against wall


32


such that brush


8


contacts wall


32


.




Upon operation, air pump is turned on, and air of high velocity and pressure is pumped through pipe


29


into tube


26


. Air is propelled out from end


27


of tube


26


which is in space


25


of tube


22


. This creates 2 forces exert upon machine


1


which is:




1. air propelled at high velocity and pressure out from end


27


causes a pneumatic action by drawing of air from inside chamber


5


and chamber


7


in a direction shown by horizontal arrows. Thus, a negative pressure is created inside chamber


5


and chamber


7


and forms a sucting force between rubber


21


and a surface to be cleaned.




2. air propelled at a high velocity and pressure out from end


27


is like a jet propellant thus also creates a pushing force to drive machine


1


to an opposite direction.




The two forces described in 1. and 2. when combined must be greater than the force brush


8


presses onto surface of wall


32


to be cleaned and must be great enough to press rollers


15


and


18


of the machine to contact against wall


32


. The reason why the combination of the two forces must be greater than the force that brush


8


presses onto surface of wall


32


is that in normal situation the hair of brush


8


stretch out over edge of rubber plate


21


(as shown in FIG.


2


). However, during operation of machine


1


, the stretched-out hair is rotated and pressed onto surface


32


. If the combined two forces is not greater than force that brush


8


presses onto surface of wall


32


, then machine


1


will be pushed off from wall


32


and surface of rollers


15


and


18


will no longer contact the wall. This causes uneven moving of machine


1


and cleaning can not be efficiently performed.




When motor


13


is turned on, brush


8


is rotated in a direction shown by arrow


33


at the same time that tube


30


ejects water to brush


8


. Simultaneously, machine


1


is lowered downward along the direction shown by arrow


34


and rollers


15


and


18


also move down.




During cleaning of wall


32


by machine


1


, edge of rubber plate


21


touches on wall


32


and thus there will not be problem for machine


1


to move downward. While machine


1


is lowered downward, it is simultaneously pressed against wall


32


, and brush


8


rotates and cleans the wall all the time until the cleaning cycle is completed. Air pump and water pump are then turned off.





FIG. 4

shows that, to increase the efficiency of cleaning, more than one set of drum-brush can be used. Brushes


35


and


36


are used. Tube


37


ejects detergent solution to drum-brush


35


and tube


38


ejects water to drum-brush


36


and makes cleaning much better. Excessive detergent solution or water is drained through outlets


39


and


40


, respectively.




2. Vacuum System:




A vacuum system can be also used instead of a pneumatic system where a vacuum pump of high power must be used to suck air out of chamber


5


and chamber


7


through tube


42


. Negative pressure is created inside the two chambers allows machine


1


to be pressed against wall


32


.




Steps for cleaning, however, are the same as those in


1


.




In different embodiments, as shown in

FIG. 6

, machine


1


may not have rollers


15


and


18


since rubber plate or brush


21


can perform the same function. This helps to make the machine lighter. But the disadvantage is that machine


1


will not be uniformly pressed onto the wall.




In addition, as shown in

FIG. 7

, machine


1


may not use rollers, brush


8


and motor


13


. However, element


21


must be only brush edge and can not be rubber plate such that brush


21


when pressed and move along a wall will do the rubbing action and thus can replace brush


8


.




To control the functions of machine


1


, a conventional remote control system can be applied.




It will be understood that changes may be made within the scope of this invention by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit thereof. It is accordingly intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.




It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention as described herein, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.



Claims
  • 1. A machine for cleaning outer wall of a high-rise building using pneumatic system to press said machine against a wall consists of:a case divided into at least 3 chambers vertically arranged having an opened-anterior side where edges of all said chambers having one of rubber plates and brushes mounted all along their rims; there mounted in an upper and a lower chamber a roller having its surface aligned with an edge of said rubber plates or brushes; at the back of each of said upper and lower chambers, there is a hollow tube mounted thereto with one end inside and the other end outside each chamber; within each hollow tube at the external part outside said case, there is a right-angled tube installed with its one end inside said hollow tube pointed away from said case and another end outside said hollow tube connected to an air pump in a manner that when said air pump is turned on, air is pumped outside said upper and lower chambers through the end of said right-angled tube inside said hollow tube to drive said machine in addition to create negative pressure within said upper and lower chambers resulting in pressing said machine against a wall to be cleaned; machine can move while cleaning by shifting a cable tied at the top of said case; in a middle chamber of said machine between the upper and lower chambers, there is a brush which can rotate to scrub a surface whose hair sticking out over the level of the edge of said rubber plates or brushes along the rims of the chambers, where at the back of said middle chamber there is tubing to eject water and/or detergent solution to said brush, and where said brush is motor-driven in cleaning said wall.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Number Name Date Kind
3497902 Hartigan Mar 1970
3604049 Hetman Sep 1971
3641607 Lemelson Feb 1972
4025984 Hoener, Jr. May 1977
4112535 Wild et al. Sep 1978
4136419 Hetman et al. Jan 1979
4198724 Fisher et al. Apr 1980
4257138 Clements et al. Mar 1981
4797969 Caduff Jan 1989
4800607 Fukutomi Jan 1989
5465446 Chang Nov 1995
5655247 Allen et al. Aug 1997
5715557 Hsu Feb 1998
5890250 Lange et al. Apr 1999
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number Date Country
53-139359 Dec 1978 JP
1-163517 Jun 1989 JP
5-49554 Mar 1993 JP
6-90885 Apr 1994 JP