Device for cleaning lamellar blinds and method for using the same

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6206013
  • Patent Number
    6,206,013
  • Date Filed
    Friday, February 27, 1998
    26 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 27, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A method and device for cleaning vertically suspended lamellar blinds in collapsed state, is provided having a supply unit with a moveable supply container and functional elements for generating a fluid stream as well as a suspended spay device which is supported by the lamellae and comprises a spray head and a jacket foil enclosing the lamellar blind. The supply container is designed to be used separately with a washing solution or a rinse solution and is equipped with a pump, a pressurized line leading to the spray head and a return line. The pressurized line comprises a dual manifold disposed at the top and the return line has a connection at the top as well as a connection at the bottom.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The invention relates to a device for cleaning of vertically suspended lamellar blinds in the collapsed state. Devices of this type are used predominantly in the cleaning service industry.




Devices of this type are known in the art. The devices are basically comprised of a supply unit and a sprayer. The supply unit includes a moveable container which is equipped with several functional elements, such as a pump, a filter, a heater and respective control elements. The supply unit is connected through one or several connection lines with the sprayer which comprises a spray head with one or several nozzle bars and with a tube-like jacket foil.




A cleaning device is known wherein the described supply unit consists of a first and a second supply unit. The first supply unit includes the aforedescribed equipment found in a standard washing machine and is consequently filled only with a detergent solution. The second supply unit is also in the form of a moveable container and includes only a dedicated pump and a supply line which is connected to a distribution valve of the first supply unit. The second supply unit is constructed in the form of a rinsing machine and is thus filled with a rinse solution.




The lamellar blind is first washed for a certain time with the first supply unit. The detergent solution is fed to the spray head, where the solution emerges from the nozzles, runs down the lamellae and is then again collected with the open container of the first supply unit. For rinsing, the second supply unit is connected to the first supply unit. The rinse solution is here again fed to the spray head via the distribution valve of the first supply unit. The returning rinse solution is also discharged into the container of the first supply unit.




This device for cleaning of lamellar blinds is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, the design is rather complex, since each operation requires a supply unit of its own. This raises the cost of the whole cleaning device. Moreover, the operation of the device is complex and expensive. One of the two supply unit is always unused, since the second supply unit is not used during the washing operation and since the first supply unit is tied up during the rinsing operation and cannot be used for another lamellar blind. It is also disadvantageous that after the termination of the cleaning operation, the detergent solution and the rinse solution are intermixed in the container of the first supply unit and therefore cannot be reused for a subsequent cleaning.




From EP 352 496 B1 A, there is known cleaning device without some of these disadvantages. This device includes a dolly with supply containers for detergent solution and for rinse solution, respectively, as well as a pump and a heater. The dolly also includes a common supply container which can be set on the floor on location. When placed on the floor, the common supply container is filled from the appropriate feed container with either the detergent solution or the rinse solution. From here, the solution is conveyed to the spray head and then collected again as a dirty solution.




In order to drain the spent detergent solution, the supply container has to be raised above the level of the corresponding feed container. Thereafter, the supply container has to be positioned below the level of the other feed container in order to refill the supply container with the clean rinse solution.




Handling the feed containers is awkward and should be eliminated; moreover, handling is time-consuming and thus expensive. Moreover, the equipment required for each cleaning operation is too complex.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore the object to provide a device of the aforedescribed type of a simple and inexpensive design so that the detergent solutions and rinse solutions can be kept separate, and to develop an effective method for using such a device.




The object of providing such a device is solved by the characterizing features in that a supply container is designed to be used separately with a washing solution or a rinse solution and is equipped with, as is known in the art, with a pump, a pressurized line leading to a spray head and a return line, wherein the pressurized line comprises a dual manifold disposed at the top and the return line comprises a connection at the top as well as a connection at the bottom.




Other preferred embodiments include that the connection at the bottom in the return line is capable of being connected to a collection container placed low. Further, the a collection container is provided with a dual manifold. Further, the stray head included nozzle rails and each nozzle rail comprises a row of nozzle bores with an exit angle of about 90°. The nozzle bores are machined into the nozzle rail and surrounded by respective indentations.




The object of providing such a method is solved by providing first a first supply container containing the washing solution and a first sprayer is used with a first lamellar blind, that after the washing operation, the first supply container is disconnected from the first sprayer and used with a second sprayer on a second lamellar blind, and that simultaneously a second supply container of identical construction containing rinse solution is used with the first sprayer on the first lamellar blind.




The invention obviates the disadvantages of the present state of the art.




In particular, the detergent solution can be kept separate from the rinse solution. The solutions can thus be used several times, thereby reducing cost. Moreover, the design of the device is rather simple.




By making it feasible to use the same supply unit for the wash and rinsing operation, the acquisition costs of the device are reduced and handling of the device is simplified. The device can be used with great flexibility, thereby reducing the change-over times between the two cleaning operations.




Most advantageously, the rinse solution can be preheated.




Because of the simple design, the spray head can be operated rather easily and manufactured cost-effectively.




The invention is described hereinafter with reference to an embodiment.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES




It is shown in:





FIG. 1

a diagram of the embodiment of the invention;





FIG. 2

a diagram of the embodiment of the invention with an additional collection container;





FIG. 3

a perspective view of a spray head;





FIG. 4

a view of a spray head;





FIG. 5

a cross section of a nozzle.











DETAILED DESCRIPTIN OF THE INVENTION




Referring now in particular to

FIG. 1

, the device for cleaning a lamellar blind is comprised of a supply unit


1


and a sprayer


2


. The supply unit


1


is essentially in the form of a moveable supply container


3


which is also provided with two wheels


4


secured to an axle and at the top edge with a fixed handle


5


and a tiltable handle


6


. The supply container


3


is kept open at the top and includes an operator console


7


, a driven pump


8


, a dual manifold


9


located at the top and a heater


10


. The heater


10


is provided with a temperature safety switch which prevents the heater


10


and the pump


8


from operating if the supply container


3


is not filled. The pump


8


is directly connected to the manifold


9


via a pressurized line


11


and to the heater


10


via a bypass line


12


. In addition, a return line


13


with an upper connection


14


and a lower connection


15


is also located in the supply container


3


.




The sprayer


2


includes a spray head


16


, a tube-like jacket foil


17


and two pressurized lines


18


. The jacket foil


17


encloses the collapsed lamellar blind


19


in a water-tight manner. The spray head


16


is formed, as shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, by a rectangular prismatic base body


20


which is kept open towards the bottom and to one short side. The top surface is provided with a slot


21


, with the open side of the slot


21


disposed on the open side of the base body


20


. To each of the lower edges of the two long sides of the base body


20


there is secured a respective nozzle rail


22


. The nozzle rail


22


is formed by a closed hollow profile body which is provided with a connection for the pressurized line


18


and with a row of evenly spaced nozzle bores


23


. As illustrated in

FIG. 5

, the nozzle bores


23


are disposed on the respective inside of the nozzle rail


22


, have an exit angle of about 90° and are enclosed by horizontal indentations


24


.




Illustrated in

FIG. 2

is a situation where the supply unit cannot be moved directly under the lamellar blind


19


. This occurs, for example, if the lamellar blind


19


terminates on a window sill, a radiator or on the floor. In these situations, a separate collection container


25


has to be used. The collection container


25


has a dual manifold


26


which is connected to the manifold


9


of the supply container


3


via a pressurized line


27


. The collection container


25


is also connected to one of the connections


14


or


15


of the supply container


3


via a return line


28


.




For the cleaning operation, the lamellar blind


19


is first collapsed to form a block. Thereafter, the spray head


16


together with associated pressurized lines


18


is pushed over the lamellar blind


19


by guiding the base body


20


with the slot


21


past the vertical supporting rings of the lamellae and placing the base body


20


on the horizontal lamellae support. The jacket foil


17


is then pulled over the lamellar blind


19


and secured to the spray head


16


. The supply container


3


is placed underneath the lamellar blind


19


and the pressurized lines


18


are connected to the manifold


9


of the supply unit


1


. In this position, the jacket foil


17


extends into the open supply container


3


.




The washing operation then begins. The pump


8


feeds the detergent solution through the pressurized line


11


via the manifold


9


into the pressurized lines


18


. The detergent solution subsequently emerges from the nozzle bores


23


, contacts the upper ends of the individual lamellae, runs down the lamellae and is collected again in the supply container


3


. In parallel with this loop, detergent solution is circulated over the short distance through the heater


10


and thereby heated to the desired temperature.




After the washing operation is terminated, the pressurized lines


18


are disconnected from the manifold


9


, and the supply container


3


is moved underneath a second lamellar blind


19


. The second lamellar blind


19


is readied and washed with a second sprayer


2


.




Meanwhile, a second supply container


3


which is filled with a rinse solution, is moved underneath the first lamellar blind


19


and connected to the pressurized line


18


of the first sprayer


2


. The rinsing operation is performed in the same manner as the washing operation. In this way, the rinsing operation can optionally be carried out with cold or warm rinse solution.




Each lamellar blind


19


is cleaned by changing between a supply container


3


with detergent solution and a supply container


3


with rinse solution. Since the washing operation usually takes longer than the rinsing operation, and since it also takes longer to prepare for the washing operation, it is suggested to use for logistic reasons two or more supply containers


3


for the washing operation and the rinsing operation.




The required wash and rinse times alone determine the ratio of supply containers


3


for the washing operation to supply containers


3


for the rinsing operation.




List of Reference Numerals






1


supply unit






2


sprayer






3


supply container






4


wheels






5


fixed handle






6


tiltable handle






7


operator console






8


pump






9


manifold






10


heater






11


pressurized line






12


bypass line






13


return line






14


upper connection






15


lower connection






16


spray head






17


jacket foil






18


pressurized lines






19


lamellar blind






20


base body






21


slot






22


nozzle rail






23


nozzle bores






24


indentations






25


collection container






26


manifold






27


pressurized line






28


return line



Claims
  • 1. A method for applying a device for cleaning of vertically suspended lamellar blinds in a collapsed state, wherein a detergent or rinse solution is conveyed from a supply container to a suspended sprayer, whereafter the lamellar blind is sprayed and the used solution is collected in the supply container, comprising the steps of:utilizing a first supply container containing the washing solution and a first sprayer with a first lamellar blind; disconnecting, after the washing operation, the first supply container from the first sprayer; and simultaneously using the first supple container with a second sprayer on a second lamellar blind, and a second supply container of identical construction containing rinse solution with the first sprayer on the first lamellar blind.
  • 2. A method for applying a device for cleaning of vertically suspended lamellar blinds in a collapsed state, comprising the steps of:connecting a first supply container containing a washing solution to a first sprayer; washing a first lamellar blind using said first sprayer; disconnecting, after washing said first lamellar blind, said first supply container from said first sprayer; connecting said first supply container to a second sprayer; connecting a second supply container containing rinsing solution to said first sprayer; and simultaneously washing a second lamellar blind using said first supply container with said second sprayer, while rinsing said first lamellar blind using said second supply container with said first sprayer.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
195 28 857 Aug 1995 DE
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind 102e Date 371c Date
PCT/DE96/01411 WO 00 2/27/1998 2/27/1998
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO97/05816 2/20/1997 WO A
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
2665698 Robinson Jan 1954
2682676 Franchi Jul 1954
3314819 Dyer Apr 1967
5021097 König et al. Jun 1991
5087374 Ding Feb 1992
5876516 Miller et al. Mar 1999
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number Date Country
88 09 625 U May 1989 DE
38 25 622 Feb 1990 DE
295 11 546 Nov 1995 DE
0 352 496 Dec 1993 EP