SURFACE CLEANING AND ENGRAVING MACHINE USING VACUUM BLASTING METHOD

Description

[0001] Surface cleaning and engraving machine using vacuum blasting technology for processing, in particular for cleaning natural stone surfaces, tile cleaning, facade cleaning, stair renovation, removing paint coatings, graffiti removal, solar module cleaning and engraving a wide variety of materials such as stone, concrete, wood, metal, plastic or glass.

[0002] DE 197 47 838 C2 describes a method and device for the dry removal of coatings, graffiti, or other surfaces. A blasting media is introduced by gravity from a storage container into a carrying air stream guided within a hose system consisting of supply and discharge lines. It is conveyed through this stream by means of negative pressure, projected against the surface to be treated in a blasting chamber by a blasting lance, and from there conveyed back into the carrying air stream so that the blasting media is circulated. The acceleration of the blasting media is achieved by the negative pressure applied to the blasting chamber and by increasing the blasting speed in an acceleration section by reducing the diameter from the supply line to the acceleration section.The vacuum supply line is connected to a straight acceleration pipe forming an acceleration section, which is arranged upstream of the jet lance and which has a diameter device opposite the supply line.

[0003] Furthermore, DE 10 2017 102 209 A1 describes a device for processing, in particular cleaning, abrasive removal, engraving or removal of coatings, graffiti or other surface contamination on parts, workpieces or surfaces, which, as a result of design improvements, enable even more effective cleaning of a wide variety of surfaces, additional applications with the device and easier handling of the device. For this purpose, for example, technical

[0004] Details of the old device were supplemented and improved, such as the dosing device and the jet hood. DE 10 2017 102 209 A1 discloses a surface cleaning and engraving machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0005] DE 20 2017 104 692 U1 describes a potential equalization on vacuum jet cleaning machines, which has a three-part, superimposed machine housing with a lower part, a middle part, an upper part and at the very top as a head a plastic housing with an electric drive for a dry vacuum cleaner with corresponding operating elements and display instruments and an external jet hood and between the jet hood and the machine housing a suction hose and an extraction hose connected to these.

[0006] DE 1 907 444 A1 discloses an application of high-energy sound waves to prevent dome formation in silos and storage containers or to destroy domes that have already formed.

[0007] DE 25 35 107 A1 The invention relates to a method and a device for detaching and cleaning adhering material and for restoring or improving the flowability of granular, lumpy or viscous goods in rooms, vessels, silos and the like by applying sound waves which cause the sounded material particles to vibrate, so that it leads to a reduction in internal friction and relaxation.

[0008] GB 2 207 625 A discloses an engraving machine in which the blasting medium is pressurised and transported to the blasting hood by means of compressed air and a venturi, where it is sucked away.

[0009] DE 10 2015 013 167 A1 relates to a method for processing a glossy surface of a vehicle and / or a vehicle component which is painted with a clear coat of a given first coat thickness, in which method a blasting agent is metered into a carrier air stream generated by negative pressure, conveyed in a hose system to a blasting lance and directed onto a processing surface placed under negative pressure by a blasting chamber, from there conveyed back into the air stream, cleaned and optionally circulated, wherein a stencil is used to cover or leave free surface sections, wherein the stencil is a cover film made of plastic or a metal plate.

[0010] KR 2003-0026486 A discloses a vacuum cleaner for industrial purposes for more stable collection of waste and dust without having to separate a vacuum pump chamber and a filter from a waste collection box.

[0011] The object of the invention is to improve essential design elements of the currently known machines and devices that operate by means of vacuum blasting processes in order to enable more effective cleaning of a wide variety of surfaces, further applications and easier handling of the machine or device.

[0012] The changes and additions made increase the usability of the machine or device, reduce the risk of clogging of the suction hose to a minimum, extend the service life of the machine and improve the effectiveness and ease of use of the jet hood.

[0013] The surface cleaning and engraving machine consists of three stacked sub-containers, each connected to the other by metal clamps and hermetically sealed with gaskets. A suction head with a cylindrical immersion tube and a replaceable filter cartridge for dust separation is mounted on the upper sub-container. The suction head is also tightly sealed to the upper sub-container and is held to the upper sub-container by metal clamps.

[0014] A dosing device is located in the lower part of the container below a funnel-shaped storage container. This dosing device consists of a dosing disc with ball detents arranged on the housing of the dosing disc at 45-degree intervals. Along with corresponding balls on the outer edge of the dosing disc, these balls are guided in corresponding cavities. These balls are pressed toward the outer edge of the dosing disc by a compression spring and engage in the ball detents when the dosing disc rotates accordingly. Nozzles of varying diameters, which pass through the dosing disc, are arranged in a circle in the center of the dosing disc. A rod is connected vertically to the center of the dosing disc.At the free end of the rod is a simple gear mechanism, which has a connecting and operating element extending to the outside of the lower sub-container, thus enabling manual adjustment of the dosing disc and its nozzles to the desired flow rate for the blasting media. A handwheel with nozzle size markings located on the connecting and operating element outside the sub-container allows the desired selection and adjustment of the nozzle size. Only one nozzle, located centrally above an airflow passage, allows the blasting media to pass through. All other nozzles are not connected to the passage with the airflow guide. This airflow guide is also part of the dosing device below the dosing disc. This airflow guide forces the blasting media towards the suction hose.

[0015] This dosing device can cause a buildup of blasting media in the funnel-shaped storage container. A vibration unit attached to the outside can clear any buildup. A buildup of blasting media can be detected when no more blasting media comes out of the blasting lance. However, this solution using a vibration unit has the disadvantage that the vibrations can spread throughout the entire machine. Surprisingly, it was discovered that mounting a sound generator on the underside of the screen above the storage container, with the working direction towards the dosing device, achieves good results in clearing buildup. A push button with electrical connections to the sound generator, which only needs to be activated when needed, is recommended. However, it is also possible to set it to run continuously at intervals while the machine is in operation.

[0016] By making the extraction hose and suction hose electrically conductive, certain blasting media that become electrically charged due to friction or when the blasting media hits the surface to be cleaned can be neutralized. This prevents voltage flashovers. All parts, such as the housing, are electrically connected to the neutral conductor. In addition, poorly conductive areas are optimized for electrical conductivity by means of discharge elements, such as the transitions from all hoses to the machine housing.

[0017] It is advantageous to install stone chipping foils on the inside of the upper container and on the outside of the immersion tube in the areas where the blasting media and the removed dirt particles impact. These stone chipping foils reduce the impact force on the corresponding surfaces.

[0018] The blasting hood also has stone chip protection films on metal parts that are frequently blasted when operating the machine.

[0019] Movable and removable cover plates are arranged inside or on the blasting hood. These cover plates have, for example, a rod attached to one side which is guided in a tube. Advantageously, a cover plate can be moved from right to left or vice versa and / or a cover plate from bottom to top or vice versa. This makes it possible to cover certain areas of the surface to be treated which should not be hit by the blasting medium. However, it is also possible for the cover plates to be provided with cut-out ornaments or letter sequences. These cover plates also have stone chip films which have the same cutouts as the ornaments or letter sequences underneath. These designs of the additional parts of the blasting hood serve an expanded application of the machine, e.g. for engraving work.

[0020] The blasting lance on the blasting hood is advantageously guided and held in place by an electrically conductive rubber seal. This achieves similar effects to the electrically conductive design of the extraction hose. The electrical charges generated during the removal of contaminants using the various blasting media are conducted from the blasting hood via the hoses to the machine, where they are then discharged via the power supply.

[0021] The edge of the jet hood that rests on the surface to be treated advantageously has removable rubber seals of variable height and thickness. Several layers of rubber seals can also be arranged on top of each other. These are preferably connected to each other with Velcro. This creates areas that can be securely sealed despite different heights. This can also be achieved by adapting the contact surface of the jet hood to the surface to be treated, for example by adapting it to curvatures, profile shapes and / or angles. The adaptation of the contact surface does not have to be 100% correct. The rubber seals can compensate for deviations. Furthermore, it is also conceivable for adapters to be attached to the jet hood as attachments that simulate a wide variety of shapes, such as:Semi-circles with a wide variety of radii for machining columns or posts, or specially manufactured adapters for specific profiles, such as decorative moldings on doors or frames. The adapters are conveniently held in place by bayonet locks.

[0022] Within the blasting hood, electrical light sources, preferably LEDs, are advantageously arranged in all four corners. The LEDs direct their beam toward the surface to be treated and are ideally protected by glass panels. This allows the operating personnel to easily monitor the results of the blasting process.

[0023] Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are described in more detail below. They show: Fig. 1 a complete surface cleaning and engraving machine in principle construction, partly in section with the principle representation of the jet hood and the connecting hoses, Fig.2 the top view of a dosing disc of the dosing device, Fig. 3 the side view of a dosing disc with an adjustment device from outside the machine, Fig. 4 a section through a jet hood in the area of ​​the support surface with two movable cover plates, Fig. 5 the detail of a jet hood with a curved support surface and a recess arranged thereon for a strip and the corresponding sealing rubbers and Fig. 6 the detail of a beam hood or adapter with a cover surface angled at 45 degrees.

[0024] The surface cleaning and engraving machine or device is mobile and mounted on a carriage 33. The machine's container 15 is advantageously divided into three parts and consists of an upper container section 15.1, a middle container section 15.2, and a lower container section 15.3. A suction head 14, which has a dry vacuum cleaner with a fine dust filter 11, is mounted on the upper container section 15.1. Control elements 28 and display instruments 28 are also arranged on the suction head 14. All containers section 15.1 to 15.3 and the suction head 14 are connected by means of manually operable metal clamps 32 or bayonet locks 32 and can be quickly separated and reassembled for maintenance work.

[0025] In the middle sub-container 15.2, a hopper 38 is arranged, the lower outlet of which has a flap 12. In the lower sub-container 15.3, a funnel-shaped storage container 1 with a dosing device 3 is arranged. In the upper sub-container 15.1, a suction hose 10 is connected between a blasting hood 6 and the container 15. The dry vacuum cleaner with the fine dust filter 11 sucks the used blasting media 2, e.g., in the form of granules 2, and the removed dirt particles 27 out of the blasting hood 6 via the suction hose 10. The fine dust is collected at the fine dust filter 11, while larger dirt particles 27 fall via the hopper 38 onto the sieve 13 and can be disposed of later. The granules 2 can be collected in the hopper 38. This occurs when the flap 12 is closed. When the flap 12 is open, the granulate 2 falls over the sieve 13 and further down to the funnel-shaped storage container 1.The use of a wide variety of blasting media 2, e.g., crushed plant residues such as nutshells, can lead to bridging in the funnel-shaped storage container 1. To avoid or eliminate this bridging, a vibration unit 29 is attached to the outer wall of the funnel-shaped storage container 1. In extreme cases, this vibration unit 29 can cause the entire machine to vibrate. Therefore, as an alternative, a sound generator 30 is provided on the underside of the sieve 13 with the sound directed towards the granulate 2 in the storage container 1. This sound generator 30 only works when an electrical push button 28 on the suction head 14 is operated. The suction head 14 also houses other operating elements 28 and display instruments 28. From here, for example, the vibration unit 29 or the sound generator 30 are manually switched on and off.If the blasting media 2 bridges, no more blasting media 2 emerges from the blasting lance 7 of the blasting hood 6. The operator can then briefly switch on the vibration unit 29 or the sound generator 30.

[0026] The machine's electrical connection is made at suction head 14. The electrical connection between the individual sub-containers 15.1 to 15.3 is advantageously made using contact pins and sockets. This allows for easy separation of the individual sub-containers 15.1 to 15.3, as well as quick assembly. Additional markings on sub-containers 15.1 to 15.3 ensure secure connection of the contact pins to the sockets. Electrical cables are routed and secured along the interior walls of sub-containers 15.1 to 15.3.

[0027] Below the funnel-shaped storage container 1, a dosing device 3 is arranged in a circular, upwardly open body. This body, which simultaneously forms the housing of the dosing device 3 and encloses the dosing disc 25, has detents 17 or ball detents 17 on its inner diameter. These ball detents 17 are arranged on the housing of the dosing disc 25 at intervals of 45 degrees. On the outer edge of the dosing disc 25 are corresponding balls 19 guided in corresponding cavities 21, which are pressed towards the outer edge of the dosing disc 25 by a compression spring 20 and engage in the ball detents 17 upon corresponding rotation of the dosing disc 25. Nozzles 18 of different diameters passing through the dosing disc 25 are arranged in a circle in the center of the dosing disc 25. In the center of the dosing disc 25, a rod with gear 23 is connected vertically to it.At the free end of the rod 23, a simple gear mechanism 24 is arranged, which has a connecting and operating element 3.1 as an adjustment rod 3.1 extending to the outside of the lower sub-container 15.3, thus enabling manual adjustment of the metering disc 25 with its nozzles 18 to a desired flow rate for the blasting media 2. A handwheel with nozzle size markings 26 on the outside of the lower sub-container 15.3 facilitates the selection and adjustment of the desired nozzle size. Only one nozzle 18, located centrally above a passage for the air flow, allows the blasting media 2 to pass through to the passage. All other nozzles 18 have no connection to the passage with the air flow guide 4. This air flow guide 4 also belongs to the metering device 3 below the metering disc 25. This air flow guide 4 forces the blasting media 2 toward the suction hose 5.

[0028] The nozzle size then determines the amount of blasting medium 2 that later exits the blasting lance 7 and is available for processing the surface 8 to be processed.

[0029] The extraction hose 10 and the suction hose 5 between the blasting hood 6 and the housing 15 are advantageously designed to be electrically conductive. This allows electrically charged blasting media 2 to be discharged again.

[0030] An electrically conductive rubber seal is also advantageously provided between the jet lance 7 and the jet hood 6.

[0031] Advantageously, stone chipping foils 31 are arranged on the inside of the upper container section 15.1 and on the outside of the immersion tube 16 in the areas where the blasting media 2 impacts with the removed dirt particles 27. These stone chipping foils 31 reduce the impact force on the corresponding surfaces.

[0032] The blasting hood 6 also has stone chipping foils 31 on metal parts that are frequently blasted during operation of the machine. This is particularly the case on the side opposite the outlet of the suction hose 10, but without impairing the visual contact via the viewing windows 9.

[0033] Movable and removable cover plates 34 are arranged inside or on the blasting hood 6. These cover plates 34 have, for example, on one side a rod 35 attached to it, which is guided in a tube 36. Advantageously, a cover plate 34 can be moved from right to left or vice versa and / or a cover plate 34 can be moved from bottom to top or vice versa. This makes it possible to cover certain areas on the surface 8 to be machined that should not be hit by the blasting medium 2. However, it is also possible for the cover plates 34 to be provided with cut-out ornaments 37 or letter sequences 37. These cover plates 34 also have stone chip films 31 that have the same cutouts as the underlying ornaments 37 or letter sequences 37. These embodiments of the additional parts of the blasting hood 6 serve an expanded application of the machine, e.g. for engraving work.

[0034] The edge of the jet hood 6, which adjoins the surface 8 to be treated, is advantageously provided with removable sealing rubbers 22 made of sponge rubber of variable height, thickness, and rigidity, or with multiple layers of sealing rubber 22 stacked on top of one another. These sealing rubbers 22 are preferably connected to one another or to the jet hood 6 using hook-and-loop fasteners. The contact surface of the jet hood 6 can be designed to match the surface 8 to be treated, e.g., with regard to curvature, profile design, and angle. It is logical that jet hoods 6 adapted to these tasks must then be used. Another variant of the design consists in the attachment of adapters to the jet hood 6, which can be attached to the jet hood 6. These adapters have a wide variety of shapes, adapted to the shapes of the surfaces to be treated, such as curves, columns, angled surfaces, etc.These adapters are attached to the jet hood via bayonet locks and are quickly interchangeable. They can easily accommodate variations, as the rubber seals 22 compensate for these. This adapter variant saves costs compared to a complete jet hood replacement with the various contact surface shapes.

[0035] Electrical lamps, preferably LEDs, can be arranged within the jet hood 6, with their beam direction directed toward the surface 8 to be treated. The arrangement on four sides prevents shadows from the jet lance 7. By arranging the lamps close to the surface 8 to be treated, unevenness can be better detected by the light radiating in from the side. The lamps are advantageously protected by glass surfaces. Summary of reference symbols

[0036] 1 - funnel-shaped storage container 2 - blasting media, granulate 3 - dosing device 3.1 - adjusting rod 4 - air flow guide 5 - suction hose 6 - blasting hood 7 - blasting lance 8 - surface to be treated 9 - viewing window 10 - suction hose 11 - fine dust filter 12 - closing device, flap 13 - sieve 14 - suction head 15 - container 15.1 - upper part of the container 15.2 - middle part of the container with hopper 15.3 - lower part of the container with funnel-shaped storage container 16 - immersion tube 17 - ball catch, catch 18 - nozzle 19 - ball 20 - compression spring 21 - cavity for ball guide 22 - sealing rubbers 23 - rod with gear 24 - gear transmission 25 - dosing disc 26 - handwheel with nozzle size marking 27 - removed dirt particles 28 - operating elements, push button, display instruments 29 - vibration unit 30 - sound generator 31 - stone chip film 32 - metal clamp, bayonet lock 33 - carriage 34 - cover plate with cut-out ornaments or letters, sheet 35 - rod 36 - pipe 37 - hopper.

Claims

1. Surface cleaning and engraving machine that operates via a vacuum jet process, designed for processing, particularly cleaning, abrasive removal, engraving, or stripping of coatings, graffiti, or other surface contaminants using abrasive or gentle blasting media on parts, workpieces or surfaces such as walls, pillars, fences, facades, profiles, floors, ceilings, doors, furniture, etc., made of stone, concrete, wood, metal, plastic, or glass, comprising a container (15), with three sub-containers (15.1, 15.2, and 15.3) with integrated components: - a suction head (14) with a dry vacuum cleaner with a fine dust filter (11) - a hopper (38) located beneath the fine dust filter (11) in the middle sub-container (15.2) with a closing device / flap (12), - a sieve (13) situated below this, with a funnel-shaped storage container (1) underneath for the blasting media or granulate (2), equipped with devices to prevent clogging of the granulate (2) and a metering device (3) with a dosing disc (25), which possesses various nozzles (18), and with adjacent air flow guidance (4) in the lower sub-container (15.3), - a connection at the upper sub-container (15.1) at the level of the dip tube (16) with the fine dust filter (11) for a flexible suction hose (10) and - a connection at the lower sub-container (15.3) below the metering device (3) with adjacent air flow guidance (4) for a flexible suction hose (5) to the air flow guidance (4), a blasting hood (6) with a blasting lance (7), featuring one, two, or several inspection windows (9), aids to facilitate engraving works in the form of movable and removable cover plates (34) and connections for the flexible suction hose (5) and the flexible exhaust hose (10), where the metering device (3) is arranged in a circular, open-topped body, this body simultaneously forms the housing of the metering device (3) and includes the dosing disc (25), the housing having indentations (17) (17) on its inner diameter, which are offset at 45 degrees on the housing of the dosing disc (25) and correspond during appropriate rotation of the dosing disc (25) and each selected nozzle (18) has a connection to the air flow guidance (4) and thus to the suction hose (5), characterised in that the fine dust filter is surrounded by a dip tube, arranged protruding into the upper sub-container, and that the indentations (17) are ball indentations (17) with corresponding, in respective cavities (21) guided balls (19), which are pushable by a spring (20) towards the outer edge of the dosing disc (25) and correspond with the ball indentations (17) and that at the centre of the dosing disc (25) a rod with a gear (23) is fixedly connected perpendicularly with this dosing disc (25) and this gear (23) is part of a simple gear drive (24) and the gear drive (24) has a connecting and control element (3.1) as an adjustment rod (3.1) up to the outer side of the lower sub-container (15.3) and outside the lower sub-container (15.3) a handwheel with nozzle size markings (26) is arranged.

2. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to claim 1, characterised in that within the funnel-shaped storage container (1) a sound generator (30) is arranged directed towards the stored blasting media (2).

3. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the suction hose (5) and the exhaust hose (10) are electrically conductive and the suction hose (5) and the exhaust hose (10) each have electrical connections to the metal parts of the blasting hood (6), to the container (15), and thus to the neutral of the machine.

4. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that stone chip films (31) are arranged on the inside of the upper sub-container (15.1) and on the outside of the dip tube (16) in the areas of the impacting blasting media (2) with the removed dirt particles (27).

5. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the electrical connection between the individual sub-containers 15.1 to 15.3 is made via contact pins and sockets.

6. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the blasting hood (6) on the inside on all metal parts or at least on frequently blasted metal parts is covered with stone chip films (31).

7. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that within or on the blasting hood (6) the movable and removable cover plates (34), each consisting of a plate (34) with a rod (35) attached on one side, guided in a tube (36), are arranged and the plates (34) have cut-out ornaments or sequences of letters and hereupon stone chip films (31) with corresponding cut-outs are arranged.

8. Surface cleaning and engraving machine according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the blasting hood (6) has adapters as attachments with variously shaped support surfaces for the surface to be processed (8), such as curvature, profile shapes, and angles, wherein the adapter can be sealingly and attachably connected to the blasting hood (6) via bayonet fasteners (32) and the support surfaces of the adapter or of the blasting hood (6) have removable sealing rubbers (22) with variable height, thickness, and stiffness, preferably held with Velcro.