Method for regulating the operation of a cleaning device of a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment fitted to a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle, based on the vehicle's forward speed Va. The equipment comprises a rotating circular brush, means for vacuuming dust and / or debris, and means for spraying the brush with water. The equipment is capable of moving from an inactive position, raised above the ground, to an active working position in which it is lowered, with the brush in contact with the ground, and vice versa. This method manages the positioning of the equipment and the rotation of the brush according to a correlation with the vehicle's speed Va, based on at least one speed threshold selected from at least two predefined minimum forward speeds Vamin and Vamax.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of street cleaning and urban cleanliness.

[0002] The present invention is more particularly suited to self-propelled vehicles of the sweeper, brusher and washer type used in the cleaning of roads, in particular paved, slabbed or concrete surfaces, and comprising a driver's cab and capable of traveling on motor vehicle roads.

[0003] The present application relates more specifically to a process for optimizing both the water consumption of such vehicles, and of the brushes equipping them.

[0004] Street cleaning vehicles are generally composed mainly of a chassis mounted on a front axle and a rear axle and carrying, at the front, a driver's cab accommodating at least one driver of the vehicle and equipped with a control station for the various equipment that make up the vehicle and which will be detailed below.

[0005] At the rear of said vehicle is positioned a waste collection tank which is collected from the road by means of a brush assembly mounted at the front of the cab and comprising, in addition to a plurality of circular brushes, or brooms, driven in rotation around a vertical axis, means of suction of waste and dust.

[0006] The waste thus collected and sucked up from the ground, at the level of a suction nozzle, is conveyed into the said waste collection tank by a suitable suction conduit connecting, for example, the said suction nozzle to a suction turbine located at the level of the said collection tank.

[0007] The brushing unit advantageously includes additional functional elements to improve road cleaning, such as means of spraying water or washing liquid, like nozzles for spraying liquid directly onto the brushes or brooms, or even a device for suctioning residual water.

[0008] In this eventuality, the vehicle is also equipped with a reserve tank of water or washing fluid of sufficient capacity, and an additional collection tank when means of suction of residual water are also equipped on the vehicle.

[0009] It should also be noted that the brushing system can be associated with lowering and raising means, so that it is lowered when the vehicle is started to be positioned as close as possible to the ground, and raised when the vehicle is stopped.

[0010] With regard to the starting of the vehicle in particular, and from the moment it is in "work" mode, the brushes are therefore lowered, driven into rotation by suitable means, and water can be sprayed on the brushes.

[0011] The start-up of all this equipment is, very often, carried out automatically when the street cleaning vehicle is started.

[0012] Once the system has been started, the stopping or adjusting of these two functions, namely rotating the brushes and spraying water on these same brushes, are done manually by the operator driving the vehicle.

[0013] A type of street cleaning vehicle is described in document KR 100 876 015. In such a vehicle, the cleaning equipment is raised when the vehicle's speed exceeds a predetermined safety speed. This alerts the driver, who then adjusts their driving and reduces the speed below the safety threshold to improve cleaning efficiency and prevent damage to the equipment. However, the results depend solely on the driver's reaction and willingness to actually slow down in response to the signal. Furthermore, this cleaning vehicle only allows for the management of the cleaning equipment when the vehicle's speed is too high.

[0014] However, it has been observed that it is common for the wipers, as well as the spray of water or washing fluid, to continue to operate when the driver stops moving the vehicle forward.

[0015] Indeed, users are often unscrupulous with regard to both water consumption and brush wear, and, consequently, do not stop the rotation of the brushes, especially during short stops of the street cleaning vehicle, which can be frequent for this type of vehicle.

[0016] As a result, when the vehicle stops moving forward, the brushes continue to rotate in contact with the ground, while the water continues to flow over the brushes.

[0017] The harmful consequences of this continuous operation of cleaning equipment, even when the vehicle is stopped, are numerous.

[0018] On the one hand, this leads to abnormal and premature wear of the cleaning brushes or brooms. On the other hand, a visible, lighter mark on the floor, caused by the continuous friction of the brush, is likely to remain where the vehicle was stopped, resulting in an unsightly appearance of the floor in that area and the perception of uneven or incomplete cleaning.

[0019] Furthermore, such continuous operation of the equipment generates unnecessary water consumption, which is harmful from an ecological point of view.

[0020] The present invention aims to remedy, at least in part, the disadvantages of self-propelled road cleaning vehicles known from the prior art.

[0021] In an inventive approach, it was conceived to develop a system to manage the automatic stopping of the rotation functions of brooms or brushes and water spraying, in certain situations which do not require the use of these equipment.

[0022] To this end, more particularly, the invention relates to a method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment fitted to a self-propelled road surface cleaning vehicle, as a function of the forward speed Va of said vehicle, said cleaning equipment comprising, at least, a rotating circular brush, means for vacuuming dust and / or waste, and means for spraying said at least one brush with water or a washing liquid, said cleaning equipment being capable of moving from an inactive position, in which it is raised relative to the ground, to an active working position in which it is lowered so that said at least one brush is in contact with the ground, and vice versa, said regulation method being characterized in that it comprises, at least, the following steps: Definition, at least, of a minimum speed Va min and a maximum speed Va max of forward movement of the self-propelled vehicle (in km / h), and of a rotation speed of said at least one rotating brush, denoted Vb (in rpm);Automatic switching of the cleaning equipment to "work" mode upon starting of said self-propelled vehicle, resulting in the start of a start-up cycle for said cleaning equipment, including the switching of said cleaning equipment from its raised inactive position to its lowered active working position, as well as the automatic rotation of said at least one brush at speed Vb, the activation of said suction and spraying means, Measurement, at regular time intervals or continuously, of the forward speed Va of the vehicle by a speed measuring means, Management of the positioning of said cleaning equipment and the rotation of said at least one brush according to a correlation with the travel speed Va of the vehicle, as a function of at least one speed threshold chosen from at least Va min and Va max previously defined.

[0023] According to a particular embodiment of the method of the present invention, in the management of the positioning of said cleaning equipment and the rotation of said at least one brush, the correlation is defined between the forward speed Va of the vehicle and the maintenance of rotation at speed Vb or the stopping of the rotation of said at least one brush, such that: If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the minimum speed Va min and less than or equal to the maximum speed Va max, the rotation of said at least one brush is maintained at the rotation speed noted Vb. If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is greater than the maximum speed Va max, the rotation of said at least one brush is stopped and said cleaning equipment is moved from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position. If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is stopped (Va=0 km / h), the rotation of said at least one brush is stopped.

[0024] Preferably, the method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment on a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle includes, in addition to the aforementioned steps, at least the following steps: Definition, in addition to the minimum speed Va min and the maximum speed Va max of the self-propelled vehicle, of a minimum rotation speed of said at least one brush Vb min, relative to a maximum rotation speed of said brush Vb max which is equal to 100%, Automatic switching of the cleaning equipment to "work" mode as soon as said self-propelled vehicle is started, resulting in the start of a start-up cycle of said cleaning equipment, including the movement of said cleaning equipment from its raised inactive position to its lowered active working position, the automatic rotation of said at least one brush at speed Vb min, the activation of said suction and spraying means, Taking measurements, at regular time intervals or continuously, of the forward speed Va of the vehicle by a speed measuring means,Definition of a correlation between the vehicle's forward speed Va and the rotational speed to be applied to said at least one brush, as follows: o If the vehicle's forward speed Va is equal to the minimum speed Va min, the minimum rotational speed Vb min of said at least one brush is applied; o If the vehicle's forward speed Va is equal to the maximum speed Va max, the maximum rotational speed Vb max of said at least one brush is applied; o If the vehicle's forward speed Va increases between Va min and Va max, or decreases between Va max and Va min, a proportional increase, or a proportional decrease, respectively, is applied to the rotational speed of said at least one brush; o If the vehicle's forward speed Va is greater than the maximum speed Va max,Stopping the rotation of at least one brush and moving the cleaning equipment from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position; or, if the vehicle's forward speed Va is less than the minimum speed Va min, or if the vehicle is stationary (Va=0 km / h), stopping the rotation of at least one brush.

[0025] According to an additional advantageous feature, if the forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is stopped (Va=0 km / h), in addition to stopping the rotation of said at least one brush, said spraying means are stopped and / or the power of the suction means is reduced.

[0026] According to yet another advantageous additional feature, if the forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is at a standstill (Va=0 km / h), in addition to stopping the rotation of said at least one brush, and possibly stopping the spraying means and / or reducing the power of the suction means, said cleaning equipment moves from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position.

[0027] Preferably, in the process of regulating the operation of a cleaning equipment of a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle, if the forward speed Va of the self-propelled vehicle is greater than or equal to Va min and less than or equal to Va max, the occasional and reversible activation of a "manual" mode allows manual control of the rotation speed of the brushes Vb by a potentiometer.

[0028] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the following description relating to embodiments which are given only as indicative and non-limiting examples.

[0029] Understanding this description will be facilitated by referring to the single figure attached in the appendix, described below:

[0030] [ Fig.1 ] illustrates, schematically, a particular embodiment of the process of regulating the operation of a cleaning equipment fitted to a self-propelled road floor cleaning vehicle, according to the speed of forward movement of said vehicle, and more particularly the regulation of the rotation speed of at least one rotating brush fitted to said cleaning equipment, proportionally to the speed of forward movement.

[0031] The present invention relates to a method for regulating the operation of a cleaning equipment fitted to a self-propelled vehicle for cleaning road surfaces.

[0032] The regulation of the operation of the cleaning equipment is carried out, more particularly, according to the present invention, as a function of the forward speed Va of said vehicle.

[0033] Within the framework of the invention, such cleaning equipment is composed, at least, of a rotating circular brush, means for suctioning dust and / or waste that may be found on the road to be cleaned, and means for spraying said at least one brush with water or a washing liquid.

[0034] The said cleaning equipment of the self-propelled road cleaning vehicle may comprise a single rotating brush or, preferably, a plurality of rotating brushes.

[0035] The following description of the cleaning equipment regulation process is valid regardless of the number of rotating brush(s) fitted to the vehicle.

[0036] As part of its operation, when the cleaning vehicle is started up and is moving forward, the cleaning equipment with which said vehicle is equipped is capable of moving from an inactive position, in which it is raised relative to the ground, to an active working position in which it is lowered so that said at least one brush is in contact with the ground.

[0037] Conversely, the cleaning equipment is able to move from its active working position to its raised inactive position, particularly when the work cycle is complete and the vehicle is stopped.

[0038] In a first embodiment of the method for regulating the operation of this cleaning equipment according to the invention, it comprises, at least, the steps described in detail below.

[0039] In a first step, at least a minimum speed Va min and a maximum speed Va max of advancement of the self-propelled vehicle (in km / h) and a rotation speed of said at least one rotating brush, noted Vb (in rpm), are defined.

[0040] Generally, the minimum speeds Va min and maximum speeds Va max of said vehicle are determined according to its construction, according to the manufacturer's recommendations or others.

[0041] In a second step, the said vehicle is started by an operator, which preferentially results in an automatic switch of the cleaning equipment to "work" mode.

[0042] Such a transition of said cleaning equipment into "work" mode results in the start of a start-up cycle of said cleaning equipment.

[0043] This start-up includes, in particular, the movement of said cleaning equipment from its raised inactive position to its lowered active working position, as well as an automatic rotation of said at least one brush, the activation of said suction means and spraying means.

[0044] During the movement of the cleaning vehicle, a means of measuring the forward speed, with which said vehicle is equipped, allows measurements to be taken, at regular time intervals, of this forward speed Va of the vehicle.

[0045] Even more preferably, the vehicle's speed Va can also be measured continuously.

[0046] Such a means of measuring speed may, for example, consist of at least one speed sensor.

[0047] In the implementation of the method of the invention, management of the positioning of the cleaning equipment on the one hand, and of the rotation of said at least one brush on the other hand, is carried out, according to a correlation with the speed Va of the vehicle, and as a function of at least one of the two speed thresholds, namely as a function of at least Va min and / or Va max, which have been previously defined.

[0048] Thus, in the process of the present invention, it is, for example, conceivable to control a stop of the rotation of the brushes and a raising of the cleaning equipment if the forward speed of the vehicle Va is less than the predefined minimum speed Va min (Va < Va min) and / or if said speed Va is greater than the predefined maximum speed Va max (Va > Va max).

[0049] Preferably, in managing the positioning of the cleaning equipment and the rotation of said at least one brush, this correlation is established more specifically between the forward speed Va of the vehicle on the one hand, and maintaining rotation at speed Vb or stopping the rotation of said at least one brush on the other hand, such that: If the vehicle's forward speed Va is greater than or equal to the predefined minimum speed Va min, and less than or equal to the predefined maximum speed Va max, said at least one brush, which was previously set in rotation when the vehicle started, and more specifically when the cleaning equipment switched to "working" mode, is kept rotating at the rotational speed noted Vb. If the vehicle's forward speed Va, detected by the speed measuring means, is greater than the maximum speed Va max, the rotation of said at least one brush is stopped (zero rotational speed) and said cleaning equipment moves from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position. Finally, if the vehicle's forward speed Va is less than the predefined minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is stopped (Va=0 km / h), the rotation of said at least one brush is also stopped.

[0050] In other words, in this first embodiment of the process for regulating the operation of a vehicle cleaning equipment for road maintenance, the rotating brush(s) is / are stopped if the forward speed Va of the vehicle is too low (below the predefined Va min) or too high (above the Va max).

[0051] Furthermore, when said vehicle moves at a speed Va between Va min and Va max, the rotating brush(s) is / are kept rotating at a constant or relatively constant speed Vb which is also predefined.

[0052] Thus, for example, Va min can be determined by construction as being equal to 0.1 km / h, while Va max is defined as being equal to 7 km / h.

[0053] The rotation speed of the rotary brush, or rotary brushes as appropriate, is selected and maintained constant between 40 and 100 rpm.

[0054] Note that, as indicated above, when the forward speed Va of the vehicle, detected by the speed measuring means, is greater than the maximum speed Va max, the rotation of said at least one brush is stopped (zero rotation speed) and said cleaning equipment passes from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position.

[0055] Thus, in addition to the rotation of the brushes, the spraying of them with water or washing liquid is stopped, while the suction is also reduced, or even stopped.

[0056] Preferably, when the actual forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the predefined minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is at a standstill (Va=0 km / h), the water spraying and / or suction is / are also stopped, simultaneously with the stopping of the rotation of said at least one brush.

[0057] In a second embodiment of the process of the invention, described now with reference to the figure 1 In the attached figure, the rotation speed Vb of the rotary brush, or rotary brushes, with which the cleaning equipment is equipped, and schematically represented by reference 1, is regulated proportionally to the forward speed Va of the road cleaning vehicle.

[0058] In other words, unlike the first embodiment in which either said at least one brush is rotating at a certain rotational speed Vb, for example between 40 and 100 rpm and constant during the cleaning operations, or the rotation of said brush is stopped (Vb=0) when the vehicle speed Va is too low or too high, in the embodiment described below, the rotational speed Vb of brush 1 will be able, in addition, to be adapted according to whether the forward speed Va of the vehicle increases or decreases.

[0059] Thus, in the context of this second embodiment of the method for regulating the operation of the cleaning equipment according to the invention, it comprises, at least, the steps described in detail below.

[0060] Initially, it is necessary to define, at least, a minimum speed Va min and a maximum speed Va max of forward movement of the self-propelled vehicle (in km / h), and a minimum rotation speed of said at least one brush 1, denoted Vb min, in relation to a maximum rotation speed of said brush, denoted Vb max, which corresponds to 100%.

[0061] Next, and similarly to the first embodiment, the self-propelled cleaning vehicle is started, which results in the automatic switching of the cleaning equipment into "working" mode and the start of a start-up cycle of said cleaning equipment, including the switching of said cleaning equipment from its raised inactive position to its lowered active working position as well as the automatic rotation of said at least one brush 1, the activation of said suction means and spraying means.

[0062] Preferably, when switching the cleaning equipment to "work" mode, the brushes 1 are set to rotate at the minimum speed Vb min.

[0063] The switch to "work" mode is schematically illustrated in the attached figure by reference 2, showing the display on the dashboard of an "AUTO" indicator accompanied by a change in color of the brush 1 shown schematically on the vehicle's dashboard and which is therefore visible to the vehicle's driver.

[0064] Thus, on the dashboard, brush 1 can, for example, turn green when the "work" mode 2 is switched on.

[0065] Again, the forward speed Va of the vehicle is determined, by a means of measuring speed, and at regular time intervals or continuously, by a sensor or any other suitable means.

[0066] Next, a correlation is defined between the forward speed Va of the vehicle and the rotational speed Vb to be applied to said at least one brush 1, and implemented as follows: If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is equal to the minimum speed Va min, see reference 3 in the figure, application of the minimum rotational speed Vb min of said at least one brush 1; If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is equal to the maximum speed Va max, see reference 4 in the figure, application of the maximum rotational speed Vb max of said at least one brush 1; If the forward speed Va of the vehicle increases between Va min and Va max, or decreases between Va max and Va min, see reference 5 in the figure, application of a proportional increase, respectively a proportional decrease, to the rotational speed Vb of said at least one brush 1;If the vehicle's forward speed exceeds the maximum speed Va max (see reference 6 in the figure), the rotation of at least one brush is stopped and the cleaning equipment is moved from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position. If the vehicle's forward speed Va is less than the minimum speed Va min, or if the vehicle is stopped (Va=0 km / h), see reference 7 in the figure, the rotation of at least one brush 1 is stopped (Vb=0).

[0067] An example of the operation of the method of the invention is described below, considering the second embodiment with proportional regulation between the forward speed Va of the vehicle and the rotational speed Vb of the rotating brushes, with: Va min equals 0.1 km / h; Va max equals 7 km / h, Vb min equals 40% and corresponds to 40 revolutions / min, Vb max equals 100% and corresponds to 100 revolutions / min.

[0068] In this embodiment, starting the vehicle triggers the start-up of the "work" mode 2 with a start-up cycle which includes the automatic start-up of the rotating brushes, preferably at a minimum rotation speed Vb min, the suction and wetting of the brushes, and the descent of the brushes and the suction nozzle.

[0069] The display on the dashboard is active, and the operator can see the "AUTO" pictogram on said dashboard, as well as the change in color of the indicator representing the rotating brushes, indicating that they are activated and are rotating.

[0070] From there, if the forward speed Va of the vehicle is reduced but remains greater than 0.1 km / h (Va > 0.1 km / h), the brushes will have a rotation speed Vb corresponding to Vb min, of 40%, i.e. about 40 rpm 3.

[0071] If the forward speed Va of the vehicle increases, and is between Va min and Va max (0.1 km / h < Va < 7 km / h), the rotation speed Vb of the brushes increases proportionally to reach Vb max, 100%, or about 100 rpm at the maximum working speed of 7 km / h.

[0072] Above a speed of 7 km / h (Va > 7 km / h), the brushes stop rotating, and the suction nozzle and brushes retract to avoid touching the floor. Simultaneously, the wetting of the brushes and suction nozzle ceases, and the suction power decreases.

[0073] As soon as the vehicle's travel speed Va falls below 7 km / h (Va < 7km / h), the entire cleaning equipment lowers itself to become operational, the brush rotation restarts, the suction system regains full power, and the spraying of water or washing liquid, or wetting, resumes.

[0074] In the event that the vehicle stops (Va = 0 km / h), or if its speed is particularly reduced and less than Va min, without the driver stopping the "work" mode, the rotating brushes, as well as the wetting, will stop and the suction power will decrease (reference 7 on the figure).

[0075] In the event that the vehicle has been stopped or has passed a speed lower than Va min, the simple act of restarting and reaching Va min again will cause a restart of 3 of the rotating brushes at a minimum (40%), wetting and suction at the pre-selected power, preceding the moment of stopping.

[0076] Thus, just as for the first embodiment of the method of the invention, when the forward speed Va of the vehicle is greater than the maximum speed Va max, the rotation of said at least one brush is stopped (zero rotation speed) and said cleaning equipment passes from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position.

[0077] Therefore, in this scenario, in addition to the rotation of the brushes, the spraying of them with water or washing liquid is stopped, while the suction is also reduced, or even stopped, due to the passage of the cleaning equipment into its raised inactive position.

[0078] Furthermore, advantageously, when the actual forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the predefined minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is stopped (Va=0 km / h), the water spraying and / or suction is also stopped, simultaneously with the stopping of the rotation of said at least one brush.

[0079] It should also be noted that, for both embodiments, after stopping the rotation of the brushes and passing the cleaning equipment into its raised inactive position, in the case where Va>Va max, once the speed measurement means have detected that Va is again less than or equal to Va max, the cleaning equipment is able to return to its lowered active position and the rotation of the brushes is restarted, as are the other elements of the cleaning equipment (suction, water spraying).

[0080] Similarly, after a stoppage of brush rotation in the case where Va <Va min ou si Va=0, les brosses sont remises en rotation dès lors que Va est à nouveau supérieure ou égale à Va min .

[0081] Preferably, and in order to allow the vehicle operator to control the operation of the cleaning equipment himself, he can, by a voluntary action on the dashboard, switch the management of the cleaning equipment, and in particular the brushes, to "manual" mode, and thus adapt the rotation speed of said brushes, via a potentiometer, according to the needs, for a very specific cleaning job for example.

[0082] The switch to "manual" mode can be seen on the vehicle's dashboard by the "AUTO" pictogram, which represents operation in automatic mode, going out, and more specifically the switch to "work" mode of the cleaning equipment, in the operation as described previously.

[0083] The manual mode is configured to automatically deactivate when the vehicle is stopped. Therefore, when the vehicle is restarted, the cleaning equipment reverts to its automatically managed operating mode.

[0084] Thus, the cleaning equipment of the self-propelled road cleaning vehicle operates as often as possible in an automatic mode which allows for greater economy in water and energy, and generates minimized wear on the brushes, as well as reduced noise pollution.

[0085] In order to implement the regulation process of the cleaning equipment equipping a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle, the latter is equipped with means of control and piloting of the elements which make up this equipment, in particular the rotating brush(s), the means of vacuuming waste, and the means of spraying water on said brushes, the piloting being carried out according to the forward speed Va of said vehicle.

[0086] Therefore, said self-propelled street cleaning vehicle is equipped with at least one means of measuring its forward speed Va, preferably in the form of at least one speed sensor located on said vehicle.

[0087] That being said, the measurement of the speed of said motor vehicle can also be carried out by other means, in particular via a GPS antenna, or any other means suitable for this purpose.

[0088] Thus, the control and steering mechanisms for the components of the cleaning equipment may include calculation and control mechanisms, using appropriate algorithms, for the rotational speed of the brushes (Vb), as a function of the vehicle's forward speed (Va), particularly when the brush rotational speed (Vb) is regulated proportionally to the vehicle's forward speed (Va). To complement these control mechanisms, they include communication and information transmission means between at least one speed measurement device (Va) and the control mechanisms themselves, and between these mechanisms and the various components of the cleaning equipment (rotating brush(s), waste suction devices, and water spray devices for the brushes).

[0089] The process of the invention, allowing automated management of the rotation speed of the brushes and the water spraying, depending on the forward speed of the self-propelled road cleaning vehicle, results in an improvement in the performance of said vehicle in several aspects.

[0090] Indeed, on the one hand, cutting off the spraying of water, or washing liquid, preferably as soon as the rotating brushes have stopped, especially when the vehicle's forward speed is high, allows for lower water consumption and, consequently, a greater autonomy between two vehicle refills.

[0091] Furthermore, this increase in autonomy results in an increase in sweeping and cleaning efficiency, as vehicle stops for refilling the water or washing fluid reservoir tank with which it is equipped will be less frequent.

[0092] Furthermore, managing the rotational speed of the cleaning brushes according to the vehicle's forward speed, as a preferred aspect of the invention, minimizes and optimizes the energy consumption required for sweeping. This is an important point for street cleaning vehicles, which can be electric.

[0093] Stopping or slowing down the rotating brushes and automating the rotation also helps to minimize wear on said brushes and thus reduce the costs associated with immobilizing the vehicle to change the brushes, which are consumable parts.

[0094] Furthermore, the proportional control of brush speed linked to vehicle speed also ensures that the manufacturer's specified sweeping efficiency remains constant. Indeed, sweeping quality is determined by the number of brush strokes across each surface, which results in an increase in brush rotation speed as vehicle speed increases.

[0095] Until now, this function was managed, in the state of the art, only manually by the driver, who increased the rotation speed of the brushes according to his forward speed.

[0096] However, since the vehicle's speed was not constant, it was extremely difficult for the driver to maintain this sweeping quality.

[0097] Therefore, the driver positioned the system at an average brush rotation speed (generally between 40 and 100 rpm, more specifically 60 to 70 rpm in general) and then tried to maintain a constant vehicle speed.

[0098] The system implemented in the present invention makes it possible to maintain a quality of sweeping and also to reduce the rotation speed of the brushes, for example to 40 rpm, if the vehicle slows down and, therefore, saves energy compared to a medium speed maintained (between 60 and 70 rpm).

[0099] Finally, this optimized management of the brushes, and their wetting, also reduces the vehicle's noise emissions, which is a significant advantage in urban environments.

Claims

1. A method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment fitted to a self-propelled road surface cleaning vehicle, based on the forward speed Va of said vehicle, said cleaning equipment comprising at least one rotating circular brush, means for vacuuming dust and / or debris, and means for spraying said at least one brush with water or a washing liquid, said cleaning equipment being capable of moving from an inactive position, in which it is raised relative to the ground, to an active working position in which it is lowered so that said at least one brush is in contact with the ground, and vice versa, said regulation method being characterized in that It includes, at a minimum, the following steps: - Definition, at least, of a minimum speed Va min and a maximum speed Va maxadvancement of the self-propelled vehicle (in km / h), and a rotation speed of said at least one rotating brush, denoted Vb (in rpm);- Automatic switching of the cleaning equipment into "work" mode upon starting of said self-propelled vehicle, resulting in the start of a start-up cycle of said cleaning equipment, including the switching of said cleaning equipment from its raised inactive position to its lowered active working position, as well as the automatic rotation of said at least one brush at speed Vb, the activation of said suction means and spraying means, - Taking measurements, at regular time intervals or continuously, of the forward speed Va of the vehicle by a speed measuring means, - Management of the positioning of said cleaning equipment and the rotation of said at least one brush according to a correlation with the travel speed Va of the vehicle, as a function of at least one speed threshold chosen from at least Va; min and Va max previously defined.

2. Method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment on a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that In managing the positioning of said cleaning equipment and the rotation of said at least one brush, the correlation is defined between the forward speed Va of the vehicle and maintaining rotation at speed Vb or stopping the rotation of said at least one brush, such that: - If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the minimum speed Va min and less than or equal to the maximum speed Va max , maintaining the rotation of said at least one brush at the rotational speed denoted Vb, - If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is greater than the maximum speed Va max, stopping the rotation of at least one brush and moving the cleaning equipment from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position, - If the vehicle's forward speed Va is less than the minimum speed Va min , or if said vehicle is at a standstill (Va=0 km / h), stop the rotation of said at least one brush.

3. Method for regulating the operation of a cleaning device on a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that It includes, at a minimum, the following steps: - Definition, in addition to the minimum speed Va min and the maximum speed Va max advancement of the self-propelled vehicle, a minimum rotational speed of said at least one brush Vb min , relative to a maximum rotational speed of said brush Vb maxwhich is equal to 100%, - Automatic switching of the cleaning equipment to "work" mode upon starting of said self-propelled vehicle, resulting in the start of a start-up cycle for said cleaning equipment, including the switching of said cleaning equipment from its raised inactive position to its lowered active working position, the automatic rotation of said at least one brush at speed Vb min , the commissioning of said suction and spraying means, - Taking measurements, at regular or continuous time intervals, of the vehicle's forward speed Va using a speed measuring device, - Defining a correlation between the vehicle's forward speed Va and the rotational speed to be applied to at least one brush, as follows: o If the vehicle's forward speed Va is equal to the minimum speed Va min , application of the minimum rotational speed Vb minof said at least one brush; o If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is equal to the maximum speed Va max application of the maximum rotational speed Vb max of said at least one brush; o If the forward speed Va of the vehicle increases between Va min and Va max or decreases between Va max and Va min , application of a proportional increase, or a proportional decrease, to the rotational speed of said at least one brush; o If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is greater than the maximum speed Va max , stopping the rotation of said at least one brush and moving said cleaning equipment from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position, o If the forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the minimum speed Va min , or if said vehicle is at a standstill (Va=0 km / h), stop the rotation of said at least one brush.

4. Method for regulating the operation of a cleaning device on a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterized in that , if the forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the minimum speed Va min , or if said vehicle is at a standstill (Va=0 km / h), in addition to stopping the rotation of said at least one brush, said spraying means are stopped and / or the power of the suction means is reduced.

5. Method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment on a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4 characterized in that if the forward speed Va of the vehicle is less than the minimum speed Va min, or if said vehicle is at a standstill (Va=0 km / h), in addition to stopping the rotation of said at least one brush, and possibly stopping the spraying means and / or reducing the power of the suction means, said cleaning equipment moves from its lowered active working position to its raised inactive position.

6. Method for regulating the operation of cleaning equipment on a self-propelled road cleaning vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that , if the forward speed Va of the self-propelled vehicle is greater than or equal to Va min and less than or equal to Va max The occasional and reversible activation of a "manual" mode allows manual control of the rotation speed of the Vb brushes by a potentiometer.

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