Modular sweeping structure for street sweepers, with removable double vertical parallelogram and independent brush control.

Abstract

The invention relates to a sweeping structure for a modular street sweeper, of the type comprising various means for cleaning roadways and road edges by actuating one or more brushes mounted on the vehicle chassis, characterized in that it consists of two symmetrical brush control assemblies (7), the height adjustment of which is achieved in a parallelogram by hydraulic cylinders, the brush control assemblies (7) being functionally independent of each other to allow differentiated adjustment of the spacing, inclination, and ground pressure of each of the brushes (7). Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: Sweeping structure for modular road vehicle with removable double vertical parallelogram with independent control of the brushes

[0001] The present invention relates to a sweeping structure for a modular road vehicle of the type comprising various means for cleaning roadways and road edges by actuating one or more brushes mounted on the chassis of the vehicle, allowing each of the brushes to be adjusted independently.

[0002] Cleaning roads in urban areas faces numerous constraints, particularly due to the configuration of the roads and road edges, the presence of moving or parked vehicles and other parameters which prevent regular and uniform treatment of surfaces. Thus, it is often necessary to plan at least two successive passes over the same area to obtain satisfactory cleaning.

[0003] The problem to be solved is to adapt the adjustment of the brushes to the configuration of the premises, to optimize the surface treated while allowing the passage of the vehicle or machine in areas of reduced congestion.

[0004] Traditional road cleaning vehicles essentially comprise a cabin arranged at the front of a chassis which is most often articulated. The front part of the chassis receives the cleaning means underneath, associated with suction means, and the upper rear part of the chassis receives one or more tanks, as well as reservoirs containing the spraying fluid. The brushes are generally grouped in pairs and mounted on a structure in front of the vehicle.

[0005] The cleaning means most often consist of at least one set of two side brushes with rotating brushes mounted on a support formed of two arms articulated around a vertical axis. A suction nozzle is placed under the chassis of the vehicle, set back from the brushes, and communicates with a receiving tank. Known vehicles generally comprise a set of side brushes, mounted at the front or under the cabin of the vehicle. Prior art

[0006] FR9507455 describes a device for adjusting the inclination of the brushes of a sweeper in which a broom formed from a rotating brush with a vertical axis is carried by a system with a lever arm and a parallelogram, articulated around a vertical axis. A single-acting cylinder and a return control the folding or locking of the broom.

[0007] This device is not removable since it is mounted directly on the chassis, and does not allow independent adjustment of each of the brushes, only the angle of inclination being adjustable, but not in real time, a pre-adjustment according to the parameters of the area to be treated being necessary and remote control impossible. Indeed, the adjustment of one of the movements directly impacts the other angles.

[0008] FR0604438 describes a sweeping structure for a road vehicle in which brooms consisting of a rotating brush mounted on a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the ground are associated with a coupling support comprising two lateral extensions projecting on either side of its longitudinal axis, and are each fixed to the end of a parallelogram composed of two parallel arms, the opposite end of which is fixed to one of the extensions of the coupling support, the arm forms the outside of the parallelogram and the arm the inside. The parallelogram is articulated on the free end of the extension around an axis.

[0009] This device allows the brushes to be adjusted in width and height, but not their inclination, which is constant. The brushes cannot be adjusted independently of each other.

[0010] Arrangements of known type have several major drawbacks.

[0011] The brushes are designed to collect waste and dirt towards the central part of the vehicle, to allow them to be sucked up by the nozzle and transferred into the receiving tank. However, the devices of the prior art do not allow individual adjustment of the width, height or inclination of each brush.

[0012] Existing removable sweeping systems are sweeping systems fixed to a central lifting assembly, or sweeping systems with pushed brushes. In this configuration, the axis around which the arm holding the brush pivots to adjust the sweeping width is placed behind that relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle. This causes a risk of tearing when the brush is in the wide position, i.e. at its maximum spread amplitude, and hits street furniture or another obstacle.

[0013] Known systems have two main flaws.

[0014] On the one hand, when the spacing of the brushes is modified for the purposes of road treatment, their angle of inclination relative to the ground varies, in the horizontal plane or in the vertical plane, which reduces the effectiveness of the cleaning operations.

[0015] On the other hand, adjusting the pressure of the brushes on the ground is very imprecise and expensive to carry out, especially on systems fitted to electric sweepers, which is increasingly often the case.

[0016] The present invention proposes to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above by providing a sweeping structure for a road vehicle allowing precise and independent adjustment of the tools, in particular the brushes, in width and height or inclination, by means of an appropriate coupling support, so as to cover the widest possible area without any risk of frontal impacts or lateral, while maintaining optimal waste suction.

[0017] The structure according to the invention is characterized in that it is made up of two symmetrical and removable brush control assemblies, all of whose adjustment movements are carried out in parallelogram by locally controlled hydraulic cylinders, the hydraulic control valves of which remain on the tool, all of the adjustments being carried out by parallelogram movements, which makes it possible not to modify the final positions during the movement by pantograph effect.

[0018] The sweeping structure according to the invention combines means for lifting the brushes, means for adjusting the ground pressure and means for adjusting the position of the brushes.

[0019] Finally, the sweeping structure according to the invention can be quickly assembled and disassembled in one piece.

[0020] The scanning system consists of multiple adjustments which here are automated by hydraulic cylinders.

[0021] The brush control assemblies are functionally independent of each other to allow the differentiated adjustment of each of the brushes in spacing, pitch, inclination and ground pressure.

[0022] Indeed, to optimize road cleaning operations, it is very important that the lateral spacing of the brushes, the pitch, i.e. the forward inclination of the brushes, the lateral inclination of the brushes, and the ground pressure can be adjusted and adapted according to the terrain and the context.

[0023] An embodiment of the invention and of these different means will now be described, with reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0024] [Fig.l] A side view of the vehicle equipped with the structure according to the invention.

[0025] [Fig.2] The sweeping structure in working position, with the brushes spread apart.

[0026] [Fig.3] The sweeping structure in front view with brushes spread apart in working position.

[0027] [Fig.4] The sweeping structure in top view with brushes spread apart in working position

[0028] [Fig.5] The sweeping structure seen from above with the brushes retracted into the working position.

[0029] [Fig.6] The sweeping structure in side view with brushes spread apart in working position.

[0030] [Fig.7] The sweeping structure in side view with brushes spread apart in position of transportation.

[0031] [Fig.8] Independent brooms before lifting, the right broom being in the working position and the left broom in the transport position.

[0032] [Fig.9] A broom and its means of regulating the minimum ground pressure.

[0033] [Fig. 10] Detail of the means of regulating the ground pressure of [Fig.9].

[0034] [Fig. 11] A broom and its means of regulating the maximum ground pressure.

[0035] [Fig. 12] Detail of the means of regulating the ground pressure of [Fig. 11].

[0036] [Fig. 13] Section of the sweeping structure seen from the cabin with detail of the lateral inclination adjustment of the brushes.

[0037] [Fig. 14] Perspective view of the means for adjusting the inclination of the broom without the left broom cover.

[0038] [Fig. 15] Detail of the tilt adjustment means seen from the cabin.

[0039] [Fig.l] is a side view of a road vehicle on the front of which is mounted a sweeping structure (1) according to the present invention.

[0040] The vehicle comprises a chassis (2) on which are mounted, at the rear, a tank for receiving the collected objects (3) and at the front, a driver's cabin 4). By front and rear, we refer to the direction of movement of the vehicle. In the figure, the front of the vehicle is therefore on the right.

[0041] Under the cabin (3) are arranged the means for collecting and sucking up waste from the ground, namely brooms (7) articulated under the structure (1), a suction duct (5) whose upper end opens into the tank (2), and whose lower end receives a nozzle (6) arranged behind the brooms (7) to collect the waste collected and gathered on the ground by said brooms.

[0042] [Fig. 2] is an elevation view of a sweeping structure according to the invention, in working position.

[0043] In the example shown, this structure comprises two brushes (7) arranged side by side.

[0044] By working position is meant the configuration that the brushes of the sweeping structure have when they are in the phase of collecting waste from the ground.

[0045] The brushes (7) are each fixed in rotation around an axis (19) by means of a bracket (9) on a vertical axis (8) whose upper part engages a support (10), which is designed to hold the brush (7) in place while allowing the lateral tilting of the axis (19) between two end positions in the horizontal plane.

[0046] This method allows the lateral inclination of the brush (7) to be modified.

[0047] The stirrup (9) is pivotally mounted by its end opposite that engaging the axis (8) to a support (10) which is itself fixed in rotation to a parallelogram (11) whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to that of said support (10).

[0048] The parallelogram (11) is composed of two arms (11', 11”), one end of which engages the support (10) in rotation and the other end of which is removably fixed to the chassis (1) of the vehicle, either directly or by means of a removable connecting device (12).

[0049] [Fig.3] shows the structure of [Fig.2], from the front, and [Fig.4] shows this same structure, from above.

[0050] In the working position, that is to say when the vehicle is in motion and collecting waste on the ground, the brushes (7) are spaced apart and are rotating around an axis (19).

[0051] Their spacing can be adjusted laterally by moving the bracket (9), the rotation of which will allow the brushes (7) to be brought back towards the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as can be seen in [Fig.5] where the brushes (7) are in the retracted position.

[0052] The angle of inclination of the brushes (7) relative to the ground can be adjusted by tilting in the horizontal plane the axis (8) whose upper end is held by the support (10).

[0053] In the example shown in [Fig.3], the inclination of the two brushes (7) has been adjusted so that their respective axes of rotation move away from the vehicle.

[0054] The brush (7), the vertical axis (8) of the brush, the stirrup (9), the support (10) and the parallelogram (11) constitute a sweeping assembly according to the invention.

[0055] The sweeping structure according to the invention is thus made up of two symmetrical and identical assemblies (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) with pulled brushes which can work and be adjusted independently of one another, the height adjustment movement being carried out in parallelogram by hydraulic cylinders.

[0056] The adjustments of the positioning of the brushes (7) are controlled by different cylinders, namely, a ground pressure cylinder (14), a lifting cylinder (20) and a tilt cylinder (21).

[0057] Figures 6 to 8 show the means for adjusting the position of the brushes.

[0058] [Fig.6] shows the sweeping structure in side view, with the brushes spread apart in the working position.

[0059] [Fig.7] shows the sweeping structure in side view with the brushes spread apart in the transport position.

[0060] [Fig.8] shows the independent brooms before lifting, the right broom being in the working position and the left broom in the transport position.

[0061] By transport position is meant the configuration in which the brushes are raised and are not in contact with the ground.

[0062] Figures 13 to 15 show the adjustment of the inclination of the brush (7).

[0063] [Fig. 13] is a sectional view of the sweeping structure from the cabin with detail of the lateral inclination adjustment of the brushes, with the elements described below.

[0064] [Fig. 14] is a perspective view of the means for adjusting the inclination of the broom without the left broom covers.

[0065] [Fig. 15] is a detailed view of the tilt adjustment means seen from the cabin.

[0066] The adjustment of the lateral inclination of the brushes (7) is controlled by a tilt cylinder (21) and the tapping by an adjustment screw (17) and the tapping axis (18).

[0067] These adjustments directly determine the point of rotation of the brushes, so that the ground angle of the brush and the height of the brush remain constant in all sweep width adjustment positions if these need to be adapted during operation due to brush wear, the stitching being functionally separated from the wear of said brushes.

[0068] The kinematics of the system make it possible to keep the angle of the brush to the ground constant regardless of its wear, which is not the case with known systems.

[0069] Thanks to the double parallelogram, the angles of the brushes relative to the ground are always identical regardless of the height of each brush.

[0070] Figures 9 to 12 show the adjustment of the ground pressure of the brushes.

[0071] When the cylinder (14) is at its maximum length, the brush (7) is under pressure minimum, and when the cylinder (14) is in the retracted position, the brush (7) is at maximum pressure and the ground pressure is the highest.

[0072] [Fig.9] shows a broom and its means for regulating the ground pressure, the latter being at a minimum.

[0073] [Fig. 10] is a detailed view of the ground pressure regulating means illustrated in figure (9).

[0074] [Fig. 11] shows a broom and its means for regulating the ground pressure, the latter being at maximum.

[0075] [Fig. 12] is a detailed view of the ground pressure regulating means illustrated in figure (11).

[0076] On an electric sweeper, regulating the ground pressure of the brushes is difficult to achieve from the cabin.

[0077] In thermal vehicles, the ground pressure of the brush is adjusted by varying the hydraulic pressure in the lifting cylinder.

[0078] In the case of an electric sweeper, all the drive functions are carried out electrically and pressure management by varying the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder is expensive and consumes too much energy.

[0079] According to the structure of the invention, the regulation of the pressure of the brushes on the ground is carried out in the following manner.

[0080] The jack (14), which can be adjusted to several predefined lengths, actuates a lever (15) which tightens the spring (16) more or less.

[0081] The stroke of the parallelogram (11) will be more or less important, depending on the degree of wear of the brush (7), the weight of the brush decreasing as it wears.

[0082] The jack (14) allows the spring (16) to be tensioned more or less, taking into account the resistance of the brush (7) which can be measured electrically.

[0083] Thus, the ground pressure of the brush (7) remains constant and the sweeping performance is constant regardless of the wear of the brush and its positioning, said ground pressure being functionally dissociated from the wear of said brushes.

[0084] Once the adjustment has been made by the operator according to data external to the system (roughness of the road, degree of dirt), the power absorbed is memorized, and, in the event of variation, the adjustment can be made by means of the jack (14), automatically or manually.

[0085] List of digital markers

[0086] 1. Scanning structure

[0087] 2. Chassis

[0088] 3. Tank

[0089] 4. Cabin

[0090] 5. Conduit

[0091] 6. Nozzle

[0092] 7. Broom

[0093] 8. Vertical axis of the brush

[0094] 9. Stirrup

[0095] 10. Support

[0096] 11. Parallelogram

[0097] 11'. Arms

[0098] 11”. Arms

[0099] 12. Connection to the chassis

[0100] 13. Articulation of the parallelogram

[0101] 14. Broom ground pressure cylinder

[0102] 15. Lever

[0103] 16. Spring

[0104] 17. Adjusting screw

[0105] 18. Pivoting axis

[0106] 19. Broom rotation axis

[0107] 20. Lifting cylinder

[0108] 21. Tilt cylinder

Claims

Claims

1. Sweeping structure for modular road sweeper, of the type comprising various means for cleaning roadways and road edges by actuating brushes mounted on the chassis of the vehicle, consisting of two symmetrical brush control assemblies (7), the height adjustment movement of which is carried out in parallelogram by hydraulic cylinders, the brush control assemblies (7) being functionally independent of each other, characterized in that the brushes (7) are each fixed in rotation about an axis (19) by means of a bracket (9) on a vertical axis (8) the upper part of which engages a support (10), which is designed to hold the brush (7) in place while allowing the lateral tilting of the axis (19) between two end positions in the horizontal plane.

2. Sweeping structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the stirrup (9) is pivotally mounted by its end opposite that engaging the axis (19) to the support (10) which is itself fixed in rotation to a parallelogram (11) whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to that of said support (10).

3. Sweeping structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the parallelogram (11) is composed of two arms (11', 11”), one end of which engages the support (10) in rotation and the other end of which is removably fixed to the chassis (1) of the vehicle, either directly or by means of a removable connecting device (12).

4. Sweeping structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two brush control assemblies (7) are removable.

5. Sweeping structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height adjustment of the brush assemblies is carried out in parallelogram by locally controlled hydraulic cylinders.

6. Sweeping structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjustment of the lateral inclination of the brushes (7) is controlled by a tilt cylinder (21) and the tapping of said brushes by an adjustment screw (17) and a tapping axis (18), so that the ground angle of the brush remains constant in all the adjustment positions of the sweeping width.

7. Scanning structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the

8. the stitching of the brushes (7) is functionally separated from their wear. Sweeping structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ground pressure of the brushes (7) is functionally separated from their wear.

9. Sweeping structure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angles of the brushes (7) relative to the ground are always identical regardless of the height of each brush.

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