Deposit removal device and deposit removal method

Abstract

To provide a deposit removal device capable of crushing and recovering deposit deposited in a groove by a novel method unattainable hitherto; and to provide a deposit removal method.SOLUTION: A deposit removal device includes: a crushing part having an arm having one pivoted end, and a crushing head provided on the other end of the arm, for crushing deposit deposited in a groove; and a recovery part provided on the furthermore rear in a traveling direction than the crushing part, for recovering the crushed deposit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a deposit removal device and a deposit removal method. [Background technology]

[0002] Various technologies have been proposed for cleaning the exterior surfaces of buildings exposed to the external environment. Specifically, roofs covering the tops of buildings such as factories often have a relatively gentle slope, and therefore, debris such as dust, rice husks, weeds, paper scraps, and rain can accumulate on such roofs. The accumulation of dust and other debris on the roof can reduce the durability of the roof due to factors such as an increased load on the roof. Therefore, devices have been proposed that remove debris by cleaning the roof in order to prevent the deterioration of the roof's durability.

[0003] By the way, when there is a groove in the roof, such as a folded-plate roof, flying particles such as dust slide down from the roof. The deposits tend to remain in the grooves without falling or scattering. The deposits accumulated in the grooves may harden depending on the type of deposit, the external environment to which it is exposed, the duration of the deposited state, etc. In order to remove the hardened deposits, it may be necessary to crush the deposits.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 below describes an apparatus equipped with a scraping unit that scrapes out deposits accumulated in a trench and a collecting unit that collects the scraped deposits. Also, Patent Document 2 below describes a cart that is operated by an operator and equipped with a crushing device that crushes deposits accumulated in a trench. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-184990 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-042718 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, the deposits are scraped out and accumulated, and the scraped out deposits tend to be clumped together, making them difficult to vacuum. Furthermore, with the technology described in Patent Document 2, the cart is operated by a worker, making it difficult to reliably crush the deposits or to uniformly crush the clumps on surfaces with peaks and valleys, such as a folded-plate roof. Thus, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 leave room for technical improvement in terms of effectively removing deposits.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a deposit removal device and a deposit removal method that are capable of crushing and recovering deposits that have accumulated in grooves using a novel method that has not been used in the past. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deposit removal device comprising: a crushing unit having an arm pivotally supported at one end and a crushing head provided at the other end of the arm for crushing deposits accumulated in a groove; and a recovery unit provided behind the crushing unit in the direction of travel for recovering the crushed deposits.

[0009] The crushing head may include a first crushing head that swings along the depth direction of the groove portion, and a second crushing head that swings along one of the slope directions of the groove portion.

[0010] The crushing head may include a third crushing head that swings along another slope direction of the groove portion.

[0011] The crushing unit may include an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the crushing head in the depth direction within the groove by rotating the crushing unit around the rear end of the crushing unit in the traveling direction as a rotation center.

[0012] The crushing head may be a wire brush.

[0013] The wire brush may be rotationally driven with its outer circumferential surface pressed against the deposit.

[0014] The arm may be fitted with a bridge breaker to prevent clogging of the crushed deposits.

[0015] The deposit removal device may further include a drive unit that moves the crushing unit and the collecting unit along the longitudinal direction of the groove.

[0016] The crushing section and the recovery section may be configured as separate units.

[0017] The collection section may include a duct section connected to an external dust collection mechanism.

[0018] The deposit removal device may include a connection for connection to an external power source.

[0019] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for removing deposits, which includes rocking a crushing head to crush the deposits in the trench, and recovering the crushed deposits. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the present invention provides a deposit removal device and a deposit removal method that are capable of crushing and recovering deposits accumulated in grooves using a novel method that has not been used before. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a deposit removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a unit structure of the deposit removal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the crushing unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view showing a configuration example of a crushing head according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view showing a configuration example of a crushing head according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the crushing head according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are side views illustrating an example of operation of the adjustment mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are partial enlarged views showing an example of operation of the adjustment mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a recovery unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing an example of a building having a groove according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state in which the deposit removal device according to the embodiment is in use. FIG. [Figure 15] 3 is a flowchart of a deposit removal method according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0023] <1. Structure of the deposit removal device> First, a schematic configuration of a deposit removal device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a rear view showing an example of the configuration of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is an external perspective view showing the unit structure of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment is a device for crushing and recovering deposits (corresponding to deposits T described below) accumulated in a groove (corresponding to groove M described below). The deposit removal device 100 crushes the deposits accumulated in the groove while moving in the Y direction in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the deposit removal device 100 recovers the crushed deposits. As a result, the deposit removal device 100 removes the deposits accumulated in the groove.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the deposit removal device 100 includes a crushing unit 101 and a collection unit 130. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the deposit removal device 100 may also include a drive unit 140 and a distribution unit 150. As shown in Figure 5, each part constituting the deposit removal device 100 is unitized and detachably attached to each other. The deposit removal device 100 is configured by integrating each unit. The unit structure of the deposit removal device 100 will be described later.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, an example of the groove portion M is an uneven structure. Specifically, the groove portion M is an uneven structure on a folded-plate roof 11 of a building (the folded-plate roof 11 in FIG. 13 described later). As an example, as shown in FIG. 3, the crushing unit 101 is provided in a position relative to the two groove portions M so as to be able to crush deposits accumulated inside the groove portions. Furthermore, the deposit removal device 100 moves along the longitudinal direction of the groove portions M. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the deposit removal device 100 moves along the longitudinal direction of the groove portions M while being supported by the bottom walls of the two groove portions M. An example of the deposits is dust or solidified dust.

[0027] (Crushing section) Next, the crushing unit 101 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the crushing unit 101 according to this embodiment. Figs. 7 and 8 are partially enlarged views showing an example of the configuration of the crushing head 110 according to this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of the crushing head 110 according to this embodiment.

[0028] The crushing unit 101 crushes the deposits accumulated in the groove portion M. Here, crushing does not only refer to turning the deposits into powder, but also includes breaking the deposits into small pieces of a size that can be collected by the collection unit 130.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, the crushing unit 101 includes a crushing head 110 and an arm 120. The arm 120 is a rod-shaped member, and one end 120A of the arm 120 is pivotally supported so that the rotation axis is aligned with the short side direction of the groove portion M. The other end 120B of the arm 120 is provided with the crushing head 110.

[0030] The arm 120 is pivotally supported at one end 120A, allowing the arm 120 to swing around the one end 120A as the center of rotation. This allows the crushing head 110 to also swing (see the double-headed arrow in FIG. 6). The crushing unit 101 according to this embodiment is configured to include a first arm 121 and a second arm 122 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) as the arm 120.

[0031] (Crushing head) The crushing head 110 comes into contact with the deposits and crushes them. As shown in FIG. 7, the crushing head 110 is a wire brush 110A. That is, the wire brush 110A serving as the crushing head 110 is a brush in which multiple metal wires extend outward. The wire brush 110A also has a rotating portion 110A1 and a brush portion 110A2. The rotating portion 110A1 is rotated by a driving force supplied from a distribution portion 150 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later. The brush portion 110A2 is made up of multiple brushes extending radially from the rotating portion 110A1. The rotation of the rotating portion 110A1 also rotates the brush portion 110A2.

[0032] As described above, the crushing head 110 is swung and comes into contact with the deposits. Therefore, the brush part 110A2 is also rotated and comes into contact with the deposits. That is, the wire brush 110A is rotated with its outer circumferential surface (the tip of the brush part 110A2) pressed against the deposits.

[0033] The crushing unit 101 according to this embodiment includes a first crushing head 111 and a second crushing head 112 as crushing heads 110. As shown in FIG. 7, the first crushing head 111 is provided at the other end 121B of the first arm 121. As described above, the first crushing head 111 is swingable around one end 121A as a rotation center. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, an air cylinder 121C is provided at one end 121A of the first arm 121. The air cylinder 121C expands and contracts upon receiving a supply of compressed air. In response to this expansion and contraction, the first arm 121 rotates around a part of the one end 121A as a rotation center. As will be described in detail later, the first crushing head 111 is swingable along the depth direction of the groove M.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 8, the second crushing head 112 is provided at the other end 122B of the second arm 122. As described above, the second crushing head 112 is capable of swinging around one end 122A as the center of rotation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, an air cylinder 122C is provided at one end 122A of the second arm 122. This air cylinder 122C receives a supply of compressed air and expands and contracts. In response to this expansion and contraction, the second arm 122 rotates around a part of the one end 122A as the center of rotation. As will be described in detail later, the second crushing head 112 is capable of swinging along the extension direction of one inclined surface M1 of the groove portion M.

[0035] The second arm 122 is set to be shorter than the first arm 121. As a result, the second crushing head 112 is positioned further rearward than the first crushing head 111 in the traveling direction of the deposit removal device 100 (for example, the forward direction when the deposit removal device 100 is self-propelled). As a result, the first crushing head 111 and the second crushing head 112 are prevented from interfering with each other when they swing.

[0036] The crushing head 110 may further include a third crushing head 113. The third crushing head 113 is configured and arranged in the same manner as the above-described second crushing head 112. In addition, as will be described in detail later, the third crushing head 113 is capable of swinging along the extension direction of the other inclined surface M2 of the groove portion M.

[0037] 3 and 5, the crushing unit 101 has two crushing heads 110 including a first crushing head 111, a second crushing head 112, and a third crushing head 113. The two crushing heads 110 are respectively disposed in adjacent groove portions M.

[0038] The crushing unit 101 may further include a bridge breaker 103. The bridge breaker 103 prevents clogging of the deposits crushed by the crushing head 110. That is, the deposits are crushed and then collected by the collection unit 130. At this time, the deposits may re-aggregate inside the groove portion M between crushing and collection, causing clogging (i.e., bridges). The bridge breaker 103 comes into contact with the deposits to break up the agglomerated state and prevent clogging.

[0039] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the bridge breaker 103 is attached so as to be located on one end 121A side of the first arm 121. As an example, the bridge breaker 103 is a fork-shaped member with a three-pronged tip (see the view from direction A in FIG. 7). The three-pronged part 103A at the tip of the bridge breaker 103 comes into contact with the deposits to prevent clogging. The rear end 103B side of the bridge breaker 103 is attached to the first arm 121 via a bracket 103C.

[0040] (The state of the crushed sediments) Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the manner in which the crushing unit 101 crushes the deposit T will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of the crushing head 110 according to this embodiment. First, crushing is performed by the first crushing head 111 from a state before crushing (see the top of FIG. 9). The first crushing head 111 is swung along the depth direction of the grooves M. During this shaking, the first crushing head 111 comes into contact with the central portion of the deposit T. In particular, if the crushing head 111 is a wire brush 110A that is driven to rotate, the outer circumferential surface of the wire brush 110A is pressed against the deposit T. As a result, the central portion of the deposit T accumulated in the grooves M is crushed (see the second from the top of FIG. 9).

[0041] Next, crushing is performed by the second crushing head 112. The second crushing head 112 is swung along one inclined surface M1 of the groove portion M. During this shaking, the second crushing head 112 comes into contact with the portion of the deposit T on the one inclined surface M1 side. In particular, if the crushing head 111 is a wire brush 110A that is driven to rotate, the outer circumferential surface of the wire brush 110A is pressed against the deposit T. As a result, the portion of the deposit T that has accumulated in the groove portion M on the one inclined surface M1 side is crushed (see the third from the top in FIG. 9).

[0042] Finally, crushing is performed by the third crushing head 113. The third crushing head 113 is swung along the other inclined surface M2 of the groove portion M. During this shaking, the third crushing head 113 comes into contact with the portion of the deposit T on the other inclined surface M2 side. In particular, if the crushing head 111 is a wire brush 110A that is driven to rotate, the outer circumferential surface of the wire brush 110A is pressed against the deposit T. This causes the portion of the deposit T that has accumulated in the groove portion M on the other inclined surface M2 side to be crushed (see the fourth from the top in Figure 9). In this way, the crushing unit 101 crushes the deposit T that has accumulated in the groove portion M. The crushing operation described above is repeated as the deposit removal device 100 moves.

[0043] In the above description of the crushing operation, for convenience of explanation, an example has been given in which the first crushing head 111, the second crushing head 112, and the third crushing head 113 are oscillated in this order, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the third crushing head 113 may be oscillated before the second crushing head 112. Furthermore, the first crushing head 111 may be oscillated after the second crushing head 112 and the third crushing head 113 have been oscillated.

[0044] (adjustment mechanism) The crushing unit 101 may include an adjustment mechanism 105 that adjusts the position of the crushing head 110 in the depth direction within the groove M. FIG. 10 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the adjustment mechanism 105 according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view showing an example of the operation of the adjustment mechanism 105. As shown in FIG. 10, the adjustment mechanism 105, for example, rotates the crushing unit 101 around the rear end of the crushing unit 101 in the traveling direction of the deposit removal device 100 as the center of rotation. Specifically, the adjustment mechanism 105 has a rotation shaft 105A, and the crushing unit 101 is journaled by the rotation shaft 105A at the rear end of the crushing unit 101 in the traveling direction. The adjustment mechanism 105 also has a support wheel 105B. As shown in FIG. 11, the support wheel 105B is a wheel that supports the crushing unit 101 from below.

[0045] The deposit removal device 100 includes an adjustment mechanism 105 to prevent the position of the crushing head 110 from changing. For example, the device body may rise or tilt while the deposit removal device 100 is moving. If the crushing unit 101 also rises or tilts, the crushing head 110 may not properly contact the deposits, resulting in the deposits not being crushed and a large amount of the deposits remaining in the grooves M. Therefore, by providing the adjustment mechanism 105, even if the body of the deposit removal device 100 rises, the crushing unit 101 rotates relative to the body under its own weight, making it less likely for the position of the crushing head 110 to change. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the crushing unit 101 is displaced so as to tilt downward relative to the device body around the rotation shaft 105A. On the other hand, since the crushing unit 101 is supported by the support wheel unit 105B, excessive downward movement is prevented even when the crushing unit 101 rotates around the rotation shaft unit 105A. That is, the adjustment mechanism 105 adjusts the depth position of the crushing head 110 in the groove unit M (particularly, the lowered position after the crushing head 110 is swung).

[0046] (Collection Department) The collection unit 130 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the collection unit 130. The collection unit 130 is provided further rearward in the direction of travel of the deposit removal device 100 than the crushing unit 101, and collects crushed deposits. Note that collecting deposits does not only refer to collecting all of the crushed deposits, but also includes collecting only enough of the deposits to remove them. The collection unit 130 according to this embodiment has a duct unit 131 and a suction air supply unit 133.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 6, 10, and 11, an opening 131A is provided at one end of the duct portion 131 and is disposed within the groove portion M. The crushed deposits are collected by being sucked through the opening 131A. The suction air supply unit 133 supplies air into the duct portion 131, generating an airflow within the duct portion 131 that flows from one end to the other end (see the arrow in FIG. 12). The crushed deposits that enter the duct portion 131 through the opening 131A are compressed by the airflow and move within the duct portion 131. As will be described in detail later, the duct portion 131 is connected to a dust collection mechanism (corresponding to the dust collection mechanism 170 described later) disposed outside the deposit removal device 100. The crushed deposits are ultimately collected in the dust collection mechanism.

[0048] (Drive unit) Next, the driving unit 140 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 5. The driving unit 140 moves the deposit removal device 100 along the longitudinal direction of the groove M (the Y direction in Figures 1 and 2) (see the arrow in Figure 2).

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the drive unit 140 includes, for example, a wheel unit 141, a gear mechanism 143, and a drive source 145. The wheel unit 141 is made up of four rubber tires. As shown in FIG. 4, the rubber tires serving as the wheel unit 141 are arranged such that two tires are spaced apart from each other in the front and rear and are respectively disposed inside two adjacent grooves M. The wheels rotate upon receiving a drive force from the drive source 145. This causes the deposit removal device 100 to move along the longitudinal direction of the grooves M.

[0050] By adopting a four-wheel drive tire configuration as the drive unit 140, the structure of the drive unit 140 can be simplified and slippage in the groove portion M can be suppressed, compared to when, for example, the drive unit 140 has an endless track structure.

[0051] The gear mechanism 143 transmits driving force from the driving source 145 to the wheel unit 141. The gear mechanism 143 switches internal gears to transmit the power at a predetermined rotation speed. Specifically, the gear mechanism 143 switches between a first rotation speed and a second rotation speed that is faster than the first rotation speed. As a result, the movement speed of the deposit removal device 100 is switchable between the first speed and the second speed that is faster than the first movement speed. For example, when removing deposits, the deposit removal device 100 travels at the first speed, whereas when not removing deposits or when reversing, the deposit removal device 100 travels at the second speed. The driving source 145 is, for example, a motor. Such a motor receives power from an external power source to generate driving force, and the rotation speed can be arbitrarily changed.

[0052] (Distribution section) The distribution unit 150 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The distribution unit 150 distributes and supplies driving force to the crushing head 110, for example, for rotationally driving the first crushing head 111, the second crushing head 112, and the third crushing head 113. The distribution unit 150 has a power transmission cable 151, a distribution gear mechanism 153, and a head drive source 155. The power transmission cable 151 transmits driving force from the head drive source 155 to the crushing head 110. The distribution gear mechanism 153 adjusts the driving force from the head drive source 155 to a predetermined rotation speed and transmits it to the power transmission cable 151. As a result, the crushing head 110 rotates at the predetermined rotation speed. The head drive source 155 is a motor that receives power from an external power source and generates driving force.

[0053] The distributor 150 supplies the crushing head 110 with a driving force for rotational drive. This allows the crushing head 110 to be made smaller. Furthermore, the distributor 150 allows the rotation speed of the crushing head 110 to be changed as desired, so the rotation speed can be changed depending on the hardness of the deposits, allowing the deposits to be crushed stably. The schematic configuration of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment has been described above.

[0054] <2. Usage of sediment removal equipment> Next, the operation and usage state of the deposit removal device 100 will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is an external perspective view showing an example of a building 10 having a groove portion M. Also, Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a usage state of the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0055] The groove portion M is, for example, an uneven structure in a folded-plate roof 11 of a building 10 as shown in FIG. 13. Dust and solidified deposits T may accumulate on the folded-plate roof 11. In particular, if the building 10 is located on or near the premises of a steelworks or factory, the dust that accumulates on the folded-plate roof 11 may contain iron powder. In this case, the weight of the deposits T increases, which may place an excessive load on the folded-plate roof 11. Therefore, it is necessary to crush and collect the deposits T that have accumulated on the folded-plate roof 11, but if the groove portion M is an uneven structure of the folded-plate roof 11, this work must be done at a high altitude, leaving room for improvement in workability.

[0056] Therefore, the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment is remotely operated as shown in FIG. 14, and crushes and collects the deposits T accumulated in the groove M. This eliminates the need for the worker W to work on the folded-plate roof 11, even when the groove M is an uneven structure of the folded-plate roof 11, improving workability. Furthermore, because it is remotely operated, the worker W does not stand on the folded-plate roof 11, so the load on the roof is reduced and the safety of the worker W is ensured.

[0057] Specifically, the deposit removal device 100 is communicatively connected to a control panel 160 via a communication cable 161 and is controlled in accordance with control signals transmitted from the control panel 160. For example, signals related to the movement speed of the deposit removal device 100, the oscillation period of the crushing head 110, and the rotation speed of the crushing head 110 are transmitted from the control panel 160. More specifically, the control panel 160 has a control electric circuit and an input unit (not shown). The control panel 160 is also electrically connected to a control power supply 163. The control electric circuit controls the voltage, current value, etc. supplied from the control power supply 163 based on the results input to the input unit, and outputs the results to the deposit removal device 100 via the communication cable 161.

[0058] The deposit removal device 100 is also connected to a dust collection mechanism 170 via a suction hose 171. The suction hose is connected to a duct portion 131 of the collection portion 130, and the deposits collected by the collection portion 130 are pressure-transferred to the dust collection mechanism 170 via the suction hose 171. The deposit removal device 100 is also electrically connected to a power supply device 180 via a power cable 181. For this reason, the deposit removal device 100 is provided with a connection portion (not shown) that can be electrically connected to the power cable 181. An example of such a connection portion is a connection terminal such as a socket.

[0059] Furthermore, in the deposit removal device 100 according to this embodiment, each of the components, such as the crushing unit 101 and the collection unit 130, is unitized as described above. Here, unitization refers to the integration of components constituting each of the components to the extent that the assembly of the deposit removal device 100 is facilitated. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the components constituting each of the crushing unit 101, the collection unit 130, the drive unit 140, and the distribution unit 150 are integrally formed in advance via a frame or a housing. Furthermore, each of the components, such as the crushing unit 101 and the collection unit 130, is detachably connectable to each other. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the collection unit 130 is attached vertically above the drive unit 140 (Z direction in FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, the crushing unit 101 is attached forward of the drive unit 140 in the fore-and-aft direction (Y direction in FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, the distribution unit 150 is attached vertically above the crushing unit 101. Specific examples of the detachable structure include fastening using a bolt and nut structure, or fixing using a so-called snap lock structure.

[0060] Also, in consideration of cases where it is not possible to use heavy machinery or other means of transport, each unitized section is made to be of a weight or size that allows it to be transported or attached / detached by a worker. This makes it possible to transport each section, such as the crushing section 101 and recovery section 130, to the work site or its surroundings, and assemble the deposit removal device 100. The assembled deposit removal device 100 is installed at a location having a groove section M that is the target of the deposit removal work.

[0061] As described above, an operator remotely controls the deposit removal device 100 using the control panel 160. The deposit removal device 100 operates based on the control signal to remove deposits accumulated in the trench M. That is, the deposit removal device 100 moves along the longitudinal direction of the trench M, rocking the crushing head 110 to crush the deposits, and recovering the crushed deposits.

[0062] When there are multiple grooves M, deposit removal is performed on one groove M using the deposit removal device 100, and then deposit removal is performed on the other grooves M. At this time, the deposit removal device 100 is moved to the location of the other grooves M using a dedicated jig. Similarly, the deposit removal device 100 removes deposits on the other grooves M while moving along the longitudinal direction. By repeating this operation, deposit removal is performed on multiple grooves M.

[0063] <3. Deposit removal method> Next, a deposit removal method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the deposit removal method according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, first, the crushing head 110 is swung to crush the deposits in the groove M (S101). Specifically, the first crushing head 111 of the crushing head 110 is swung along the depth direction of the groove M. The second crushing head 112 of the crushing head 110 is swung along one slope direction of the groove M. The third crushing head 113 of the crushing head 110 is swung along the other slope direction of the groove M. Next, the crushed deposits are collected (S103). Specifically, the crushed deposits are collected by suction.

[0064] Next, in step S105, it is determined whether the deposit removal process satisfies an end condition. An example of the end condition is whether or not the removal of deposits from the groove portion M has been completed. If the determination is affirmative, the deposit removal process ends. On the other hand, if the determination is negative, the deposit removal process returns to step S101. The deposit removal method according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0065] (Action and effect) According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the deposit removal device 100 includes a crushing unit 101 including an arm 120 pivotally supported at one end 120A, a crushing head 110 provided at the other end 120B of the arm 120 and configured to crush deposits accumulated in the grooves M, and a collection unit 130 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) provided behind the crushing unit 101 in the traveling direction of the deposit removal device 100 and configured to collect the crushed deposits. As a result, the crushing head 110 is swung by the arm 120 within the grooves M to crush the deposits. The crushed deposits are collected by the collection unit 130. As a result, deposits (e.g., dust) accumulated in the grooves M, which have an uneven structure such as that of a folded-plate roof 11, are effectively removed.

[0066] For example, when simply scraping out deposits, some deposits may remain during the scraping process. In this case, the device runs over the remaining deposits, causing the scraping unit to idle above the deposits and making it impossible to scrape out the deposits. In this embodiment, the crushing head 110 is rocked within the groove M, which significantly reduces the amount of remaining deposits compared to scraping them out, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned phenomenon. As a result, the deposits in the groove M are effectively removed.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, when a worker operates a cart to remove deposits, he or she must manually press the scraping device against the deposits and move the device up and down freely, reducing workability. Furthermore, the status of deposit removal varies depending on the worker and the type of work. In this embodiment, the deposit removal device 100 crushes the deposits and collects the crushed deposits while rocking the crushing head 110. This allows for more uniform removal of deposits from the trench M than when manual labor is used, improving workability. As a result, the deposits from the trench M can be effectively removed.

[0068] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the crushing head 110 includes a first crushing head 111 that oscillates along the depth direction of the groove M, and a second crushing head 112 that oscillates along one of the slopes of the groove M. This increases the area where the crushing head 110 comes into contact with the deposits when viewed in a cross section with the longitudinal direction of the groove M as the normal direction. That is, the second crushing head 112 comes into contact with the deposits present on the one slope M1 side of the groove M. This allows the deposits to be crushed effectively.

[0069] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the crushing head 110 includes a third crushing head 113 that swings along the other inclined surface direction of the groove M. This increases the area where the crushing head 110 comes into contact with the deposits when viewed in cross section with the longitudinal direction of the groove M as the normal direction. That is, the third crushing head 113 comes into contact with the deposits present on the other inclined surface M2 side of the groove M. This allows the deposits to be crushed effectively.

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the crushing unit 101 is provided with an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the crushing head 110 in the depth direction within the groove portion M. This allows the crushing head 110 to stably contact the deposits, thereby effectively crushing the deposits.

[0071] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the crushing head 110 is a wire brush 110A, which prevents the groove M from being damaged even if the groove M and the crushing head 110 come into contact with each other.

[0072] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the wire brush 110A is rotated while its outer circumferential surface is pressed, thereby effectively breaking up the deposits.

[0073] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the arm 120 is provided with the bridge breaker 103, which prevents the crushed deposits from clogging the groove M. This allows the deposits in the groove M to be effectively removed.

[0074] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the deposit removal device 100 further includes a drive unit 140 that moves the device itself along the longitudinal direction of the groove M. This allows the device to move independently along the longitudinal direction of the groove M, thereby achieving effective removal of deposits within the groove M.

[0075] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the crushing section 101 and the collection section 130 are configured as separate units, which makes it easier to transport, assemble, and disassemble the deposit removal device 100.

[0076] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the recovery unit 130 includes a duct unit 131 that is connected to an external dust collection mechanism 170. This allows the relatively heavy dust collection mechanism 170 to be externalized, thereby realizing a reduction in the weight of the device.

[0077] According to this embodiment, the deposit removal device 100 is provided with a connection part that is connected to an external power supply device 180. This allows the relatively heavy power supply device to be externalized, thereby realizing a reduction in the weight of the device.

[0078] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modifications and applications within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0079] For example, in the above embodiment, an example of removing deposits from two grooves M has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, deposits may be removed from one groove M, or from three or more grooves M. In this case, the number of crushing heads 110 is adjusted according to the number of target grooves M.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the driving unit 140 is configured with tires on four wheels, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the driving unit 140 may be configured with tires on two wheels. Furthermore, the driving unit 140 may be driven by a caterpillar structure instead of tires.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the crushing head 110 is the wire brush 110A, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The crushing head 110 may be any type that can crush deposits, and may be, for example, a brush other than a metal wire, or a rotary cutter.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the crushing head 110 includes the first crushing head 111, the second crushing head 112, and the third crushing head 113. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the number of crushing heads 110 may be one or two. In this case, by providing a mechanism for changing the rocking direction of the crushing head 110, the rocking direction of the crushing head 110 can be changed in the depth direction of the groove portion M and the slope direction of the groove portion M.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the bridge breaker 103 has a triangular tip, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the bridge breaker 103 may be configured to suppress clogging in the groove M by vibration of a vibrator, or may be configured to suppress clogging by injecting air toward the deposits. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 100 Sediment removal equipment 101 Crushing section 103 Bridge Breaker 105 Adjustment mechanism 110 Crushing head 110A wire brush 111 First crushing head 112 Second crushing head 113 Third Crushing Head 120 Arm 121 First Arm 122 Second Arm 130 Recovery Department 131 Duct section 140 Drive unit 150 Distribution section 170 Dust collection mechanism 180 Power Supply M1 First Slope M2 Other slopes M groove T deposit

Claims

1. a crushing unit including an arm pivotally supported at one end and a crushing head provided at the other end of the arm for crushing deposits accumulated in the groove; a recovery unit that is provided behind the crushing unit in the traveling direction and recovers the crushed deposits; Equipped with The crushing head includes a first crushing head that crushes the deposits while rocking along the depth direction of the groove portion, and a second crushing head that crushes the deposits while rocking along one slope direction of the groove portion.

2. The deposit removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the crushing heads include a third crushing head that swings along another slope direction of the groove portion.

3. The deposit removal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the crushing unit is provided with an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the crushing head in the depth direction within the groove portion by rotating the crushing unit around the rear end of the crushing unit in the direction of travel as a rotation center.

4. The deposit removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the crushing head is a wire brush.

5. 5. The deposit removal device according to claim 4, wherein the wire brush is rotationally driven with its outer circumferential surface pressed against the deposit.

6. 6. The deposit removal device according to claim 1, wherein the arm is provided with a bridge breaker that prevents the crushed deposits from clogging.

7. The deposit removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a drive unit that moves the crushing unit and the collecting unit along the longitudinal direction of the groove.

8. 8. The deposit removal device according to claim 1, wherein the crushing section and the collecting section are configured as separate units.

9. The deposit removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the collection section includes a duct section connected to an external dust collection mechanism.

10. The deposit removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a connection part for connection to an external power source.

11. A deposit removal method for removing deposits accumulated in a groove using a deposit removal device, comprising: The deposit removal device is a crushing unit including an arm pivotally supported at one end and a crushing head provided at the other end of the arm for crushing deposits accumulated in the groove; a recovery unit that is provided behind the crushing unit in the traveling direction and recovers the crushed deposits; Equipped with The crushing head includes a first crushing head that crushes the deposit while rocking along the depth direction of the groove portion, and a second crushing head that crushes the deposit while rocking along one slope direction of the groove portion, The deposit removal method includes: Crushing the deposit while swinging the first crushing head along the depth direction of the groove portion; Crushing the deposit while swinging the second crushing head along one of the slope directions of the groove portion; and recovering the crushed deposit in the recovery section; A method for removing deposits, comprising:

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