CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND CLEANING METHODS

Abstract

The invention relates to a collection device for material accumulating under the belt of a belt conveyor, fitted with a mobile machine that moves the accumulated material off the rails. A cleaning device for cleaning accumulated material accumulating under the belt of a belt conveyor, comprising a collector fitted on a mobile machine that moves on rails arranged along the transport direction of the belt conveyor, which collects material accumulating under the belt and moves the accumulated material off the rails.

Description

Cleaning device and cleaning method

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning deposits accumulated under a belt of a belt conveyor, and also to a cleaning method for cleaning deposits accumulated under a belt of a belt conveyor.

[0002] Belt conveyors are widely used to transport various types of goods, and are particularly used in factories to transport bulk materials such as raw materials.

[0003] For example, in steel mills, belt conveyors are used to transport raw materials such as iron ore and coal used in the steelmaking process. Specifically, raw materials imported by bulk carrier are unloaded from the raw material quay by unloader and then transported to the raw material yard by type and brand via multiple belt conveyors.

[0004] However, when conveying materials using a belt conveyor in this manner, the materials being conveyed tend to fall off the belt conveyor and accumulate under the belt. In particular, in the case of a belt conveyor equipped with an endless belt, when the conveying surface of the belt faces downward, the materials adhering to the conveying surface tend to fall off and accumulate under the belt.

[0005] If the deposits pile up to the belt height, they may come into contact with the belt, causing frictional heat that could ignite the belt and lead to a fire. Therefore, cleaning work is carried out periodically to remove the deposits so that they do not come into contact with the belt.

[0006] Conventionally, the accumulation of sediments has been confirmed visually, and workers have cleaned the sediments using hand tools such as shovels. However, manually scraping out the sediments from under the belt is extremely hard work. In particular, in the raw material yards of steel mills, multiple belt conveyors with a total length of over 1 km are used, and there is a demand for more efficient cleaning work.

[0007] Therefore, various methods have been proposed for efficiently recovering the deposits accumulated under the belt of the belt conveyor.

[0008] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a recovery device in which a scraper is attached to a vehicle such as heavy machinery. The scraper is inserted under the belt conveyor and then pulled out to scrape out the sediment from under the belt conveyor.

[0009] Furthermore, Patent Documents 2 and 3 propose a method of recovering sediments using a small heavy machine that is tall enough to enter the space below the belt conveyor. By inserting the small heavy machine under the belt conveyor, the sediment can be pushed directly out of the belt conveyor.

[0010] JP-A No. 62-010342 JP-A No. 2014-005648 JP-A No. 09-025006

[0011] According to the prior art techniques such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the deposits can be recovered using heavy machinery or the like.

[0012] However, in general, various devices and related equipment are installed around the belt conveyor to handle the materials and other items (carried objects) transported by the belt conveyor, and some of these devices move around the belt conveyor during operation.

[0013] For example, in the raw material yard of a steel mill, loading and unloading equipment such as stackers and reclaimers are arranged around the belt conveyor. A stacker is a device that stacks raw materials. Raw materials transported by the belt conveyor are transferred by the stacker and dropped into the raw material yard, where they are stacked as raw material piles. A reclaimer is a device that dispenses raw materials. Raw materials stacked as raw material piles are cut from the raw material piles by the reclaimer and transported to the next process by the belt conveyor. These loading and unloading equipment are usually installed on rails laid parallel to the belt conveyor so that they can move within the raw material yard.

[0014] In the methods using heavy machinery as proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the heavy machinery must be brought close to the belt conveyor to collect the deposits. Therefore, the operation of the equipment around the belt conveyor, particularly the mobile equipment, must be stopped, resulting in a downtime. Furthermore, if rails for the mobile equipment are installed around the belt conveyor, these rails become an obstacle, making it difficult to move the deposits to the outside of the rails.

[0015] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a cleaning device and cleaning method that can collect deposits under the belt of a belt conveyor on which a moving machine is installed and move them to the outside of the rail.

[0016] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the gist of the present invention is as follows.

[0017] 1. A cleaning device for cleaning deposits that accumulate under a belt of a belt conveyor, the cleaning device being mounted on a moving machine that runs on rails provided along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor, and comprising recovery means for recovering the deposits under the belt and moving them to the outside of the rails.

[0018] 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery means comprises a scraping arm that scrapes out the deposit, and a recovery conveyor that recovers the deposit scraped out by the scraping arm to the outside of the rail.

[0019] 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a measuring means for measuring the height of the deposit accumulated under the belt; and a control means for driving the collecting means to collect the deposit when the height of the deposit measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined standard.

[0020] 4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, further comprising a calculation means for creating a pile height map representing the relationship between a position in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor and the height of the pile at that position, based on the height of the pile measured by the measurement means, and the control means performs control based on the pile height map.

[0021] 5. The cleaning device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the moving machine handles items transported by the belt conveyor, and the control means drives the collecting means to collect the deposits when the moving machine is not operating.

[0022] 6. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control means determines the timing for collecting the deposits in consideration of an operation schedule of the mobile device.

[0023] 7. A cleaning method for cleaning deposits accumulated under a belt of a belt conveyor, comprising recovering the deposits under the belt and moving them to the outside of the rails using a recovery means mounted on a moving machine that runs on a rail provided along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor.

[0024] 8. The cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein the recovery means comprises a scraping arm that scrapes out the deposit, and a conveyor that transports the deposit scraped out by the scraping arm to the outside of the rail.

[0025] 9. The cleaning method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a height of the deposit accumulated under the belt is measured by a measuring means, and when the height of the deposit measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined standard, the collecting means is driven to collect the deposit.

[0026] 10. The cleaning method according to claim 9, further comprising creating a deposit height map representing the relationship between a position in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor and the height of the deposit at that position from the height of the deposit measured by the measuring means, and recovering the deposit based on the deposit height map.

[0027] 11. The cleaning method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the moving machine handles the articles transported by the belt conveyor, and the collecting means is driven to collect the deposits when the moving machine is not operating.

[0028] 12. The cleaning method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the timing for collecting the deposits is determined in consideration of an operation schedule of the mobile machine.

[0029] According to the present invention, it is possible to move the deposits under the belt of a belt conveyor on which a moving machine is provided to the outside of the rail without using human power, and to efficiently collect the deposits.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing the structure of a belt conveyor, rails, and a moving machine. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the structure of a cleaning device in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the structure of a cleaning device in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of the operation of a collection means. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of the operation of a collection means. FIG. 6 is a front view schematically showing the structure of a cleaning device in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a cleaning method in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a collection procedure in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a map update procedure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The present invention will be described in detail below. Note that the following description is of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0032] A cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning device for cleaning deposits that accumulate under a belt of a belt conveyor, and includes a recovery means for recovering the deposits under the belt and moving them to the outside of a rail. The recovery means is mounted on a moving machine that runs on a rail that is provided along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor.

[0033] Furthermore, a cleaning method in one embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning method for cleaning deposits that have accumulated under the belt of a belt conveyor, in which the deposits under the belt are collected and moved to the outside of the rail by a collecting means mounted on a moving machine that runs on a rail provided along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor.

[0034] (Belt conveyor) The belt conveyor is not particularly limited and may be any belt conveyor, but a typical example is a belt conveyor for transporting bulk materials. This is because when transporting bulk materials, the transported materials are particularly likely to fall and accumulate. Examples of belt conveyors for transporting bulk materials include belt conveyors for transporting raw materials in factories, steelworks, etc.

[0035] The installation location of the belt conveyor is not particularly limited, and the belt conveyor may be installed either indoors or outdoors. In particular, the present invention is particularly suitable for use in a belt conveyor installed in an outdoor raw material yard or the like.

[0036] (Mobile Machine) In the cleaning device of the present invention, the collecting means is mounted on a mobile machine. Here, the mobile machine may be any machine that runs on rails installed along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor. The mobile machine is preferably one that handles items conveyed by the belt conveyor, and is more preferably one of a stacker, a reclaimer, a stacker-reclaimer, and an unloader. Note that a stacker-reclaimer is a mobile machine that has both the functions of a stacker and a reclaimer.

[0037] (Collection Means) The collection means collects the deposits under the belt and moves them to the outside of the rail. Here, "outside of the rail" refers to the side of the rail opposite the belt conveyor. By moving the deposits to the outside of the rail using the collection means, it is possible to prevent the deposits from coming into contact with the belt. Furthermore, the deposits do not interfere with the movement of the moving machine. The deposits that have been moved to the outside of the rail can be collected separately using any method.

[0038] The structure of the recovery means is not particularly limited, and may be any structure that can move the deposits under the belt to the outside of the rail. From the viewpoint of transporting the deposits to the outside of the rail without being obstructed by the rail, the recovery means preferably includes a conveyor that transports the deposits from the inside of the rail to the outside, over the rail. Any conveyor may be used, and may be, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0039] Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is based on the assumption that the belt conveyor is installed in the raw material yard of a steelworks and that a stacker is used as the moving machine, but the present invention is not limited to the disclosure of this embodiment.

[0040] 1 to 3 are schematic diagrams showing the structures of a belt conveyor 10, a rail 20, a moving machine 30, and a cleaning device 40, with FIG. 1 being a side view and FIGS. 2 and 3 being front views.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pair of parallel rails 20 extending in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 10 are laid on the ground on both sides of the belt conveyor 10. A moving machine 30 is equipped with legs 31 and running wheels 32 and is capable of running on the rails 20. The moving machine 30 is arranged so as to straddle the belt conveyor 10 installed on the ground, i.e., so that the belt conveyor 10 is located between the pair of legs 31, and a portion of the belt 11 of the belt conveyor 10 is taken into the moving machine 30. Note that the upper structure of the moving machine 30 is omitted in Figure 2.

[0042] When loading raw materials, first, the moving machine 30 travels on the rails 20 to a pre-designated location in the raw material yard. Next, the raw materials R transported by the belt conveyor 10 are transferred to the on-board belt conveyor 33 provided on the moving machine 30, and the raw materials R are dropped from the tip of the on-board belt conveyor 33 to the designated location, forming a raw material pile P.

[0043] Belt 11 is an endless belt wound around a pulley (not shown). The side that runs above the belt conveyor to transport the raw materials is called the "upward" side, and the side that turns around the pulley and runs below the belt conveyor is called the "downward" side. Because the conveying surface of belt 11 faces downward in the downward section, raw materials adhering to the conveying surface are constantly subjected to gravity and fall to the ground due to vibration. By repeating this process, raw materials accumulate under belt 11, becoming deposit B.

[0044] Therefore, the cleaning device 40 of the present invention is equipped with a recovery means 41 mounted on the mobile unit 30 for cleaning the deposits B. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the specific structure of the recovery means 41 equipped on the cleaning device 40. The location of the recovery means 41 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the recovery means 41 be installed on at least one of the legs 31 of the mobile unit 30 as shown in Figs.

[0045] In this embodiment, the recovery means 41 includes a scraping arm 42 that scrapes out the deposit, and a recovery conveyor 43 that recovers the deposit scraped out by the scraping arm 42 to the outside of the rail 20 .

[0046] The scraping arm 42 has a telescopic arm 421 to the tip of which a scraping plate 422 is attached so as to be tiltable by a hinge 423. The arm 421 is attached to a frame 425 so as to be tiltable relative to the leg 31 of the moving machine 30 by a hinge 424, and the frame 425 is attached to the leg 31 via an elevating mechanism 426.

[0047] The recovery conveyor 43 includes a conveyor body 431 that transports the pile B scraped out by the scraping arm 42 to the outside of the rail 20, and the conveyor body 431 is attached to the leg 31 by a hinge 432 so as to be able to tilt freely. A slope 433 is attached to the tip of the conveyor body 431 on the belt conveyor 10 side so as to make it easier to guide the pile B into the conveyor body 431.

[0048] Next, an example of the operation of the recovery means 41 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. When recovery is performed, first, as shown in Figure 4(a), the moving machine 30 moves to a position directly beside the deposit B to be recovered. Then, before the recovery operation, the recovery conveyor 43 is tilted and the slope 433 is placed on the ground (Figure 4(b)).

[0049] Next, the arm 421 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 426 (FIG. 4(c)). Furthermore, the scraping plate 422 is tilted around the hinge 423 as a fulcrum, and the arm 421 is tilted around the hinge 424 as a fulcrum, so that the scraping plate 422 can enter between the belt conveyor 10 and the pile B (FIG. 4(d)).

[0050] Next, the arm 421 is extended to move the scraping plate 422 onto the pile B (FIG. 5(e)). After that, the arm 421 is retracted and tilted by the hinge 424 to cut up the pile B and scrape it up to the slope 433 (FIG. 5(f)).

[0051] Then, the arm 421 is further retracted, the scraping plate 422 is raised, and the pile B is placed on the conveyor body 431 along the slope 433. The pile B placed on the conveyor body 431 is transported to the outside of the rail 20 and falls onto the ground (FIG. 5(g)).

[0052] By repeating the above operation, the deposit B to be collected can be moved to the outside of the rail 20. In the example shown in Figures 4 and 5, the scraping plate 422 is L-shaped, but this is not limiting and any shape may be used. For example, the scraping plate 422 may be rake-shaped.

[0053] Furthermore, instead of the scraping plate 422, a crushing roll that scrapes out the deposit while crushing it may be provided at the tip of the arm 421. Furthermore, if the deposit is solidified, a water nozzle may be provided at the tip of the scraping arm 42, and water may be sprayed onto the deposit to soften it before scraping it out.

[0054] Fig. 6 is a front view showing a schematic structure of a cleaning device according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 6, the cleaning device 40 of the present invention can further include at least one of a measuring device 44, a control device 47, and a calculation device 46 in addition to a collecting device 41. The case where the cleaning device 40 includes these components will be described below.

[0055] (Measuring Means) The cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a measuring means for measuring the height of the deposits accumulated under the belt. Any measuring means can be used as long as it can measure the height of the deposits. Examples of the measuring means include a camera, a laser sensor, and a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor.

[0056] The installation position of the measuring means is not particularly limited, but as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable to install it on the leg of the mobile unit, similar to the recovery means.

[0057] The number of measuring means is not particularly limited and may be one, two, or more. When there is one measuring means, it is preferably provided on one leg of the moving machine. In that case, the measuring means may be provided on the leg on the same side as the recovery means, or on the opposite leg. As shown in Figure 6, when there are multiple measuring means, it is preferable to provide at least one measuring means on each of a pair of legs. When measuring means are provided on both of a pair of legs, it is preferable to install each measuring means in opposing positions. This makes it possible to detect not only the height of the pile but also the position of the pile in the width direction of the belt.

[0058] (Control Means) The cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention preferably further includes a control means for controlling each part of the cleaning device. For example, when performing cleaning work based on instructions from an operator, the control means may be configured to operate the collecting means to perform cleaning when instructed by the operator.

[0059] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control means may be configured to automatically perform cleaning based on the accumulation state of deposits, etc., even without a command from an operator. For example, the control means preferably controls the recovery means to drive and recover the deposits when the height of the deposits measured by the measuring means described above exceeds a predetermined standard.

[0060] The criteria are not particularly limited and may be determined by any method. For example, a rule may be set such that collection is initiated when the distance between the pile and the belt exceeds a predetermined value (e.g., 100 mm). Alternatively, a rule may be set such that collection is initiated when the height of the pile exceeds n% of the distance from the ground to the belt. The n% may be set in advance within a range of, for example, 50% or more and less than 100%. When the control means determines that the predetermined criteria have been exceeded, it identifies the location of the pile to be collected and issues a collection command to the mobile device. The mobile device is then moved to the identified location, and the collection means collects the pile.

[0061] The location where the control means is installed is not particularly limited, and it may be installed at any location. The control means may be mounted on the mobile device as with the retrieval means, but it is preferable to install the control means 47 outside the mobile device 30 as shown in Figure 6. In this case, the control means 47 and the retrieval means 41 can be connected by any method, whether wired or wireless.

[0062] The control means may be, for example, a computer equipped with a recording medium containing software for performing the control.

[0063] (Calculation means) Furthermore, it is preferable that the cleaning device in one embodiment of the present invention further comprises a calculation means for creating a pile height map that shows the relationship between the position in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor and the height of the pile at that position, based on the height of the pile measured by the measurement means.

[0064] For example, when the mobile device travels on the rails, the height of the pile is constantly measured by a measuring means, and a pile height map can be created by matching the measured pile height information with the position information of the mobile device at the time the measurement was made.

[0065] In this case, the position information of the mobile machine is not particularly limited and can be obtained by any method. For example, the position can be calculated from the number of rotations of the traveling wheels measured by an encoder attached to the traveling wheels of the mobile machine. Furthermore, in raw material yards of steel mills, markers indicating the current position may be installed at regular intervals along the traveling path of the mobile machine. If the markers are displayed in letters (including numbers), the text information can be read by a camera or the like, and the position of the mobile machine can be determined based on the text information. Furthermore, if the markers are one-dimensional codes such as barcodes or two-dimensional codes such as QR Codes (registered trademark), the position information can be read using a reading device compatible with these codes. When an imaging device such as a camera is used as a measuring means for measuring the height of the pile, it is also preferable to use the imaging device to read the markers.

[0066] The control means can perform control based on the pile height map thus obtained. For example, if there are multiple points within the entire travel range of the mobile device where the pile height exceeds a predetermined standard, the control means can determine the priority of cleaning work according to the height. Furthermore, based on the pile height map and the current position of the mobile device, it can also predict in advance the time required to move the mobile device to the desired collection location and to perform the collection.

[0067] The location where the calculation means is installed is not particularly limited, and it may be installed at any location. The calculation means may be mounted on the mobile device, like the recovery means, but it is preferable to install the calculation means 46 outside the mobile device 30, as shown in Figure 6. In this case, the calculation means 46 and the measurement means 44 can be connected by any method, whether wired or wireless.

[0068] The calculation means may be, for example, a computer equipped with a recording medium containing software for performing the calculations.

[0069] Furthermore, when the cleaning device 40 includes both the calculation means 46 and the control means 47, one of them can serve as the other. In other words, the cleaning device 40 of the present invention may include a calculation control means that functions as both the control means and the calculation means. The calculation control means may be, for example, a computer that includes a recording medium containing software for performing the calculations and control.

[0070] In addition, when the moving machine handles articles transported by a belt conveyor, the control means preferably drives the recovery means to recover the pile when the moving machine is not operating. This makes it possible to recover the pile without interfering with the operation of the moving machine. In other words, it is preferable to stop recovery when the moving machine is operating. Examples of moving machines that handle articles transported by a belt conveyor include stackers, reclaimers, stacker-reclaimers, and unloaders.

[0071] Mobile machines that handle items transported by a belt conveyor, such as stackers and reclaimers, generally have a predetermined operating schedule and operate according to that schedule. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit determine the timing of collecting the piled material taking into account the operating schedule of the mobile machine. For example, by referring to the operating schedule, it is possible to know the time when the mobile machine is waiting and not operating, and the length of the non-operating time (standby time) at that time. Meanwhile, as described above, it is possible to calculate in advance the time (collection time) required for moving the mobile machine to the desired collection location and performing collection, based on the pile height map and the current position of the mobile machine. Therefore, if the collection time is shorter than the standby time, the collection operation can be performed during the non-operating time.

[0072] Alternatively, an operator may determine the state of the mobile machine (traveling, loading, waiting, etc.) and give instructions to the control means to determine whether the mobile machine is in operation or not.

[0073] Next, the flow of a cleaning method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In the example shown in Figure 7, it is assumed that the mobile device is a stacker. Collection is performed in two cases: when a command is received from an operator, and when it is determined that collection is necessary based on information about the height of the pile.

[0074] First, when a collection command is received from an operator, collection is immediately carried out. At that time, it is preferable for the operator to confirm that the mobile device is not in operation before issuing the collection command. The specific flow of collection is as shown in Figure 8. That is, first, the mobile device is moved to the location of the pile to be collected. Once at that location, the pile is collected using the collection means. As the height of the pile at that location decreases due to collection, the height information for that location in the pile height map is updated.

[0075] On the other hand, if no recovery command has been received from the operator, the mobile device can perform normal operation. Therefore, when an operation command to operate the mobile device is received, the mobile device can perform the following operations according to the content of the operation command.

[0076] First, if the operation command is a travel command, the mobile device is moved to a predetermined position by traveling on the rails. At this time, the pile height map is updated. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the pile height is measured by a measuring means. The position of the mobile device is also calculated. The pile height map is then updated based on the obtained pile height information and the position information of the mobile device. The map is updated by comparing the current map with the latest measured information, and if the pile height has changed, it is updated.

[0077] If the operation command is a stacking command, the stacking work is carried out as instructed. That is, the stacker, which is a mobile machine, is operated to drop the raw materials carried by the belt conveyor into a designated position in the raw material yard and stack them as a pile of raw materials.

[0078] If the operation command is neither a travel command nor a stowage command, the mobile unit may wait.

[0079] If the mobile device has not received either a recovery command or an operation command, that is, if it is not in operation (standby state), it determines whether to perform recovery work, and can perform recovery work if possible.

[0080] Specifically, first, the system checks the pile height map to determine whether there is any pile whose height exceeds the collection standard (predetermined standard). If there is no pile, it returns to standby mode. However, if there is any pile whose height exceeds the collection standard, it determines whether collection work can be performed during the current non-operational period. That is, the system calculates the time from the current time until the next operation (standby time) from the mobile device's operation schedule. Then, it compares the time required to collect the pile (collection time) with the standby time. If the collection time is shorter than the standby time, it determines that collection work can be performed during the standby time and issues a collection command to the mobile device. Note that the collection time is the sum of the time required to move the mobile device from its current location to the collection location and the time required to collect the pile at that location.

[0081] After the collection operation is completed, the mobile device may stay in place or may move to a position based on the next operation command. Once the collection of the deposits is completed, the height information for that position in the deposit height map is updated to the latest information.

[0082] As described above, according to the present invention, the collection means attached to the moving machine can collect the deposits under the belt and move them to the outside of the rail. After the deposits are moved, they are outside the travel range of the moving machine, so they can be collected at a time that is convenient for the worker. In addition, since the deposits can be collected and moved to the outside of the rail during non-operational times when the moving machine is not performing work, there is no need to stop the operation of the moving machine to collect the deposits.

[0083] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Belt conveyor 11 Belt 20 Rail 30 Moving machine 31 Leg 32 Traveling wheel 33 On-machine belt conveyor 40 Cleaning device 41 Recovery means 42 Scraping arm 421 Arm 422 Scraping plate 423 Hinge 424 Hinge 425 Frame 426 Lifting mechanism 43 Recovery conveyor 431 Conveyor body 432 Hinge 433 Slope 44 Measuring means 46 Calculating means 47 Control means B Deposit P Raw material pile R Raw material

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning up deposits that accumulate under a belt conveyor, the cleaning device being mounted on a moving machine that runs on rails installed along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor, and equipped with a recovery means for recovering the deposits under the belt and moving them to the outside of the rails.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery means comprises a scraping arm for scraping out the deposit, and a recovery conveyor for recovering the deposit scraped out by the scraping arm to the outside of the rail.

3. A cleaning device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a measuring means for measuring the height of deposits accumulated under the belt; and a control means for driving the recovery means to recover the deposits when the height of the deposits measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined standard.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, further comprising a calculation means for creating a pile height map representing the relationship between a position in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor and the height of the pile at said position, based on the height of the pile measured by said measurement means, and said control means performs control based on said pile height map.

5. A cleaning device as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the moving machine handles items transported by the belt conveyor, and the control means drives the recovery means to recover the deposits when the moving machine is not operating.

6. A cleaning device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control means determines the timing for removing the deposits taking into account an operating schedule of the mobile machine.

7. A cleaning method for cleaning up deposits that have accumulated under a belt conveyor, comprising: collecting the deposits under the belt and moving them to the outside of the rails using a collecting means mounted on a moving machine that runs on a rail installed along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor.

8. A cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein the recovery means comprises a scraping arm for scraping out the deposits, and a conveyor for transporting the deposits scraped out by the scraping arm to the outside of the rail.

9. A cleaning method as described in claim 7 or 8, further comprising the steps of: measuring the height of deposits accumulated under the belt with a measuring means; and driving the recovery means to recover the deposits when the height of the deposits measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined standard.

10. A cleaning method as described in claim 9, further comprising creating a pile height map representing the relationship between a position in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor and the height of the pile at said position from the height of the pile measured by said measuring means, and recovering the pile based on said pile height map.

11. A cleaning method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the moving machine handles the articles transported by the belt conveyor, and the collecting means is driven to collect the deposits when the moving machine is not in operation.

12. A cleaning method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the timing for collecting the deposits is determined taking into account the operating schedule of the mobile machine.

Images