METHOD AND CLEANING DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE INTERIOR OF A PIPE

Abstract

A method for cleaning the interior of a pipe using a cleaning device which has a tube. The tube is set into an axial movement along a main axis H within the pipe, and the insertion depth E of the tube into the pipe is detected. It is determined whether the tube has reached an end position, and the axial movement is terminated when the tube reaches the end position.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning the interior of a pipe using a cleaning device which has a tube, comprising the steps of: setting the tube into an axial movement along a main axis H within the pipe, detecting an insertion depth E of the tube into the pipe, and determining whether the tube has reached an end position and terminating the axial movement when the tube reaches the end position.

2. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 1, wherein the end position is a first end position in which the tube at least partially extends into the pipe or a second end position in which the tube is located completely outside the pipe.

3. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the tube has reached an end position by detecting an abutment of the tube on an end switch.

4. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 1, wherein during the axial movement, the detected insertion depth E is used in order to continuously determine the distance A of the tube from a target value associated with the end position in whose direction the tube moves, and an advancing speed of the axial movement is set as a function of the determined distance A.

5. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 4, wherein the advancing speed is set to a constant first value W1 at a distance of A>50 cm and to a constant second value W2<W1 at a distance of A?50 cm.

6. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 5, wherein the second value W2 is selected as a function of the distance A and decreases with decreasing distance A.

7. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 6, wherein a lower limit of 0.5.Math.W1 is provided for the second value W2.

8. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 4, wherein the advancing speed is between 1 mm/s and 500 mm/s.

9. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 3, wherein, in the event that an abutment of the tube is detected at an end switch, it is determined whether the detected insertion depth E is within a specified tolerance range around a target value associated with the end position, and at least one of the following actions is performed if the insertion depth E is outside of the tolerance range: the target value is redefined based on the determined insertion depth E; an entry is stored in a database indicating that the insertion depth E was outside the tolerance range; a perceptible signal, in particular an acoustic signal or a light signal, is output; the cleaning is discontinued.

10. A cleaning device for cleaning the interior of a pipe, comprising: a tube and an advancing unit for moving the tube along a main axis H of the advancing unit, wherein the advancing unit has a drive which is frictionally connected to the tube and by means of which the tube can be set into an axial movement along the main axis (H), wherein the cleaning device comprises a controller for controlling the drive, and wherein the controller is configured so as to determine whether the tube has reached an end position and to terminate the axial movement when the tube reaches the end position.

11. The cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein the cleaning device comprises a monitoring device connected to the controller and configured so as to detect the insertion depth E of the tube into the pipe, and/or in that the cleaning device comprises at least one end switch unit connected to the controller and configured so as to detect the reaching of an end position of the tube.

12. The cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein each end switch unit comprises an abutment element mounted on the tube and an end switch mounted on the advancing unit, wherein the end switch unit is configured so as to transmit an end switch signal to the controller when the abutment element abuts the end switch.

13. The cleaning device according to claim 12, wherein the end switch comprises at least one hollow shaft biased in the axial direction, wherein the tube extends through the hollow shaft, and in that the end switch comprises a sensor connected to the controller, wherein the sensor is configured so as to detect a movement of the hollow shaft counter to the bias.

14. The cleaning device according to claim 13, wherein the sensor is an inductively measuring sensor.

15. The cleaning device according to claim 13, wherein the hollow shaft comprises a recess at which the sensor is aimed.

16. The cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein the drive comprises a servomotor, in which the monitoring device is at least partially integrated.

17. The cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein slip monitoring for detecting slip between the tube and the drive.

18. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 2, wherein it is determined whether the tube has reached an end position by detecting an abutment of the tube on an end switch, wherein during the axial movement, the detected insertion depth E is used in order to continuously determine the distance A of the tube from a target value associated with the end position in whose direction the tube moves, and an advancing speed of the axial movement is set as a function of the determined distance A, and wherein the advancing speed is set to a constant first value W1 at a distance of A>50 cm and to a constant second value W2<W1 at a distance of A?50 cm.

19. The method for cleaning the interior of a pipe according to claim 18, wherein the second value W2 is selected as a function of the distance A and decreases with decreasing distance A, wherein a lower limit of 0.5.Math.W1 is provided for the second value W2, and wherein the advancing speed is between 1 mm/s and 500 mm/s.

20. The cleaning device according to claim 14, wherein the hollow shaft comprises a recess at which the sensor is aimed, wherein the drive comprises a servomotor, in which the monitoring device is at least partially integrated, and wherein slip monitoring for detecting slip between the tube and the drive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The invention is exemplified in the drawings. Shown are:

[0046] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a first embodiment of a device according to the present invention;

[0047] FIG. 2 a plan view of the device according to FIG. 1;

[0048] FIG. 3 a vertical section in the longitudinal direction through the device according to FIG. 1;

[0049] FIG. 4 a second embodiment of the device according to the invention in a plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] The cleaning device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a post 3 having a base 5, a pillar 7 and a bracket 9 (see FIG. 1). The pillar 7 and the bracket 9 are arranged along a main axis H on the base 5, wherein the bracket 9 is arranged in a front region 11 of the base 5 and the pillar 7 is arranged in a rear region 13 of the base 5. When used as intended, the front region 11 faces the pipe 12 to be cleaned and the rear region 13 faces away from the pipe 12 (see FIG. 2). The cleaning device 1 further comprises a controller (not shown here).

[0051] A plastic bushing 15 is arranged in the pillar 7. The bracket 9 comprises a plastic block 17. The cleaning device 1 further has an advancing unit 21, which is supported in the plastic bushing 15 and the plastic block 17 and thereby rotatably supported in the post 3 about the main axis H.

[0052] The advancing unit 21 has a central housing 23 with two coaxial apertures 25, 27 along the main axis H (see FIG. 3). A first guide block 31 is arranged on the outside 29 of the housing 23 and behind the first aperture 25 and is fixedly connected to the housing 23. The first guide block 31 has a first guide bore 35 coaxial to the first aperture 25. A first hollow shaft 37 is arranged in the first guide bore 35. The first hollow shaft 37 is guided in a first bushing 38 such that it is axially displaceable relative to the first guide block 31. A first compression spring 39 is arranged between the first hollow shaft 37 and the outside 29 of the housing 23. The first hollow shaft 37 is rotatably supported in the plastic bushing 15 about the main axis H.

[0053] The first hollow shaft 37 has a partially conical bore 43 running along the main axis H, which transitions into a cylindrical bore of the hollow shaft 37 and whose largest inner diameter is provided at one end 45. The conical bore 43 thereby facilitates insertion of a tube 47 into the first hollow shaft 37. The first hollow shaft 37 is thus chamfered by the conical bore 43, thereby avoiding damage to the pipe.

[0054] The first hollow shaft 37 together with the first compression spring 39 forms a first end switch for a first end switch unit of the cleaning device 1.

[0055] A first sensor bore 51, which is arranged perpendicular to the first guide bore 35 and in which a first sensor 53 of the first end switch unit is arranged, is provided in the first guide block 31. The first hollow shaft 37 has a first recess 55 that cooperates with the first sensor 53. In the illustrated position, the first compression spring 39 is unstressed and the first sensor 53 is aimed at the first recess 55. The first sensor 53 is connected to the controller of the cleaning device 1, whereby the controller can determine in which position the first hollow shaft 37 is located.

[0056] A second guide block 61 is arranged on the outside 29 of the housing 23 and in front of the second aperture 27, which is fixedly connected to the housing 23 on the one hand and to a spacer 67 on the other hand. The second guide block 61 has a second guide bore 63 that runs coaxially to the second aperture 27. A second bushing 69 is arranged in the second guide bore 63, in which a second hollow shaft 65 of a second end switch is arranged axially displaceable relative to the second guide block 61. In the axial direction, a second compression spring 70 is arranged between the second hollow shaft 65 of the second end switch and the outside 29 of the housing 23. The second end switch is part of a second end switch unit of the cleaning device 1.

[0057] A second sensor bore 57, which is arranged perpendicular to the second guide bore 63, in which a second sensor 58 is arranged, is provided in the second guide block 61. The second hollow shaft 65 has a second recess 59. The second sensor 58 is aimed at the second recess 59 in the illustrated position of the second hollow shaft 65, and the second compression spring 70 is relaxed.

[0058] The recesses 55, 59 are located on the outsides of the first and second hollow shafts 37, 65. Thus, they are not in direct contact with the space in which the tube is located. The risk of the recesses 55, 59 becoming soiled is thereby reduced. In other embodiments, a continuous bore having a small diameter can be respectively provided in the recesses 55, 59. Thus, for example, water that collects in recesses 55, 59 can drain.

[0059] A third hollow shaft 71 running along the main axis H is connected to the spacer 67 in a rotationally fixed manner and projects out of the spacer 67 on the side of the spacer 67 facing away from the second guide block 61.

[0060] The third hollow shaft 71 extends outside the spacer 67 through a bore 73 of the plastic block 17 and projects out of the bore 73 with an end 74 on the side of the plastic block 17 facing away from the spacer 67.

[0061] In the interior 81 of the housing 23, two guide sleeves 83, 85 are arranged for the tube 47 (see FIG. 3). The first guide sleeve 83 is arranged on the inside 87 of the housing 23 adjacent to the first aperture 25 such that its bore transitions into the first aperture 25. The second guide sleeve 85 is arranged on the inside adjacent to the second aperture 27 such that its bore transitions into the second aperture 27. Both guide sleeves 83, 85 run coaxially to the main axis H.

[0062] In order to move the tube 47 axially, the advancing unit 21 has a drive roller 91 and a pressing roller 93 in the interior 81 of the housing 23. The rollers 91, 93 are each rotatable about an axis of rotation X, Y extending crookedly relative to the main axis H, wherein the axes of rotation X, Y each extend in a plane that is perpendicular to the main axis H. Both rollers 91, 93 have a respective circumferential groove 95, 97 extending at the respective outer circumference in which the tube 47 is received when used as intended. The rollers 91, 93 are rubberised in the region of the grooves 95, 97 and move the tube 47 by means of frictional connection. The distance between the rotational axes X, Y can be adjusted by way of an eccentric element (not shown) of the pressing roller 93 so that the contact pressure can be adjusted and/or tubes of different diameters can be moved by the advancing unit 21.

[0063] The rollers 91, 93 are part of a drive 94 of the advancing unit 21. The drive 94 further has a servomotor 99 that directly drives the drive roller 91. The rollers 91, 93 are coupled together via pinions 100 (only one pinion is shown) such that the pressing roller 93 is also driven. The servomotor 99 is connected to the controller of the cleaning device 1 and can be activated and deactivated by the controller. A monitoring device for detecting an insertion depth E of the tube 47 is integrated into the servomotor 99. The monitoring device senses the rotational angle of the servomotor 99.

[0064] The hollow shafts 37, 65, 71, the housing 23, and the guide sleeves 83, 85 together form a tube guide 101 for the tube 47. Starting from the end 45, the tube 47 extends sequentially through the first hollow shaft 37, through the first compression spring 39, through the first aperture 25, through the first guide sleeve 83, through the interior 81 of the housing 23, through the second guide sleeve 85, through the second aperture 27, through the second compression spring 70, through the second hollow shaft 65, and through the third hollow shaft 71. At the end 74 of the third hollow shaft 71, the tube 47 enters the open air and, when used as intended, is guided there into a pipe 12 to be cleaned. The cleaning device 1 is positioned such that the pipe 12 to be cleaned runs along the main axis H (see FIG. 2).

[0065] Between the guide sleeves 83, 85, the tube guide 101 is interrupted so that the rollers 91, 93 can contact the tube 47 and move it axially. The rollers 91, 93 clamp the tube 47 between their circumferential grooves 95, 97 and are thereby frictionally connected to the tube 47. A rotation of the drive roller 91 thus results in an axial movement of the tube 47 in the tube guide 101 along the main axis H. When used as intended, the tube 47 is thus set into an axial movement by means of the drive 94.

[0066] A nozzle (not shown) is attached to the tip 103 of the tube 47. The nozzle has a larger cross-section than the tube 47. The nozzle arranged at the tip of the tube 47 has eccentrically arranged exit holes for cleaning water.

[0067] A spherical first abutment element 104 can be attached to the region of the tube 47 that lies in front of the first hollow shaft 37. The first abutment element 104 is part of the first end switch unit. To create redundancy, a plurality of abutment elements 104 can also be provided. The abutment element 104 acts as an end stop for the axial movement of the tube 47. When the tube 47 is moved into the pipe 12 to be cleaned along the main axis H and such an abutment element 104 is positioned at the appropriate position on the tube 47, the abutment element 104 strikes the first hollow shaft 37 when the tube 47 is at a first end position. The first end position is defined by the position of the first abutment element 104 on the tube. The first abutment element 104 then pushes the first hollow shaft 37 in the axial direction against the first compression spring 39 towards the housing 23 (see FIG. 3). The first compression spring 39 is thereby compressed and the first recess 55 is moved away from the first sensor 53. The first sensor 53 detects this movement in that its signal changes because it is now aimed directly at the peripheral surface of the first hollow shaft 37. In this way, it is determined that the tube has reached the first end position. The controller of the cleaning device 1 receives the changed signal from the first sensor 53 as an end switch signal and stops the servomotor 99 such that the tube 47 is not moved further into the pipe 12. The axial movement of the tube 47 is terminated in this manner.

[0068] When the cleaning device 1 is put into service, the tube 47 is manually moved from the first hollow shaft 37 through the tube guide 101 until the tube 47 enters the open air at the end 74 of the third hollow shaft 71. From there, it can be moved into the pipe 12 and can clean its inside.

[0069] If the tube 47 is moved out of the pipe 12 after a cleaning operation, it should only be moved back to a predetermined point by the drive 94. In particular, it should be prevented that the tube 47 falls completely out of the advancing unit 21. For this purpose, the tube guide 101 in the region of the spacer 67 is interrupted. A fork-shaped stopper part 105 of the second end switch can be stuck on the tube 47 in the spacer 67. The stopper part 105 is then secured by a cover of the spacer 67, which prevents the stopper part 105 from slipping off the tube 47. The stopper part 105 has a clear width that is greater than the outer diameter of the tube 47, but less than the outer diameter of the nozzle. As the tube 47 retracts out of the pipe 12, the nozzle strikes the stopper part 105; the tube 47 has now reached its second end position. The nozzle forms the abutment element of the second end switch unit. The stopper part 105 is pushed by the nozzle in the axial direction against the second hollow shaft 65 and moves the second hollow shaft 65 axially towards the housing 23 against the force of the second compression spring 70. In this way, the second sensor aperture 57 is moved away from the second sensor 58. The second sensor 58 detects this movement in that its signal changes because it is now no longer aimed at the second recess 59, but directly towards the outer peripheral surface of the second hollow shaft 65. In this way, it is determined that tube 47 has reached the second end position. The controller of the cleaning device 1 receives the changed signal from the second sensor 53 as an end switch signal and stops the servomotor 99 such that the tube 47 is not moved further. At this time, the tube 47 is completely outside the pipe 12, but is not moved further into the tube guide 101 and thus cannot fall out of the advancing unit 21.

[0070] In other embodiments, a second fork-shaped stopper part can be provided between the inside 87 and the second guide block 61. This creates redundancy. The second fork-shaped stopper part can also be configured merely as a tube catcher and not an end switch. As a result, no additional sensor is required, and the second fork-shaped stopper part still serves as an additional safety in order to prevent the tube from exiting the tube guide under pressure.

[0071] The controller continuously determines a distance A from the insertion depth E of the tube 47 and a target value. A target value is associated with each end position. The direction of rotation of the rollers 91, 93 determines to which end position the tube 47 is moving. The distance A is the distance of the tube 47 from the end position in whose direction it is moving. The controller can then set the advancing speed, i.e. the speed of rotation of the servomotor, as a function of the distance A.

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the cleaning device 1 according to the invention. This embodiment corresponds in portions to the first embodiment.

[0073] In this embodiment, the servomotor 99 is arranged on the advancing unit 21 such that its servomotor axis S is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drive roller (neither are visible here). More specifically, in this embodiment, the servomotor axis S of the drive is aligned parallel to the main axis H. This gives the cleaning device a compact design. The servomotor 99 includes a transmission 113 for redirecting the drive torque from the servomotor 99 to the drive roller 91.

[0074] In this embodiment, the post of the cleaning device 1 is built into a frame construction 114. The frame construction 114 is cuboid and has a plurality of frame portions 116. The frame portions 116 run along the edges of an intended cuboid.

[0075] In the front region 11 and the rear region 13, the frame construction 114 is closed at its front sides by a respective plate. In the front region 11, this prevents soil from the pipe 12 reaching the components of the cleaning device 1. Two carrying handles 118 are arranged on opposite sides of the frame construction 114.

[0076] The distance between the axis of rotation of the drive roller and the axis of rotation X of the pressing roller 93 can be adjusted by way of an eccentric element with a handle 120. With the eccentric element 120, the pressing roller 93 is moved with its axis of rotation X relative to the axis of rotation of the drive roller. In this way, the contact pressure can be adjusted, and/or tubes having different diameters can be moved through the advancing unit 21.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0077] 1 Cleaning device [0078] 3 Post [0079] 5 Base [0080] 7 Pillar [0081] 9 Bracket [0082] 11 Front region [0083] 12 Tube [0084] 13 Rear region [0085] 15 Plastic bushing [0086] 17 Plastic block [0087] 21 Advancing unit [0088] 23 Housing [0089] 25 First aperture [0090] 27 Second aperture [0091] 29 Outside [0092] 31 First guide block [0093] 35 First guide bore [0094] 37 First hollow shaft [0095] 38 First bushing [0096] 39 First compression spring [0097] 43 Bore [0098] 45 End [0099] 47 Tube [0100] 51 First sensor bore [0101] 53 First sensor [0102] 55 First recess [0103] 57 Second sensor bore [0104] 58 Second sensor [0105] 59 Second recess [0106] 61 Second guide block [0107] 63 Second guide bore [0108] 65 Second hollow shaft [0109] 67 Spacer [0110] 69 Second bushing [0111] 70 Second compression spring [0112] 71 Third hollow shaft [0113] 73 Bore [0114] 74 End [0115] 81 Interior [0116] 83 First guide sleeve [0117] 85 Second guide sleeve [0118] 87 Inside [0119] 91 Drive roller [0120] 93 Pressing roller [0121] 94 Drive [0122] 95 Circumferential groove [0123] 97 Circumferential groove [0124] 99 Servomotor [0125] 100 Pinion [0126] 101 Tube guide [0127] 103 Tip [0128] 104 Stop member [0129] 105 Abutment part [0130] 113 Transmission [0131] 114 Frame construction [0132] 116 Frame part [0133] 118 Handle [0134] 120 Eccentric element with handle [0135] H Main axis [0136] S Servomotor axis [0137] X Axis of rotation [0138] Y Axis of rotation