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US 12,747,007 B2Granted
Surface-cleaning device and vehicle
AssigneeTrosvik Oceantech AS
InventorRobert Andersen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention concerns a cleaning device for cleaning a surface submerged in water, a cleaning system comprising a plurality of the cleaning devices, an underwater vehicle comprising the cleaning system and a method using the underwater vehicle. The cleaning device comprises a disk member rotatable around a rotational axis r, a disk housing covering the disk member, a spindle rotatably coupled to the disk member and a rotary motor providing rotational power to the spindle. The disk member comprises a first side facing away from the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation and a concave second side facing towards the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation.
Claims15
A cleaning device for cleaning a surface submerged in water, wherein the cleaning device comprises:
- a disk member rotatable around a rotational axis (r), wherein the disk member comprises:
- (i) a first side facing away from the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, and (ii) a concave second side facing towards the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation;
- a disk housing covering the first side, wherein the disk housing is arranged and configured such that (i) a gap is formed between a radial periphery of the disk member and an inner wall of the disk housing, and (ii) a suction cavity is provided between the inner wall and the first side;
- a spindle rotatably coupled to the disk member;
- a rotary motor providing rotational power to the spindle;
- and
- a discharge channel arranged in fluid communication with the suction cavity via at least one outflow opening in the disk housing, the at least one outflow opening being arranged at the radial periphery of the disk member to allow radial discharge of liquids from within the suction cavity;
- wherein the disk member further comprises:
- a nozzle for discharging cleaning fluids under pressure against the surface;
- a nozzle conduit configured to establish fluid communication from a cleaning fluid source outside the cleaning device to the nozzle;
- and
- a plurality of vanes protruding from the first side and into the suction cavity;
- and
- wherein the disk member is non-permeable for liquids from the concave second side except through the gap, such that, during cleaning operation, liquids flowing into the suction cavity from the concave second side during a cleaning operation are passing entirely through the gap.
11 more elements
A cleaning system comprising:
- a plurality of cleaning devices and a second stage pumping system, wherein an individual cleaning device comprises:
- a disk member rotatable around a rotational axis (r), wherein the disk member comprises (i) a first side facing away from a surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, (ii) a concave second side facing towards the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, (iii) a nozzle for discharging cleaning fluids under pressure against the surface, (iv) a nozzle conduit configured to establish fluid communication from a cleaning fluid source outside the individual cleaning device to the nozzle, and (v) a plurality of vanes protruding from the first side and into a suction cavity;
- a disk housing covering the first side, wherein the disk housing is arranged and configured such that (i) a gap is formed between a radial periphery of the disk member and an inner wall of the disk housing and (ii) the suction cavity is provided between the inner wall and the first side;
- a spindle rotatably coupled to the disk member;
- a rotary motor providing rotational power to the spindle;
- a discharge channel arranged in fluid communication with the suction cavity via at least one outflow opening in the disk housing, the at least one outflow opening being arranged at the radial periphery of the disk member to allow radial discharge of liquids from within the suction cavity;
- and
- wherein the disk member is configured such that, during cleaning operation, liquids flowing into the suction cavity from the concave second side during a cleaning operation are passing entirely through the gap,
- wherein, for the individual cleaning device, at least the disk member, the disk housing, the spindle, the rotary motor, the at least one outflow opening and the discharge channel constitute a first stage pumping system,
- wherein the second stage pumping system comprises (i) a motorized pump, (ii) a central liquid collector, and (iii) at least one second stage hose for each of the plurality of cleaning devices, wherein the at least one second stage hose for a respective cleaning device of the plurality of cleaning devices is arranged in fluid communication with the central liquid collector at a first end and with the discharge channel of the respective cleaning device at a second end, and
- wherein the second stage pumping system is configured to pump the liquids from the suction cavity of the first stage pumping system and to the central liquid collector.
8 more elements
An underwater vehicle comprising:
- a cleaning system, wherein the cleaning system comprises a plurality of cleaning devices, and wherein an individual cleaning device comprises:
- (A) a disk member rotatable around a rotational axis (r), wherein the disk member comprises (i) a first side facing away from a surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, (ii) a concave second side facing towards the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, (iii) a nozzle for discharging cleaning fluids under pressure against the surface, (iv) a nozzle conduit configured to establish fluid communication from a cleaning fluid source outside the individual cleaning device to the nozzle, and (v) a plurality of vanes protruding from the first side and into a suction cavity;
- (B) a disk housing covering the first side, wherein the disk housing is arranged and configured such that (i) a gap is formed between a radial periphery of the disk member and an inner wall of the disk housing and (ii) the suction cavity is provided between the inner wall and the first side;
- (C) a spindle rotatably coupled to the disk member;
- (D) a rotary motor providing rotational power to the spindle;
- and (E) a discharge channel arranged in fluid communication with the suction cavity via at least one outflow opening in the disk housing, the at least one outflow opening being arranged at the radial periphery of the disk member to allow radial discharge of liquids from within the suction cavity;
- wherein the disk member is configured such that, during cleaning operation, liquids flowing into the suction cavity from the concave second side during a cleaning operation are passing entirely through the gap;
- wherein, for the individual cleaning device, at least the disk member, the disk housing, the spindle, the rotary motor, the at least one outflow opening, and the discharge channel constitute a first stage pumping system, and
- wherein the cleaning system further comprises a second stage pumping system, wherein the second stage pumping system comprises (i) a motorized pump, (ii) a central liquid collector, and (iii) at least one second stage hose for each of the plurality of cleaning devices, wherein the at least one second stage hose for a respective cleaning device of the plurality of cleaning devices is arranged in fluid communication with the central liquid collector at a first end and with the discharge channel of the respective cleaning device at a second end, and wherein the second stage pumping system is configured to pump the liquids from the suction cavity of the first stage pumping system and to the central liquid collector;
- and
- wherein the underwater vehicle further comprises:
- a set of front and rear vehicle rollers arranged and configured for rolling the underwater vehicle on the surface to be cleaned;
- and
- a plurality of thrusters arranged and configured to allow movements of the underwater vehicle in at least a direction perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned and a direction parallel to the surface to be cleaned.
11 more elements
A method for cleaning a surface submerged in water by use of an underwater vehicle comprising a plurality of thrusters and a cleaning system, wherein the method comprises:
- guiding the underwater vehicle by use of the plurality of thrusters until the cleaning system is set at a predetermined minimum offset distance from the surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning system comprises a plurality of cleaning devices, and wherein an individual cleaning device comprises:
- (A) a disk member rotatable around a rotational axis (r), wherein the disk member comprises (i) a first side facing away from the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, (ii) a concave second side facing towards the surface to be cleaned during cleaning operation, (iii) a nozzle for discharging cleaning fluids under pressure against the surface, (iv) a nozzle conduit configured to establish fluid communication from a cleaning fluid source outside the individual cleaning device to the nozzle, and (v) a plurality of vanes protruding from the first side and into a suction cavity;
- (B) a disk housing covering the first side, wherein the disk housing is arranged and configured such that (i) a gap is formed between a radial periphery of the disk member and an inner wall of the disk housing and (ii) the suction cavity is provided between the inner wall and the first side;
- (C) a spindle rotatably coupled to the disk member;
- (D) a rotary motor providing rotational power to the spindle;
- and (E) a discharge channel arranged in fluid communication with the suction cavity via at least one outflow opening in the disk housing, the at least one outflow opening being arranged at the radial periphery of the disk member to allow radial discharge of liquids from within the suction cavity;
- wherein the disk member is configured such that, during cleaning operation, liquids flowing into the suction cavity from the concave second side during a cleaning operation are passing entirely through the gap;
- wherein, for the individual cleaning device, at least the disk member, the disk housing, the spindle, the rotary motor, the at least one outflow opening, and the discharge channel constitute a first stage pumping system, and
- wherein the cleaning system further comprises a second stage pumping system, wherein the second stage pumping system comprises (i) a motorized pump, (ii) a central liquid collector, and (iii) at least one second stage hose for each of the plurality of cleaning devices, wherein the at least one second stage hose for a respective cleaning device of the plurality of cleaning devices is arranged in fluid communication with the central liquid collector at a first end and with the discharge channel of the respective cleaning device at a second end, and wherein the second stage pumping system is configured to pump the liquids from the suction cavity of the first stage pumping system and to the central liquid collector;
- wherein the underwater vehicle further comprises a set of front and rear vehicle rollers arranged and configured for rolling the underwater vehicle on the surface to be cleaned;
- wherein the plurality of thrusters of the underwater vehicle is arranged and configured to allow movements of the underwater vehicle in at least a direction perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned and a direction parallel to the surface to be cleaned;
- and
- wherein the method further comprises:
- rotating the disk member by use of the rotary motor to a rotational velocity exceeding 350 rpm;
- activating the motorized pump of the second stage pumping system;
- and
- guiding the underwater vehicle by use of the plurality of thrusters parallel to the surface to be cleaned.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.