US 5,603,775 AGranted

Utilization of a suction nozzle and jet nozzle for cleaning moving objects

OwnerStaffan Sjoberginventor

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Abstract

Cleaning apparatus, and a method of utilization of the apparatus, cleans an object with a moving surface, such as a roll. The cleaning apparatus includes a nozzle head with a suction nozzle and a jet nozzle for emitting a liquid jet towards the roll. A sub-pressure is maintained in a chamber of the suction nozzle in order to evacuate liquid and released impurities with the aid of air flowing through a gap between the roll and the orifice edge. The jet nozzle is spaced from the inside of the suction nozzle and at the center of the suction nozzle to form a circumferential passage, the passage communicating with an evacuation pipe. The nozzle head also includes a structure to supply compressed air into the chamber through the gap in order to encounter and carry with it toward the passage liquid and impurities, cooperating with the suction effect maintained in the chamber and the evacuation pipe. The compressed air also has the advantage of drying the roll treated with liquid.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Apparatus for cleaning a surface of an object moving in a first direction, said apparatus comprising:

at least one nozzle head, comprising a housing forming an elongated suction nozzle, including a center, that terminates at a first end thereof in an orifice edge, which orifice edge surrounds and defines an opening;
a chamber including said opening;
and at least one jet nozzle disposed in said chamber spaced from said opening and capable of emitting a jet of treatment liquid;
said nozzle head positioned with respect to the surface of an object to be cleaned so that a circumferential gap is formed between the surface to be cleaned and said orifice edge, and so that said jet of treatment liquid impacts a treatment area of the surface to be cleaned;
an evacuation pipe connected to said chamber of said suction nozzle;
a supply pipe connected to said jet nozzle for supplying treatment liquid under superatmospheric pressure thereto;
a vacuum source connected to said chamber by said evacuation pipe for maintaining a sub-pressure in said chamber so that said vacuum source, along with air flowing through the gap between said nozzle head and the surface to be cleaned, evacuates liquid and material released from the surface from said chamber;
an actuator for moving said nozzle head in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, said nozzle head guided during movement by said actuator so as to maintain the gap between said nozzle head and the surface to be cleaned;
said jet nozzle disposed within said suction nozzle at a position at or near the center of said suction nozzle to define an open circumferential passage between an interior wall portion of said jet nozzle and said suction nozzle, said open circumferential passage connected to said evacuation pipe;
and
means for supplying compressed air into said suction nozzle chamber through the gap between said nozzle head and the surface of the object to be cleaned so that the compressed air encounters and carries with it treatment liquid deflected from the surface of the object to be cleaned, and material released from the surface of the object to be cleaned, into and through said open circumferential passage and under the influence of said vacuum source.

8 more elements

A combination comprising:

an object having a surface to be cleaned, said surface moving in a first direction;
and
a cleaning apparatus for cleaning said surface, said cleaning apparatus comprising:
at least one nozzle head, comprising a housing forming an elongated suction nozzle that terminates at a first end thereof in an orifice edge, which orifice edge surrounds and defines an opening a center, and a chamber including said opening, and at least one jet nozzle disposed in said chamber spaced from said opening and capable of emitting a jet of treatment liquid;
said nozzle head positioned with respect to said surface so that a circumferential gap is formed between said surface and said orifice edge, and so that said jet of treatment liquid impacts a treatment area of said surface;
an evacuation pipe connected to said chamber of said suction nozzle;
a supply pipe connected to said jet nozzle for supplying treatment liquid under superatmospheric pressure thereto;
a vacuum source connected to said chamber by said evacuation pipe for maintaining a sub-pressure in said chamber so that said vacuum source, along with air flowing through the gap between said nozzle head and said surface, evacuates liquid and material released from said surface from said chamber;
an actuator for moving said nozzle head in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, said nozzle head guided during movement by said actuator so as to maintain said gap;
said jet nozzle disposed within said suction nozzle at a position at or near the center of said suction nozzle to define an open circumferential passage between an interior wall portion of said suction nozzle and said jet nozzle, said open circumferential passage connected to said evacuation pipe;
and means for supplying compressed air into said suction nozzle chamber through said gap so that the compressed air encounters and carries with it treatment liquid deflected from said surface, and material released from said surface, into and through said open circumferential passage and under influence of said vacuum source.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.