EP0077562B1 - Pipe cleaning apparatus for sewers - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A pipe cleaning device, which is operated by a pressure medium, moves itself automatically through reaction in a pipe to be cleaned and has a rotor which is driven by reaction nozzles and to which pressure medium is supplied via a hollow shaft, wherein it is mounted in floating manner between two radial bearing surfaces, wherein the rotor (4, 29) is mounted on a shaft (10, 39) of the stator (1, 20, 30) and radial bearings (11, 21) of approximately equal size are allocated to the two opposing end faces of the rotor (4, 29), characterised in that reaction nozzles (13, 46) directed obliquely backwards as well as cleaning nozzles which are designed as radial nozzles (14, 24, 92) directed perpendicularly to the pipe wall are arranged in the rotor (4, 29, 95).

Description

The object of the invention is a lionremgungsgerät, which operates with a pressure medium, moves automatically by recoil in a pipe to be cleaned and which has a rotor driven by recoil nozzles to which pressure medium is fed through a hollow axis, wherein it is floating between two radial bearing surfaces, wherein the rotor is mounted on an axis of the stator and the two opposite end faces of the rotor are assigned approximately equal radial bearings.

A pipe cleaning device with such a floating rotor has become known from DE-A 3 009 129. Recoil nozzles drive the rotor, which is equipped with mechanical pipe cleaning tools. Other non-rotating recoil nozzles serve to move the device through the pipe.

Another pipe cleaning device known from FR-PS 1 597 870 has two rotors driven in opposite directions by compressed air. The bores in the rotors are directed obliquely backwards so that the reaction force of the emerging jet drives the rotor and advances the device.

The cleaning effect of this pipe cleaning device is insufficient because there is no cleaning jet that strikes the pipe wall of the pipe to be cleaned directly and sharply focused. The impurities and deposits fixed on the inner wall of the pipe are only insufficiently removed because the cleaning jet emerging from the recoil nozzles only spirally sweeps the inner surface of the pipe to be cleaned due to the progressive movement of the pipe cleaning device. High internal friction also occurs on the radial bearings of the rotor because these radial bearings are not designed as floating fluid bearings.

Starting from a pipe cleaning device of the type mentioned at the outset, the present invention has set itself the task of developing such a device that a substantially better cleaning effect - based on a pressure source of the same power and the same pressure - is achieved.

The invention solves this problem in that both recoil-directed recoil nozzles and cleaning nozzles are arranged in the rotor and are designed as radial nozzles directed perpendicularly against the tube wall.

An improvement in the cleaning effect is achieved by the fact that radial nozzles are now provided which are directed perpendicularly against the pipe wall and which therefore direct the cleaning jet vertically onto the pipe wall and reliably remove the deposits located there. Such a removal effect is only insufficiently achieved with rearward recoil nozzles.

In addition, cleaning tools such as brushes, chains and roughing tools can be arranged on the rotor. These cleaning tools can be arranged interchangeably, so that the pipe cleaner can be operated both without and with cleaning tools.

The pipe cleaning device is used in particular for cleaning house sewer lines, because the dimensions of this cleaning device can be reduced very much. It is preferred here if the maximum outside diameter of the pipe cleaner does not exceed 100 mm.

Such a pipe cleaning device is preferably used with high pressure cleaning devices which are already widely used in agriculture and in households. Such high-pressure cleaning devices, such as those used for spray cleaning objects and animals, have an electrically operated high-pressure pump which generates a pressure jet of approximately 50 to 150 bar. The high-pressure hose of such a high-pressure cleaning device is now connected according to the invention to the pressure hose of the pipe cleaning device, so that the pipe cleaning device can be operated with the pressure medium of such a high-pressure cleaner. Instead of the use of previously used spirals, such known high-pressure cleaners can now be used to simply clean the domestic sewage pipes.

Another essential feature of the present invention is that, according to the subject matter of the claim, a hammer-drill-like effect is achieved in that the water jets only emerge suddenly from the recoil nozzles. This is achieved in that the bore edges of the mutually opposite and associated bores in the rotor and in the stator merge sharply, so that there is no connection water flow from one bore edge in the stator to the adjacent bore edge in the stator. The same applies to the bore edges in the rotor; This means that there is no connection water flow from adjacent bores in the rotor, so that the water emerging from the rotor nozzles only emerges in a sharp jet if the rotor and stator bores are exactly opposite one another, while the water jet breaks off immediately if these bores are aligned is no longer given.

In another embodiment of this special pipe cleaning device, it is proposed according to the subject matter of claims 5 or 6 that connection channels assigned either in the rotor or in the stator are provided, so that water flow from adjacent bores over the ring channel is permitted.

This means that the rotor-side nozzles not only emit a strong water jet when the opposite bore edges of the rotor and stator-side bores coincide, but also in all intermediate rotation angle ranges.

According to an embodiment according to claim 7, brake nozzles are provided in the rotor. They should be dimensioned and arranged so that they reduce the speed of rotation of the rotor. This has the advantage that the jet emerging from the cleaning nozzles becomes more effective. If the rotation is too fast, the jet is partially atomized.

• Figur 1 Querschnitt durch ein Rohrreinigungsgerät nach der Erfindung in einer ersten Ausführungsform;
• Figur 2 Schnitt durch ein Rohrreinigungsgerät in einer zweiten Ausführungsform;
• Figur 3 Querschnitt durch das Gerät nach Figur 2 gemäss der Linie 111-111;
• Figur 4 Längsschnitt durch ein weiteres Rohrreinigungsgerät;
• Figur 5 Schnitt gemäss der Linie V-V in Figur 4;
• Figur 6 Querschnitt durch eine weitere Ausführungsform eines Rohrreinigungsgerätes;
• Figur 6a Schnitt in Höhe des Ringkanals durch das Rohrreinigungsgerät nach Figur 6;

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a few exemplary embodiments. Further essential features and advantages of the invention emerge from the drawing and its description.

• Figure 1 cross section through a pipe cleaning device according to the invention in a first embodiment;
• Figure 2 section through a pipe cleaning device in a second embodiment;
• Figure 3 cross section through the device of Figure 2 along the line 111-111;
• Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section through another pipe cleaning device;
• Figure 5 section along the line VV in Figure 4;
• FIG. 6 cross section through a further embodiment of a pipe cleaning device;
• Figure 6a section at the level of the ring channel through the pipe cleaning device according to Figure 6;

The pipe cleaning device shown in FIG. 1 consists of a stator 1, to which a hose connection 2 attaches axially. The hose connection 2 opens into a pressure chamber 5, to which a first distributor chamber 17 connects, which leads to recoil nozzles 12 mounted in the stator. The recoil nozzles are directed obliquely backwards, preferably at an angle of approximately 30 °.

In the axial direction, the pressure chamber 5 continues through a channel 6 which opens into a radial bore 8. The bore 8 is in connection with the rotating distributor space 7 of the rotor 4, wherein both recoil nozzles 13 directed obliquely backwards and radial nozzles 14 directed perpendicularly to the tube wall are arranged radially outward on the distributor space 7.

The rotor 4 is rotatably supported on the axis 10 of the stator 1 in a floating manner. The axial bearing 3 runs on the outer circumference of the axis 10, while the rotor 4 is bordered on its end faces by an upper and lower radial bearing 11. Both radial bearings 11 have the same dimensions.

In a further development of the present invention, it is provided that a further channel 9 opens into the hollow axis 10 of the stator, which passes through the head 16 of the pipe cleaning device and ends in a front cleaning nozzle 15.

The front cleaning nozzle 15 on the head 16 is used for pre-cleaning a sewer pipe to be cleaned. The water jet emerging at the front is intended to soften and possibly dissolve the deposits deposited in the tube, which are then removed all the better by the recoil nozzles 12 and the radial nozzles 14.

Depending on the performance of the available high pressure pump, all nozzle bores can be closed with appropriate screws. With low power, for example, the recoil nozzles 12 arranged in the stator and the cleaning nozzle 15 arranged in the head 16 can be closed.

The head 16 is screwed into a corresponding receptacle in the axis 10 with a bolt thread. In this way, by unscrewing the head 16, the pipe cleaning device according to the invention can be dismantled and reassembled very easily.

Figures 2 and 3 show another embodiment of a pipe cleaning device; like parts being identified by like reference numerals. In the exemplary embodiment shown, corresponding recoil nozzles, as shown in FIG. 1, are missing on the stator 20, and the pressure chamber 5 opens directly into the recoil nozzles 13 and the radial nozzles 14 via the radial distributor space 7. The nozzles 13, 14 shown there are not formed as screw-in threaded parts, as in the embodiment of Figure 1, but are incorporated directly into the rotor 4 as nozzle bores.

FIG. 3 shows that a recoil nozzle 13 with a radial nozzle 14 is alternately provided on the outer circumference of the rotor 4.

Figures 4 and 5 show a further embodiment of a pipe cleaning device according to the invention. The pressure chamber 25 opens axially at the stator 30 with the hose connection 19. The pressure chamber 25 opens into a radial distributor chamber 27, from which recoil nozzles 22 directed obliquely towards the rear. The pressure chamber 25 continues with a channel 26 through a hollow axis 39, a first bore 37 being provided in the channel 26, which is in flow connection with a radial distributor chamber 28 attached on the rotor side. In the distribution space 28 open radial nozzles 24 which are directed perpendicular to the tube wall. The rotor has mutually opposite bores 34, 35 for fastening a cleaning tool 36, e.g. a chain on. The chain is fastened with corresponding setscrews which are screwed into the bores 34, 35. Instead of a chain, other cleaning tools 36, e.g. Brushes, scratches or scrapers can be used. The cleaning tool 36 is arranged in the region of the reduced diameter of the rotor 29, so that the cleaning tool 36 can rest against the rotor 29 as it passes through narrow points in the sewer pipe.

The channel 26 arranged in the hollow axis 39 in turn opens into a bore 38 on the upper end face. Starting from this distributor space 31, the radial nozzles 24 and recoil nozzles 13 are again arranged. The entire rotor 29 is on the axis 39 with the help of a Ver attached from the rotor side part spaces 28, 31 fed axial bearings 23 supported. The end face of the rotor 29 is supported on radial bearings 21 that are opposite each other. The lower radial bearing 21 is formed between the end face of the stator 30 and the associated, opposite end face of the rotor 29, while the radial bearing 21 located in the feed direction is formed by the end face of the rotor 29 and an associated face of a disk 33 which extends from one to the other a threaded bolt of the axis 39 screwed head 32 is held.

FIG. 5 shows that a radial nozzle 24 always alternates with a recoil nozzle 13 on the rotor 29. It is also possible within the scope of the present invention to use a larger or smaller number of radial nozzles and recoil nozzles. This applies to all the embodiments shown.

The effect of additional brake nozzles will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 6a. Brake nozzles are nozzles which are counter to the action of the recoil nozzles causing the rotation. This will now be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 6.

The hollow axis of the stator 40 has transverse bores 46 which are connected to the pressure chamber 90. In the bearing bore of the rotor, an annular channel 44 is worked out, which is aligned with the bores 46. In this ring channel, holes open that lead to various nozzles attached to the outer circumference of the rotor. The nozzles 46 are obliquely backward-directed recoil nozzles which advance the device and at the same time set the rotor in rotation. The nozzles 91 are brake nozzles. The opening of these brake nozzles 91 is less than that of the recoil nozzles 46 so that the recoil force of the brake nozzles is less than that of the recoil nozzles and the rotor continues to rotate.

The nozzles 92 are cleaning nozzles directed perpendicularly against the pipe wall to be cleaned. The lower rotational speed achieved with the help of the brake nozzles improves the effectiveness of the cleaning nozzles.

It is important to point out that the arrangement of brake nozzles and cleaning nozzles is also possible with the previously mentioned exemplary embodiments.

Instead of working out the annular channel 44 (FIG. 6) or distributor space 7 (FIG. 1) from the material of the rotor, such an annular channel can also be provided on the outer circumference of the hollow stator axis in the region of the transverse bores.

If such an annular channel or distributor space is not present in the rotor or on the hollow stator axis and the bores in the rotor connect to the cross bores of the hollow stator axis with sharp edges, pressurized water is fed to the nozzles intermittently. In certain cases, for example, such a hammer-type impact effect can be advantageous.

Claims (7)

1. A pipe cleaning device, which is operated by a pressure medium, moves itself automatically through reaction in a pipe to be cleaned and has a rotor which is driven by reaction nozzles and to which pressure medium is supplied via a hollow shaft, wherein it is mounted in floating manner between two radial bearing surfaces, wherein the rotor (4, 29) is mounted on a shaft (10, 39) of the stator (1, 20, 30) and radial bearings (11, 21) of approximately equal size are allocated to the two opposing end faces of the rotor (4, 29), characterised in that reaction nozzles (13, 46) directed obliquely backwards as well as cleaning nozzles which are designed as radial nozzles (14, 24, 92) directed perpendicularly to the pipe wall are arranged in the rotor (4,29, 95).

2. A pipe cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the head (16) lying forwards in the driving direction has one or more forwardly directed cleaning nozzles (15).

3. A pipe cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the reaction nozzles (13) and radial nozzles (14, 24) arranged in the rotor are arranged alternately distributed on the periphery of the rotor.

4. A pipe cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that radial passages (8) in the hollow stator shaft (10) end in sharp-edged manner on the exterior of the shaft and in that feed pssages running in the rotor also end in sharpedged manner on the interior of the rotor.

5. A pipe cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the radial passages in the hollow stator shaft open into an annular duct worked in the shaft.

6. A pipe cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the feed passages to the nozzles, running in the rotor, end in an annular duct (7, 28, 44) worked on the bearing passage of the rotor.

7. A pipe cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that, in addition to the reaction nozzles (46) causing rotation, reaction control nozzles (91) which act in the opposite direction are arranged in the rotor (95).

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