Title:

Automatic washing system and apparatus for tall building

United States Patent Application 20030106176

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

An automatic washing system and apparatus for tall building, comprising: a winding device, provided at the top of a tall building for the winding of a cable; a washing device, connected to the control side of the cable and controlled to lift up and down along the outside surface of tall building, a powered roller with brush or fabrics strips attached therewith being provided at the front side of washing device; a forced draft generating device, including a plurality of fan provided at the rear side of said washing device to discharge the air in a direction that is opposite to the outside surface of tall building, so that the negative wind pressure generated relative to the washing device can force the powered rolled at the front side against the outside surface of tall building. In this way, the outside surface of a tall building can be efficiently cleaned by the automatic washing system and apparatus of present invention.

Inventors:

Wang, Jyh-sheng (Taipei, TW)

Application Number:

10/197526

Publication Date:

06/12/2003

Filing Date:

07/18/2002

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

WANG JYH-SHENG

Primary Class:

15/50.3

Other Classes:

15/103

International Classes:

E04G23/00; (IPC1-7): A47L1/02

View Patent Images:

Download PDF 20030106176

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Primary Examiner:

BAHTA, ABRAHAM

Attorney, Agent or Firm:

Eugene Mar (Alexandria, VA, US)

Claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A washing system and apparatus for tall building, characterized in that it comprises: a suspension device, which is provided at the top of a tall building for the winding of a cable at one end; a washing device, which is suspended at the other end of said cable and is controlled to lift up and down along the outside wall surface of tall building; a forced draft generating device, which is provided at the rear side of said washing device to generate high speed air stream in a direction that is opposite to the outside surface of tall building, so that the washing device can press against the outside wall surface of tall building.

2. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 1, wherein said washing device contains powered brush roller or powered fabrics strips roller.

3. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 1, wherein said forced draft generating device contains at least one electric fan.

4. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 1, wherein said washing device is composed of a number of small units flexibly connected together.

5. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roller is composed of a number of small units flexibly connected together.

6. A washing system and apparatus for tall building, characterized in that it comprises: a winging device, which is mounted at the top of a tall building for the winding of a cable at one end; a washing device, which is suspended at the other end of said cable, which is controlled to move up-and-down along the outside wall of the tall building, and the front side of which is provided with a plurality of powered rollers for washing the outside wall surface of tall building; a plurality of electric fans, which are provided at the rear side of the washing device, which can generate a wind pressure, and the reaction force of which can press the washing device against the outside wall surface of tall building; a water tube, which moves with the washing device for providing water required for washing; a power cable, which moves with the washing device for providing electric power required.

7. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outside periphery of said roller is provided with brushes and fabrics strips.

8. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 6, wherein said washing device is composed of a number of small units flexibly connected together.

9. A washing system and apparatus for tall building as claimed in claim 6, wherein said roller is composed of a number of small units flexibly connected together.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to an automatic washing system and apparatus for tall building, and particularly, to a washing system and apparatus for tall building, which utilizes the reaction of draft generated by a forced draft device to force a powered roller of a washing device against the outside surface of a tall building, so that the outside surface of the tall building can be efficiently and smoothly cleaned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Washing operation for tall building has long been using manual cleaning device by personnel within a basket suspended from the outside wall. However, such manual cleaning method is often time-consuming, labor-consuming and even very dangerous for personnel. As a solution for the problem of manual cleaning device, a Taiwanese new utility model Patent No. 161382 discloses a “A washing device for curtain wall of a tall building”, which mainly comprises an electric motor and a washing piece structure. The washing piece structure includes an actuating shaft, the front side of which has a reduction gear, and another two sides of which are provided with two driving pulleys. The actuation shaft is fixed on the upper edge of aluminum window by a fastening seat which is made by a plastic injection molding, member with a bearing provided with a circular groove located at the center. The seat is fixed on aluminum window by a thread fastener engaged with a threaded bore on each of the upper and lower lugs of the seat. A driven shaft is fixed on the lower edge of aluminum window by another fastening seat which has the same structure as aforementioned. A flexible object (such as rope, nylon rope etc.) is provided between the driving pulleys and the driven pulley, washing pieces being provided on the periphery in symmetric manner. The washing pieces can be pressed against glass surface of window by a bias spring to achieve the best washing effect. A bent pin provided at the top end of said bias spring of the washing pieces is inserted onto the flexible object. The tail end of said bias spring can be inserted into a lug provided on a cylinder. The washing pieces depending on the flexible object of the driving and driven pulleys and driven by the motor reduced by the reduction gears, can move in a cyclic manner. Therefore, flexible materials at the front side of washing pieces can wash widow surfaces.

[0003] It is apparent from the above patent, said washing device is mounted stationarily on aluminum window frame of building, and can wash that window surface only. It can not be moved along the outside wall surface to wash the whole wall surface of tall building. In other words, each window must has a washing device for cleaning, which means very high installation cost for this method. In view of the high installation cost and negative-effect on the appearance of building after installation, the washing device has no substantial economical availability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is the main object of this invention to provide a washing system for tall building, which can wash outside wall surface without personnel. This can avoid any danger which might happen in conventional manual washing operation, and the high labor cost can also be reduced.

[0005] According to present invention, the washing system uses the reaction force generated by a forced draft generator to press the suspended washing device against the outside wall surface of the tall building. In addition, the washing system of present invention can be controlled to lift up-and-down along the outside wall, so that the outside surface of a tall building can be efficiently cleaned.

[0006] It is the secondary object of this invention to provide a washing system for washing the outside wall surface of a tall building in a high efficient manner. According to this invention, the washing efficiency of this washing device, in which roller with brushes or fabrics strips having very large area is located at the front side of washing device and driven by power, is over several 10 times higher than that of a conventional manual washing device.

[0007] Above and the other objects can be obtained by the washing device of present invention, comprising:

[0008] a winding device, which is provided at the top of the tall building for the winding a cable;

[0009] a washing device, which is connected to the control side of the cable and controlled to lift up and down along the outside surface of tall building, and the front side of which is provided with a powered roller with brush or fabrics strips attached therewith;

[0010] a forced draft generating device, which includes a plurality of fans provided at the rear side of said washing device to discharge the air in a direction that is opposite to the outside surface of tall building, so that the negative wind pressure generated relative to the washing device can force the powered roller at the front side against the outside surface of the tall building.

[0011] In this way, the outside surface of a tall building can be efficiently cleaned by the automatic washing system and apparatus of present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANIED DRAWINGS

[0012] Above objects, features and advantages of present invention can be further understood by the detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of present invention in reference to the accompanied drawings, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view showing a embodiment of the washing system for tall building of present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a partial side schematic view showing the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the washing device for tall building of present invention;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view with partial enlarged showing the embodiment of FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a top schematic section showing the washing devices for tall building of present invention operated in a separated mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF PRESENT INVENTION

[0018] Firstly, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a washing system 1 for tall building of present invention comprises:

[0019] a suspension device 10 which is mounted at the top of a tall building 2 which is suspended from the top by a cable 13 winded on a pulley set 12 and a suspension frame 11;

[0020] a washing device 20 which is suspended at one end of the cable 13 which is controlled to move up-and-down along the outside wall of the tall building 2, and the front side of which is provided with a plurality of powered rollers 21;

[0021] a water tube 23 which is provided above the powered rollers 21 for providing water required for washing;

[0022] a forced draft generating device 22 which is provided at the rear side of the washing device 20 and which can discharge the wind in a direction that is opposite to the outside wall surface of the tall building 2 so as to generate a reaction force to press the powered rollers 21 at front side against the outside wall surface of the tall building 2;

[0023] a power cable 24 which moves along with the washing device 20, for providing electric power required.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the washing device 20 of present invention preferably has a plurality of rollers 21 aligned in up and down arrangement. A outside periphery of the rollers 21 is provided with washing materials such as brushes or fabrics strips etc. and the rollers 21 are driven by power means, such as electric motor 25. A water tube 23 is provided at the upper side of the front side wall of the washing device 20. A plurality of small apertures can be evenly provided on the tube wall of the water tube 23 for spraying water toward the front side of the roller 21. The forced draft generating device 22 includes a plurality of electric propeller fans 220. A plurality of discharge outlet 222 corresponding to the fans 220 are provided on the rear side wall of the washing device 20. A plurality of air inlets 221 are provided on the top side wall and bottom side wall respectively. In this way, when the fans 220 discharge the wind outwardly, a reaction force is generated and acted on the washing device 20, which in turn pushes the rollers 21 at front side against the outside surface of the tall building 2. The cross section area of said rollers 21 can be made very large, so as to wash the outside wall surface of the tall building at high efficiency, which is estimated to be over 10 times higher than that of conventional manual washing device. In an ideal case, a partition wall can be provided between the washing device 20 and the forced draft generating device 22, to avoid the water being carried away by the forced draft generated by the fans 220.

[0025] In addition, FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of present invention operated in separated mode. In this embodiment, the washing device 20 is composed of a number of small units which are connected to one another in a flexible manner. Because the structure of each small unit of washing device 20 is basically the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, detailed description is omitted hereby. As the surface of a tall building might not be aligned or flat, and in some cases might be stepwise irregularly on outside design, then each small unit of washing device 20 in separated condition can be adjusted to match each segment of outside wall surface. Therefore, the rollers 21 at the front side of the washing device 20 can press against each segment of the outside surface of the building so as to avoid any segment unwashed. Alternatively, each washing unit 20 can be made to have specific length, while the roller 21 contains a number of small units flexibly connected together, for example, by conventional universal joint. In this case, the rollers 21 has flexibility to adapt itself to the outside wall surface with a curvature of the tall building.

[0026] Based on the foregoing, the washing system and apparatus of present invention does not use personnel to wash the outside wall of the tall building so that any possible danger that might happen to personnel can be avoided, and labor cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the washing system of present invention can wash the outside wall surface of the tall building in the smooth and efficient way, thus it is a novel and inventive invention with high industrial availability.

[0027] The above describes a preferred embodiment of present invention without any limitation. Variations and modifications that will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention and subsequent claims.

[0028] Symbol List of Components

[0029] 1 washing system for tall building of present invention

[0030] 2 tall building

[0031] 10 suspension device

[0032] 11 suspension frame

[0033] 12 pulley set

[0034] 13 cable

[0035] 20 washing device

[0036] 21 powered roller

[0037] 22 forced draft generating device

[0038] 220 fan

[0039] 222 air inlet

[0040] 23 air outlet

[0041] 23 water tube

[0042] 24 electric cable

[0043] 25 motor

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