U.S. patent application number 09/739912 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-20 for system for cleaning underwater surfaces, improvements and variations.
Invention is credited to Walton, Charles A..
Application Number | 20020073493 09/739912 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24974284 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020073493 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Walton, Charles A. |
June 20, 2002 |
System for cleaning underwater surfaces, improvements and
variations
Abstract
A system for cleaning underwater surfaces, comprised of an
assembly which includes a brush or abrasive component which presses
and scrubs against the surface to be cleaned, and further
comprising a fluid jet which drives water away from the surface,
consequently producing force against the surface. The brush is a
stationary brush, with a handle for guidance by an underwater diver
or from an arm at the surface; or the brush may be rotary or
oscillatory to aid the scrubbing action. The water jet may be
incorporated into a tube which guides the water away from the
surface. The tube produces a Venturi or Bernoulli effect which
increases the water thrust and thus additional force against the
surface.
Inventors: |
Walton, Charles A.; (Los
Gatos, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles A. Walton
19115 Overlook Road
Los Gatos
CA
95030
US
|
Family ID: |
24974284 |
Appl. No.: |
09/739912 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/1.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 4/1618
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/1.7 |
International
Class: |
E04H 004/16 |
Claims
I claim the following:
1. An underwater surface cleaning system comprising: a head
assembly formed of a body, a brush attached to said body on one
side, said brush moving over an underwater surface to be cleaned,
one or more nozzles attached to said body on the opposing side to
the said brush, a water supply to said body, said body incorporates
pipe means to distribute said water to said nozzles, said nozzles
direct water from the body in the opposite direction of said brush
to produce force on said brush in the direction of the said
underwater surface, a handle on a pivot connected to said assembly,
and said handle available to an operator to allow manually powered
movement of the head assembly over the said surface to be
cleaned.
2. An underwater surface cleaning system as in claim 1, in which
said nozzles are housed within a pipe, said pipe guides the jet
stream of water away from the said surface, said pipe entry placed
close to said surface causing sucking force between said pipe and
said surface, thus further increasing the force of the said
assembly toward the said surface.
3. An underwater surface cleaning system as in claim 2, in which
the exit end of said pipe is capped with a mesh bag, said bag
allowing water to pass but trapping particles cleaned from the said
surface, thus reducing the amount of contamination in the
surrounding water.
4. An underwater surface cleaning system as in claim 1 comprising
additionally a water driven turbine, in which the said water supply
additionally supplies said water driven turbine, said turbine
driving a gear drive to a rotary member, said rotary member
carrying brushes bearing scrubbing bristles, and said bristles
scrub over the said surface to be cleaned, resulting in better
cleaning action with less manual effort required.
5. An underwater surface cleaning system as in claim 4 comprising
additional exit nozzles for said water from said turbine, said exit
nozzles pointing away from said surface, and water flow through
said exit nozzles further increasing the force on the said assembly
towards the said surface.
6. An underwater surface cleaning system as in claim 4, further
comprising a high pressure water source, said source feeding an
inner chamber of said rotating member, said rotating member bearing
nozzles on the outer perimeter of said rotating member, said nozzle
connected to said inner chamber, said nozzles directed toward said
surface to produce high pressure cleaning action against said
surface, thus additionally cleaning the said surface with a high
pressure jet stream of water, and said rotation of chamber
distributes the cleaning action over a large segment of said
surface.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Underwater surfaces tend to acquire a growth of vegetation,
or algae, or life such as barnacles, which cling to the surface and
need to be removed. Underwater windows and underwater boat surfaces
are examples of surfaces which need repeated cleaning. Sunshine on
these surfaces accelerates this underwater growth.
[0002] A common method of cleaning is to scrub off the growth,
using a manually operated brush or other abrasive device. Force
against the surface is needed during the scrubbing, and the
operator requires an object or body to press against. One means for
acquiring an object to press against is to use suction cups on the
bottom of the boat. Another is to find or make a scaffolding to
press against. This invention provides the necessary force against
the surface by a reverse water jet.
[0003] For the scrubbing or relative motion of the brush and
surface, one way is simple back and forth action using muscle
power. Another is to have rotating brushes driven by water or
electricity. Water power drive is less hazardous than electric
power drive.
[0004] A prior invention accomplishing a similar function is shown
in predecessor invention Ser. No. 09/659,407 by the same
inventor.
[0005] This present improvement over Ser. No. 09/659,407 patent
application differs and adds: a handle for application of muscle
power to the back and forth scrubbing operation; adds a venturi,
also referred to as a bernoulli, tube to increase force towards the
surface; adds a cleaning sock to catch debris, and adds high
pressure cleaning jets.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
[0006] The system is an assembly with brushes carrying bristles on
one side suitable for scrubbing a soiled surface, typically
underwater, such as underwater windows or the underwater portions
of a boat. On the opposite side of the bristles there is a reverse
pointing nozzle emitting a jet, usually water, which pushes away
from the surface, and consequently produces mechanical force of the
brushes against the surface. There are handles of several kinds on
the assembly so that manual power may be used to move the brushes
to various locations. The water supply alternatively supplies a
turbine in the assembly, and this turbine is geared to rotate the
brushes carrier against the surface, thus reducing the amount of
manual labor needed for cleaning. The reverse pointing jet is also
optionally encapsulated within a tube. The tube guides the water to
increase the value of the force towards the surface. The input side
of the tube is brought near the surface to suck against the surface
and further increases the useful force against the surface.
Further, a high pressure source is fed to nozzles on the rotating
brushes, and these nozzles are directed at the surface to provide
high pressure jet cleaning. The water discharge nozzles of the
rotating turbine are pointed out to increase force. A bag or porous
net on the guide tube catches debris from the surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a hand held brush and an attached reverse water
jet.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows a cylindrically contained water jet and
Bernoulli/venturi effect to enhance force against the surface, and
a porous bag to catch debris.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows rotating brushes and high pressure jets to
scrub debris from the surface.
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0010] Refer to FIG. 1 and the system 10. There is an object 30,
typically an underwater window or walls of an aquarium or bottom of
a boat, bearing on its surface 30 layers of algae and dirt 32 and
34. There is the main cleaning body or frame 12 which bears on its
lower surface a brush with bristles 28, capable of scrubbing dirt
32 and 34 off the surface of body 30.
[0011] Attached to the upper side of body 12 are several means for
causing motion of the body 12 against the surface 30. For the first
means, an operator grasps and moves handle 14 back and forth with
muscle power to both press 12 down and produce scrubbing motion 36.
Body 12 bears brushes with bristles 28 to aid the scrubbing
motion.
[0012] For the second means for causing motion of body 12 there is
optionally attached to the body 12 a handle 18, connected through
pivot 16. With handle 18 the operator may be above the water
surface. The operator moves handle 18 to cause reciprocating motion
36 and also downward force, also referred to as pressure, towards
the surface 30.
[0013] Attached to body 12 is block 20 bearing a pipe 21. Pipe 21
carries fluid 22 such as water through pipe 21. Pipe 21 is bent
away from body 12 and terminates with a nozzle 24. Nozzle 24 emits
a jet 26 of water or other fluid.
[0014] As the water 22 exits from nozzle 24 it forms jet 26 and
there is reverse or downward force created from the jet 24. The
body 12 is forced toward surface 30. The operator need not use his
muscle to get surface force or pressure, and needs only to move the
body 12 back and forth. The muscle burden on the operator is
greatly reduced by the cooperative force of the jet of water
26.
[0015] In FIG. 2 the body 12 has the same function as in FIG. 1.
The body 12 bears brushes and bristles 28. The bristles 28 are in
two groups 38 and 39. The bristles move back and forth with motion
36. As in FIG. 1 there is a flow of water 22 through tube 21 and
this flow is guided away from the body 12 by tube 21. There is a
nozzle 40 equivalent to nozzle 24 of FIG. 1. The system of FIG. 2
differs from FIG. 1 in that jet action is enhanced by placing a
guidance sleeve 42, also referred to as pipe 42 or column 42,
around the jet 40. The water flow from jet 40 propels surrounding
water up the sleeve 42. The sleeve 42 around the jet 40 causes
surrounding water to be sucked or drawn into the sleeve 42 at the
bottom, or surface 30, end The bottom of sleeve 42 is brought close
to the surface 30. This sucking is a venturi effect, also referred
to as the bernoulli effect. The entry port to 42 is labeled 48.
Water flows into port 48 through the space between brushes 38 on
body 12 and the surface 30. The pressure between brush 12 and
surface 30 is reduced below the ambient pressure and so the
downward force of 12 towards 30 is maximized. The water flows
through 48 and up sleeve 42 and is labeled 44. Water flow 44 is
dispersed through optional net 46 to the surrounding body of water.
Debris 32 and 34 removed from surface 30 is separated out by the
optional net filter 46, for later disposal elsewhere.
[0016] The functions of handle 14, and handle 18 attached through
pivot 16, are the same as in FIG. 1.
[0017] In FIG. 3 the system is modified, improved, and reconfigured
further by adding, in an assembly 49, a turbine driven mechanism 62
for rotating the scrubbing brush, and by discharging the water from
the turbine mechanism 62 in a direction to aid the downward force
of the assembly 49 against surface 30, and by squirting high
pressure water from source 80 against the surface 30 to be
scrubbed.
[0018] A medium pressure source 50 supplies water over pipe 52 to a
nozzle 54 with an exit jet of water 56. Nozzle 54 is surrounded by
a sleeve 58 or pipe 58 to produce the venturi action and enhanced
force action in the same manner as described for FIG. 2. Water from
source 50 additionally flows through pipe 60 and drives the turbine
mechanism 62. The medium pressure water 52 exits through orifice 64
in stream 66. Stream 66 flows away from the surface 30 and
additionally increases the downward force against surface 30.
[0019] Turbine 62 drives shaft 68 which drives pinion gear 70.
Pinion gear 70 drives the larger reduction gear 72. Gear 72 drives
the rotating scrubbing unit 74. The bottom side of unit 74 carries
scrubbing brushes 90, also referred to as bristles 90, which remove
dirt layers 32 and 34.
[0020] A high pressure source 80 sends high pressure water over
pipe 82 and through water flow bearing 84 to the inside of
scrubbing unit 74. Scrubbing unit 74 is also referred to as a
"rotary member 74" or "rotating member 74". Unit 74 also carries
nozzles 86 and 88 which rotate with unit 74. The high pressure
water exits through jets 86 and 88 to further scrub and clean away
dirt layers 32 and 34. The rotating action of the pressure jets 86
and 88 combined with the scrubbing action of bristles 90 plus
overall motion of the assembly 49 covers all areas of the surface
30. Very little muscle power is required from the operator.
[0021] An adverse effect of the high pressure water passing through
the cleansing nozzles is that it thrusts the cleaning assembly away
from the surface, thus reducing the desired force toward the
surface 30. To counteract this undesired effect, extra outward
directed nozzles can be added to the assembly. These extra nozzles
can be fed by either the medium pressure water, the high pressure
water, or other alternative sources. The angle of the head assembly
may be adjusted by hand or by simple standoffs from the surface,
coupled with a pivoting drive handle, so that the assembly is
always in the desired parallel relationship with the surface being
cleaned.
[0022] The surface to be cleaned need not be underwater. The useful
force, or pressure, obtained from the backward pointing jet, is
also useful in above water systems, or ambient air systems, but has
the occasional disadvantage in that water is squirted all over,
sometimes in undesirable directions.
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