SHAPED EXTERNAL AIR KNIFE FOR TRAVERSING SHOWER SYSTEMS

PRIORITY

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/975,990 filed February 13, 2020, the-disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The invention generally relates to cleaning head systems, and relates in particular to cleaning head systems for use in traversing shower systems.

[0003] Traversing shower systems may be used in a variety of industrial applications, including for example, papermaking, tissue making, fibre mat processing (e.g., glass fibre mat), as well as many further applications involving fabrics, clothing, and other belt applications, or rolls in similar industries and applications.

[0004] Figure 1 shows a traversing shower beam 10 with a cleaning head 12. As a material 14, e.g., fabric, belt, mat or roll (shown in Figure 2) moves under the beam 10 in a machine direction, the cleaning head 12 traverses the beam in the cross machine direction to clean the surface of the material 14. Figure 2 shows a broken away portion of the cleaning head 12 that provides to the material high pressure water at an angle of about 45 degrees (as shown at 16) as well as forced air as shown at 18 and 20 at more shallow opposing angles, as well as at 22 at an angle more normal to the surface of the material. Vacuum in provided via channels 24, 26, 28. The cleaning head applies the pressurized water and air, as well as the vacuum to loosen and remove debris from the material.

[0005] There remains a need however for more efficient and more economical cleaning systems for use in traversing shower systems.

SUMMARY

[0006] In accordance with an aspect, the invention provides a cleaning head for use in a traversing shower system, the cleaning head including a plurality of directional fluid nozzles for discharging a fluid, each of which is provided along a different direction toward a work surface such that no two directions cross one another between the cleaning head and a working surface. [0007] In accordance with another aspect, the invention provides a cleaning head for use in a traversing shower system, the cleaning head including a central unit including a central aperture through which vacuum is provided to draw liquid and debris from a working surface, at least one forced air nozzle for providing forced air onto the working surface proximate the central aperture, and a liquid applicator assembly that extends into the central aperture, said liquid applicator assembly including plurality of directional liquid nozzles for discharging liquid onto the working surface from at least two different directions.

[0008] In accordance with a further aspect, the invention provides a cleaning head for use in a traversing shower system, the cleaning head including a central unit through which forced air and forced liquid are provided to a working surface, and through which a vacuum is provided from the working surface to draw fluid and debris from the working surface, and an extension arm extending from the central unit and including an external air knife assembly that includes a plurality of air knife nozzles in a pattern that widens in a machine direction of the working surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The following description may be further understood with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0010] Figure 1 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of a traversing shower system of the prior art;

[0011] Figure 2 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged and broken-away view of the traversing shower system of Figure 1;

[0012] Figure 3 shows an illustrative diagrammatic elevated isometric view of a traversing cleaning system employing a cleaning head in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 4 shows an illustrative diagrammatic side isometric view of the system of Figure

3;

[0014] Figure 5 shows an illustrative diagrammatic top view of the cleaning head of Figure 3; [0015] Figure 6 shows an illustrative diagrammatic bottom view of the cleaning head of Figure

3;

[0016] Figure 7 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged top view of a portion of the cleaning head of Figure 3; [0017] Figure 8 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged bottom view of a portion of the cleaning head of Figure 3;

[0018] Figure 9 shows an illustrative diagrammatic end sectional view of the cleaning head of Figure 7 taken along line 9-9 thereof;

[0019] Figure 10 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged view of the underside of a portion of the cleaning head shown in Figure 8;

[0020] Figure 11 shows an illustrative diagrammatic isometric view of a portion of the liquid applicator assembly of the cleaning head of Figure 3 with a portion of the housing removed showing liquid applicator nozzles;

[0021] Figure 12 shows an illustrative diagrammatic underside front view of the liquid applicator assembly shown in Figure 11;

[0022] Figure 13 shows an illustrative diagrammatic side view of the liquid applicator assembly of the cleaning head of Figure 3;

[0023] Figure 14 shows an illustrative diagrammatic front view of the liquid applicator assembly of the cleaning head of Figure 3;

[0024] Figure 15 shows an illustrative diagrammatic detailed layout view of liquid apertures in the liquid applicator assembly of Figure 3;

[0025] Figure 16 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged view of a detail portion of the layout of Figure 15 indicated at detail A therein;

[0026] Figure 17 shows an illustrative diagrammatic underside isometric view of the cleaning head of Figure 3;

[0027] Figure 18 shows an illustrative diagrammatic detailed layout view of gas apertures in a remote gas applicator assembly of the cleaning head of Figure 3;

[0028] Figure 19A shows an illustrative diagrammatic view side sectional view similar to that of Figure 9 of a cleaning head that includes vacuum chamber lubricant nozzles in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 19B shows an illustrative front sectional view of the gas applicator assembly taken along line 19B-19B of Figure 19A;

[0030] Figure 20 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged view of the underside of a portion of the cleaning head of Figure 19 A;

[0031] Figure 21 shows an illustrative diagrammatic enlarged front view of the vacuum chamber lubricant nozzles of Figure 19A; and [0032] Figure 22 shows an illustrative diagrammatic underside isometric view of a cleaning head in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention including further nozzle arrangements.

[0033] The drawings are shown for illustrative purposes only.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In accordance with various aspects, the invention provides an improved cleaning head for a traversing shower system, and a method of using a cleaning head in a traversing shower system, that is used for cleaning machine materials (e.g., fabrics/clothing/belts) in for example, paper, tissue, non-woven, glass fibre mat etc. applications. Systems and methods of various aspects of the invention involve the use of fluid nozzles in particular directions and air doctor systems together with an improved vacuum flow passage for evacuation of water and contaminants, allowing for better cleaning result and machine clothing with less residual moisture remaining after the cleaning process, providing improved dryness.

[0035] A cleaning head in accordance with various aspects of the present invention is shown at 30, and may be mounted on a traversing beam 32 for movement above a roll material 34 being cleaned as shown in Figure 3. The cleaning head 30 may include a central unit 36 and an external unit 38 mounted external to the central unit 36 as further shown in Figure 4. Liquid may be provided at a fluid port 46, and air may be provided, at least in part, at a gas port 48, while vacuum may be provided at a vacuum chamber opening 51 (shown in Figure 3). The fluid sources (e.g., water/chemicals and air/chemicals) as well as the vacuum source, may be provided via direct couplings or via couplings through the traversing beam 32.

[0036] Figure 5 shows a top view and Figure 6 shows a bottom view of the cleaning head 30 of Figures 3 and 4. The cleaning head 30 in accordance with aspects of the invention includes a fluid applicator assembly 42 for providing fluid (e.g., liquid such as water or chemicals or a mix or water and chemicals) to a work surface 34. The fluid applicator assembly 42 includes a fluid applicator head 44 that includes a plurality of nozzle apertures, which are discussed in more detail below. The fluid applicator head 44 is coupled via the conduit 46 to the fluid applicator source as noted above. Gas under pressure is provided to a gas applicator assembly that includes a gas intake port 48 (shown in Figure 5) and a central unit air knife assembly 52 that includes one or more rows of gas nozzles. The external unit 38 (e.g., knife edge unit) also includes a plurality of nozzle apertures (discussed in more detail below with reference to Figures 17 and 18), and is mounted to the central unit 36 by an arm 37. The arm 37 positions the external unit proximate (e.g., above) the material either on a roll or as the material is leaving the roll in the Machine Direction (MD). Gas under pressure is also provided to one or more ports 47, 49 of the external unit 38 from a source of pressurized gas.

[0037] With reference to Figures 7 and 8 (showing enlarged top and bottom views of the central unit), the cleaning head 30 also includes the forced air conduit 48 coupled to a gas applicator source (including one or more rows of nozzles) for providing pressurized air to the work surface, as well as a vacuum source for providing vacuum to the w'ork surface via vacuum passage 50 within the central unit 36. The fluid applicator head 44 of the central unit 36 includes a plurality of directional nozzles as discussed in further detail below. Pressurized air is provided to the work surface by a plurality of air nozzles 52 (e.g., in the form of an air knife). The cleaning head 30 provides an improvement over the prior cleaning heads as it has a new concept of nozzle directions and air doctor system together with an improved vacuum flow passage for evacuation of water and contaminants, allowing a better cleaning result and almost totally dry machine clothing.

[0038] Moreover, cleaning heads in accordance with various aspects will help to improve the machine ninnability and prevent wet streaks in the end product. Such cleaning heads may be used in many other manufacturing processes where a contamination needs to be removed from any machine clothing, belt or roll. The cleaning head of various aspects of the invention provides a significantly different head with an optimized vacuum chamber and flow pattern together with an improved nozzle body and air knife in accordance with various aspects of the invention.

[0039] The inside shape of the cleaning head is designed to avoid dead spots and comers in order to achieve more uniform flow velocity throughout the flow channel. This also reduces turbulence and causes less contamination to stick on the inside surfaces of the cleaning head chamber. The transition from cleaning head vacuum to vacuum pipe is also virtually direct, providing straight vacuum flow in the cleaning head of aspects of the invention. The cleaning head 30 also includes an extension arm 37 onto which is provided an external Y-shaped air knife unit 38.

[0040] Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the central unit of Figure 7 taken along line 9-9 thereof. Fluid (e.g., water or water-based solutions) is provided via the fluid applicator head 44 of the fluid applicator assembly 42 to a work surface 34 as shown at 60 contacting the work surface at a concentrated area 62. The fluid applicator head 44 is positioned within the vacuum passage 50, and slightly above (e.g., 2, 2.5, 3 or up to 10 mm above the material). The positioning of the fluid applicator head 44 with respect to the work surface and the vacuum passage permits more efficient cleaning, particularly when combined with the application of air.

[0041] In particular, air is provided (shown at 62 in Figure 9) by air knife 52 using nozzles 100, 102, 104 as shown in Figure 10. The plurality of nozzles 100 may be provided as directed perpendicular to the surface being cleaned, while the end nozzles 102, 104 may be angles that are directed inward toward the air flow from the nozzles 100 (as shown diagrammatically in Figure 19B). Additional fluid (e.g., air) is provided by a source to the plurality of air knife nozzles 52 as shown at 64. The material 34 may be provided on a cylinder roll 54, and may leave the roll (as shown at 66) after moving past the traversing shower head 30. The external unit 38 (discussed above with reference to Figures 3 - 6) that is mounted on arm 37 may be positioned with either over tire work surface 34 while the material is still on the roll 54, may be positioned over the work surface as the material leaves the roll (as shown at 66), or may be positioned over the work surface after the material has left the roll (as shown at 68), again, above the work surface of the material.

[0042] The fluid applicator assembly head 44 on which the directional fluid nozzles are provided is designed to optimize the impact of energy to the cleaning surface. Each spot of the fabric will be cleaned from all directions. The jet impact area is minimized during each moment of cleaning in order to keep the wetted area as small as possible. This increases the removal of water and dirt after cleaning. The fluid conduit body is also designed to reduce losses of vacuum flow and preventing the tendency to build up contaminants. The end of the fluid conduit body designed with angled surfaces to achieve the optimum nozzle angles and nozzle positions as shown in Figures 11 - 16.

[0043] The nozzles of the fluid applicator head 44 are designed to provide fluid (e.g., water) onto the work surface along a small section in the Cross Machine Direction (CMD), where the jet nozzles provide fluid from different angular directions. The impingement points on the work surface are shown at 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 in Figure 15, and the varied angular impingement is provided by directional nozzles 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 (shown in Figure 11). The fluid applicator head 44 extends into the vacuum passage 50, and may be centrally located within the passage 50, a short distance away from the work surface as noted above. The underside of the fluid applicator head 44 includes nozzle apertures 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 as shown in Figure 10.

[0044] With reference to Figure 11, the nozzle apertures 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 are associated with nozzles 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 respectively, and the nozzles are positioned within the fluid applicator head 44 at different angles as follows. The nozzle 84 is positioned perpendicular to the work surface. The nozzle 70 is directed in a machine direction, and the nozzle 78 is directed in a direction opposite the machine direction. The nozzle 72 is directed in a first cross- machine direction, and the nozzle 76 is directed in a second cross-machine direction that is opposite the first cross-machine direction. The nozzle apertures 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 are positioned strategically to provide the desired impingement pattern on the work surface. The multi-directional impingement on the work surface is discussed in more detail below with reference to Figures 15 and 16.

[0045] The cleaning width is kept to a minimum in the cross machine direction on the work surface (e.g., 1 mm, 1.5 mm or 2 mm), and an objective is to clean each individual element (e.g., yam) in the material from several sides in order to remove even hidden dirt. Figure 13 shows the fluid applicator assembly 42 including the fluid applicator head 44 positioned above the work surface 34 by a distance d1, of for example, 2 mm, 3 mm or 5 mm, 7.5 mm, 9 mm or 10 mm (e.g., ≤ 10 mm). The angles of impingement provided by nozzle apertures 70, 78 (shown at β in Figure 13) may be selectable between 20°-40° in the machine direction. With reference to Figure 14, the angles of impingement provided by nozzle apertures 72, 76 (shown at a) may be selectable between 25°-45° in cross machine direction respectively, depending on machine clothing design. The range of the cleaning line in the machine direction is shown at d2, and may be, for example, 0.5 mm, 1 mm or 1.5 mm on the work surface. In accordance with an aspect, a minimum of (5) nozzles is required to achieve the 5-directional cleaning jet geometry described above, however additional nozzles could be employed as required for a particular cleaning application (e.g., multiple nozzles in one or more of the 5-directional planes).

[0046] As noted above, the fluid nozzles 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 provide directional fluid discharge at apertures 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 respectively at mutually different angular directions to provide a desired impingement pattern on the work surface in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In particular, the discharge from the nozzle 80 at aperture 70 impinges the work surface at location 90 in a first direction as shown in Figure 15 The discharge from the nozzle 88 at aperture 78 impinges the work surface at location 98 in a second direction that is slightly offset from (by d3 + d6) and opposite the first direction. The discharge from the nozzle 82 at aperture 72 impinges the work surface at a location 92 in a third direction, and the discharge from the nozzle 86 at aperture 76 impinges the work surface at a location 96 in a fourth direction that is offset from (by d4 + d5) and opposite the third direction. The discharge from the nozzle 84 at the aperture 74 impinges the work surface at a location 94 that is perpendicular (normal) to the surface of the work surface. The location 94 is offset from the location 92 by d4, and offset from the location 96 by d5. Figure 16 shows an enlarged view of the aperture 78 (shown at 79) and impingement point 98, showing the direction of impingement. Jet or fen nozzles can be used for the nozzles 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 e.g., with an orifice diameter in the range of 0.2 mm - 0.4 mm. The nozzle supply pressure may be typically be in the 100-1000 bar range.

[0047] The power of a water jet is dependent on stand-off distance; and also impacted by, among other things, the air knife and vacuum operating properties and geometry. The cleaning head of various aspects of the invention is designed for a stand-off distance of ≤ 10 mm from each jet to the surface of the fabric or object which is to be cleaned. This generates the maximum amount of the applied energy for cleaning. In this configuration, the jet will not be deflected or diverted, or the energy reduced by the vacuum or air knife. The fluid applicator assembly is designed to prevent the individual water jets from crossing over each other, independent of the distance between the nozzle body and machine clothing. Use of variations of nozzle types are possible.

[0048] As noted above with reference to Figures 3 - 6, the cleaning head 30 includes an external air knife unit 38, and with reference to Figures 17 and 18, the unit 38 includes a first plurality of apertures 114 that form a fan shape in the machine direction (as shown at 110), and a second plurality of apertures 116 that form a stem shape in the machine direction (as shown at 112). Together, the apertures 114, 116 form a generally Y-shaped pattern of apertures. In particular, the individual air knife apertures are specifically arranged in a Y formation (see Figure 18) in accordance with an aspect of the invention, with the run direction of the machine from the bottom of the "Ύ-shape” to the top. The second plurality of apertures 112 may include two offset and parallel rows of apertures (the second plurality of apertures 112) that are aligned to the cleaned width of the central unit, and may be designed to blow off most of the water. The following triangular/fan shape (the first plurality of apertures 110) may be designed to blow out any residual water and also to distribute the residual water by the air jet across the width. The number, angle, and diameter of holes in the air knife unit are optimized depending on machine and clothing type. The holes may be angled in CMD and MD if desired for particular applications, similar to the apertures of the internal air doctor 52.

[0049] Figure 19A shows a cleaning head in accordance with another aspect of the invention that includes central unit 36’ with an internal vacuum passage 50’ and a fluid applicator assembly 42’ therein, coupling a fluid applicator head 44’ to a fluid source via coupling 46’. The central unit 36’ also includes an air doctor assembly 52’ with nozzles 100’, 102’ and 104’ (with a fen angle set range of ai) that are coupled to a source of pressurized air at coupling 48’. The components function as discussed above with reference to Figures 3 - 18, and Figure 19B shows the relative angles of the nozzles 100’, 102’, 104. The central unit 36’ of Figure 19A however, further includes a second central air knife assembly including nozzles 100” with a fen angle set range of α2 that may be equal and oppositely oriented with respect to the fan angle set range of α1.

[0050] The cleaning head 36’ may be further fitted with lubrication nozzles 120 (further shown in Figures 20 and 21) to prevent adhesion of removed dirt from the walls of the vacuum passage. The internal air knife 100’ is equipped with air opening holes at the outlet of the head, and is adjustable in the machine direction, allowing different angles to be set in MD (machine direction) and against MD. Again, the apertures (102’, 104’) at the edges of the air knife 52’ are angled (shown in Figure 19B) and the apertures 100’ are straight in CMD (cross machine direction). With reference again to Figure 19A, a second air knife assembly including apertures 100” in the cleaning head inlet may optionally be provided (shown at 52”), and the design of the inlet air knife 52’ ’ may be the same as the air knife 52’ at the outlet, which is similar to that discussed above with reference to Figures 8 - 10.

[0051] In accordance with further aspects, and with reference to Figure 22, a central unit 36” of a cleaning head may include a further arrangement and sizing of apertures at a fluid applicator head 44” of a fluid applicator assembly 42”, as well as a central air knife doctor assembly 52” that includes two rows of air nozzles.

[0052] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications and variations may be made to the above disclosed cleaning head systems without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0053] What is claimed is: