EP0107602B1 - Device for collecting animal droppings from public thoroughfares, and vehicles equipped with such a device - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A cleaning assembly for road vehicles, in particular for collecting by spraying and suction animal excrements on the public thoroughfare, and in particular, sidewalks, the assembly being of the type comprising a suction apparatus, a sucking nozzle, a housing for collecting excrements therein and a liquid spraying nozzle opening into said sucking nozzle, said suction apparatus and said sucking nozzle being connected to said housing by supple sheathed ducts whereas said suction nozzle is connected to a supply of said liquid by a flexible duct, characterized in that said sucking nozzle is of the form of a pan (2), said sucking apparatus is a sucking turbine (1), said liquid spraying nozzle (4) opening into said pan is connected through a supple duct (E) to a pump (6) itself connected to a container (5) for said spaying liquid and in that the sucking (A) and spraying (E) ducts are directly carried and actuated by means of a handle (9) by an operator during utilization of said assembly.

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning unit for road vehicles allowing in particular the collection of animal excrement on the public highway and in particular on the sidewalks.

There are road vehicles for the collection of animal excrement, which include a brush box which is lowered to the level of the collection and which essentially comprises a rotary brush, or two tilting crews containing cleaning members of the brush type. can be brought selectively into contact with the ground as described for example in French Patent No. 2,465,836.

There are also known road vehicles combining with the rotary brush a spraying of washing water.

In any case, vehicles and brush collection devices have the major disadvantage of quickly clogging and spreading excrement products rather than picking them up efficiently.

The collection is of course all the more difficult as the nature of the excremental product is dispersed (droppings). Conversely, when the excremental product is too solid in nature (turd), the collection device can become blocked by accumulation.

Also known from British Patent No. 1,068,940, a cleaning unit for road vehicles allowing the collection of animal excrement on the public highway, such a unit comprising a suction device, a suction nozzle, a casing for collecting excrement and a spray nozzle opening into the suction nozzle; this suction device and this suction nozzle are connected to the casing by flexible hoses and the spray nozzle is connected to a water source by a flexible hose also. However, this unit, although it may be satisfactory, is of relatively complex design and construction and is in any case intended to be dragged by a vehicle since it is made independent of the latter and has its own rollers, this which is not always practical during use.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and targets a cleaning unit of the type mentioned in this last British patent. It comprises according to claim 1, at least at least one means for supplying liquid and a means for sucking up the excrement, directly supported and maneuvered by an operator in use, thus carrying out a wet collection by sprinkling-suction in easy conditions.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the spray liquid (generally water) can be added with a certain amount of a hardening substance so that the wet pickup is obtained without liquefying the excrement already dispersed (droppings) but obtaining their almost instant hardening.

The cleaning unit according to the invention by wet collection can also comprise a means for fractionating solid excrement (drums), this means possibly being a rotary knife, hence the impossibility of an obstruction of the suction means and wet collection by sprinkling-fractionation-suction.

The cleaning unit according to the invention is advantageously motorized and the invention therefore also relates to road vehicles equipped according to the invention.

• la fig. 1 est une vue en perspective d'une unité de nettoyage par ramassage humide selon l'invention;
• la fig. 2 est une vue par le dessus d'une pelle-suceuse qui est reliée de préférence à l'unité de nettoyage par un tube souple gainé;
• la fig. 3 est une vue en élévation latérale de cette pelle-suceuse;
• la fig. 4 est une vue en élévation latérale partielle de l'un des côtés d'un motocycle-tricycle équipé selon l'invention mais dépourvu de l'ensemble roue- fourche;
• la fig. 5 est une vue en élévation encore plus dépouillée de ce motocycle-tricycle, de son autre côté.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wet pickup cleaning unit according to the invention;
• fig. 2 is a top view of a suction shovel which is preferably connected to the cleaning unit by a flexible sheathed tube;
• fig. 3 is a side elevational view of this suction shovel;
• fig. 4 is a partial side elevation view of one of the sides of a motorcycle-tricycle equipped according to the invention but devoid of the wheel-fork assembly;
• fig. 5 is an even more stripped elevation view of this motorcycle-tricycle, on the other hand.

In the embodiment shown, a wet vacuum cleaning unit generally comprises a suction turbine (1), a suction shovel (2), a housing (3) for collecting excrement, a spray nozzle (4) opening into the suction shovel, a liquid tank (5) and a pump (6).

The cleaning unit is completed by a rotary knife (7) and a drive motor (8).

The turbine (1) and the suction shovel (2) are connected to the casing (3) by flexible tubes sheathed with suction (A); the spray nozzle (4) is connected to the pump (6) by a flexible conduit (E) (the coolant preferably, but not exclusively, is water); the rotary knife (7) is connected to the electric drive motor (8) by a flexible transmission (T). Of course, a command (not shown) makes it possible to act on the water supply and / or on the drive of the knife.

In FIG. 1, an excavator-suction unit (2), tube (A), conduit (E) and transmission (T) is shown in its entirety and a second assembly is partially represented, the cleaning unit according to the invention being able to be equipped with two sets of suction-sprinkler and fractionation.

The suction shovel (2) can show a pick-up edge (2A) like a conventional shovel and a raised stop edge (2B); it can also be fitted with an access cover (2C).

The shape of the knife can be that of a lying "U", the two ends of which are mounted along a common vertical geometric axis "X".

The liquid, and preferably the water, contained in the reservoir (5) can be added with a certain amount of a hardening substance which, depending on its nature, allows the almost instantaneous transformation of a dispersed excrement (droppings ) into a solid product.

Already solid products such as hardened products are easily split by the rotary knife (7) and all of the fragments can be easily sucked up to the collecting casing (3), without risk of obstruction of the suction-shovel, of the suction tube (A) as of the hollow handle (8) which can connect the suction-shovel (2) to the tube l suction (A).

The handle (9) can be used in the example of a vacuum cleaner handle by the operator seated on the seat (10) of the motorcycle-tricycle (immobilized or in motion) equipped with the unit according to the invention. This handle is capable of occupying a so-called “storage” position by any appropriate means during non-use.

Part of this unit is shown in Figure 4 mounted in a protective casing and cover (11).

The two-stage suction turbine (1) is driven by a PTO drive system (12) on the vehicle engine (M), belt (13) and declutching device (14).

The belt (13) can be closed around a pulley (15) allowing the drive of the starter-dynamo device (16) of the motorcycle.

The cleaning unit by wet pickup by sprinkling-fractionation-suction can have its autonomous source of electrical energy and for this purpose comprises for example a battery (not shown) with regulator.

The collecting housing (3) can contain a recovery tank (not shown) allowing it to be emptied easily after a certain time of operation of the cleaning unit according to the invention.

It is understood, finally, that the present invention has only been described and shown as a preferred example and that it will be possible to provide equivalences in its constituent elements without, however, departing from the scope of the invention .

Claims (10)

1. A cleaning assembly for road vehicles, in particular for collecting by spraying and suction animal excrements on the public thoroughfare, and in particular, sidewalks, the assembly being of the type comprising a suction apparatus, a sucking nozzle, a housing for collecting excrements therein and a liquid spraying nozzle opening into said sucking nozzle, said suction apparatus and said sucking nozzle being connected to said housing by supple sheathed ducts whereas said suction nozzle is connected to a supply of said liquid by a flexible duct, characterized in that said sucking nozzle is of the form of a pan (2), said sucking apparatus is a sucking turbine (1), said liquid spraying nozzle (4) opening into said pan is connected through a supple duct (E) to a pump (6) itself connected to a container (5) for said spaying liquid and in that the sucking (A) and spraying (E) ducts are directly carried and actuated by means of a handle (9) by an operator during utilization of said assembly.

2. A cleaning assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the spraying liquid is water to which a quantity of a hardening substance was added or not, such that moist collecting is realized without liquifying already dispersed excrements but rather by obtaining almost instantaneous hardening thereof.

3. A cleaning assembly according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it also comprises means for comminuting solid excrements, such means being possibly a rotary knife (7), thereby preventing plugging in of the suction means and permitting moist collecting through spraying, comminuting and suction, said rotary knife (7) being disposed in said sucking pan with means (8) for driving such a knife through flexible transmission means (T).

4. A cleaning assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the knife shape is that of a recumbent U, both ends of the U being mounted on a common vertical geometric centerline «X».

5. A cleaning assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a hollow handle (8) connects the sucking pan (2) to the sucking duct (A).

6. A cleaning assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sucking pan (2) comprises a collecting edge (2A) such as on a conventional pan, an upturned abutment edge (2B) and an access cover (2C).

7. A cleaning assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that is is provided with two suction spraying and comminuting assemblies.

8. A road vehicle mainly to permit collecting of animal excrements on the public thoroughfare and in particular on pavements, characterized in that it comprises a cleaning assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that it consists of a motorcycle-tricycle.

10. A vehicle according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the suction turbine (1) of the cleaning assembly is driven by a driving system with power take-off (12) from the motor (M) of the vehicle, a belt (13) and a declutching device (14).

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