Cleaning device and motor vehicle

Abstract

A cleaning device comprising: a fluid source comprising a fluid source outlet; the nozzle comprises a nozzle inlet and a nozzle outlet; the connecting piece is arranged between the fluid source and the nozzle and comprises a connecting piece inlet and a connecting piece outlet, a fluid channel is formed between the connecting piece inlet and the connecting piece outlet, the connecting piece inlet is communicated with the fluid source outlet, and the connecting piece outlet is communicated with the nozzle inlet, so that the fluid source is communicated with the nozzle through the fluid channel; wherein the connecting piece comprises a first part arranged close to the fluid source and a second part arranged close to the nozzle, one end of the first part is connected to the fluid source outlet, the other end of the first part is connected to the second part, and the first part is made of a rigid material; one end of the second part is connected to the first part, the other end of the second part is connected to the nozzle, one of the second part and the nozzle inlet is made of a flexible material, and the other of the second part and the nozzle inlet is made of a rigid material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a cleaning device which utilizes a cleaning liquid or an air flow to perform a cleaning operation and a motor vehicle comprising the cleaning device. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, the cleaning device can achieve the cleaning operation by allowing the airflow generated by the blower to reach the nozzle through the airflow channel of the connecting piece, and then spray out from the nozzle. However, under certain specific application conditions, the blower and the nozzle need to be pre-positioned, making it difficult for the connecting piece to fit between the blower and the nozzle, and in particular, there may be a problem of poor sealing between the connecting piece and the nozzle, which is not conducive to the cleaning effect of the cleaning operation.

[0003] Therefore, it is desired to provide a cleaning device to improve the above-mentioned defects in the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cleaning device is proposed, comprising: a fluid source, including a fluid source outlet; a nozzle, including a nozzle inlet and a nozzle outlet; a connector, arranged between the fluid source and the nozzle, including a connector inlet and a connector outlet, a fluid channel is formed between the connector inlet and the connector outlet, the connector inlet is connected to the fluid source outlet, and the connector outlet is connected to the nozzle inlet, so that the fluid source is connected to the nozzle via the fluid channel; wherein the connector comprises a first part arranged close to the fluid source and a second part arranged close to the nozzle, one end of the first part is connected to the fluid source outlet, and the other end is connected to the second part, and the first part is made of a rigid material; one end of the second part is connected to the first part, and the other end is connected to the nozzle, one of the second part and the nozzle inlet is made of a flexible material, and the other of the second part and the nozzle inlet is made of a rigid material.

[0005] According to this solution, the rigid first part of the connecting piece provides the necessary strength for the structure of the connecting piece, while the second part of the connecting piece and the nozzle inlet are flexibly matched to make the connecting piece easier to adapt and connect between the fluid source and the nozzle, and improve the sealing between the connecting piece and the nozzle, thereby enhancing the cleaning performance of the cleaning equipment.

[0006] In some aspects, the second portion may be made of a flexible material and the nozzle inlet may be made of a rigid material.

[0007] In some aspects, the second portion may be made of a rigid material and the nozzle inlet may be made of a flexible material.

[0008] In some aspects, the nozzle inlet may be inserted into the second portion.

[0009] In some aspects, the second portion may be inserted into the nozzle inlet.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first part and the second part may be double injection molded together.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fluid source may be a blower, which is used to generate a clean air flow for cleaning operations; the fluid source may also be a pump, which is used to generate a cleaning liquid for cleaning operations.

[0012] In some aspects, the connector may gradually narrow in the first direction from the connector inlet to the connector outlet.

[0013] According to this solution, an air flow with a faster flow rate can be obtained at the nozzle, thereby further improving the cleaning performance of the cleaning device.

[0014] In some embodiments, the connector may gradually widen from a connector inlet to a connector outlet in a second direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0015] According to this aspect, the cleaning range of the cleaning device can be increased.

[0016] In some aspects, the flexible material is a rubber material and / or the rigid material is a plastic.

[0017] In some aspects, the Shore hardness of the flexible material is greater than 40, and the Shore hardness of the flexible material is less than 80.

[0018] In some aspects, a fluid source is used to generate a fluid for cleaning a sensor surface of a motor vehicle.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a motor vehicle is provided, comprising a cleaning device according to any one of the above embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 shows a top view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of the

[0024] Figure 5 A partial schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Reference numerals: 100 cleaning device, 110 blower, 112 blower outlet, 120 connector, 121 fluid channel, 122 connector inlet, 124 connector outlet, 126 first portion, 128 second portion, 130 nozzle, 132 nozzle inlet, 134 nozzle outlet DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, scheme and advantages of the technical solution of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the drawings of the specific embodiments of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the terms used herein have the usual meanings in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components.

[0028] Figure 1 and Figure 2 1 and 10 respectively show a three-dimensional view and a top view of a cleaning device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning device 100 mainly includes a blower 110, a connecting member 120 and a nozzle 130, wherein the connecting member 120 is arranged between the blower 110 and the nozzle 130 and connects the blower 110 to the nozzle 130. The airflow generated by the blower 110 is passed through a fluid channel 121 (such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the arrow indicates the flow direction of the airflow) flows to the nozzle 130, and then is ejected from the nozzle outlet 134 of the nozzle 130 to perform a cleaning operation (for example, the airflow ejected from the nozzle 130 is used to clean components such as sensors). It should be understood that the blower 110 as a component for generating an airflow is only an example, and the present invention is not intended to limit the specific type of component generating an airflow, but any other suitable component capable of generating a clean airflow or even a cleaning liquid may be selected (for example, using a pump to deliver a cleaning liquid for a cleaning operation). When the blower 110 is used as a fluid source, the fluid generated is an airflow; when the pump is used as a fluid source, the fluid generated is a cleaning liquid. The fluid generated by the fluid source can be used to clean the surface of a sensor of a motor vehicle. It should be understood that the present invention is not intended to limit the cleaning object of the cleaning device 100, and in addition to sensors, the cleaning device 100 can also be used to clean any other suitable component.

[0029] Under certain specific application conditions, the blower 110 and the nozzle 130 need to be pre-positioned before the connector 120 is installed between the blower 110 and the nozzle 130, making it difficult for the connector 120 to be adapted and connected between the blower 110 and the nozzle 130. In particular, there may be a problem of poor sealing between the connector 120 and the nozzle 130 due to assembly tolerance. The reduced sealing leads to a reduced flow rate of the airflow ejected by the cleaning device 110, which has an adverse effect on the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 100, and may also cause other damages due to unexpected leakage of the cleaning gas or cleaning liquid.

[0030] In order to improve the above defects, the present invention improves the sealing between the connector 120 and the nozzle 130 by flexible cooperation (rather than conventional rigid cooperation) between the connector 120 and the nozzle 130 so that the connector 120 and the nozzle 130 can be better matched and connected. Specifically, the connector 120 includes a first portion 126 arranged near the blower 110 and a second portion 128 arranged near the nozzle 130, the first portion 126 has a connector inlet 122 connected to the blower 110, and the second portion 128 has a connector outlet 124 connected to the nozzle 130. The airflow generated by the blower 110 flows into the connector 120 from the connector inlet 122, then flows to the connector outlet 124 via the fluid channel 121 between the connector inlet 122 and the connector outlet 124, and then flows out of the connector 120 from the connector outlet 124 to flow into the nozzle 130 from the nozzle inlet 132. The first part 126 is made of a rigid material to provide sufficient strength for the connecting member 120, and the second part 128 can be made of a flexible material so that the second part 128 can be flexibly matched with the nozzle inlet 132 of the nozzle 130. The flexible cooperation between the second part 128 and the nozzle inlet 132 can compensate for the assembly tolerance when the blower 110 and the nozzle 130 are pre-positioned through the deformation of the flexible component.

[0031] Alternatively, the second portion 128 may be made of a flexible material and the nozzle inlet 132 may be made of a rigid material; alternatively, the second portion 128 may be made of a rigid material and the nozzle inlet 132 may be made of a flexible material. In short, one of the second portion 128 and the nozzle inlet 132 is made of a flexible material, and the other of the second portion 128 and the nozzle inlet 132 is made of a rigid material.

[0032] Optionally, the nozzle inlet 132 can be inserted into the second part 128, that is, the connector 120 can be used as a female connector; alternatively, the second part 128 can be inserted into the nozzle inlet 132 (such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown), the connector 120 can be used as a male connector.

[0033] Preferably, when the second part 128 is made of a flexible material, the first part 126 and the second part 128 can be double-injected together. It should be understood that the present invention is not intended to limit the specific connection method of the first part 126 and the second part 128. The first part 126 and the second part 128 can also be connected together by bonding or any other suitable method. In addition, the first part 126 and the second part 128 can also be designed separately and then assembled together.

[0034] Preferably, the connecting member 120 can be in the first direction ( Figure 3 The nozzle 130 gradually narrows from the connector inlet 122 to the connector outlet 124 in the up-down direction in the figure, so that a faster airflow can be obtained at the nozzle 130, thereby further improving the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 100.

[0035] Preferably, the connecting member 120 can be arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction ( Figure 2 In the up-down direction (in the vertical direction), it gradually widens from the connecting member inlet 122 to the connecting member outlet 124, which can increase the range of the airflow ejected from the nozzle outlet 134, thereby increasing the cleaning range of the cleaning device 100.

[0036] When the second part is made of a flexible material, preferably, the second part 128 can be made of a rubber material, and more preferably, the second part 128 can be made of a rubber material with a Shore hardness of less than 80. It should be understood that the present invention is not intended to limit the specific constituent materials of the second part 128 and / or the nozzle inlet 132 made of a flexible material, but can be made of any other suitable flexible material, such as foam, or any flexible material with a Shore hardness greater than 40 and less than 80. In the present application, the rigid material can be, for example, plastic, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0037] According to another aspect of the present invention, a motor vehicle is provided, comprising a cleaning device 100 according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0038] This document describes in detail several exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to preferred embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, without departing from the concept of the present invention, various modifications and variations may be made to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and various technical features and structures proposed in the present invention may also be combined without exceeding the protection scope of the present invention, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning device (100), characterized in that: include: a fluid source, including a fluid source outlet; A nozzle (130) comprising a nozzle inlet (132) and a nozzle outlet (134); and a connecting piece (120), arranged between the fluid source and the nozzle, comprising a connecting piece inlet (122) and a connecting piece outlet (124), wherein a fluid channel (121) is formed between the connecting piece inlet and the connecting piece outlet, the connecting piece inlet is communicated with the fluid source outlet, and the connecting piece outlet is communicated with the nozzle inlet, so that the fluid source is communicated with the nozzle via the fluid channel; wherein the connecting member comprises a first portion (126) arranged near the fluid source and a second portion (128) arranged near the nozzle, One end of the first part is connected to the fluid source outlet, and the other end is connected to the second part, and the first part is made of a rigid material; One end of the second part is connected to the first part, and the other end is connected to the nozzle, one of the second part and the nozzle inlet is made of a flexible material, and the other of the second part and the nozzle inlet is made of a rigid material.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second portion (128) is made of a flexible material, and the nozzle inlet (132) is made of a rigid material.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second portion (128) is made of a rigid material, and the nozzle inlet (132) is made of a flexible material.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The nozzle inlet (132) is inserted into the second portion (128).

5. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The second portion (128) is inserted into the nozzle inlet (132).

6. The cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first part (126) and the second part (128) are double-injection molded together.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The fluid source is a blower (110), and the blower is used to generate a clean air flow to perform a cleaning operation; or The fluid source is a pump, and the pump is used to generate a cleaning fluid for a cleaning operation.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The connecting piece (120) gradually narrows from the connecting piece inlet (122) to the connecting piece outlet (124) in a first direction.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 8, characterized in that The connecting piece (120) gradually widens from the connecting piece inlet (122) to the connecting piece outlet (124) in a second direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

10. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The flexible material is a rubber material and / or the rigid material is a plastic.

11. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The Shore hardness of the flexible material is greater than 40, and the Shore hardness of the flexible material is less than 80.

12. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The fluid source is used to generate a fluid for cleaning a sensor surface of a motor vehicle.

13. A motor vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising a cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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