System for spraying cleaning liquid with valve cleaning device

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (20) for spraying a cleaning liquid, in particular comprising means for cleaning a valve body (3) configured to allow air to enter the system (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of systems for spraying cleaning liquids for motor vehicles and in particular to valves used in these systems. Background Art

[0002] It is known from the prior art that motor vehicles are provided with systems for spraying cleaning liquids in order to keep the vehicle windshield clean and to allow the driver to have an optimal view of the outside world. Other optical devices, such as sensors, may also require such a spraying system.

[0003] These systems generally include a cleaning liquid reservoir, a pump, and at least one valve configured to allow or prevent the flow of cleaning liquid to the various spray tips (also referred to as "nozzles").

[0004] One of the problems with hydraulic valves placed in the hydraulic circuit of the injection system is the risk of failure of said valves, which is associated with frost formation on the hydraulic valves. Furthermore, in the case of extremely low temperatures, the cleaning liquid present in the valves may freeze, causing damage to the valves due to the expansion of the water when it freezes, thus leading to failure of the system for injecting the cleaning liquid.

[0005] In order to avoid such damage to the valve in the event of freezing or frost, it is known to attempt to clean the valve after the system has been used. However, systems for spraying cleaning liquids typically include one or more non-return valves, which are arranged between the hydraulic valve and the spray end piece, or directly in the spray end piece. Such non-return valves ensure that no fluid (in particular rainwater or car wash water) can enter the system. The valve can also prevent leakage of the cleaning liquid outside the cleaning phase; in the absence of a non-return valve, once the pump is turned off, a few drops may escape from the nozzle and interfere with the sensors associated with the nozzle. However, the presence of such a non-return valve makes the operations of cleaning the valve difficult, because these operations require air (or gas) to enter the system in the direction of fluid movement opposite to the direction of injection of the cleaning liquid through the valve towards the spray end piece, specifically so that the cleaning liquid can be removed from the body of the valve without the risk of the valve being damaged.

[0006] It is therefore necessary to find a solution for systems for spraying cleaning liquids for motor vehicles that allows cleaning operations of the valves that are both effective and repeatable over time and that protects the valves from damage caused by the cleaning operations.

[0007] The present invention aims in particular to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by proposing a system that makes it possible to ensure that the operation of cleaning the valve is effective and repeatable over time, making it possible to protect the valve from the risks of damage associated with the very low temperatures of the cleaning liquid, and that does not require significant modifications compared to known systems. This solution is therefore particularly advantageous because it makes it possible to solve the above-mentioned problems while being able to be implemented quickly without any major modifications to existing systems. Summary of the invention

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a system for spraying a cleaning liquid, the system comprising:

[0009] - Clean the liquid reservoir,

[0010] - pumps,

[0011] at least one spray tip for spraying a cleaning liquid,

[0012] a check valve configured to prevent any fluid from entering the system from the spray tip for spraying liquid, and

[0013] - at least one valve comprising a valve body intended to receive a cleaning liquid and selectively conduct the cleaning liquid between a pump (24) and at least one injection end-piece.

[0014] According to the invention, a system for spraying a cleaning liquid comprises means for clearing a valve body, the clearing means being configured to allow gas to enter the system.

[0015] Additional optional features taken individually or in combination according to the system:

[0016] - the valve is a first valve, the clearing device comprises a second valve comprising an orifice in fluid connection with the orifice of the first valve and a second orifice allowing gas to enter the second valve;

[0017] - a second orifice of the second valve is fluidly connected to external ambient air;

[0018] - the first valve and the second valve are arranged to allow the cleaning liquid to return to the pump and the liquid reservoir under the effect of gravity;

[0019] - the pump comprises a reversible motor, the pump being configured to supply cleaning liquid to the valve body in a first rotational direction of the motor and to suck cleaning liquid from the valve body in a second rotational direction of the motor;

[0020] - the valve is a valve comprising three orifices, the system comprising a second check valve arranged on one of the orifices, the second check valve being configured to block the passage of fluid when the motor of the pump operates in a first rotational direction and to allow the passage of air when the motor of the pump operates in a second rotational direction;

[0021] - the second non-return valve comprises a deformable diaphragm configured to deform under the effect of a negative pressure generated by the pump when the motor of the pump is operated in a second rotational direction;

[0022] - the second non-return valve comprises a deformable cylinder configured to deform under the effect of a negative pressure generated by the pump when the motor of the pump operates in a second rotational direction;

[0023] The valve is a solenoid valve further comprising a coil configured to cause the plunger to move from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] [ Figure 1 ] is a view depicting a system for spraying a cleaning liquid according to the present invention,

[0026] [ Figure 2 ] is a depiction of [ Figure 1 ] is a view of the valves of the system,

[0027] [ Figure 3 ] is a view depicting a cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention,

[0028] [ Figure 4A ]and[ Figure 4B ] is a group of views showing a portion of a cleaning device according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

[0029] [ Figure 5A ]and[ Figure 5B ] is a group of views showing a portion of a cleaning device according to a variant of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the drawings, identical elements are provided with identical reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following embodiments are examples. Although the description relates to one or more embodiments, this does not necessarily mean that each reference numeral relates to the same embodiment or that the features apply to only one embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined or interchanged to provide other embodiments.

[0032] [ Figure 1 ] depicts a system 20 for spraying a cleaning liquid, the system comprising a liquid reservoir 22, a pump 24, a spray end piece 26 for spraying the cleaning liquid, the liquid reservoir, the pump and the spray end piece being configured, for example, to spray the cleaning liquid onto a windshield of a motor vehicle or onto an optical element. The spray system 20 also comprises a valve 1 for controlling the distribution of the cleaning liquid to the spray end piece 26. The valve 1 is connected to the reservoir 22 via a supply hose 28, and the spray end piece 26 is connected to the valve 1 via a distribution hose 30. A check valve (not depicted) is present in the spray end piece 26 or between the spray end piece and the valve 1. The spray system 20 according to the invention also comprises a device for cleaning the valve body 3 (not depicted in [ Figure 1 ] depicted), the cleaning device is configured to allow air to enter the system 20.

[0033] Additionally, the injection system 20 may also include multiple valves supplying multiple injection tips, thereby enabling the supply of cleaning liquid to multiple destinations in a vehicle in which the system 20 is implemented.

[0034] The valve 1 is for example a solenoid valve comprising a coil 13 which, when supplied with electricity, enables the movement of the plunger 7 to be controlled as described in the remainder of the description. However, the invention is not limited to solenoid valves but can also be applied to other valve types.

[0035] [ Figure 2 ] depicts a cross-sectional view of a solenoid valve 1 showing the internal elements of the solenoid valve 1. The solenoid valve 1 comprises a valve body 3 surrounding a hydraulic chamber 5 in which a plunger 7 is positioned. The valve body 3 comprises: a first portion 3a comprising a coil 13 arranged around the first portion 5a of the hydraulic chamber 5; and a second portion 3b in which a first orifice 9 corresponding to an inlet orifice of the fluid and a second orifice 11 corresponding to an outlet orifice of the fluid are formed and which surrounds the second portion 5b of the hydraulic chamber 5.

[0036] The first orifice 9 is configured to be attached to a supply hose 28 for a fluid, such as a cleaning liquid or a washing liquid. The supply hose 28 is connected to a cleaning liquid reservoir 22, for example via a supply pump 24 for supplying the cleaning liquid, as shown in [ Figure 1 ] as shown.

[0037] The second orifice 11 is configured to be attached to the spray end piece 26 via a dispensing hose 30 .

[0038] The solenoid valve 1 further comprises a hydraulic channel 15 connecting the first orifice 9 and the second orifice 11, said hydraulic channel 15 being in fluid communication with the hydraulic chamber 5 in which the plunger 7 is arranged (the hydraulic channel 15 thus partially coincides with the second portion 5b of the hydraulic chamber 5). The hydraulic channel 15 is configured to continue on both sides of the solenoid valve 1, in particular via hoses 28, 30, in order to transfer the cleaning liquid from the reservoir 22 to the injection end piece 26.

[0039] The plunger 7 is configured to be in an open position (not depicted) and a closed position (in [ Figure 2 ]), in the open position, the plunger allows cleaning liquid to pass between the supply hose 28 and the dispensing hose 30, and in the closed position, the plunger prevents cleaning liquid from passing between the supply hose 28 and the dispensing hose 30.

[0040] The plunger 7 comprises a first portion 7a, which corresponds in this case to a flexible end (e.g. an elastomer end or a rubber end) to allow good sealing in a closed position, in which the first portion 7a is in contact with the wall of the valve body 3 so as to prevent the cleaning liquid from passing through the hydraulic channel 15, i.e., preventing the cleaning liquid from passing between the first orifice 9 and the second orifice 11. The plunger 7 moves from the closed position to the open position by supplying power to the coil 13 (e.g. above a predetermined voltage threshold). An elastic stress element 17 (e.g. a coil spring) can be arranged between the valve body 3 (or an element fixed relative to the valve body 3) and the plunger 7, and is configured to place the plunger 7 in the closed position under stress when power is not supplied to the coil 13 (or if the supplied power is below a predetermined voltage threshold).

[0041] According to the first embodiment of the present invention ([ Figure 3 ]), the cleaning device comprises a second valve 50, which itself comprises a first orifice connected to the orifice fluid of the first valve 1 and a second orifice 51 allowing gas to enter the second valve 50. Advantageously, the second valve 50 is also a solenoid valve, the piston of which can be remotely controlled so as to allow gas to enter the system 20 when a cleaning operation is required for the first valve 1. More precisely, the second orifice 51 of the second valve 50 is connected to the external ambient air, which has the advantage of allowing air to enter the liquid injection system 20 in an easy-to-implement manner. In order to allow the first valve 1 to be cleaned in a more easy-to-implement manner, so that the current system does not need to be significantly modified, the first valve 1 and the second valve 50 are arranged to allow the cleaning liquid to return to the pump 24 and the liquid reservoir 22 under the action of gravity. In other words, in the vehicle in which the system 20 is installed, the assembly formed by the first valve 1 and the second valve 50 is raised relative to the pump 24 and the reservoir 22, thereby allowing the cleaning liquid stored in the valve body 3 of the first valve 1 to move under the action of gravity and be replaced by air entering the system 20 via the second valve 50.

[0042] According to a second embodiment of the system of the invention, the pump 24 comprises a reversible motor (not depicted) and is configured to supply cleaning liquid to the valve body 3 in a first rotational direction of the motor and to draw the cleaning liquid from the valve body 3 in a second rotational direction of the motor. Thus, the cleaning liquid can be moved in a direction opposite to the injection direction when it is necessary to perform a cleaning operation on the valve body 3 without significantly modifying the system 20. Therefore, the pump 24 is what is generally referred to as a reversible pump and forms part of the cleaning device of this second embodiment. The cleaning device further comprises an element that allows air to enter the system 20, so that running the motor in the second rotational direction (the rotational direction that allows the cleaning operation) does not generate excessive negative pressure in the system 20, which would risk damaging various components of the system. According to a first variant of this embodiment, this element that allows air to enter is a second valve 50, which is similar to the second valve in the first embodiment ([ Figure 3 ]) in the context of the second valve, which is in fluid communication with the first valve 1 on the one hand and with the external ambient air on the other hand. Unlike the first embodiment described above, this configuration has the advantage that there is no need for an arrangement of the first valve 1-second valve 50 assembly that allows the cleaning liquid to return to the pump and the liquid reservoir under the action of gravity, because this return is caused by the pump 24 itself. Therefore, the liquid injection system 20 according to this embodiment is more compact and therefore easier to implement in a vehicle.

[0043] According to a second variant of this second embodiment, the element allowing air to enter the system 20 is a second check valve 60, which is arranged on one of the orifices of the valve and is configured to prevent the passage of fluid when the motor of the pump 24 operates in the first rotational direction and to allow the passage of air when the motor of the pump 24 operates in the second rotational direction. Therefore, the valve 1 includes a third orifice 12 connected to a gas source (for example, external ambient air), and the check valve 60 is arranged on the third orifice. The second check valve 60 may include a deformable cylinder 61, which is arranged around the gas inlet formed by the body 63 of the valve 60. Therefore, when the motor of the pump 24 operates in the first rotational direction, the cleaning liquid flows into the valve 60 and exerts pressure on the deformable cylinder 61, thereby preventing air from passing through the inlet of the valve 60 ([ Figure 4A ]). Conversely, when the motor of the pump 24 is operated in the second direction of rotation, a negative pressure is generated in the system 20, which has the effect of, on the one hand, emptying the cleaning liquid present in the second non-return valve 60 and, on the other hand, causing the cylinder 61 to deform. Thus, ambient air enters the system 20, thereby creating a pressure balance between the internal pressure of the system 20 and the external ambient pressure, which allows the cleaning operation of the valve body 3 to be performed without damaging the components of the system 20 ([ Figure 4B]). Alternatively, the second check valve 60 may include a deformable diaphragm 62 that abuts against the gas inlet formed by the body 63 of the valve 60. Thus, when the motor of the pump 24 is operated in the first rotational direction, the cleaning liquid flows into the valve 60 and exerts pressure on the deformable diaphragm 62, thereby preventing air from passing through the inlet of the valve 60 ([ Figure 5A ]). Conversely, when the motor of the pump 24 is operated in the second direction of rotation, a negative pressure is generated in the system 20, which has the effect of, on the one hand, emptying the cleaning liquid present in the second non-return valve 60 and, on the other hand, causing the diaphragm 62 to deform. Thus, ambient air enters the system 20, creating a pressure balance between the internal pressure of the system 20 and the external ambient pressure, which allows the cleaning operation of the valve body 3 to be performed without damaging the components of the system 20 ([ Figure 5B ]).

[0044] The invention is not limited to the embodiments presented and further embodiments will be clear and obvious to the skilled person. By way of example, the invention also encompasses an embodiment according to which the cleaning device comprises both a second valve 50 and a second non-return valve 60, the second non-return valve being positioned on the orifice of the second valve 50 connected to the external ambient air.

[0045] List of Reference Numerals

[0046] 1: Valve / First Valve

[0047] 3: Valve body

[0048] 3a: The first part of the valve body

[0049] 3b: The second part of the valve body

[0050] 5: Hydraulic chamber

[0051] 5a: The first part of the hydraulic chamber

[0052] 5b: Second part of the hydraulic chamber

[0053] 7: Plunger

[0054] 9: First orifice of valve

[0055] 11: Second orifice of valve

[0056] 12: The third orifice of the valve

[0057] 13: Coil

[0058] 15: Hydraulic channel

[0059] 17: Elastic stress element / helical spring

[0060] 20: System for spraying cleaning liquid

[0061] 22: Clean the liquid reservoir

[0062] 24: Pump

[0063] 26: Injection end pieces

[0064] 28: Supply hose

[0065] 30: Distribution hose

[0066] 50: Second valve

[0067] 51: Second orifice of the second valve

[0068] 60: Second check valve

[0069] 61: Deformable Cylinder

[0070] 62: Deformable diaphragm

[0071] 63: The body of the second check valve

Claims

1. A system (20) for spraying a cleaning liquid, the system comprising: - cleaning liquid reservoir (22), - a pump (24), at least one spray tip (26) for spraying a cleaning liquid, a non-return valve configured to prevent any fluid from entering the system (20) from the injection end piece (26) for injecting liquid, and at least one valve (1) comprising a valve body (3) intended to receive the cleaning liquid and selectively conduct the cleaning liquid between the pump (24) and the at least one injection end-piece (26), The system (20) for spraying a cleaning liquid is characterized in that the system comprises means for cleaning the valve body (3), the cleaning means being configured to allow gas to enter the system (20).

2. The system (20) of claim 1, wherein: The valve (1) is a first valve (1), and the cleaning device comprises a second valve (50), the second valve comprising a first orifice fluidically connected to the orifice of the first valve and a second orifice (51) allowing the gas to enter the second valve (50).

3. The system (20) of claim 2, wherein: The second orifice (51) of the second valve (50) is fluidly connected to the external ambient air.

4. The system (20) of claim 2 or 3, wherein: The first valve (1) and the second valve (50) are arranged to allow the cleaning liquid to return to the pump (24) and the liquid reservoir (22) under the effect of gravity.

5. The system (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The pump (24) comprises a reversible motor, the pump (24) being configured to supply cleaning liquid to the valve body (3) in a first rotational direction of the motor and to suck the cleaning liquid from the valve body (3) in a second rotational direction of the motor.

6. System (20) according to the preceding claim, wherein: The valve (1) is a valve including three orifices, and the system (20) includes a second check valve (60) arranged on one of the orifices, and the second check valve (60) is configured to prevent fluid from passing when the motor of the pump (24) operates in the first rotation direction and to allow air to pass when the motor of the pump (24) operates in the second rotation direction.

7. System (20) according to the preceding claim, wherein: The second check valve (60) includes a deformable diaphragm (62) configured to deform under the effect of negative pressure generated by the pump (24) when the motor of the pump (24) operates in the second rotational direction.

8. The system (20) of claim 6, wherein: The second check valve (60) comprises a deformable cylinder (61) configured to deform under the effect of negative pressure generated by the pump (24) when the motor of the pump (24) operates in the second rotation direction.

9. The system (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The valve (1) is a solenoid valve further comprising a coil configured to cause the plunger (7) to move from the closed position to the open position and vice versa.

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