Automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor
By designing an automated cleaning device for water quality sensors, the short service life and high maintenance costs of sensors due to corrosive substances, biological attachments and sediment accumulation are solved, and the effect of extending sensor life, reducing costs and improving cleaning quality is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510178027.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-16
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-02-18
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, under the influence of corrosive substances, biological attachments and sediment accumulation in the monitored water body, the actual service life is much lower than the design expectations, resulting in users needing to frequently replace sensors or perform manual cleaning, which increases cost and safety risks.
An automatic cleaning device for water quality sensors is designed, including a water storage bowl, sensor kit, four-legged stand float and controller. The device automatically cleanses through a level sensor and MCU core circuit. The sensor kit uses a hole-hole soft plug and casing design, which can be automatically lifted and lowered to complete the cleaning task.
It extends the actual service life of the sensor, reduces labor costs and cleaning cycles, improves cleaning quality and production efficiency, and reduces maintenance costs through modular design.
Smart Images

Figure CN120001698A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of sensors, and in particular to an automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor. Background Art
[0002] In diversified applications, water quality sensors have become an indispensable monitoring tool in many fields. From marine science research to industrial wastewater discharge monitoring, these devices are widely used in various scenarios to obtain key parameters such as real-time salinity, dissolved oxygen and trace elements of water bodies, providing data support for decision makers and bringing significant diversified benefits. However, due to factors such as corrosive substances, biological attachment, and sediment accumulation in the monitored water body, the actual service life of the sensor is far from the design expectations, which means that users need to replace sensors or carry out maintenance work more frequently. This is undoubtedly a heavy burden for users who rely on continuous monitoring data to make decisions. Therefore, in order to extend the service life, many users began to manually clean the sensors. Although this model seems to have a lower initial investment than directly replacing the sensor, in the long run, frequent manual cleaning is also accompanied by considerable expenses, including manpower, time and other costs, and there is a risk of equipment damage due to misoperation.
[0003] In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is particularly important and urgent to develop an automatic cleaning device for water quality sensors. Summary of the invention
[0004] Therefore, the present invention solves the technical problems of low efficiency, high cost and safety risks existing in the manual cleaning mode in the prior art; the present invention provides an automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor, which, while ensuring the normal operation of the sensor, designs peripheral control equipment, breaks through the traditional manual cleaning sensor mode, and provides a new type of automatic cleaning solution to bring smarter, lower cost and cleaner benefits.
[0005] The present invention provides an automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor, comprising a water storage bowl, the bottom of which is provided with an opening; a sensor kit, which is provided in the opening; a four-legged support float, which is provided at the bottom of the water storage bowl and is used to provide support for the entire device; and a controller, which is provided on the water storage bowl and is used to control the operation of the sensor kit. The water storage bowl is in the shape of an inverted truncated cone, and its top is a fully open design; the bottom of the water storage bowl is bulged downward on all sides and sunken upward in the middle; the opening is located at the sunken part of the bottom of the water storage bowl. A liquid level sensor is provided in the water storage bowl, and the signal transmitting end of the liquid level sensor is connected to the signal receiving end of the MCU core circuit; the signal transmitting end of the MCU core circuit is connected to the signal receiving end of the winding module. The diameter of the opening is smaller than the top diameter of the plug and larger than the bottom diameter of the plug; the kit is clamped but the vertical movement of the kit is not restricted. A sealing ring is provided in the opening to improve the sealing performance.
[0006] Furthermore, the sensor kit includes a sleeve, which is in the shape of a test tube; a soft truncated cone-shaped plug with a hole is provided on the top of the sleeve, and a water quality sensor is provided in the hole; a groove is provided in the middle of the plug, and a card slot adapted to the groove is provided on the top of the sleeve; the card slot is inserted into the groove to achieve the installation of the sleeve and the plug; a water inlet is provided on the middle surface of the sleeve, and a water outlet is provided at the bottom; pull rings are provided on both sides of the outer surface of the sleeve, and the pull rings are connected to the cable on the controller. A detachable buckle is provided on the plug hole.
[0007] Furthermore, the four-legged support float includes an annular float, and a straight tube is provided on the annular float, and the straight tube is connected to the bottom of the water storage bowl through a pin shaft.
[0008] Furthermore, the controller is arranged in the controller box, and the controller circuit board carries a power supply module, an MCU core circuit, a winding module, a status indication module, a component damage alarm module, a task active trigger button, an external communication interface, and a function expandable pin, and the circuit board is fixed inside the box through a copper column; the winding module is connected to the cable. The outside and bottom of the water storage bowl are respectively provided with a mounting buckle for the controller box and a connecting port for the straight pipe. A hole can be opened on the straight pipe, and the hole is connected to the connecting port through a pin. The mounting buckle can cooperate with the buckle on the side of the controller box to realize the connection of the controller box.
[0009] In the above technical solution, the technical effects and advantages provided by the present invention are:
[0010] 1. The automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor provided by the present invention reduces the influence of factors such as corrosive substances, biological attachment, sediment accumulation, etc. in the monitored water body on the working state of the sensor, thereby extending the actual service life of the sensor.
[0011] 2. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensors provided by the present invention requires only a small amount of manual supervision for the sensor cleaning task, thereby reducing labor costs, shortening the cleaning cycle, and improving production efficiency. The larger the scale, the more significant the benefits.
[0012] 3. The automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor provided by the present invention can ensure the stability of the cleaning process, help eliminate problems such as omissions and unevenness that may occur in manual cleaning, and improve the cleaning quality.
[0013] 4. The automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor provided by the present invention is modularly designed. If some components fail, only the corresponding components need to be replaced. For users, the equipment maintenance cost is lower. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.
[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;
[0016] Figure 2 A top view of the present invention;
[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water storage bowl structure of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the mounting buckle and the side buckle of the present invention;
[0019] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the casing structure of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the groove and the slot structure of the present invention;
[0021] Figure 7 This is a top view of the detachable buckle of the present invention;
[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the straight pipe structure of the present invention;
[0023] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the working process of the present invention.
[0024] Description of reference numerals:
[0025] 1. Water storage bowl; 2. Opening; 3. Liquid level sensor; 4. Sleeve; 5. Plug; 6. Water quality sensor; 7. Groove; 8. Slot; 9. Water inlet; 10. Water outlet; 11. Pull ring; 12. Cable; 13. Removable buckle; 14. Ring float; 15. Straight tube; 16. Controller box; 17. Installation buckle; 18. Connection port; 19. Side buckle; 20. Opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0027] Embodiment 1:
[0028] This embodiment provides an automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor, the structural diagram of which is shown in FIG. Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, it includes four parts that work together to perform automated cleaning tasks. The detailed parts are as follows:
[0029] The water storage bowl 1 is used to collect fresh water for cleaning operations and is equipped with a liquid level sensing function;
[0030] The sensor kit has a soft plug 5 with holes at the top, and a removable buckle 13 to fix the water quality sensor 6. Multiple independent water inlets 9 and outlets 10 are respectively set in the middle and bottom of the sleeve 4 of the kit to allow fresh water to flow smoothly to effectively clean the sensor. Pull rings 11 are specially set on both sides of the sleeve 4, which are connected to the cable 12 on the controller box 16 to facilitate the adjustment of the height of the kit;
[0031] The adjustable four-legged bracket floats to provide support for the entire cleaning device. The bracket can be adjusted in multiple levels to meet the different height requirements in various scenarios;
[0032] The controller set in the controller box 16 serves as the control center for all component behaviors. The controller uses the MCU to monitor the liquid level information of the water storage bowl 1, uses the onboard winder in the winder module to adjust the height of the sensor kit, is equipped with a variety of behavior and status indicators, and performs cleaning tasks according to the pre-burned program logic. External communication interfaces and function expansion pins are also reserved on the board to facilitate secondary development.
[0033] In this embodiment, the design details of the water storage bowl 1 are as follows:
[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the water storage bowl 1 is made of plastic and is designed in the shape of an inverted truncated cone, which is specially used to store fresh water for washing. The top adopts a fully open design, while the bottom is a structure with bulges around and a concave center. In addition, an opening 2 is arranged in the center of the bottom depression to ensure that fresh water can flow out smoothly. The opening 2 at the bottom of the bowl is equipped with a sealing ring of corresponding size, and the diameter of the opening 2 is smaller than the top of the truncated cone-shaped soft plug 5 of the sensor kit, but larger than the bottom. This design can just hold the kit but does not limit the vertical movement of the kit, and also takes into account the effectiveness of water storage in the water storage bowl 1. At the same time, a liquid level sensor 3 is installed in the water storage bowl 1, so that the MCU core circuit of the device can obtain the current fresh water level information for flushing operations. The mounting buckle 17 for the controller box 16 and the connection port 18 for the straight pipe 15 are respectively arranged on the outside and bottom of the water storage bowl 1 for assembling related functional components. The mounting buckle 17 can cooperate with the side buckle 19 of the controller box 16 to realize the connection of the controller box 16.
[0035] In this embodiment, the sensor kit design details are as follows:
[0036] like Figure 5As shown, the sensor kit has a test tube-like appearance and consists of three parts: a perforated truncated cone soft plug 5, a sleeve 4, and a pull ring 11. Considering that the kit needs to be immersed in water for a long time, the plug 5 is made of fluororubber, while the sleeve 4 and the pull ring 11 are made of corrosion-resistant steel. The top of the kit is a soft plug 5, and a groove 7 for installing the sleeve 4 is provided in the middle of the plug 5. The opening 20 designed in the center is used to place the water quality sensor 6, and a detachable buckle 13 is pre-set on the top of the plug 5, which can be used to adjust the installation height of the water quality sensor 6. The upper edge of the sleeve 4 is designed to be a card slot 8 complementary to the groove 7 in the middle of the plug 5, so that the two can be assembled smoothly. In addition, rectangular water inlets 9 of the same size are provided around the middle of the sleeve 4, and a water outlet 10 is designed at the bottom. At the same time, rope pull rings 11 are provided on both sides of the lower and middle parts of the sleeve 4 to fix a section of the traction cable 12 so that the controller box 16 can control the lifting and lowering behavior of the sleeve 4. The water quality sensor 6 is inserted into the sleeve 4 from the hole at the center of the plug 5. The detachable buckle 13 surrounds the position of the outer surface of the water quality sensor 6, and the insertion length of the water quality sensor 6 can be adjusted.
[0037] In this embodiment, the four-legged support float design details are as follows:
[0038] like Figure 8 As shown, the four-legged bracket float serves as the base of the entire device, and is composed of four straight tubes 15 and annular floats 14, taking into account the characteristics of easy mobility and durability. Taking into account the problem of inconsistent equipment heights required in different scenarios, the four straight tubes 15 are designed as a multi-stage structure with adjustable length to meet different height requirements. At the same time, in order to extend the service life and strengthen the supporting effect, the straight tubes 15 are made of corrosion-resistant steel materials and the tube walls are thickened. Structurally, the straight tubes 15 are used to connect the water storage bowl 1 and the float. The float part is made of a lower-cost lightweight plastic material, and on the premise of ensuring that sufficient buoyancy can be provided, the annular diameter is further expanded to enhance the stability of the entire device in use. A hole 20 can be opened on the straight tube 15, and the hole is connected to the connecting port 18 through a pin.
[0039] In this embodiment, the controller design details are as follows:
[0040] The controller is used to coordinate the orderly operation of various components. It is set in the controller box 16 and is an integrated embodiment of all the functions of the device. The controller box 16 is made of plastic and has a waterproof design. It is fixed to the side of the water storage bowl 1 using the controller box 16 mounting buckle 17. The main functional modules on the controller circuit board are as follows: solar / 220V / 12V optional power supply module, MCU core circuit, winder module, status indication module, and task active trigger button. In addition, in order to improve the universality of the device in various scenarios, an external communication interface and expandable pins are specially provided to facilitate secondary development.
[0041] In this embodiment, the controller logic function design details are as follows:
[0042] The controller MCU core circuit will make decisions based on the fresh water level information fed back by the water storage bowl 1 and the preset time logic. If it is determined to execute the operation, the sensor kit will be lifted and lowered through the winder to achieve a complete cleaning action. The kit lifting status and whether each component is working properly will be presented in the indicator module. If a component is damaged, an alarm will be issued in time to facilitate maintenance personnel to carry out repairs. At the same time, the cleaning task can also be actively triggered by the preset button according to actual needs.
[0043] The method of using the device provided in this embodiment is as follows: Fig. 9As shown, the main sources of fresh water in the water storage bowl 1 of the device are rainwater collection and artificial addition. When the fresh water in the bowl reaches the predetermined liquid level and meets the flushing time logic, the MCU core circuit will start the winder in the winder module to wind the cable 12, and pull the sensor kit up to the preset height through the cable 12. After the water inlet 9 is located in the water storage bowl 1, the fresh water will flow smoothly into the casing 4 to flush the water quality sensor 6, and then the fresh water will be discharged along the outlet 10. When the cleaning task is completed, the kit will be lowered to the initial installation height again, and the task execution process will be presented in the status indication module. The entire flushing process takes about one minute, which will not affect the normal operation of the water quality sensor 6, and the time interval between two cleanings can be selected from a variety of preset values according to actual needs. In addition, during the cleaning interval, the flushing task can also be performed by actively triggering the button control device. During use, if a component fails, the alarm module will prompt it, which is convenient for maintenance personnel to replace the component in time. In addition, if it is necessary to work in coordination with peripheral equipment, the reserved external communication interface control device can be used, and the function expansion pin can also be used to enrich the function of the device. The water inlet 9 of the casing 4 is used to allow the water to be monitored to flow into the casing 4 and contact the water quality sensor 6 to monitor the water quality when it is outside the water storage bowl 1, and to allow fresh water to flow into the casing 4 to clean the water quality sensor 6 when it is inside the water storage bowl 1. When the equipment is actually used, it must be ensured that the water depth of the water outlet 10 at the bottom of the casing 4 is within the maximum height that the winding device can be lifted to ensure that the water outlet 10 can be completely exposed to the water surface when the cleaning operation is carried out.
[0044] Embodiment 2:
[0045] This embodiment provides an assembly step of the device provided in the above embodiment 1 as follows:
[0046] ① The sealing ring is embedded in the edge of the opening 2 of the water storage bowl 1, and the controller box 16 is fixed to the outside of the water storage bowl 1;
[0047] ② Connect the interfaces at both ends of the straight tube 15 to the connecting ports 18 of the straight tube 15 corresponding to the water storage bowl 1 and the four-legged bracket float respectively;
[0048] ③ Assemble the sensor kit soft plug 5 and the sleeve 4, insert the water quality sensor 6 into the reserved hole of the plug 5, and adjust the water quality sensor 6 to a suitable height through the detachable buckle 13 on the upper end of the plug 5. Then insert the kit into the outlet of the water storage bowl 1, and take out the cable 12 in the controller box 16 and connect it to the pull rings 11 on both sides of the sleeve 4;
[0049] ④ Place the device in the water body to be monitored, and use the multi-level structure of the straight pipe 15 to adjust the device to a suitable height, but do not exceed the maximum water entry height of the sensor kit.
[0050] ⑤ Select the appropriate mode from the multiple specified power supply modes to power the device.
[0051] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An automatic cleaning device for a water quality sensor, characterized in that: include, A water storage bowl (1), wherein the bottom of the water storage bowl (1) is provided with an opening (2); A sensor assembly is disposed in the opening (2); A four-legged support float is arranged at the bottom of the water storage bowl (1) to provide support for the entire device; The controller is arranged on the water storage bowl (1) and is used to control the operation of the sensor kit.
2. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water storage bowl (1) is in the shape of an inverted truncated cone, and its top is a fully open design; the bottom of the water storage bowl (1) is convex downwards on all sides and concave upwards in the middle; the opening (2) is located at the concave portion of the bottom of the water storage bowl (1).
3. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sensor kit comprises a sleeve (4), the sleeve (4) being in the shape of a test tube; a truncated cone-shaped soft plug (5) with an opening (20) is arranged at the top of the sleeve (4), and a water quality sensor (6) is arranged in the opening (20); a groove (7) is arranged in the middle of the plug (5), and a clamping groove (8) adapted to the groove (7) is arranged at the top of the sleeve (4); the clamping groove (8) is clamped into the groove (7); a water inlet (9) is arranged on the middle surface of the sleeve (4), and a water outlet (10) is arranged at the bottom; pull rings (11) are arranged on both sides of the outer surface of the sleeve (4), and the pull rings (11) are connected to the cable (12) on the controller.
4. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The four-legged support float comprises an annular float (14), on which a straight tube (15) is arranged, and the straight tube (15) is connected to a bottom connection port (18) of a water storage bowl (1) via a latch.
5. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The controller is arranged in a controller box (16); the controller circuit board is equipped with a power supply module, an MCU core circuit, a wire winder module, a status indication module, a component damage alarm module, a task active trigger button, an external communication interface and function expandable pins; the circuit board is fixed inside the box by a copper column; the wire winder module is connected to the cable (12).
6. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that: A liquid level sensor (3) is arranged in the water storage bowl (1); a signal transmitting end of the liquid level sensor (3) is connected to a signal receiving end of an MCU core circuit; and a signal transmitting end of the MCU core circuit is connected to a signal receiving end of a winding module.
7. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that: The diameter of the opening (2) is smaller than the diameter of the top end of the stopper (5) and larger than the diameter of the bottom end of the stopper (5).
8. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 7, characterized in that: A sealing ring is arranged inside the opening (2).
9. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer side and bottom of the water storage bowl (1) are respectively provided with a mounting buckle (17) for the controller box (16) and a connecting port (18) for the straight pipe (15).
10. The automatic cleaning device for water quality sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that: The hole of the plug (5) is provided with a detachable buckle (13).
Citation Information
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