Cleaning device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing cleaning devices attached to moving objects, such as vehicles, are visually conspicuous and require complex installation processes, increasing production costs and visibility.
A cleaning device design featuring a nozzle that sprays cleaning fluid, a bracket for holding the nozzle, and an adhesive part for attachment to the support's inner surface, with a guide and cover configuration that reduces visibility by positioning the outer edges of the guide and cover inside the support's opening, allowing for simplified attachment and reduced exposure.
The design simplifies the attachment process, reduces production equipment complexity, and minimizes visibility, enhancing productivity and aesthetic appeal by covering the nozzle when viewed from the outside.
Abstract
Description
cleaning equipment
[0001] SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device that is attached to a support having an opening or concave surface.
[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a cleaning device that is attached to a support provided as part of a vehicle, which is an example of a moving body. The cleaning device includes a nozzle that sprays a cleaning liquid, which is an example of a fluid, to clean headlamps. When the cleaning liquid is not being sprayed, the nozzle is covered and hidden by a part of the support. When the cleaning liquid is being sprayed, the part of the support is displaced to expose the nozzle.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-156210
[0004] There is a need to reduce the visibility of such cleaning devices.
[0005] A first example embodiment provided by the present disclosure is a cleaning device that is attached to a support having an opening, comprising: a nozzle that sprays a fluid toward an object; a bracket that holds the nozzle in a fixed position; and an adhesive portion that attaches the bracket to the inner surface of the support, wherein the bracket comprises: a guide having a concave surface that directs the fluid toward the object; and a cover that covers at least a portion of the nozzle when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, and wherein the outer edge of the guide and the outer edge of the cover are configured to be positioned inside the inner edge of the opening when the cleaning device is attached to the support.
[0006] According to the configuration of the first aspect, the outer edge of the bracket guide and the outer edge of the cover are located inside the inner edge of the opening, so that the bracket and the inner surface can be bonded by the adhesive simply by passing the guide and cover through the opening from the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support body, and the cleaning device can be attached to the support body. Since work from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support body is not necessary, production equipment can be simplified and productivity can be improved.
[0007] In addition, the dimensions of the portion of the bracket exposed through the opening on the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support can be reduced, which, combined with the appearance that at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the cover when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface, can reduce the visibility of the cleaning device.
[0008] A second example embodiment provided by the present disclosure is a cleaning device that is attached to a support having an opening, comprising: a nozzle that sprays a fluid toward an object; a bracket that holds the nozzle in a fixed position; and an adhesive portion that attaches the bracket to the inner surface of the support, wherein the bracket has a guide with a concave surface that directs the fluid toward the object, and the nozzle is positioned so that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, and the outer edge of the guide is configured to be positioned more inward than the inner edge of the opening when the cleaning device is attached to the support.
[0009] According to the configuration of the second embodiment, the outer edge of the bracket guide is located inside the inner edge of the opening, so that the bracket and the inner surface can be bonded by the simple action of passing the guide through the opening from the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support body, and the cleaning device can be attached to the support body. Since work from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support body is not necessary, production equipment can be simplified and productivity can be improved.
[0010] In addition, since at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support body itself when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support body, the size of the portion exposed to the side corresponding to the outer surface through the opening in the bracket can be reduced, thereby reducing the visibility of the cleaning device.
[0011] A third example aspect provided by the present disclosure is a cleaning device attached to a support having a concave surface, comprising: a nozzle for spraying a fluid toward an object; a bracket for holding the nozzle in a fixed position; and an adhesive portion for adhering the bracket to the inner surface of the support; the bracket has an opening for receiving the concave surface on the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support; the nozzle is positioned so that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid is guided toward the object by the concave surface; and the nozzle is positioned so that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support.
[0012] According to the configuration of the third aspect, the bracket has an opening on the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support that receives the concave surface of the support, so that the bracket and the inner surface can be bonded by the simple action of receiving the concave surface into the opening from the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support, and the cleaning device can be attached to the support. Since work from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support is not necessary, production equipment can be simplified and productivity can be improved.
[0013] In addition, the bracket can be made difficult to see from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, which, combined with the appearance that at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support itself when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, reduces the visibility of the cleaning device.
[0014] A fourth example aspect provided by the present disclosure is a cleaning device attached to a support having a concave surface, comprising: a nozzle for spraying a fluid toward an object; and an engagement portion for holding the nozzle in a fixed position by engaging with the support on a side corresponding to the inner surface of the support; wherein the nozzle is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid is guided toward the object by the concave surface; and the nozzle is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support.
[0015] According to the fourth aspect, the cleaning device can be attached to the support by a simple operation of engaging the nozzle with the engagement part from the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support, eliminating the need for work from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, which simplifies production equipment and improves productivity.
[0016] In addition, since it is difficult to see the nozzle from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, the visibility of the cleaning device can be reduced.
[0017] A fifth example aspect provided by the present disclosure is a cleaning device attached to a support having an opening, comprising: a nozzle for spraying a fluid toward an object; a bracket for holding the nozzle in a fixed position on the support; and an adhesive portion for adhering the bracket to the inner surface of the support; wherein the nozzle is positioned so that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid that has passed through the opening is sprayed toward the object; and the nozzle is positioned so that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support.
[0018] According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the cleaning device can be attached to the support by simply pressing the bracket against the support from the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support, thereby bonding the bracket to the inner surface with the adhesive part, eliminating the need for work on the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, which simplifies production equipment and improves productivity.
[0019] Furthermore, since the nozzle and the object can be directly opposed to each other through the opening in the support, the degree of freedom in the positional relationship between them can be increased.
[0020] In addition, the bracket can be made difficult to see from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, which, combined with the appearance that at least a portion of the nozzle is covered by the support itself when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, reduces the visibility of the cleaning device.
[0021] 1 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the cleaning device of FIG. 1 is attached to a support. FIG. 3 illustrates a vehicle on which the cleaning device of FIG. 1 is mounted. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2, viewed from the direction of the arrows. FIG. 5 illustrates the configuration of a cleaning device according to a comparative example. FIG. 6 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 illustrates a cross section taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, viewed from the direction of the arrows. FIG. 7 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 9 illustrates a state in which the cleaning device of FIG. 9 is attached to a support. FIG. 10 illustrates a cross section taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 illustrates a state in which the cleaning device of FIG. 12 is attached to a support. FIG. 14 illustrates a cross section taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 14. FIG. 15 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 16 illustrates a state in which the cleaning device of FIG. 15 is attached to a support. FIG. 17 illustrates a cross section taken along line XVII-XVII in FIG. 16, viewed from the direction of the arrows. 19 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device according to a sixth embodiment. 20 illustrates a state in which the cleaning device of FIG. 18 is attached to a support. 21 illustrates a cross section taken along line XX-XX in FIG. 19, as viewed from the direction of the arrows. 22 illustrates an external view of the cleaning device as viewed from the direction of arrow XXI in FIG. 20.
[0022] The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the scale has been changed as necessary to make each component recognizable.
[0023] In the accompanying drawings, arrow F indicates the forward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow B indicates the rearward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow U indicates the upward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow D indicates the downward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow R indicates the rightward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow L indicates the leftward direction of the illustrated structure. These directional expressions are intended to be used for convenience of explanation and are not intended to limit the orientation of the structure during actual use.
[0024] Fig. 1 illustrates an example of the appearance of a cleaning device 10 according to a first embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the cleaning device 10 is attached to a support 61 and cleans a lighting device 70. For example, the lighting device 70 may be a headlight device mounted on a vehicle 80 illustrated in Fig. 3. The support 61 may be a component that constitutes a part of the vehicle 80. The vehicle 80 is an example of a moving body.
[0025] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the lighting device 70 includes a translucent cover 71. The translucent cover 71 defines a lamp chamber in which a light source 72 is housed and allows light emitted from the light source 72 to pass through. The cleaning device 10 includes a nozzle 11. The cleaning device 10 is configured to perform cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid W from the nozzle 11 toward the translucent cover 71. The translucent cover 71 is an example of an object. The cleaning liquid W is an example of a fluid.
[0026] Figure 4 illustrates a cross section taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2 as viewed from the direction of the arrows. The cleaning device 10 includes a joint 12. The joint 12 is configured to be connected to one end of a supply pipe (not shown) for cleaning liquid W. The joint 12 includes a flow path 121 that communicates with the supply pipe.
[0027] On the other hand, the nozzle 11 has an injection port 111 and a flow path 112. The flow path 112 is in communication with the injection port 111. When the nozzle 11 is connected to the joint 12, the flow path 112 and the flow path 121 are in communication with each other. This forms a flow path for the cleaning liquid W that runs from the supply pipe to the injection port 111. The cleaning liquid W is injected from the injection port 111.
[0028] The cleaning device 10 includes a bracket 13. The bracket 13 is configured to hold the nozzle 11 in a fixed position. In other words, the position of the nozzle 11 in the cleaning device 10 is fixed, which distinguishes the cleaning device from a cleaning device equipped with a so-called pop-up type nozzle.
[0029] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the cleaning device 10 includes an adhesive portion 14. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the adhesive portion 14 adheres the bracket 13 to the inner surface 611 of the support body 61. That is, the cleaning device 10 is attached to the support body 61 from the inner surface 611 side.
[0030] In this example, the adhesive portion 14 is realized by a tape material having adhesive layers on both sides. One adhesive layer of the tape material is adhered to the supported surface 131 of the bracket 13. The other adhesive layer is adhered to the inner surface 611 of the support body 61.
[0031] The adhesive portion 14 may be realized by an adhesive that is applied when the cleaning device 10 is attached to the support body 61 .
[0032] 1, the bracket 13 includes a guide 132 and a cover 133. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, an opening 612 is formed in the support body 61. When the cleaning device 10 is attached to the support body 61, the guide 132 and the cover 133 are exposed through the opening 612 on the side corresponding to an outer surface 613 of the support body 61.
[0033] 1 and 2, the guide 132 has a concave surface 132a. The concave surface 132a has a size and shape that allows the cleaning liquid W sprayed from the nozzle 11 to be guided to the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0034] The cover 133 is formed so as to cover at least a portion of the nozzle 11 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 613 of the support body 61 .
[0035] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, an outer edge 132 b of the guide 132 and an outer edge 133 a of the cover 133 are located inside an inner edge 612 a of the opening 612 .
[0036] 5 shows a bracket of a cleaning device according to a comparative example. The bracket is provided with a cover 133'. Although not shown, the cover 133' is arranged to cover the nozzle located below.
[0037] The cover 133' includes an engaging portion 134'. The engaging portion 134' engages with the inner edge 612a of the opening 612 of the support body 61 so as to sandwich the inner edge 612a from the thickness direction of the support body 61, thereby fixing the bracket to the support body 61. Due to this structure, the outer edge 133a' of the cover 133' is inevitably positioned outside the inner edge 612a of the opening 612. Since the dimension of the portion exposed on the side corresponding to the outer surface 613 of the support body 61 is increased accordingly, the visibility of the cleaning device is improved.
[0038] In addition, due to its structure, the cover 133′ needs to be inserted into the opening 612 from the side corresponding to the outer surface 613. Therefore, in order to connect the bracket 13′ to the nozzle, work needs to be performed from both the side corresponding to the inner surface 611 of the support body 61 and the side corresponding to the outer surface 613.
[0039] On the other hand, in the configuration according to this embodiment, the outer edge 132b of the guide 132 of the bracket 13 and the outer edge 133a of the cover 133 are located inside the inner edge 612a of the opening 612, so that the bracket 13 and the inner surface 611 can be bonded together by the adhesive portion 14 with the simple action of passing the guide 132 and the cover 133 through the opening 612 from the side corresponding to the inner surface 611 of the support body 61, thereby enabling the cleaning device 10 to be attached to the support body 61. Since the work from the side corresponding to the outer surface 613 of the support body 61 is not required, it is possible to simplify the production equipment and improve productivity.
[0040] In addition, the dimensions of the part of the bracket 13 exposed through the opening 612 on the side corresponding to the outer surface 613 of the support body 61 can be reduced. This, combined with the appearance that at least a part of the nozzle 11 is covered by the cover 133 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 613, can reduce the visibility of the cleaning device 10.
[0041] Fig. 6 illustrates an example of the appearance of the cleaning device 20 according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the cleaning device 20 is attached to a support 62 and cleans the lighting device 70. The support 62 may be a component that constitutes a part of the vehicle 80 illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0042] 7, the cleaning device 20 includes a nozzle 21. The cleaning device 20 is configured to perform cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid W from the nozzle 21 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0043] Figure 8 illustrates a cross section taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7 as viewed from the direction of the arrows. The cleaning device 20 includes a joint 22. The joint 22 is configured to be connected to one end of a supply pipe (not shown) for the cleaning liquid W. The joint 22 includes a flow path 221 that communicates with the supply pipe.
[0044] On the other hand, the nozzle 21 has an injection port 211 and a flow path 212. The flow path 212 is in communication with the injection port 211. When the nozzle 21 is connected to the joint 22, the flow path 212 and the flow path 221 are in communication with each other. This forms a flow path for the cleaning liquid W that runs from the supply pipe to the injection port 211. The cleaning liquid W is injected from the injection port 211.
[0045] The cleaning device 20 includes a bracket 23. The bracket 23 is configured to hold the nozzle 21 in a fixed position. In other words, the position of the nozzle 21 in the cleaning device 20 is fixed, which distinguishes the cleaning device from a cleaning device equipped with a so-called pop-up type nozzle.
[0046] As illustrated in Fig. 6, the cleaning device 20 includes an adhesive portion 24. As illustrated in Fig. 8, the adhesive portion 24 adheres the bracket 23 to the inner surface 621 of the support body 62. That is, the cleaning device 20 is attached to the support body 62 from the inner surface 621 side.
[0047] In this example, the adhesive portion 24 is realized by a tape material having adhesive layers on both sides. One adhesive layer of the tape material is adhered to the supported surface 231 of the bracket 23. The other adhesive layer is adhered to the inner surface 621 of the support body 62.
[0048] The adhesive portion 24 may be realized by an adhesive that is applied when the cleaning device 20 is attached to the support body 62 .
[0049] 6 , the bracket 23 includes a guide 232. The guide 232 has a concave surface 232a. The concave surface 232a has dimensions and a shape that allow the cleaning liquid W sprayed from the nozzle 21 to be guided to the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0050] 7 and 8, an opening 622 is formed in the support 62. When the cleaning device 20 is attached to the support 62, the guide 232 is exposed through the opening 622 on the side corresponding to the outer surface 623 of the support 62.
[0051] At this time, the outer edge 232b of the guide 232 is located more inward than the inner edge 622a of the opening 622. The nozzle 21 is disposed so that at least a portion thereof is covered by the support 62 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 623 of the support 62.
[0052] In the configuration according to this embodiment, the outer edge 232b of the guide 232 of the bracket 23 is located inside the inner edge 622a of the opening 622, so that the bracket 23 and the inner surface 621 can be bonded by the adhesive part 24 with the simple action of passing the guide 232 through the opening 622 from the side corresponding to the inner surface 621 of the support body 62, and the cleaning device 20 can be attached to the support body 62. Since the work from the side corresponding to the outer surface 623 of the support body 62 is not necessary, it is possible to simplify the production equipment and improve productivity.
[0053] In addition, since at least a portion of the nozzle 21 is covered by the support 62 itself when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 623 of the support 62, the size of the portion exposed on the side corresponding to the outer surface 623 through the opening 622 in the bracket 23 can be reduced. Therefore, the visibility of the cleaning device 20 can be reduced.
[0054] 6 and 7 , the guide 232 may include a deflection portion 232 c. The deflection portion 232 c is formed as a wall that can deflect the direction of the cleaning liquid W sprayed from the nozzle 21 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0055] 7, the arrows indicated by the two-dot chain lines represent the path of the cleaning liquid W that would be expected if the deflection unit 232c were not present. It can be seen that the cleaning liquid W that is not deflected by the deflection unit 232c is consumed without contributing to cleaning the light-transmitting cover 71. By providing the deflection unit 232c as in this example, the utilization efficiency of the cleaning liquid W can be improved.
[0056] A similar deflection portion may be formed on the guide 132 of the bracket 13 of the cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment.
[0057] Fig. 9 illustrates an example of the appearance of the cleaning device 30 according to the third embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the cleaning device 30 is attached to a support 63 and cleans the lighting device 70. The support 63 may be a component that constitutes a part of the vehicle 80 illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0058] 10 , the cleaning device 30 includes a nozzle 31. The cleaning device 30 is configured to perform cleaning by spraying cleaning liquid W from the nozzle 31 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0059] Figure 11 illustrates a cross section taken along line XI-XI in Figure 10 as viewed from the direction of the arrow. The cleaning device 30 includes a joint 32. The joint 32 is configured to be connected to one end of a supply pipe (not shown) for the cleaning liquid W. The joint 32 includes a flow path 321 that communicates with the supply pipe.
[0060] On the other hand, the nozzle 31 has an injection port 311 and a flow path 312. The flow path 312 is in communication with the injection port 311. When the nozzle 31 is connected to the joint 32, the flow path 312 and the flow path 321 are in communication with each other. This forms a flow path for the cleaning liquid W that runs from the supply pipe to the injection port 311. The cleaning liquid W is injected from the injection port 311.
[0061] The cleaning device 30 includes a bracket 33. The bracket 33 is configured to hold the nozzle 31 in a fixed position. In other words, the position of the nozzle 31 in the cleaning device 30 is fixed, which distinguishes the cleaning device from a cleaning device equipped with a so-called pop-up type nozzle.
[0062] As illustrated in Fig. 9, the cleaning device 30 includes an adhesive portion 34. As illustrated in Fig. 11, the adhesive portion 34 adheres the bracket 33 to the inner surface 631 of the support body 63. That is, the cleaning device 30 is attached to the support body 63 from the inner surface 631 side.
[0063] In this example, the adhesive portion 34 is realized by a tape material having adhesive layers on both sides. One adhesive layer of the tape material is adhered to the supported surface 331 of the bracket 33. The other adhesive layer is adhered to the inner surface 631 of the support body 63.
[0064] The adhesive portion 34 may be realized by an adhesive that is applied when the cleaning device 30 is attached to the support body 63 .
[0065] 10 and 11 , the support body 63 has a concave surface 634. The concave surface 634 is continuous with the outer surface 633 of the support body 63, and is formed as a surface that is recessed toward the side corresponding to the inner surface 631 relative to the outer surface 633.
[0066] On the other hand, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the bracket 33 of the cleaning device 30 has an opening 332. As illustrated in Fig. 11, the opening 332 has a shape and dimensions that can receive the recessed surface 634 when the cleaning device 30 is attached to the support 63.
[0067] At this time, the nozzle 31 is arranged so that at least a portion of it is covered by the support body 63 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 633 of the support body 63. The nozzle 31 is arranged so that the sprayed cleaning liquid W can be guided to the light-transmitting cover 71 of the lighting device 70 by the concave surface 634 of the support body 63.
[0068] In the configuration according to this embodiment, the bracket 33 has an opening 332 that receives the concave surface 634 of the support body 63 on the side corresponding to the inner surface 631 of the support body 63, so that the bracket 33 and the inner surface 631 can be bonded together by the adhesive portion 34 with the simple action of receiving the concave surface 634 into the opening 332 from the side corresponding to the inner surface 631 of the support body 63, and the cleaning device 30 can be attached to the support body 63. Since work from the side corresponding to the outer surface 633 of the support body 63 is not required, it is possible to simplify production facilities and improve productivity.
[0069] In addition, it is possible to make it difficult to view the bracket 43 from the side corresponding to the outer surface 633 of the support body 63. This, combined with the appearance that at least a portion of the nozzle 31 is covered by the support body 63 itself when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 633 of the support body 63, reduces the visibility of the cleaning device 30.
[0070] The nozzle 31 can be positioned so that the sprayed cleaning liquid W is deflected toward the light-transmitting cover 71 by a portion of the concave surface 634. The arrow indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 10 represents the expected path of the cleaning liquid W when it is not deflected by the concave surface 634. It can be seen that the cleaning liquid W that is not deflected by the concave surface 634 is consumed without contributing to cleaning the light-transmitting cover 71. By positioning the nozzle 31 as described above, it is possible to increase the utilization efficiency of the cleaning liquid W.
[0071] Fig. 12 illustrates an example of the appearance of the cleaning device 40 according to the fourth embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 13, the cleaning device 40 is attached to a support 64 and cleans the lighting device 70. The support 64 may be a component that constitutes a part of the vehicle 80 illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0072] 13 , the cleaning device 40 includes a nozzle 41. The cleaning device 40 is configured to perform cleaning by spraying cleaning liquid W from the nozzle 41 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0073] Figure 14 illustrates a cross section taken along line XIV-XIV in Figure 13 as viewed from the direction of the arrows. The cleaning device 40 includes a joint 42. The joint 42 is configured to be connected to one end of a supply pipe (not shown) for cleaning liquid W. The joint 42 includes a flow path 421 that communicates with the supply pipe.
[0074] On the other hand, the nozzle 41 has an injection port 411 and a flow path 412. The flow path 412 is in communication with the injection port 411. When the nozzle 41 is connected to the joint 42, the flow path 412 and the flow path 421 are in communication with each other. This forms a flow path for the cleaning liquid W that runs from the supply pipe to the injection port 411. The cleaning liquid W is injected from the injection port 411.
[0075] 12 and 14, the support body 64 includes a bracket portion 640. The bracket portion 640 extends from an inner surface 641 of the support body 64 and has a hollow cylindrical shape.
[0076] On the other hand, the cleaning device 40 includes an engagement portion 44. The engagement portion 44 is configured to engage with the bracket portion 640 to hold the nozzle 41 in a fixed position within the bracket portion 640. The engagement portion 44 can be realized by a well-known snap-fit structure or the like.
[0077] That is, the cleaning device 40 is attached to the support 64 from the side of the inner surface 641. The position of the nozzle 41 in the cleaning device 40 is fixed, and the cleaning device 40 is distinguished from a cleaning device equipped with a so-called pop-up type nozzle.
[0078] 13 and 14 , the support body 64 has a concave surface 644. The concave surface 644 is continuous with an outer surface 643 of the support body 64 and is formed as a surface that is recessed toward the side corresponding to the inner surface 641 relative to the outer surface 643. On the other hand, the concave surface 644 is continuous with the inner circumferential surface of the bracket portion 640.
[0079] When the cleaning device 40 is attached to the support 64, the nozzle 41 is positioned so that at least a portion of the nozzle 41 is covered by the support 64 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 643 of the support 64. The nozzle 41 is positioned so that the sprayed cleaning liquid W can be guided to the light-transmitting cover 71 of the lighting device 70 by the concave surface 644 of the support 64.
[0080] In the configuration according to this embodiment, the cleaning device 40 can be attached to the support body 64 by a simple operation of engaging the nozzle 41 with the support body 64 at the engaging portion 44 from the side corresponding to the inner surface 641 of the support body 64. This eliminates the need for work from the side corresponding to the outer surface 643 of the support body 64, thereby simplifying the production equipment and improving productivity.
[0081] In addition, since it is possible to make it difficult to see the nozzle 41 from the side corresponding to the outer surface 643 of the support body 64, it is possible to reduce the visibility of the cleaning device 40.
[0082] The nozzle 41 can be positioned so that the sprayed cleaning liquid W is deflected toward the light-transmitting cover 71 by a portion of the concave surface 644. The arrow indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 13 represents the expected path of the cleaning liquid W when it is not deflected by the concave surface 644. It can be seen that the cleaning liquid W that is not deflected by the concave surface 644 is consumed without contributing to cleaning the light-transmitting cover 71. By positioning the nozzle 41 as described above, it is possible to increase the utilization efficiency of the cleaning liquid W.
[0083] Fig. 15 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device 50 according to a fifth embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 16, the cleaning device 50 is attached to a support 65 and cleans the lighting device 70. The support 65 may be a component that constitutes a part of the vehicle 80 illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0084] 16 , the cleaning device 50 includes a nozzle 51. The cleaning device 50 is configured to perform cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid W from the nozzle 51 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0085] Figure 17 illustrates a cross section taken along line XVII-XVII in Figure 16 as viewed from the direction of the arrow. Cleaning device 50 includes a joint 52. Joint 52 is configured to be connected to one end of a supply pipe (not shown) for cleaning liquid W. Joint 52 includes a flow path 521 that communicates with the supply pipe.
[0086] On the other hand, the nozzle 51 has an injection port 511 and a flow path 512. The flow path 512 is in communication with the injection port 511. When the nozzle 51 is connected to the joint 52, the flow path 512 and the flow path 521 are in communication with each other. This forms a flow path for the cleaning liquid W that runs from the supply pipe to the injection port 511. The cleaning liquid W is injected from the injection port 511.
[0087] The cleaning device 50 includes a bracket 53. The bracket 53 is configured to hold the nozzle 51 in a fixed position. In other words, the position of the nozzle 51 in the cleaning device 50 is fixed, which distinguishes the cleaning device from a cleaning device equipped with a so-called pop-up type nozzle.
[0088] The cleaning device 50 includes an adhesive portion 54. The adhesive portion 54 adheres the bracket 53 to the inner surface 651 of the support body 65. That is, the cleaning device 50 is attached to the support body 65 from the inner surface 651 side.
[0089] In this example, the adhesive portion 54 is realized by a tape material having adhesive layers on both sides. One adhesive layer of the tape material is adhered to the supported surface 531 of the bracket 53. The other adhesive layer is adhered to the inner surface 651 of the support body 65.
[0090] The adhesive portion 54 may be realized by an adhesive that is applied when the cleaning device 50 is attached to the support body 65 .
[0091] 16 , the support 65 has an opening 652. The opening 652 is formed adjacent to the light-transmitting cover 71 of the lighting device 70. When the cleaning device 50 is attached to the support 65, the nozzle 51 is positioned so that the cleaning liquid W passes through the opening 652 and is sprayed onto the light-transmitting cover 71. In addition, the nozzle 51 is positioned so that at least a portion of the nozzle 51 is covered by the support 65 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 653 of the support 65.
[0092] More specifically, the opening 652 is formed so that the inner edge 652a faces the light-transmitting cover 71. In other words, there is no object between the inner edge 652a and the light-transmitting cover 71 that blocks the cleaning liquid W.
[0093] In the configuration according to this embodiment, the bracket 53 and the inner surface 651 of the support body 65 are bonded to each other by the adhesive portion 54 with a simple action of pressing the bracket 53 against the support body 65 from the side corresponding to the inner surface 651 of the support body 65, and the cleaning device 50 can be attached to the support body 65. Since the operation from the side corresponding to the outer surface 653 of the support body 65 is no longer necessary, it is possible to simplify the production equipment and improve productivity.
[0094] Furthermore, since the nozzle 51 and the light-transmitting cover 71 of the lighting device 70 can be directly opposed to each other through the opening 652 of the support body 65, the degree of freedom in the positional relationship between them can be increased.
[0095] In addition, it is possible to make it difficult to view the bracket 43 from the side corresponding to the outer surface 633 of the support body 65. This, combined with the appearance that at least a portion of the nozzle 51 is covered by the support body 65 itself when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 653 of the support body 65, reduces the visibility of the cleaning device 50.
[0096] Fig. 18 illustrates an external view of a cleaning device 90 according to a sixth embodiment, as seen from the front. As illustrated in Fig. 19, the cleaning device 90 is attached to a support 69 and cleans the lighting device 70. The support 69 may be a component that constitutes a part of the vehicle 80 illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0097] 19 , the cleaning device 90 includes a nozzle 91. The cleaning device 90 is configured to perform cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid W from the nozzle 91 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0098] Figure 20 illustrates a cross section taken along line XX-XX in Figure 19 as viewed from the direction of the arrows. The cleaning device 90 includes a joint 92. The joint 92 is configured to be connected to one end of a supply pipe (not shown) for cleaning liquid W. The joint 92 includes a flow path that communicates with the supply pipe.
[0099] On the other hand, the nozzle 91 has an injection port 911 and a flow path. The flow path is in communication with the injection port 911. When the nozzle 91 is connected to the joint 92, the flow paths are in communication with each other. This forms a flow path for the cleaning liquid W that runs from the supply pipe to the injection port 911. The cleaning liquid W is injected from the injection port 911.
[0100] The cleaning device 90 includes a bracket 93. The bracket 93 is configured to hold the nozzle 91 in a fixed position. In other words, the position of the nozzle 91 in the cleaning device 90 is fixed, which distinguishes the cleaning device from a cleaning device equipped with a so-called pop-up type nozzle.
[0101] As illustrated in Fig. 18, the cleaning device 90 includes an adhesive portion 94. As illustrated in Fig. 20, the adhesive portion 94 adheres the bracket 93 to the inner surface 691 of the support body 69. That is, the cleaning device 90 is attached to the support body 69 from the inner surface 691 side.
[0102] In this example, the adhesive portion 94 is realized by a tape material having adhesive layers on both sides. One adhesive layer of the tape material is adhered to the supported surface 931 of the bracket 93. The other adhesive layer is adhered to the inner surface 691 of the support body 69.
[0103] The adhesive portion 94 may be realized by an adhesive that is applied when the cleaning device 90 is attached to the support body 69 .
[0104] 18, the bracket 93 includes a guide 932 and a cover 933. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, an opening 692 is formed in the support body 69. When the cleaning device 90 is attached to the support body 69, the guide 932 and the cover 933 are exposed through the opening 692 on the side corresponding to the outer surface 693 of the support body 69.
[0105] 18 and 19 , the guide 932 has a concave surface 932 a. The concave surface 932 a has a size and shape that allows the cleaning liquid W sprayed from the nozzle 91 to be guided to the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0106] The cover 933 is formed so as to cover at least a portion of the nozzle 91 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 693 of the support body 69 .
[0107] 19 and 20 , an outer edge 932b of the guide 932 and an outer edge 933a of the cover 933 are located inside the inner edge 692a of the opening 692. Therefore, by simply passing the guide 932 and the cover 933 through the opening 692 from the side corresponding to the inner surface 691 of the support body 69, the bracket 93 and the inner surface 691 are bonded together by the adhesive part 94, and the cleaning device 90 can be attached to the support body 69. Since the work from the side corresponding to the outer surface 693 of the support body 69 is no longer necessary, it is possible to simplify the production equipment and improve productivity.
[0108] In addition, it is possible to reduce the size of a portion of the bracket 93 that is exposed through the opening 692 on the side corresponding to the outer surface 693 of the support body 69. This, combined with the appearance that at least a portion of the nozzle 91 is covered by the cover 933 when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface 693, makes it possible to reduce the visibility of the cleaning device 90.
[0109] 18 and 20 , a plurality of openings 934 are formed in the bracket 93. Each opening 934 is a through-hole having a size that allows the passage of the cleaning liquid W. Each opening 934 communicates between the side of the bracket 93 that faces outward and the side that faces inward of the support body 69.
[0110] Each opening 934 is arranged so as to be covered by the support body 69 when the cleaning device 90 is attached to the support body 69. An opening 934a, which is one of the plurality of openings 934, is arranged at a position including a position vertically below the nozzle 91.
[0111] A portion of the cleaning liquid W sprayed toward the light-transmitting cover 71 of the lighting device 70 may flow down along the outer surface 693 of the support body 69 and enter the opening 692. Such returning cleaning liquid may contain dust and mud that has been peeled off from the light-transmitting cover 71 during cleaning. Forming the opening 934 as described above in the bracket 93 can facilitate the discharge of the returning cleaning liquid that has entered the opening 692. As a result, it is possible to prevent the dust and mud that has entered the opening 692 along with the returning cleaning liquid from drying and adhering to the guide 932, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid W from being blocked from being sprayed from the nozzle 91.
[0112] In addition, since each opening 934 is arranged so as to be covered by the support body 69, it is possible to reduce visibility from the side corresponding to the outer surface 693 of the support body 69. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of the configuration for discharging the return cleaning liquid that has entered the openings 692 on the appearance of the cleaning device 90.
[0113] In this example, four openings 934 are formed. However, the number of openings 934 can be determined appropriately as long as they are formed at positions including those vertically below the nozzle 91 (in other words, positions where the discharge efficiency is highest).
[0114] 18 and 19 , the guide 932 may include a deflection portion 932 c. The deflection portion 932 c is formed as a wall that can deflect the direction of the cleaning liquid W sprayed from the nozzle 91 toward the light-transmitting cover 71.
[0115] 19, the arrows indicated by the two-dot chain lines represent the path of the cleaning liquid W that would be expected if the deflection unit 932c were not present. It can be seen that the cleaning liquid W that is not deflected by the deflection unit 932c is consumed without contributing to cleaning the light-transmitting cover 71. By providing the deflection unit 932c as in this example, the utilization efficiency of the cleaning liquid W can be improved.
[0116] Figure 21 illustrates the external appearance of the cleaning device 90 as viewed from the direction of arrow XXI in Figure 20. A plurality of openings 935 are formed in the deflection portion 932c. Each opening 935 faces the concave surface 932a of the guide 932. Each opening 935 is a through hole having a size that allows the cleaning liquid W to pass through. Each opening 935 connects the outer side and inner side of the support 69 of the bracket 93.
[0117] This configuration can further promote the discharge of return cleaning liquid that has entered the openings 692. In addition, since the openings 935 are formed in positions that are difficult to see when viewed from the front of the cleaning device 90, the impact of the configuration for discharging return cleaning liquid on the appearance of the cleaning device 90 can be reduced.
[0118] In this example, two openings 935 are formed. However, the number of openings 935 can be determined appropriately. When only one opening 935 is formed, it is preferable that the opening is disposed below the nozzle 91 and in a position facing the concave surface 932a. Note that when the opening 935 is formed, the opening 934 described above may be omitted.
[0119] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present disclosure. The configurations according to the above-described embodiments may be appropriately modified and combined with other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.
[0120] For example, at least one of the openings 934 and 935 of the cleaning device 90 according to the sixth embodiment can be formed in each of the bracket 13 of the cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment, the bracket 23 of the cleaning device 20 according to the second embodiment, and the bracket 33 of the cleaning device 30 according to the third embodiment.
[0121] The object to be cleaned by the cleaning device according to each embodiment is not limited to the light-transmitting cover 71 of the lighting device 70. Other examples of the object include the detection surface of a sensor that uses light to detect information about the surroundings of the vehicle 80, or the surface of a member through which the light passes.
[0122] A liquid such as water or a gas such as air can be used to clean an object, and the liquid or gas is an example of a fluid.
[0123] The cleaning device according to each embodiment may be mounted on a moving body other than a vehicle. Examples of other moving bodies include an aircraft, an air vehicle, a ship, etc. The moving body may not require a driver.
[0124] The cleaning device according to each embodiment does not need to be mounted on a mobile body. For example, the cleaning device according to each embodiment can be installed in a home, a facility, transportation infrastructure, or the like and used to clean the objects exemplified above.
[0125] The contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-086820 filed on May 27, 2022 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-142167 filed on September 7, 2022 are incorporated by reference as part of this disclosure.
Claims
1. A cleaning device attached to a support having an opening, A nozzle that sprays fluid towards the target object, A bracket that holds the nozzle in a fixed position, The bracket has an adhesive portion that adheres to the inner surface of the support, It is equipped with, The aforementioned bracket is A guide having a concave surface that guides the fluid toward the object, A cover that covers at least a portion of the nozzle when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support, It is equipped with, The outer edge of the guide and the outer edge of the cover are configured to be located inside the inner edge of the opening when the cleaning device is attached to the support. Cleaning equipment.
2. A cleaning device attached to a support having an opening, A nozzle that sprays fluid towards the target object, A bracket that holds the nozzle in a fixed position, The bracket has an adhesive portion that adheres to the inner surface of the support, It is equipped with, The bracket is equipped with a guide having a concave surface that directs the fluid toward the object, The nozzle is positioned such that, when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of it is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support. The outer edge of the guide is configured to be located inside the inner edge of the opening when the cleaning device is attached to the support. Cleaning equipment.
3. The guide includes a deflection section that deflects the fluid toward the object. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2.
4. At least an opening that allows the passage of the fluid is formed in the bracket, The opening is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, it is covered by the support at a position that includes at least vertically below the nozzle. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2.
5. At least an opening that allows the passage of the fluid is formed in the bracket at a position facing the guide. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2.
6. A cleaning device that is attached to a support having a concave surface, A nozzle that sprays fluid towards the target object, A bracket that holds the nozzle in a fixed position, The bracket has an adhesive portion that adheres to the inner surface of the support, It is equipped with, The bracket has an opening on the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support that receives the concave surface, The nozzle is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid is guided to the object by the concave surface. The nozzle is positioned such that, when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of it is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support. Cleaning equipment.
7. At least an opening that allows the passage of the fluid is formed in the bracket, The opening is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, it is covered by the support at a position that includes at least vertically below the nozzle. The cleaning device according to claim 6.
8. At least an opening that allows the passage of the fluid is formed in the bracket at a position facing the concave surface. The cleaning device according to claim 6 or 7.
9. A cleaning device that is attached to a support having a concave surface, A nozzle that sprays fluid towards the target object, An engaging portion that holds the nozzle in a fixed position by engaging with the support on the side corresponding to the inner surface of the support, It is equipped with, The nozzle is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid is guided to the object by the concave surface. The nozzle is positioned such that, when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of it is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support. Cleaning equipment.
10. The nozzle is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid is deflected toward the object by a portion of the concave surface. The cleaning device according to claim 6 or 9.
11. A cleaning device attached to a support having an opening, A nozzle that sprays fluid towards the target object, A bracket that holds the nozzle of the support in a fixed position, The bracket has an adhesive portion that adheres to the inner surface of the support, It is equipped with, The nozzle is positioned such that when the cleaning device is attached to the support, the fluid that has passed through the opening is sprayed onto the object. The nozzle is positioned such that, when the cleaning device is attached to the support, at least a portion of it is covered by the support when viewed from the side corresponding to the outer surface of the support. Cleaning equipment.
12. The support is part of the moving body. The cleaning device according to claim 1, 2, 6, 9, or 11.
13. The aforementioned object is part of a lighting device. The cleaning device according to claim 1, 2, 6, 9, or 11.