Brushless Mat Washing System to Prevent Roller Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mat washing systems are inefficient and prone to breakdowns due to dirt accumulation on rollers, leading to delays and cost overruns, and often require multiple wash cycles to ensure complete cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A brushless industrial washing system with a computerized control system, featuring a frame with a longitudinal path, a transport system with idle rollers and a drive system, and high-pressure nozzles within a wash chamber to spray the entire surface of the mat without contact, ensuring efficient and complete washing in a single pass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If powered conveyor rollers are used to transport mats, then the mats can be moved through the washing system, but dirt and dust accumulate on the rollers causing breakdowns and operational delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the powered drive system from inside the wash chamber, extracting the contamination source problem. The drive rollers are positioned outside the wash chamber, eliminating their exposure to dirt and dust that would cause accumulation and breakdowns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical friction-based powered roller drive with a gravity-fed transport system using idle rollers. Mats are positioned vertically and move through the system under gravity, eliminating the need for powered mechanical drive rollers that accumulate dirt.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple wash cycles are used to ensure complete cleaning of mat surfaces, then washing thoroughness is improved, but processing time and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the washing approach from horizontal mat handling requiring multiple cycles to vertical mat positioning that allows all surfaces to be simultaneously accessible to the wash chamber, enabling complete washing in a single pass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous single-pass washing where the mat moves vertically through the wash chamber in one continuous motion, maintaining constant washing action throughout the process without interruption or reversal needed for multiple cycles.
3Manufacturing precision
If brushes are used to wash mat surfaces, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the system becomes more complex and requires more maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical brush contact with a high-pressure water spray system. The wash chamber uses directed water jets to clean mat surfaces without physical contact, eliminating brushes and their associated complexity and maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic principles through high-pressure water delivery systems to achieve effective cleaning. Water is pumped to high pressure and directed through nozzles in the wash chamber to remove dirt from mat surfaces without mechanical contact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a reliable and efficient method for washing mats, reducing operational costs and increasing productivity by minimizing breakdowns and completing the washing process in a single pass, while also allowing for remote operation without a fixed water source.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of high pressure nozzles positioned within the wash chamber and adapted to spray said object when such is within the washing chamber
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of idle rollers located along said longitudinal path and adapted to support said object as it travels along the longitudinal path
Data Source
AI summary
A brushless system for washing a large flat object having a length greater than a width, the width defining a cross-section, said system including a frame defining a longitudinal path and including a first end; a second end; and a wash chamber positioned between said first and second ends. A transport system secured to the frame and adapted to transport said object positioned thereon; said transport system including a plurality of idle rollers located along said longitudinal path and adapted to support said object as it travels along the longitudinal path; a drive system to provide mechanical transport motion to said object along the longitudinal path from said first end of the frame to said second end of the frame, said drive system being positioned outside the wash chamber; and first end including a loading mechanism to position the object on at least one of the plurality of rollers, and said second end including an unloading mechanism to remove the object from at least one of the plurality of rollers; said wash chamber including an entrance located proximate the first end and an exit located proximate the second end, and a series of high pressure water jets positioned within the wash chamber and adapted to spray the entire surface of said object when such transits through the washing chamber. The entire cross-section of said object is untouched by the system at at least one point during its transit through the wash chamber.