Cleaning Container for Spray Dosing Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning methods for metering valves in dosing systems are inefficient and prone to cross-contamination, leading to incorrect dosing and valve blockages due to sticking and drying of raw materials, especially in systems with a large number of valves.
Innovation Solution
A container with a nozzle for compressed air and cleaning agent application is designed to be placed on metering valves, using a hybrid washing solution and compressed air to effectively clean the valves, preventing contamination and ensuring accurate dosing by removing adhering contaminants and drying residues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cleaning methods (brushes, scrapers) are used to clean metering valves, then cleaning can be performed, but cross-contamination occurs and cleaning performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic cleaning using compressed air delivered through a hose and nozzle to clean the metering valve. This hydraulic/pneumatic method replaces mechanical brushes and scrapers, eliminating cross-contamination while providing effective cleaning through high-velocity air streams that remove contaminants without physical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical cleaning system (brushes, scrapers) with a pneumatic cleaning system. The compressed air delivery mechanism substitutes for mechanical contact tools, providing a non-contact cleaning method that prevents cross-contamination between different metering valves while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If valves are closed to prevent raw material contact with atmosphere, then contamination is reduced, but drying still occurs in valve outlet area causing deflection of metering jet
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning container is designed to be placed on the metering valve before cleaning operation begins. The nozzle is positioned to deliver compressed air directly to the valve outlet area where drying occurs. This preliminary positioning allows immediate cleaning action when contamination or drying is detected, preventing metering jet deflection before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
Compressed air is used to clean and dry the valve outlet area, removing dried-on impurities that cause metering jet deflection. The pneumatic system effectively removes contaminants from areas that remain exposed even when valves are closed, restoring proper metering accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If cleaning is not performed on metering valves, then system operation is simple, but sticking and blockages occur reducing valve function
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is designed to be easily attachable and detachable from the metering valve. The container can be quickly placed on the valve, connected to compressed air supply, and operated by simple manual actions (squeezing the hose). This self-service design maintains system simplicity while ensuring reliable cleaning to prevent sticking and blockages.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic cleaning system provides reliable valve maintenance through compressed air delivery. The high-velocity air streams effectively remove contaminants that cause sticking and blockages, ensuring continuous valve functionality without complex cleaning mechanisms.
4Reliability
If brushes are used to clean fixed valves, then cleaning can be achieved, but cleaning performance is insufficient and cross-contamination risk remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses compressed air delivered through a flexible hose and nozzle to clean fixed valves. This pneumatic approach provides superior cleaning performance compared to brushes by using high-velocity air streams that effectively remove contaminants from complex valve geometries without the limitations of mechanical brush contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical brush cleaning with pneumatic cleaning. This substitution eliminates the cross-contamination risk inherent in reusable brushes while providing more effective cleaning through compressible, high-velocity air that can reach all valve surfaces including hard-to-access areas.
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 container provides efficient cleaning of metering valves, preventing incorrect dosing and valve blockages by effectively removing contaminants and drying residues, ensuring accurate dosing and system performance.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle (4) let into the bottom (3) of the container, through which the container (1) can be pressurized with compressed air
Implementation Method 2
through which a cleaning agent can be pumped into the container (1)
Implementation Method 3
using a hybrid washing solution and compressed air to effectively clean the valves, preventing contamination and ensuring accurate dosing by removing adhering contaminants and drying residues
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a container (1) for cleaning dosing valves of a dosing facility, which can be placed on a dosing valve (10) and comprises a container opening (1a), a container body (2), and a container bottom (3), said container containing at least one nozzle (4) set into the container bottom (3), via which compressed air can be introduced into the container (1) and/or a cleaning product can be pumped into the container (1), and comprising at least one outlet (5) arranged in the container bottom (3). The invention also relates to a use of the container (1) for cleaning dosing valves of a dosing facility, to a dosing valve (10) on which a container (1) is placed, to a dosing facility comprising at least one such dosing valve (10), and to a method for cleaning dosing valves of a dosing facility, the method comprising at least one step (1), namely cleaning at least one dosing valve of a dosing facility using at least one container (1).