Indoor Tire Cleaning Gutter With Vibrating Strips and Brush Mat

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for cleaning vehicle tires are inefficient, require significant space, and often spread water and dirt outside the cleaning area, making them unsuitable for indoor installation and effective in reducing street dust contamination in parking garages.

Innovation Solution

A compact tire cleaning arrangement featuring a gutter system with a nozzle for water application, a vibrating strip to dislodge contaminants, and a brush mat to collect and dry the tires, which directs water and dirt into a collection basin, minimizing water spillage and allowing for easy installation in existing spaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional tire washing devices are used, then tires can be cleaned effectively, but the devices require significant space and are difficult to install in existing indoor spaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetire cleaning effectivenessVSAvoiddevice installation space
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning system is divided into separate functional modules: a nozzle arrangement for water spraying, a strip arrangement for mechanical cleaning, and a brush mat arrangement for final drying. These segmented components are arranged sequentially in a compact configuration that fits within indoor parking garage spaces while maintaining effective tire cleaning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gutter arrangement is positioned below the cleaning components, with the collection basin nested within the gutter structure. The brush mat arrangement is positioned above the collection basin, creating a nested vertical configuration that maximizes space utilization and contains all cleaning functions within a compact footprint suitable for indoor installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Manufacturing precision

If traditional tire washing devices are used, then tires can be cleaned, but they spread water and dirt outside the cleaning area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetire cleaning effectivenessVSAvoidwater and dirt spillage
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful byproducts of cleaning (water and dirt) are extracted and contained within the gutter arrangement and collection basin. The gutter system captures all runoff from the tire cleaning process, preventing water and dirt from spreading outside the cleaning area, while the collection basin accumulates the extracted contaminants for proper disposal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The gutter arrangement acts as an intermediary structure between the cleaning components and the environment. It intercepts and channels water and dirt away from the cleaning area, serving as a mediator that prevents harmful spillage while allowing the cleaning process to proceed effectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If traditional tire washing devices are used, then tires can be cleaned, but they consume significant energy and create noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetire cleaning effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The strip arrangement utilizes the natural weight and rolling motion of the vehicle tire to generate the cleaning action, eliminating the need for external power sources. The tire itself provides the force needed to bend and vibrate the strips, creating a self-service cleaning mechanism that consumes minimal energy and generates no noise from motors or pumps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Object-affected harmful factors

If floor surfaces are regularly washed to remove street dust, then dust can be removed from floors, but the process is expensive, requires emptying vehicles, and is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestreet dust removal from floorsVSAvoidcleaning efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary cleaning by removing street dust from tires before vehicles enter the parking garage. By cleaning tires at the entrance, the system prevents dust from being deposited on floors in the first place, eliminating the need for subsequent floor cleaning operations and significantly improving overall cleaning efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of dealing with the harmful effect of dust already deposited on floors, the system converts the problem by intercepting and removing dust at its source (the tires) before it can contaminate the indoor environment. This preventive approach transforms the harmful dust contamination issue into a controlled cleaning process at the entrance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 solution effectively reduces street dust on tires, is energy-efficient, scalable, and does not spread water or dirt during use, improving indoor air quality and reducing the need for frequent cleaning.

Implementation Method 1

a nozzle arrangement configured to spray water onto a vehicle tire

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpray: Spray

Implementation Method 2

The strip arrangement consists of a plurality of strips transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle, configured to bend at least in the direction of travel of the vehicle as the vehicle tire passes over the strip

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical vibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 3

The brush mat arrangement removes water as well as street dust mixed with the water from the tire

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP4021770B1Arrangement for cleaning vehicle tires
Publication Date: 2023.09.27 TYRE WASH TWS OY
  • EP4021770B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4021770B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4021770B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention is an arrangement (100) for cleaning the tires (103) of a vehicle (102) having a gutter arrangement (101), which has a strip arrangement (105) and a brush mat arrangement (106) on its upper surface. At one end of the arrangement is a nozzle arrangement (108) that sprays or otherwise applies water onto the tire. The strip arrangement applies water to the tire and vibrates the tire to remove contaminants. The brush mat arrangement both cleans the tire and removes water from its surface. The water as well as the dirt and dust that has come off the tires accumulate in a collection basin (110) under the brush mat arrangement. The arrangement is suitable for interiors.