Internal Spray Arm Supply Pipe Layout for Leak-Safe Washer Disinfectors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic cleaning and disinfection machines are prone to leakage due to external supply lines, which complicates handling and operational safety.

Innovation Solution

The supply pipe is arranged entirely within the washing compartment, eliminating external lines and allowing for a fluid-tight connection between machine-side and basket-side sections, reducing leakage risks and increasing the washing compartment's capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If supply lines are arranged outside the washing compartment, then the usable washing space is maximized, but leakage risks increase and operational safety decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveusable washing spaceVSAvoidoperational safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The supply lines are extracted from the external environment and relocated entirely within the washing compartment. The patent implements this by providing a supply pipe that extends along the axis of rotation inside the washing compartment, with a fluid-tight connection between the machine-side and basket-side sections, thereby eliminating external supply lines and their associated leakage risks while maintaining washing space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If supply lines are arranged outside the washing compartment, then installation and maintenance are simplified, but leakage risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidleakage resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The supply pipe is nested within the washing compartment structure, with the basket-side section inserted into the machine-side section in a fluid-tight manner. This nested arrangement integrates the supply lines into the internal structure of the washing compartment, eliminating external connections and their associated leakage risks while maintaining ease of assembly through the modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If the supply pipe is arranged within the washing compartment, then leakage risks are minimized, but the washing compartment capacity may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveleakage resistanceVSAvoidwashing compartment capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The supply pipe is arranged along the vertical axis of rotation within the washing compartment, utilizing the vertical dimension rather than occupying horizontal washing space. The pipe extends from the machine-side along the axis to the basket-side section, thereby minimizing space occupation while ensuring fluid-tight connections and reducing leakage risks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Ease of operation

If external supply lines are used, then coupling to basket-side spray arms is simplified, but water path lengths increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling simplicityVSAvoidwater path length
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The supply pipe is pre-positioned within the washing compartment along the axis of rotation, with the basket-side section ready to be coupled to the machine-side section. This preliminary arrangement within the compartment eliminates the need for long external supply lines, thereby reducing water path lengths while maintaining coupling simplicity through the standardized fluid-tight connection interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2656767B1Cleaning and disinfection machine
Publication Date: 2016.06.08 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP2656767B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2656767B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2656767B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to an automatic cleaning and disinfection machine, in particular for medical instruments and devices, with a rinsing container (3) providing a rinsing chamber (4) and a spray device (23) arranged in the rinsing chamber (4), the spray device (23) having a plurality of µm spray arms (7, 8, 28) which are designed to be rotatable and have a common axis of rotation (9). In order to propose an automatic cleaning and disinfection machine that simplifies handling while improving operational safety, the invention proposes an automatic cleaning and disinfection machine of the type mentioned at the beginning, which is characterized by the fact that the spray arms (7.) move along the axis of rotation (9). , 8, 28) extending supply pipe (24) for supplying the spray arms (7, 8, 28) with rinsing liquor, the supply pipe (24) having sections (25, 26, 27) which can be connected to one another in a fluid-tight manner, one section of which is mounted in an axially displaceable manner is accommodated by a washing basket (10) which can be removed from the washing chamber (4).