Lighted Vehicle Wash Component With Slip Ring Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle wash facilities have dark and dirty environments due to densely populated rotary brush components that block light, resulting in an unpleasant wash experience for vehicle occupants and limited visibility, which also hinders branding efforts through lighted arches and signs.
Innovation Solution
A lighted vehicle wash component with a rotatable hub portion featuring spaced apart rows of wash media elements and integrated illumination elements, secured by a slip ring assembly to allow rotation and provide enhanced brightness and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a cylindrical central hub design densely populated with washing elements is used, then the washing component can effectively clean the vehicle exterior, but the hub blocks light and creates a dark environment for vehicle occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The washing elements are arranged in spaced-apart rows rather than densely populated, creating gaps that allow light transmission. This segmentation maintains washing coverage while permitting visibility and light penetration to the vehicle interior.
Solution Approach 2:
Illumination elements are introduced as an intermediary component between the washing elements and the vehicle interior. These lights actively compensate for the light blocking effect, ensuring that vehicle occupants remain visible and the environment remains bright despite the presence of washing components.
2Illumination intensity
If lighting elements are added to brighten the environment, then visibility and aesthetics improve, but the rotating hub blocks vehicle occupants from seeing these lights during the wash process
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination elements are distributed among spaced-apart rows of washing elements, allowing light to be emitted from multiple positions and angles. This segmentation ensures that at least some illumination is visible to vehicle occupants during the wash process.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system transitions from being completely blocked during rotation to being partially visible through the spaced rows. The dynamic positioning of lights relative to the vehicle creates phases of visibility that maintain brand recognition while allowing wash operation.
3Productivity
If washing elements are densely arranged to ensure thorough cleaning, then washing effectiveness improves, but the hub volume increases and blocks more light
Solution Approach 1:
The washing elements are arranged in spaced-apart rows rather than continuous dense coverage. This segmentation reduces the overall volume of the hub while maintaining effective washing coverage through strategically positioned elements, allowing light transmission through the gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the hub have different densities of washing elements. The spaced-apart rows create local variations in density that optimize both washing effectiveness in contact areas and light transmission in non-contact areas.
Data Source
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AI summary
The lighted vehicle wash component includes a frame portion (12) and a drive mechanism (30) supported by the frame portion. The component also includes a rotatable hub portion (44) supported by the frame portion. The hub portion is in communication with the drive mechanism to effectuate its rotation about an axis of rotation. The component includes a plurality of wash media elements (46) engaged with the hub portion and which are configured to engage a vehicle surface as the hub portion rotates. The plurality of wash media elements (46) are arranged on the hub portion in a plurality of spaced apart rows. The component includes a plurality of lighting elements (50) removeably engaging the hub portion. The lighting elements are disposed in an open area (60) defined between each of the plurality of spaced apart rows. A slip ring (100) assembly is in communication with the hub portion to allow the plurality of lighting elements to rotate about the axis of rotation as the hub portion rotates.