Modular Wheel Cleaning Brush with Adjustable Bristle Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel cleaning devices require replacement of the entire brush when bristles wear out, limit bristle type and size adjustments, fix bristles at a specific angle, and suffer from repetitive stress leading to deformation or cracking.
Innovation Solution
A wheel cleaning device with a disk-shaped element and adjustable support elements that allow easy replacement of bristles, varying bristle angles, and resilient connection to prevent damage, using multiple connection points and elastic fixation to protect bristles from excessive stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bristles are fixed to the disk by gluing or welding, then the bristles are securely attached, but the entire brush must be replaced when bristles wear out
Solution Approach 1:
The brush is divided into separate modular components: a reusable disk and replaceable bristle assemblies. Each bristle assembly can be independently removed and replaced without affecting the disk or other bristle assemblies, enabling partial replacement rather than complete brush replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The bristle assemblies are designed with dynamic attachment and detachment capabilities through the modular interface. This allows the bristle assemblies to be easily installed and removed from the disk, transforming the static fixed-attachment system into a dynamic replaceable system.
2Ease of manufacture
If the entire brush is replaced when bristles wear out, then worn bristles are replaced, but the reusable disk is discarded unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the brush into a permanent disk component and consumable bristle assemblies, the invention allows only the worn bristle assemblies to be replaced while the disk remains in use, reducing material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables recovery and reuse of the disk component by separating it from the consumable bristle assemblies. The disk is retained and reused multiple times while only the worn bristle assemblies are discarded and replaced.
3Manufacturing precision
If bristles are fixed at a specific angle to the disk, then the bristle angle is consistent, but the angle cannot be adjusted for different wheel sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The bristle assemblies are designed with adjustable orientation capabilities, allowing the angle of the bristles relative to the disk to be dynamically changed. This enables adaptation to different wheel sizes and cleaning requirements while maintaining precise angular positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular bristle assemblies can be configured at different angles and positions on the disk, making the system universally applicable to various wheel sizes and types. The same disk can accommodate different bristle configurations for different cleaning applications.
4Manufacturing precision
If the brush is designed for specific wheel diameter ranges, then the bristles are optimized for those sizes, but the device cannot clean wheels of different sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The disk-based modular system allows the same disk to accommodate different bristle assemblies optimized for different wheel sizes. By replacing bristle assemblies rather than the entire brush, the system becomes universally applicable to various wheel diameter ranges while maintaining optimized bristle characteristics for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables changing of bristle parameters (length, stiffness, angle, spacing) by replacing bristle assemblies while keeping the disk constant. This allows optimization of bristle parameters for different wheel sizes without redesigning the entire brush structure.
5Reliability
If bristles are restrained at one end to the disk, then the bristles are held in position, but repetitive stress causes deformation or fatigue cracking
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the bristle assemblies from the disk into independent replaceable units, the stress concentration at the fixed point is reduced. The bristle assemblies can be designed with stress-distributing attachment mechanisms that minimize repetitive stress on individual bristle ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular interface between bristle assemblies and disk acts as an intermediary that distributes and reduces stress. This intermediate connection system can incorporate flexible or compliant elements that reduce the transmission of repetitive stresses to the bristle attachment points.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2~5
Figure 3~6
AI summary
A device for cleaning wheels of vehicles comprises a set of bristles (3) and a disk shaped element (5) which can be centrally fixed to a rotating shaft of a wheel cleaning or washing machine or the like. Said device comprises at least one support element (7) to which the bristles of at least one subset of the bristles (3) are attached or attached to a fastening surface (9) and which has a connection surface (11) opposite the fastening surface (9), carrying a first connection element (13) assigned to be engaged and fixed to a second connection element (15) of the disk shaped element (5) where at least one of such first (13) and second (15) connection element is multiple for fixing at least one support element (7) at different distances from the centre of the disk shaped element (5).