Multi-Chamber Chemical Delivery Assembly for Precise Car Wash Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Car washes are labor and equipment maintenance intensive due to the use of concentrated chemicals, which increases material handling concerns and shipping costs.
Innovation Solution
A chemical delivery device with multiple chambers, pistons, and a drive mechanism that controls chemical dispensing and drawing using one-way valves and adjustable valves to manage chemical flow, ensuring precise and efficient delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If concentrated chemicals are used to reduce material handling and shipping costs, then chemical effectiveness is improved, but labor and equipment maintenance intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chemical delivery system is divided into multiple separate chambers, each containing a specific concentrated chemical. This segmentation allows each chamber to be independently managed, dispensed, and maintained, reducing the overall labor and maintenance intensity despite using concentrated chemicals. The multi-chamber design enables precise control over each chemical's delivery without requiring manual handling of large volumes of concentrated substances.
2Quantity of substance
If concentrated chemicals are used, then shipping costs are reduced, but material handling concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the chemical storage into multiple separate chambers, the system handles smaller quantities of concentrated chemicals in each chamber rather than managing large volumes. This segmentation reduces material handling concerns while maintaining the benefits of concentrated chemical usage for cost reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automatic dispensing mechanisms with pistons and valves that self-regulate chemical delivery. This self-service capability reduces manual material handling requirements, allowing concentrated chemicals to be managed with minimal human intervention despite their concentrated nature.
3Productivity
If multiple chemicals are dispensed simultaneously, then wash effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple chemical delivery mechanisms into a single integrated device with shared components such as the drive mechanism, control system, and outlet structure. This merging approach enables simultaneous dispensing of multiple chemicals while avoiding the complexity of completely separate delivery systems for each chemical.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive mechanism and control system serve multiple functions by simultaneously managing all chemical chambers. A single drive mechanism controls pistons in all chambers, and the control system coordinates dispensing across all chemicals, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the capability to dispense multiple chemicals simultaneously.
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 device provides precise and efficient chemical delivery, reducing labor and maintenance requirements while minimizing material handling and shipping costs.
Implementation Method 1
a piston arranged in each of the two or more chemical chambers between the inlet and the outlet and comprising a one-way valve
Implementation Method 2
the circumferential seals may be configured to seal against a respective chemical chamber and maintain a seal between a respective piston and the respective chemical chamber
Implementation Method 3
the adjustable valve may include a valve needle configured to extend into the valve orifice to adjust the effective valve orifice area and control a flow rate of the chemical
Implementation Method 4
The valve needle may include a parabolic tip and movement of the parabolic tip relative to the valve orifice may cause a linear adjustment of the flow rate of the chemical
Implementation Method 5
a drive mechanism for simultaneously driving the pistons. In a dispensing stroke of a dispensing operation in which the drive mechanism drives the pistons toward the outlets
Implementation Method 6
pressure opens the check valves arranged at the outlets and vacuum opens the check valves arranged at the inlets
Data Source
AI summary
A chemical delivery device for use in a vehicle wash system includes two or more chemical chambers, each with an inlet configured to receive chemical and with an outlet configured for dispensing the chemical; a piston arranged between the inlet and the outlet and including a one-way valve and a circumferential seal; and a drive mechanism for simultaneously driving the pistons. In a dispensing stroke, the drive mechanism drives the pistons to cause chemical dispensing, and the one-way valves are in the closed state resulting corresponding amounts of the chemicals being drawn into the chemical chamber via the inlets as to the amounts being dispensed. In a resetting stroke, the drive mechanism retracts the pistons, and the one-way valves are in the open state such that the corresponding amounts of the chemicals drawn in from the chemical supplies are transmitted through the pistons for dispensing in a subsequent dispensing operation.