Optical Surface Cover-Guided Cleaning Under Wind Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning devices for motor vehicle optical instruments require high pressure to clean surfaces effectively, leading to excessive fluid use and environmental pollution, and often fail to reach all areas due to wind interference.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a movable cover that creates a flow path between the cover and the optical instrument surface, allowing cleaning fluid to flow over the surface in a controlled manner, press against dirt, and be distributed effectively, using a pulsed flow with a fluctuating rate and flow route influencing patterns to enhance cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high pressure spraying is used to clean the outer surface, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but cleaning fluid consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
A cover is introduced as an intermediary element between the cleaning fluid supply and the outer surface. The cover creates a controlled flow path that guides cleaning fluid directly to the surface, ensuring effective cleaning while minimizing fluid waste through precise delivery rather than high-pressure spraying
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential cleaning function from high-pressure spraying and relocates it to a controlled flow path system. By separating the fluid delivery mechanism from direct spraying and using a cover-guided flow path instead, the system achieves effective cleaning with reduced fluid consumption
2Power
If high pressure spraying is used to clean the outer surface, then cleaning power is improved, but fluid deposition to the environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover acts as an intermediary that confines and directs cleaning fluid along a controlled path, preventing uncontrolled spray dispersion into the environment. This eliminates harmful fluid deposition while maintaining adequate cleaning power through targeted fluid application
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potentially harmful effect of fluid dispersion into a beneficial controlled flow. By using the cover to guide the fluid, the system transforms what would be environmental pollution into effective, targeted cleaning action
3Quantity of substance
If conventional spraying is used, then cleaning fluid can be supplied to the outer surface, but wind can blow away the cleaning fluid before it reaches the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The cover serves as a protective intermediary that shields the cleaning fluid from wind interference. By creating an enclosed or semi-enclosed flow path between the cover and the outer surface, the system ensures reliable fluid delivery regardless of external wind conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The cover creates a flexible enclosed space that contains and directs the cleaning fluid. This shell-like structure protects the fluid stream from wind disruption while allowing the fluid to flow along the defined path to the outer surface
4Area of stationary object
If a complex system is used to reach all areas of the outer surface, then cleaning coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to progressively expose different portions of the outer surface during its movement from covering to releasing position. This segmentation of the cleaning process into sequential zones allows complete surface coverage using a single, relatively simple device rather than multiple complex nozzles
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the dynamic movement of the cover between covering and releasing positions to achieve comprehensive cleaning coverage. As the cover moves, it sequentially exposes different areas of the outer surface to the cleaning fluid flow, providing complete coverage through simple motion rather than complex multi-point spraying
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 reduces fluid waste, improves cleaning effectiveness, and minimizes environmental impact by ensuring fluid reaches all areas, even in windy conditions, using less fluid than conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
the cleaning device defines a flow path between at least a part of the cover and at least a part of the outer surface of the optical instrument such as to allow cleaning fluid to flow between said at least a part of the cover and said at least part of the outer surface of the optical instrument
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning device for cleaning an outer surface of an optical instrument of a motor vehicle is provided. The cleaning device comprises a cleaning fluid supply for supplying to the outer surface, and a cover for temporarily covering at least the outer surface. The cleaning device is arranged to move the cover between a covering position and a releasing position in which the cover covers, or leaves uncovered, the outer surface, respectively. Upon moving from the covering position to the releasing position, or vice versa, the cover can be in successive intermediate positions covering a respective first portion and leaving uncovered a respective second portion of said outer surface. The cleaning device is arranged such that in at least one of the positions, the cleaning device defines a flow path between the cover and the outer surface to allow cleaning fluid to flow between them.