Overmolded Nozzle Attachment for Safe High-Pressure Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure cleaning systems can cause damage to painted surfaces and pose safety risks due to high fluid pressure and speed, particularly when used incorrectly.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle attachment with a dome body and overmold design that allows for a shorter wand length, featuring a compliant overmold material to prevent surface damage and ensure safe operation, coupled to the nozzle via an interference fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high-pressure cleaning system is used with a standard nozzle, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but damage to painted surfaces occurs and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle attachment serves as an intermediary device between the high-pressure cleaning system and the surface being cleaned. It includes a dome body with an opening that directs fluid away from the surface, and an overmold that contacts the surface to prevent damage. This intermediary structure allows the system to maintain cleaning effectiveness while preventing harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The overmold is made of a compliant material that can deform to match the contours of the surface being cleaned. This flexible shell conforms to the surface geometry, ensuring continuous contact to prevent fluid from reaching and damaging painted surfaces, while also preventing skin injection hazards.
2Ease of operation
If the wand length is reduced for better maneuverability, then ease of operation is improved, but safety control over fluid pressure becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle attachment extracts the safety control function from the wand itself and relocates it to the attachment device. By placing the dome body and overmold at the nozzle end, the safety mechanisms are separated from the wand length, allowing short wands to be used safely without compromising pressure control.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle attachment performs preliminary action by directing the fluid flow away from the surface before the fluid can cause harm. The dome body geometry and overmold positioning pre-establish the fluid path to ensure it exits in a safe direction, preventing skin injection and surface damage before these hazards can occur.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the nozzle attachment includes both dome body and overmold, then surface protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle attachment merges multiple functions into a single integrated device. The dome body and overmold are combined into one attachment that simultaneously directs fluid away from the surface, contacts the surface to prevent damage, and controls fluid pressure. This unified structure reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle attachment uses composite construction with a dome body made of one material and an overmold made of a compliant material. This composite approach allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured as an integrated unit.
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 nozzle attachment prevents damage to surfaces and ensures user safety by controlling fluid pressure and direction, meeting safety standards while allowing for efficient cleaning without risk of skin injection.
Implementation Method 1
an overmold extending beyond the terminal edge of the dome body to a contact edge... an improved attachment that addresses the above issues is desired... compliant overmold material to prevent surface damage
Implementation Method 2
coupled to the nozzle via an interference fit
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Nozzle attachments and high-pressure cleaning systems are provided. A nozzle attachment includes a dome body that extends from a base to a terminal edge. The dome body defines an interior that extends to an opening at the terminal edge. The nozzle attachment further includes an overmold that at least partially surrounds the dome body. The overmold extending beyond the terminal edge of the dome body to a contact edge.