Pleated Filter Roller Cleaning Without Vibration Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter cleaning methods, such as those using vibrations, fail to effectively remove trapped dust from pleated filters without causing wear or damage to the filter and other components, particularly in autonomous devices with vibration-sensitive components like lidar sensors.
Innovation Solution
A device with a roller having helical or obliquely arranged projections that rotates to spread filter pleats, allowing trapped dust to be dislodged without transmitting vibrations to other components, minimizing wear and maintaining functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vibrations are transmitted to the filter to remove dust, then dust removal effectiveness is improved, but wear and damage to the filter and other components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter surface is segmented into multiple pleats, and the cleaning action is segmented into multiple projection elements distributed around the roller circumference. Each projection cleans a specific pleat locally, distributing the mechanical stress across multiple contact points rather than concentrating it, thereby reducing wear on individual filter areas while maintaining effective dust removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller projections are designed with specific local properties: rounded contact surfaces to distribute pressure, optimal spacing to match pleat dimensions, and controlled height to penetrate dust layers without excessive force. This localized optimization allows effective cleaning at each contact point while minimizing overall mechanical stress on the filter and surrounding components.
2Productivity
If strong vibrations are used to clean the filter, then dust trapped deep in pleats is removed more effectively, but vibration-sensitive components such as lidar sensors cannot function
Solution Approach 1:
The roller provides continuous gentle mechanical action through rotating projections that progressively work through dust layers in the pleats. This sustained low-amplitude mechanical movement effectively loosens and removes deep-trapped dust particles without generating the high-intensity vibrations that would interfere with sensor operation.
3Productivity
If a spike is drawn across filter pleats to dislodge dirt, then dust removal is achieved, but significant abrasion causes filter tearing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of dragging a spike across the filter surface (which causes abrasion), the invention inverts the approach by using rotating roller projections that press into and push against the pleats from the opposite direction. This reversed mechanical action dislodges dust through controlled deformation and release rather than friction-based abrasion, preserving filter integrity while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller projections feature curved or rounded contact surfaces rather than sharp spike edges. This curvature distributes the applied force over a larger contact area, reducing stress concentration that would lead to filter tearing. The rounded geometry allows the projections to penetrate and manipulate pleats gently, effectively dislodging dust without causing structural damage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for cleaning a filter, preferably a lamellar filter. The device comprises a roller rotatable about a longitudinal axis, which includes a plurality of helical projections extending along an outer wall of the roller. Alternatively or additionally, the roller includes a plurality of annular projections arranged obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the roller on an outer wall of the roller. Two adjacent projections are arranged at an axial distance along the longitudinal axis of the roller and offset from each other by an angle around the longitudinal axis of the roller.