Portable cleaning device for liquid cleaning of sensitive components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cleaning methods for sensitive aerospace components, such as solar cells and circuit boards, often result in additional contamination due to wipe fibers and mechanical movement, and are not contactless, complicating bioburden evacuation.
Innovation Solution
A portable cleaning device with separate application units for cleaning and drying fluids, using a contactless method that includes a flexible shielding unit, adjustable handle, and a modular design with detachable connection to a fluid supply module, enabling efficient and cost-effective cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cleaning wipes are used to clean sensitive components, then the cleaning process is simple and contact-based, but the components become additionally contaminated by wipe fibers and mechanical movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based cleaning system (wipes) with a contactless liquid cleaning system. The cleaning device applies cleaning liquid through application units and extracts contaminants through extraction units without physical contact between the cleaner and the component surface, thereby eliminating fiber contamination and mechanical damage while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses pneumatic and hydraulic principles to deliver cleaning liquid and drying gas through application units, and to extract contaminants via extraction units. The system utilizes fluid dynamics to achieve contactless cleaning, where pressurized liquid and gas flows perform the cleaning function without mechanical contact, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and contamination prevention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If contactless cleaning method is used, then contamination is prevented, but the drying process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cleaning and drying functions into a single integrated contactless process. The same application units that deliver cleaning liquid also deliver drying gas, and the extraction units simultaneously remove both cleaning residue and moisture. This integration maintains contamination prevention while reducing total processing time compared to separate cleaning and drying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous useful action by performing cleaning and drying in an uninterrupted sequence within the same contactless framework. The extraction units continuously remove contaminants and moisture throughout the process, eliminating idle time between cleaning and drying operations while preserving the contamination-free environment established by contactless methodology.
3Productivity
If separate application units for cleaning and drying fluids are used, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality where application units can deliver both cleaning liquid and drying gas through the same structural components. The system design allows these units to perform multiple functions (cleaning, drying, extraction) thereby improving cleaning efficiency and productivity while minimizing the increase in device complexity through functional integration rather than complete separation of components.
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 achieves efficient, contactless cleaning with reduced drying time and minimal effort, preventing recontamination while allowing flexible and targeted cleaning of sensitive components.
Implementation Method 1
Extraction preferably takes place by means of negative pressure
Implementation Method 2
a drying fluid, in particular a drying gas, to dry the sensitive component
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a portable cleaning device for the liquid cleaning of sensitive components (12a; 12b), in particular sensitive aerospace components, with at least one cleaning head (14a; 14b) comprising at least one application unit (16a; 16b) for applying a cleaning fluid (18a; 18b) and at least one extraction unit (20a; 20b) for extracting the cleaning fluid (18a; 18b). It is proposed that the cleaning head (14a; 14b) comprises at least one application unit (22a; 22b) for applying a drying fluid (24a; 24b), in particular a drying gas, for drying the sensitive component (12a; 12b).