Retractable Cleaning Nozzle Axial Radial Spray Dynamics
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing retractable cleaning nozzles for pipes and tanks face challenges in achieving high cleaning efficiency while maintaining a high hygienic standard.
Innovation Solution
A retractable cleaning nozzle design featuring a nozzle housing with a movable first plug that can transition between retracted and protruding positions, allowing for axial and radial spray patterns, and a second plug for sealing the flow path when retracted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cleaning nozzle is mounted flush with the interior surface in retracted state, then the hygienic standard is improved by reducing fluid retention space, but the cleaning efficiency is reduced due to limited spray coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning nozzle is designed with a movable first plug that can dynamically transition between retracted and protruding positions. In retracted position, the nozzle surface is flush with the tank wall for hygienic standards. In protruding position, the nozzle extends outward to provide comprehensive spray coverage for efficient cleaning, thus resolving the contradiction between hygienic standard and cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle system is segmented into multiple functional components: a movable first plug with spray holes, a stationary second plug, and a sealing mechanism. This segmentation allows the first plug to independently protrude for cleaning while the second plug maintains the flush surface when retracted, enabling both hygienic standards and cleaning efficiency to be achieved at different operational states
2Productivity
If the nozzle provides comprehensive spray coverage for efficient cleaning, then the cleaning efficiency is improved, but the hygienic standard deteriorates due to increased fluid retention space
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the nozzle protrusion state based on operational requirements. During cleaning operations, the first plug protrudes to provide comprehensive spray coverage. During non-operational states, the first plug retracts to maintain a flush surface, minimizing fluid retention space and maintaining hygienic standards
Solution Approach 2:
The spray function is extracted into a movable first plug that can be deployed only when needed for cleaning. This separates the cleaning function from the permanent structural feature, allowing the nozzle to provide comprehensive spray coverage during cleaning while maintaining a flush surface during non-use, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning efficiency and hygienic standard
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 design enables efficient cleaning of interior pipe or tank surfaces by combining axial and radial spray patterns, while maintaining a high hygienic standard by ensuring the nozzle is flush with the surface when not in use.
Implementation Method 1
a first set of spray holes configured to eject cleaning fluid substantially in the axial direction, wherein the sleeve-shaped body of the first plug includes a second set of spray holes configured to eject cleaning fluid substantially in a radial direction
Data Source
AI summary
A retractable cleaning nozzle for spray cleaning an interior surface of a pipe or a tank includes a nozzle housing configured to be stationary mounted in a hole of the side wall of the pipe or tank and having a front side arranged to face towards the interior of the pipe or tank and a rear side arranged to face away from the interior of the pipe or tank, an inlet port configured for receiving a cleaning fluid, and a cylindrical interior bore with a central axis defining an axial direction, wherein the interior bore is open towards the front side of the nozzle housing. The cleaning nozzle includes a first plug movably arranged in the axial direction within the bore of the nozzle housing between a retracted position and a protruding position, wherein the first plug has a sleeve-shaped body with a front wall closing a front portion of the sleeve-shaped body, wherein the front wall of the sleeve-shaped body includes a first set of spray holes configured to eject cleaning fluid substantially in the axial direction, wherein the sleeve-shaped body of the first plug includes a second set of spray holes configured to eject cleaning fluid substantially in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein a front surface of the first plug is substantially flush with a front surface of the nozzle housing in the retracted position of the first plug, and wherein a front portion of the first plug, including the first and second set of spay holes, protrudes beyond the front surface of the nozzle housing in the protruding position of the first plug for enabling spray cleaning of the interior surface of the pipe or tank. The cleaning nozzle includes a second plug arranged within a space defined by the sleeve-shaped body of the first plug and configured for closing a flow path from the inlet port to the first set of holes of the first plug when the first plug is located in the retracted position.