Rotatable Self-Cleaning Surface System With Fluid Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning solutions for surfaces require manual intervention or external systems, failing to ensure continuous cleanliness as surfaces do not automatically clean themselves, leading to re-soiling after initial cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A self-cleaning surface system with rotatable bodies that flip dirty surfaces to clean ones, utilizing a cleaning fluid ejection mechanism and sensors for automatic or manual activation, ensuring continuous cleanliness by rotating cleanable surfaces 180 degrees to alternate between operational and cleaning positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual cleaning or external cleaning systems are used, then surfaces can be cleaned, but surfaces do not automatically clean themselves and require continuous human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The surface system automatically cleans itself by rotating to present dirty surfaces to the cleaning mechanism and then rotating clean surfaces into the operational position, eliminating the need for human intervention in the cleaning process
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses rotatable bodies that can dynamically change orientation between operational and cleaning positions, allowing the surface to adapt its configuration based on whether it needs to be used or cleaned
2Reliability
If cleaning personnel or external cleaning systems clean surfaces, then surfaces become clean temporarily, but cleanliness cannot be ensured as surfaces are re-soiled immediately after cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains a reserve of pre-cleaned surfaces that are rotated into the operational position before the current surface becomes dirty, ensuring continuous availability of clean surfaces without waiting for the cleaning cycle to complete
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuous availability of clean surfaces by maintaining multiple surfaces in different states (clean and dirty) and rotating them appropriately, so that there is always a clean surface available for use without interruption
3Extent of automation
If rotatable bodies are used to flip surfaces, then automatic cleaning is achieved, but device complexity increases with rotation mechanisms and sequencing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is divided into multiple independent rotatable bodies, each capable of rotating independently to present its dirty surface for cleaning, allowing the system to handle multiple surfaces simultaneously or sequentially without requiring a complex centralized mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation mechanism and cleaning mechanism are integrated into a unified system where the same rotational motion that presents the dirty surface to the cleaning mechanism also rotates the cleaned surface back into the operational position, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms
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 system maintains cleanliness and hygiene by automatically or manually flipping dirty surfaces to clean ones, ensuring surfaces are always ready for use while avoiding collisions and ensuring thorough cleaning with a sequential or simultaneous cleaning mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning mechanism, in particular comprising a cleaning fluid ejection mechanism, wherein the cleaning fluid ejection mechanism when activated is arranged to eject a cleaning fluid towards said one or more cleanable surfaces
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A self-cleaning surface system, comprising one or more rotatable bodies (19); a support structure (3) supporting the one or more rotatable bodies, wherein the one or more rotatable bodies are configured to rotate with respect to the support structure about a corresponding rotation axis, said one or more rotatable bodies having a corresponding cleanable surface (1) which is parallel to the corresponding rotation axis and being configured to rotate together with the corresponding rotatable body, from facing a first direction to facing a second direction and vice versa, the first direction being opposite to the second direction; a rotation mechanism; a cleaning mechanism comprising a cleaning fluid ejection mechanism; and an activation mechanism, wherein the cleaning fluid ejection mechanism when activated is arranged to eject a cleaning fluid towards said one or more cleanable surfaces when the latter face the second direction.