Rotating Wash Bar With Oscillating Nozzles for Undercut Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle washing machines struggle to effectively clean protruding parts with undercut areas, such as spoilers or boxes, due to limitations in the angular amplitude of nozzle oscillation, leading to incomplete cleaning of the underside and adjacent vehicle surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle washing machine with a dispensing bar featuring a crossbar that rotates around its longitudinal axis and nozzles oscillating perpendicular to the crossbar, driven by a gear reducer mechanism, allowing for greater angular freedom and synchronized oscillation to cover the entire vehicle width, including undercut areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the nozzle oscillation angular amplitude is increased to clean undercut areas, then the cleaning effectiveness improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the nozzle oscillate with a predetermined oscillation frequency around an axis perpendicular to the crossbar longitudinal axis, enabling the jet propagation direction to vary dynamically and reach undercut areas that would be inaccessible with fixed nozzles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces oscillation in a new dimension by mounting the nozzle to oscillate around an axis perpendicular to the crossbar longitudinal axis, adding a lateral oscillation component to the traditional vertical spray pattern, thereby enabling coverage of undercut areas without increasing the vertical reach

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the crossbar rotation amplitude is increased to cover the entire vehicle width, then the washing coverage improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewashing coverageVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by enabling the crossbar to rotate around its longitudinal axis with a predetermined angular amplitude, allowing the nozzle assembly to dynamically adjust its orientation and cover the entire vehicle width including protruding parts, rather than relying on fixed positioning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the nozzle oscillation frequency is increased to improve cleaning of complex shapes, then the productivity improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewashing efficiencyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by oscillating the nozzle with a predetermined oscillation frequency, creating a rhythmic sweeping motion that efficiently covers complex vehicle surfaces including undercut areas, achieving thorough cleaning through repeated cyclic motion rather than complex multi-axis movement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4282717B1Vehicles washing machine with rotating washing fluid dispensing bar and oscillating nozzles
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 AQUARAMA SRL
  • EP4282717B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4282717B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4282717B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Vehicles washing machine, in particular cars or the like, comprising at least one gantry on which a dispensing bar of at least one washing fluid is mounted, with at least one crossbar supporting at least one dispensing nozzle and that is rotatably mounted around an axis coincident with and/or parallel to its longitudinal axis, being provided at least one motorised rotary drive unit of said crossbar wherein said at least one nozzle is mounted on said crossbar with its jet propagation axis oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of said crossbar and is fixed to said crossbar in an oscillating manner around an axis perpendicular to a plane parallel to said crossbar longitudinal axis or containing said axis of fluid propagation, being provided a gear reducer member for driving said oscillating motion of said nozzle. According to the invention, said gear reducer member for driving said oscillatory motion of said at least one nozzle is assembled on a support terminal of the crossbar which is stationary and is provided in correspondence with at least one end of said crossbar while said gear reducer member is connected to a slider-crank transmission mechanism, said crank controls a mechanism comprising at least one oscillating plate supporting at least one nozzle, said connecting rod being provided with its longitudinal axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of said crossbar and being connected to at least one control arm of said at least one oscillating plate by means of a ball joint.