Snap-Fit Nozzle Shaft Clamp for Faster Bottle Washer Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray devices for cleaning machines require improvements to simplify and streamline maintenance and repair procedures.
Innovation Solution
A spray device with a detachable clamp mechanism using a snap-fit design, allowing for easy attachment and removal of the nozzle shaft, and additional features like seals and centering elements to ensure hygiene and efficient maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a traditional fixed attachment method is used for the nozzle shaft, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate components: the lower part with attachment features, the nozzle shaft, and the clamp. This segmentation allows the nozzle shaft to be quickly removed and replaced by detaching the clamp, while each component maintains its structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system transitions from a fixed, permanent connection to a dynamic, reversible connection. The clamp can be quickly attached and detached to secure or release the nozzle shaft, enabling rapid maintenance while maintaining stable operation during use.
2Reliability
If a complex attachment mechanism is used for the nozzle shaft, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into the clamp component: it provides mechanical attachment, positioning alignment, and secure fixation of the nozzle shaft. This consolidation achieves reliable attachment without requiring multiple separate complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp serves multiple purposes: securing the nozzle shaft to the lower part, providing alignment during attachment, and enabling quick release for maintenance. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, simplifying the overall device.
3Ease of operation
If the nozzle shaft is firmly attached to the lower part, then the stability during operation is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system provides dynamic characteristics: strong, stable connection during operation when the clamp is secured, and easy separation when the clamp is released. This allows the system to adapt between operational stability and maintenance accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle shaft can be easily extracted from the lower part by releasing the clamp, enabling quick removal for maintenance or replacement. The extraction mechanism is simplified through the clamp design that allows rapid release without complex tools or procedures.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a spray device (1) for a cleaning machine for bottles (100) or containers, comprising a supply pipe (5) for conveying a liquid medium to a nozzle shaft (4) rotatably driven about an axis (3), wherein the nozzle shaft is attached to the supply pipe by at least one nozzle holder (6) comprising a lower part (7), a bushing (8) and a clamp (9), wherein the lower part is attached to the supply pipe and the bushing arranged in a passage through the lower part forms a fluid channel (10) through the lower part connected to an interior of the supply pipe, wherein the nozzle shaft rests against an end of the bushing facing away from the supply pipe and the clamp partially surrounds the nozzle shaft in a circumferential direction of the nozzle shaft and is attached to the lower part.wherein at least one continuous nozzle channel (11) of the nozzle shaft opens within an angular range of the rotational movement (101) of the nozzle shaft about the axis to the fluid channel, so that the liquid medium exits the supply pipe through the fluid channel and the nozzle channel and through an opening (12) in the clamp. According to the invention, the clamp is detachably attached to the lower part by means of a snap device (13) such that the snap device can be opened in an opening direction (14) and the clamp can be removed from the nozzle shaft and the lower part perpendicular to the axis by opening the snap device.