Device for treating smooth surfaces, in particular the surface of photovoltaic and solar systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for treating smooth surfaces, such as solar and photovoltaic systems, glass roofs, and glass facades, face challenges in maintaining consistent pressure and preventing damage during cleaning over ground surface irregularities.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a support wheel or roller system with a load balancer and adjustable support structure, ensuring optimal pressure distribution and surface protection by positioning support rollers or wheels upstream of the spraying unit and using a load balancer to maintain desired pressure, even over uneven terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning brush is used to treat smooth surfaces, then cleaning function is provided, but pressure control during vehicle movement over ground irregularities is insufficient causing surface damage
Solution Approach 1:
A load balancer is introduced to counterbalance the weight and pressure variations of the cleaning unit during vehicle movement. The load balancer compensates for ground irregularities by providing opposing force, maintaining constant cleaning pressure on the surface while preventing damage from excessive pressure spikes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning unit is made rotatable about its longitudinal axis through a drive mechanism. This dynamic capability allows the cleaning brush to adapt its orientation and maintain optimal contact pressure with the surface during vehicle movement, improving both pressure control and surface treatment quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If treatment unit is positioned directly over surface, then treatment application is direct, but pressure distribution is uneven causing quality variation
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple support rollers or wheels distributed along the treatment unit. This segmentation distributes the total weight and pressure across multiple contact points, creating uniform pressure distribution across the treated surface and preventing localized over-pressure that would degrade treatment quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple support rollers are positioned upstream of the spraying device in the direction of movement. This preliminary support action stabilizes the treatment unit before the spraying operation occurs, ensuring consistent pressure and optimal treatment quality from the outset of each treatment pass.
3Adaptability or versatility
If support structure is fixed, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different surface requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The support rollers or wheels are made adjustably positionable on the support structure, allowing height and spacing modifications. This dynamic adjustability enables adaptation to different surface types and treatment requirements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for treating smooth surfaces includes a treatment unit, a support structure with a pivoting support arm for positioning and holding the treatment unit and a load balancer for setting and automatically controlling the contact pressure acting on the surface to be treated by the treatment unit. The treatment unit in the form of a spraying device includes at least one support roller or support wheel for supporting the treatment unit against the surface to be treated.