Road Sweeper Suction Head with Adjustable Flow Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sweeping machines face a conflict between achieving good cleaning results and low energy consumption, as high energy is required for effective dirt pickup, leading to increased noise emissions and inefficiency, especially when dealing with coarse materials.
Innovation Solution
A suction head with a flexible, flat flow-guiding element that adjusts its geometry to optimize airflow, allowing for variable gap widths between the flow guide and the surface, enabling efficient dirt pickup with low power consumption and reduced noise through a hydraulic adjustment mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the suction fan is operated at high power to achieve good cleaning results, then the cleaning quality is improved, but the energy consumption and noise emission increase
Solution Approach 1:
The suction head features a dynamically adjustable geometry through the adjustable support device, allowing the gap between the flow guide element and surface to be optimized in real-time. This dynamic adaptation enables efficient airflow patterns that reduce the power required by the suction fan while maintaining effective cleaning performance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the suction head by adjusting the position of the flow guide element relative to the surface. By optimizing the gap width and airflow path geometry, the system achieves better aerodynamic efficiency, reducing the energy consumption of the suction fan for a given cleaning quality
2Adaptability or versatility
If the suction fan is operated at high power to pick up coarse material, then the ability to pick up coarse material is improved, but the noise emission increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable support device enables dynamic geometric adaptation of the suction head, allowing optimization of the airflow path for different material types. This dynamic adjustment reduces turbulence and vortex formation, thereby lowering noise emission while maintaining the capability to pick up coarse material
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the geometric parameters of the suction head (gap width, flow path shape), the system optimizes airflow patterns to reduce turbulent losses and noise generation, while preserving the ability to effectively pick up coarse material through adjusted aerodynamic conditions
3Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid coarse material flap is used to pick up coarse material, then the ability to pick up coarse material is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces rigid, mechanically complex coarse material flaps with a simpler adjustable support device that modifies the geometry of the existing flow guide element. This dynamic geometric adaptation achieves coarse material pickup capability without requiring additional rigid components or complex mechanical actuation mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable support device serves multiple functions: it optimizes the airflow path for general sweeping operations and simultaneously creates conditions effective for picking up coarse material. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate rigid coarse material flaps, reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility
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 adjustable suction head achieves high operational reliability and effective cleaning with low power consumption, particularly in conditions with voluminous debris, while maintaining a compact design and minimizing noise and maintenance efforts.
Implementation Method 1
a suction fan (10) with which a suction line (3) is connected on the one hand and a dirt collection container (4) is connected on the other hand
Implementation Method 2
a flat flow guide element - between this and the surface to be cleaned - defines a nozzle-shaped air flow path
Implementation Method 3
an adjusting device (33), in particular a hydraulic cylinder (32), which acts on an adjusting element (26, 38, 39)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The receiving sweeper has a dirt collecting container. A flow guiding element (13) engages an adjusting device (33) in a constant position of a suction duct (3) by using a suction nozzle facing away from an edge area (20). The flow guiding element engages the adjusting device in such a way that its geometry changes between a relatively curved shape having a relatively small minimum distance to a surface to-be cleaned (8) and a relatively elongated shape with a relatively large minimum distance to the surface to-be cleaned.