System, apparatus and method for delivering fluid to and from the bottom center of a floor-operation pad on a rotary-motion flooring machine during operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotary devices used for cleaning and polishing floors experience inefficiencies when applying fluids, leading to messy and uneven application due to fluid slinging and uneven dispersion.
Innovation Solution
A center injection fluid-feed system utilizing a coaxial rotary joint with a fluid well ring that orbits around a hub, allowing fluid to flow from the outside circumference to the center, counteracting centrifugal force with gravity and enabling even fluid distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fluid is dumped onto the top of a rotating drive pad, then fluid can reach the floor surface, but fluid disperses unevenly and splashes over the sides of the pad
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of delivering fluid to the top of the rotating pad and relying on gravity to pull it down, the invention inverts the approach by delivering fluid directly to the bottom center of the pad where it contacts the floor. This is achieved through a fluid delivery hub with flow channels that route fluid from the outside circumference to the center, exiting through openings at the bottom center of the hub.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the fluid delivery function from the top surface of the rotating pad and relocates it to the bottom center through a separate fluid delivery hub system. This separation allows the pad to rotate freely while fluid is delivered precisely where needed without being affected by centrifugal forces at the top.
2Quantity of substance
If fluid is applied to a rotating pad, then fluid can be distributed across the floor, but centrifugal force causes fluid to sling outward from the pad
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of centrifugal force into a beneficial one by using the rotating motion of the hub to actively pump fluid outward through the flow channels. The centrifugal force that would normally sling fluid away is instead harnessed to drive fluid through the channels from the outside circumference to the center, where it is delivered controlledly to the bottom center.
3Quantity of substance
If a porous pad is used to allow fluid to reach the bottom, then fluid can contact the floor, but most fluid is thrown from the top and sides before reaching the bottom
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid delivery hub is designed to be self-regulating, using the rotation of the hub itself to generate the centrifugal force needed to pump fluid through the flow channels. This eliminates the need for external pumps or complex valve systems, as the rotating hub automatically controls fluid delivery from the outside circumference to the center based on its rotational speed.
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
Ensures even fluid application to the floor surface without slinging, reducing waste and improving application consistency, and can also function as a vacuum for sanding applications.
Implementation Method 1
fluid flow channels commencing at the fluid entry openings, angling downward and inward from the fluid entry openings toward a center of the fluid-delivery hub
Implementation Method 2
the spinning action of the pad forces the fluid to disperse unevenly over the top of the drive pad... centrifugal force allowing the assist of gravity in the direction of flow
Data Source
AI summary
A system and related apparatus and method for delivering fluid to and from a bottom center of a floor-operation pad on a rotary-motion flooring machine while the pad is rotationally operating on a horizontal underfoot surface, the system comprising a fluid-delivery hub comprising: a plurality of fluid entry openings disposed on an outside circumferential surface thereof; an equal plurality of fluid flow channels commencing at the fluid entry openings, angling downward and inward from the fluid entry openings toward a center of the fluid-delivery hub, and terminating at an equal plurality of fluid exit openings proximate a bottom center of the fluid-delivery hub; and a floor-operation interface at a bottom of the fluid-delivery hub configured to directly or indirectly attach a floor-operation pad thereto, for operating on a floor.