Tank Cleaner Thread Direction Prevents Shaft Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tank cleaners in the beverage, food, and pharmaceutical industries face reliability issues due to loose connections during operation, which can reduce cleaning performance.
Innovation Solution
A tank cleaner design featuring improved screw connections with matching thread rotation directions to prevent accidental loosening, combined with a securing element like a set screw and wedge locking washer, ensures a secure connection between the housing parts and output shaft, enhancing reliability and maintenance accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If detachable component connections are used for maintenance, then ease of repair is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to connections becoming loose during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by designing the first and second threads to have the same rotation direction before operation begins. This means that when the tank cleaner is screwed onto the supply line, the tightening force is automatically transferred to the connection between the output shaft and second housing part, preventing loosening before it can occur during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by using threads with the same rotation direction, which creates a counteracting effect: the tightening motion of connecting to the supply line simultaneously prevents the loosening of the output shaft connection, effectively counteracting the potential harmful effect of loosening during operation.
2Ease of operation
If the tank cleaner is screwed onto the supply line, then connection to supply line is established, but unintentional loosening of the output shaft connection may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two connection functions into one assembly action. By designing both connections (supply line attachment and output shaft securing) to use threads with the same rotation direction, a single tightening motion simultaneously secures both connections, eliminating the risk that one tightening action would loosen another.
3Reliability
If a locking element is added to secure the output shaft connection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a thread configuration that automatically secures the output shaft connection during the normal assembly process. The same tightening motion that connects the tank cleaner to the supply line also tightens the output shaft connection, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms or additional securing steps.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a tank cleaning device comprising a first housing part (2), which can be connected to a supply line, a second housing part, which can be rotated counter to the first housing part (4), a driven shaft (23), which is rotatably received in the first housing part (2) and is connected to the second housing part (4), and a drive, directly or indirectly connected to the driven shaft (23). In order to improve the reliability of the tank cleaning device (1), according to the invention, the first housing part (2) has a first thread (26) for connecting to the supply line and the driven shaft (23) has a second thread (27) for connecting to the second housing part (4), and the rotational direction of the first thread (26) and the rotational direction of the second thread (27) are identical.