Vehicle Washer Nozzle Assembly for Variable Stroke in Tight Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of vehicle cleaning devices with varying piston stroke lengths is costly due to the need for different cylinder and piston lengths, and there is a desire to reduce the overall length of these devices to fit within limited vehicle body or bumper space.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle cleaning device design that includes a cylinder, a piston with a spray nozzle unit, and a cap with a tubular part to manage the piston's movement, allowing for the production of devices with different stroke lengths using common components, and an assembly method that includes a coupling part and a spring to reduce the overall device length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If cylinders and pistons with different lengths are prepared for different stroke lengths, then the stroke length requirement is met, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components: a common cylinder-piston-spray nozzle assembly and a separate cap component. The cap is segmented into a body portion and a tubular portion, allowing different tubular portions to be attached to the same base assembly to achieve different stroke lengths without manufacturing entirely different cylinders or pistons.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylinder, piston, and spray nozzle unit are designed as universal components that can be used across multiple device variants. The cap component provides the differentiation function, allowing the same core assembly to serve multiple stroke length requirements, thereby reducing manufacturing costs through component standardization.
2Length of stationary object
If the overall length of the vehicle cleaning device is reduced to fit limited space, then the space utilization improves, but the piston stroke length may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular portion of the cap is inserted into and nested within the cylinder, allowing the piston to achieve its full stroke length while the overall device length remains compact. The nested structure enables the moving components to traverse the required distance without increasing the external dimensions of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap's tubular portion extends in the axial direction (length dimension) while being contained within the radial space of the cylinder. This dimensional arrangement allows the piston stroke to be achieved along the axis without increasing the device's radial footprint, effectively utilizing the available linear space within the vehicle body or bumper.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle cleaning device includes a cylinder to which a cleaning fluid is supplied; a piston slidably inserted in the cylinder; a spray nozzle unit mounted at a leading end of the piston and configured to spray the cleaning fluid toward an object-to-be-cleaned; and a cap that closes a gap between the cylinder and the piston in an opening of the cylinder through which the piston protrudes. The cap includes a tubular part inside the cylinder, and the tubular part defines an end of movement of the piston. A communication hole is provided between a communication groove provided in an outer peripheral surface of the tubular part and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the gap between the cylinder and the piston communicates with the outside of the cylinder through the communication hole.