Vehicle Wheel Washing Device with Separate Hydraulic Circuits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wheel washing devices in vehicle washing installations face inefficiencies, including pollution risks due to shared fluid conduits, complex construction, and incomplete rinsing, which affect the quality and effectiveness of wheel cleaning.

Innovation Solution

A device with separate hydraulic supply circuits for water under pressure and specific chemical products, using a rotating distributor to ensure independent delivery to rotating arms, eliminating the need for common conduits and valves, and featuring rotating arms for uniform product dispensing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single supply conduit is used to deliver both water under pressure and specific chemical product to the rotating member, then the device construction is simplified, but the chemical product pollutes the water supply conduit and prevents effective rinsing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconduit system complexityVSAvoidwashing effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The single supply conduit is segmented into separate conduits: one dedicated to water under pressure and another to specific chemical product. This segmentation prevents cross-contamination while maintaining independent delivery to the rotating member, resolving the pollution issue without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If valves are mounted on rotating arms to control fluid flow selectively, then fluid delivery control is improved, but the device construction becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid flow controlVSAvoidrotating arm construction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The valve control mechanism is extracted from the rotating arms and relocated to the stationary part of the system. The valves remain fixed while the supply to rotating nozzles is controlled through the rotation itself, eliminating complex valve mechanisms from the rotating components and simplifying the overall construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses dynamic rotation of the member to control fluid delivery timing rather than static valves on rotating arms. The rotation naturally sequences the delivery of water and chemical product to different nozzles, replacing mechanical valve complexity with dynamic positional control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Quantity of substance

If water under pressure and specific chemical product are supplied through the same conduit at different times, then conduit usage is optimized, but the chemical product contaminates the water supply and affects final rinse quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconduit utilizationVSAvoidconduit pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid supply system is segmented into separate conduits for water and chemical product, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination while maintaining efficient resource utilization. Each fluid has its own dedicated pathway to the rotating member, ensuring no pollution occurs during sequential delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This solution provides a high-quality, uniform cleaning of wheels with reduced maintenance costs and time, preventing pollution and ensuring reliable operation by maintaining fluid separation, thus enhancing the overall washing process.

Implementation Method 1

a first hydraulic supply circuit (31) provided for delivering the water under pressure (HP) to the rotating member (11), and a second hydraulic supply circuit (32) provided for delivering the specific product (P) to the rotating member (11), said first and second supply circuits (31, 32) being reciprocally separated

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic separation:

Implementation Method 2

The rotating member (11) is in turn provided with at least one first rotating arm (12) for the dispensing of one or more jets of water at high pressure (HP)... and a second rotating arm (16) for the dispensing of a specific product (P) for the washing of the wheels

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical cleaning action:

Data Source

PatentEP2773541B1Improved device for the washing of the wheels of a vehicle in a vehicles washing installation and respective new washing cycles performed with this device
Publication Date: 2016.08.17 AUTOEQUIP LAVAGGI
  • EP2773541B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2773541B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2773541B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6(a-4)

AI summary

Washing device (10) for washing the wheels of a vehicle (V) in an installation (I, 20) for the washing of vehicles, comprising: a rotating member (11) in turn comprising at least one first rotating arm (12) for dispensing water under pressure (HP) on a wheel (R) of the vehicle (V), and at least one second rotating arm (16) for dispensing, on the same wheel (R), a specific chemical product (P) for the washing of the rim of the wheel; a first (31) and a second (32) hydraulic supply circuit for supplying respectively water under pressure (HP) and the specific product (P) to the rotating member (11); and a rotating distributor or joint (19) for connecting the first (31) and the second (32) supply circuits to the rotating member (11) and distributing the water under pressure (HP) and the specific product (P) to the first (12) and to the second (16) rotating arms; wherein the first and the second supply circuits (31, 32) are reciprocally distinct, that is to say they do not have conduits and pipes in common, and are configured, together with the rotating distributor (19), in such a way as to supply and distribute, one separately from the other, the water under pressure (HP) and the specific chemical product (P), respectively to the first (12) and to the second (16) rotating arms of the rotating member (11).