GB1559533A

GB1559533A - Washer spray apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1559533A
Application number: GB3683/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Westfaelische Metall Industrie KG Hueck and Co
Current assignee: Westfaelische Metall Industrie KG Hueck and Co
Priority date: 1976-01-30
Filing date: 1977-01-28
Publication date: 1980-01-23
Also published as: GB1559534A

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO WASHER SPRAY APPARATUS (71) We, WESTFALISCHE METALL IN DUSTRIE KG HUECK & Co., a Company organized according to the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany of Postfach 604,4780 Lippstadt, Federal Republic of Germany do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement :- The invention relates to washer apparatus, particularly but not necessarily exclusively for motor vehicles, and more particularly for the glasses or lenses of headlamps and other lamps, which is capable of producing a cleaning action without the aid of a wiper element by spraying washing liquid.

Such washer apparatus, comprising a storage container for the washing liquid, a pumping device and nozzles arranged in the vicinity of the separate washing points, from which nozzles the washing liquid issues in droplet form and sprays a uniform area, is known from UK Patent Specification 1441952. Employed with this apparatus is a turbulence nozzle having a spinner or swirl member which comprises helically extending grooves on its circumference. The washing liquid emerges from such nozzles in the form of drops and is uniformly dispersed in a plane extending perpendicular to the main outlet direction. However, since in washing headlamps and other lamps the nozzle is arranged outside the light cone, and therefore the surface to be cleaned is not disposed perpendicular to the main outlet direction of the washing liquid, and the area to be washed is not sprayed uni formly with cleaning liquid. With this arrangement, not only is it the case that the drop density in those regions of the washing area which are disposed further from the nozzle is smaller than in the regions disposed closer thereto, but here also the kinetic energy of the individual drops is smaller.

According to the present invention, there is provided washer apparatus including a storage container for washing liquid and means for generating a flow of said liquid from said container through at least one nozzle of the apparatus to produce a cleaning spray of the washing liquid, said at least one nozzle comprising a chamber having opposite end walls with an inlet aperture for the liquid flow disposed in one end wall and an outlet aperture in a side wall of the chamber or extending between a side wall of the chamber and a further end wall opposite said one end wall, the inlet aperture having a central longitudinal axis extending towards the opposite end wall of the chamber and laterally offset from a longitudinal axis through the centre of area of said opposite end wall extending parallel to said axis of the aperture, said offset of the aperture axis being towards the outlet aperture, and the ratio of the area of the outlet aperture to the area of the inlet aperture being substantially between 0.5 and 1. 0, said nozzle being adapted to produce a spray of said washing liquid in the form of drops.

The outlet aperture dimension referred to may be measured as seen in the direction in which the area is greatest. Alternatively, it may be regarded as the projected area of the aperture in a plane normal to a line joining the centre of the outlet aperture and the centre of the area to be washed.

The division of the liquid jet into drops is arranged to be effected by the liquid stream passing into the chamber being split up, one part of this stream emerging directly from the outlet opening and the other part of the stream being agitated in the chamber with a build-up of pressure.

For the purpose of this effect the outlet opening is preferably arranged in the transition between the side walls and said opposite end wall. For a better turbulence action in the chamber, the end wall disposed facing the inlet opening may be given a concave internal curvature.

The invention will be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein :- Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing washer apparatus according to the inven tion in operation.

Fig. 2 illustrates one nozzle of the apparatus of Fig. 1 in the longitudinal section and in plan view, and Fig. 3 illustrates another constructional form of nozzle in longitudinal section.

With the washer apparatus which is shown in Fig. 1, pressure is produced by the pump 1 drawing from a reservoir 2 a supply of washing liquid 3. However, it is quite possible for the pressure to be produced by compressed air, which is conveyed from a separate pressurised container into the reservoir 2 of the washing liquid or is forced directly into said reservoir.

The pump draws the washing liquid by suction from the storage container and forces it through the restricting valve 4 and pipes 7 to nozzles 5. The nozzles 5 are so designed that the areas 6 which are to be washed, which are in this case formed by the glasses or dispersing lenses of two motor vehicle headlamps, are acted upon in uniform manner with washing liquid over their entire outer surface.

That is to say, they spray the washing liquid with a drop density which is constant over the entire area when the nozzle is arranged in a position which is eccen- tric with respect to the area to be cleaned.

The nozzle, which is made of synthetic plastics materials and may be as shown in Figs. 2 or 3, in is the general form of a cylinder, of which side wall 8 and end wall 9, in conjunction with a second end wall 10 inserted as a plug, form a chamber 12. An inlet aperture II, which at the same time acts as a throttling means for the incoming liquid, is arranged in the end wall 10, while an outlet aperture 13 is arranged in the side wall 8. The end wall 9, which may itself be inserted in the manner of a plug, is disposed eccentrically of the inlet aperture 11, so that a part of the washing liquid passing through the inlet aperture 11 flows out directly through the outlet aperture 13. The other part of the jet flowing through the inlet aperture 11 rebounds against the end wall 9 and is swirled in the chamber 12. In the modified construction shown in Fig. 3, the concave form of the end wall 9 assists this swirling or agitating action.

The functioning of the nozzles described lies at least partly in a so-called oscillating effect that is produced by their particular design and special dimensions, which effect permits a"front"of droplets to travel over the surface to be cleaned, while constantly moving backwards and forwards. The main outlet direction of the washing liquid is oblique to the inlet opening axis of the central longitudinal axis of the chamber, the angle of obliquity being smaller the greater the eccentricity of the inlet aperture with respect to the end of the chamber opposite the aperture. The size and the frequency of the oscillating movement is established by the distance of the outlet aperture from the two end walls. It is for this reason advantageous for the distance between the outlet aperture and the end wall on the inlet side not to exceed the value 4: 1 in relation to the largest dimension of the chamber cross-section. The distance between the outlet aperture and the end wall on the inlet side can then be substantially greater, e. g. two or more times greater, than the distance (if any) between the outlet aperture and the other end wall.

Limits are set for the cross-sectional size of the chamber by the size of the inlet aperture, and this in turn is dependent on the size of the outlet aperture and on the quantity of washing liquid flow per cleaning cycle. For this reason, the chamber cross-section should be between 3 mu= an 50 mm2, advantageously between 5 mm2 and 15 mm2, and the size of the inlet aperture should be 10% to 85%, advantageously 25% to 50%, of the chamber cross-section. As already stated, the ratio of outlet to inlet aperture areas is substantially between 0.5 and 1. 0, and preferably between 0.6 and 0.8.

Furthermore, it has proved to be desirable for the outlet aperture to be given approximately the shape of a rectangle with longer sides lying transversely of the direction of the throughflow, the ratio of the sides being between 1.5: I and 4: 1.

The ratio between these sides of the rectangle determines the shape of the spraying pattern and is thus dependent on the shape and the size of the surface to be cleaned.

In another modification of the nozzle, the cross-section of the portion of the chamber disposed between the inlet and outlet apertures is made larger than the cross-section of that region of the chamber which adjoints it, the outlet aperture be ing arranged in the stepped transition to the narrowed region of the chamber. As well as the functional advantage as regards the spraying effect, this constructional form also has an additional manufacturing advantage, since no core members extending transversely of the direction of extraction are necessary with a nozzle produced by casting techniques. The process for the manufacture of such a nozzle and also the manner in which it functions can also be improved by the outlet aperture being so arranged that it extends into the smaller cross-section region of the stepped transition.

In yet a further form of nozzle according to the invention, the outlet takes the form of a slot extending part of the way round the periphery of a side wall of the chamber and spaced from the end opposite the inlet end. The slot may for example be a parallel-sided part-annular opening in a cylindrical chamber, with a relatively small axial dimension and exteding substantially to a diameter of the chamber.

Since the nozzles operate largely independently of the pressure, the supply pressure should be set at a lowest possible level. As a consequence, a smaller pump- ing performance is required, one result of this being the driving motors can have a lower constructional cost than otherwise lower constructional cost than otherwise.

However, so as to be able to produce reliably a good cleaning action, it is desirable to operate with a pressure from about 1. 5 to 5 bars. In this connection, Lhe lower limit is dictated by the cleaning action which is required and the upper limit is dictated by economic grounds.

Attention is drawn to our copending application (No. 3684/77) (Serial No.

1559 534) filed simultaneously herewith that relates to spray nozzles which can be employed in the washer apparatus of the present invention.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS :-

1. Washer apparatus including a storage container for washing liquid and means for generating a flow of said liquid from said container through at least one nozzle of the apparatus to produce a cleaning spray of the washing liquid, said at least one nozzle comprising a chamber having opposite end walls with an inlet aperture for the liquid flow disposed in one end wall and an outlet aperture in a side wall of the chamber or extending between a side wall of the chamber and a further end wall opposite said one end wall, the inlet aperture having a central longitudinal axis extending towards the opposite end wall of the chamber and laterally offset from a longtudinal axis through the centre of area of said opposite end wall extending parallel to said axis of the aperture, said offset of the aperture axis being towards the outlet aperture, and the ratio of the area of the outlet aperture to the area of the inlet aperture being substantially between 0.5 and 1.0, said nozzle being adapted to produce a spray of said washing liquid in the form of drops.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of the area of the outlet aperture to the area of the inlet aperture is substantially between 0.6 and 0.8.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the outlet aperture is spaced from the end wall in which the inlet aperture is arranged by a distance that does not exceed the value of 4: 1 in proportion to the largest dimension of the chamber cross-section.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the outlet aperture is spaced from both end walls and its spacing from the end wall in which the entry opening is arranged is substantially greater than its spacing from the other end wall.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the crosssection of the inlet aperture is substantially between 10% and 85% of the chamber cross-section.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the cross-section of the inlet aperture is substantially between 25% and 50% of the chamber cross-section.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the chamber cross-section is between 3 mma and 50 mm2.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the chamber cross-section is between 5 mm2 and 15 mm3.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outlet aperture has approximately the form of an oblong rectangle with its longer sides disposed transversely of the inlet aperture axis, the ratio of the sides of the said rectangle being substantially between 1. 5 : 1 and 4 : 1.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said opposite end wall has a concave internal curvature.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outlet aperture is arranged in the transition between said side wall and said opposite end wall.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the outlet aperture is spaced from said opposite end wall of the chamber and the cross-section transverse to the inlet aperture axis of the region of the chamber between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture is larger than the corresponding cross-section of the adjoining region of the chamber beyond the outlet aperture.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the outlet aperture is so arranged that it extends into the projected area of said chamber cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis in the region between the inlet and outlet apertures.

14. Washer apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims arranged to produce a spray from the or each nozzle to effect a cleaning action on the glass or lens of one or more road lights of a vehicle without the use of a wiper element.

15. Washer apparatus constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.

16. A road vehicle having washer apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims arranged for cleaning headlamp glasses or lenses of the vehicle.