WO2012032188A2 - Jet stream screen-cleaning system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a jet stream screen-cleaning system and a method for cleaning and keeping clear screens and window surfaces, in particular windscreens, rear screens and mirrors on mobile means of transport, such as utility vehicles, motor vehicles or track vehicles, by guided and regulated air flows. Cleaning and keeping free are achieved by compressed air which is guided by means of nozzle units (jet stream units) onto the front of the screen to be cleaned.

Description

 Jet-Stream Windscreen Cleaning System

description

The invention relates to a jet stream windscreen cleaning system and a method for cleaning and keeping clear of windows and windows, in particular of front or rear windows in mobile transport, such as commercial vehicles - motor vehicles or rail vehicles - by guided and regulated air currents.

The current operation of the current state of the art for cleaning and keeping free window surfaces in means of transport / automobiles and other transport vehicles is the use of windshield wipers.

These consist of a mounted on a wiper axis metal wiper arm, a wiper blade with rubber profile and an output.

 For the usual today curved vehicle windows, the socket of the rubber profile is usually divided into several sections, wherein the rubber profile is stabilized by two metal inserts. Furthermore, there are also non-segmented flat wiper blades.

 The arrangement of the windshield wipers can be done in various ways, such as standing wiper (axis below the disc), wipers in a hanging arrangement, arrangements with three wipers for wide windows or a single arm wiper. Furthermore, there are parallelogram or Doppelarmscheibenwischer with an always vertical wiper blade.

 However, the operation of the wiper is fundamentally always the same the same. It consists in that the wiper arm with the rubber strip attached to it moves back and forth on the disk, thus cleaning it of dirt and moisture.

However, this current state of the art includes some significant disadvantages. These consist in particular in the following aspects:

When cleaning with windscreen wipers is always only an intermittent cleaning in the direct movement of the wiper blades. The cleaning of an area is thus always short-term and temporally interrupted (time limit).

 When cleaning by windscreen wipers is only the immediately before the

 Cleaning movement of the wiper blades lying area of the disc cleaned.

 For example, in heavy rain, the cleaned area is almost opaque again.

 It is thus always an areal limited cleaning of the disc

 (areal boundary).

 The constant movement of the windshield wiper over the window surface and thus in the direct field of vision of the driver can be both a disturbing and a safety-related

 Constitute impairment of the driver.

 > Due to wear of individual parts of the windscreen wipers (especially the rubber strips)

 Wear caused significantly reduces the effectiveness and effectiveness of cleaning. In the case of the aforementioned wear, a complete replacement of the corresponding parts must be made with the corresponding costs.

 > The cleaning of the window can only be done after wet or dirt has already reached the window.

 The windscreen washer can freeze at the appropriate temperature.

 The windscreen wipers inevitably make one by Luftverwirbelungen always

 Impairment of aerodynamics.

 Although there are recessed wipers in the rest position, but these also always represent a disadvantageous aerodynamic influence during operation.

The invention has for its object to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to develop a device that does not require the complicated and trouble-prone mechanics of windshield wipers and their accessories.

The object was achieved by a jet stream windscreen cleaning system, which is based on a device for cleaning and freeing of window surfaces by guided and regulated air currents, especially in mobile Transportvehikeln / means of transport such as commercial vehicles, but especially the front or rear windows motor vehicles. Under mobile transport vehicle / means of transport fall here commercial vehicles (commercial vehicles, automobiles), rail vehicles, ships, aircraft, helicopters or gondolas.

 The jet stream window cleaning system according to the invention also relates to the levels of mobile transport vehicles / means of transport.

 The term jet stream / jet stream is not infrequent in connection with cleaning devices - such as in the cleaning of "milk pipes of all sizes" in which a designated as jet stream of water ball is shot at a speed of 12 meters per second through the milk line (Europe Dairy Systems, NL - info@europedairysystems.com).

Also for the preparation and treatment of dispersions or emulsions called "Jetstreams" flow components are used (taking into account the Reynolds number - as a measure in fluid dynamics, which represents the ratio of inertial to toughness forces or the ratio of specific impulse convection to impulse diffusion in System), which - quite by analogy with the meteorological term "jet stream" - a jet-oriented flow is called (DE 202009017944 Ul, DE 102008022355 AI, WO 2009135624 A2).

 There are also known compressed air cleaning methods which are based on the fact that when releasing air in a nozzle, a fast air flow is generated, which can be used for the blowing away of particles / particles or liquids. As an energy carrier or for cleaning, compressed air (compressed air, compressed air - generated in compressors) often has a pressure of 6 to 8 bar; in some cases up to 16 bar are needed. On the compressed air cleaning is based e.g. a dedusting system for bag filters described in DE 20212320 Ul. Also as flushing for sanitary facilities compressed air has been proposed as a rinsing agent for the removal of impurities, wherein the introduction of compressed air via a suitable cleaning device should be made (DE 10249008 AI).

For cleaning cavity surfaces, a blasting device (a round jet nozzle) has been proposed, which is based on the fact that a solid blasting material is added to an air jet (EP 1182008 AI). The jet stream window cleaning system according to the invention relates to a device for cleaning and keeping clear of windows by guided and regulated air currents. The cleaning and keeping clear of the panes or mirrors on mobile means of transport is carried out by compressed air (compressed air), which is directed by means of appropriate nozzles (jet stream units) on the front pane to be cleaned.

 The nozzle units mentioned are individually adjustable in their orientation and in the orientation of the respective air jet.

 The discharged air is adjustable in temperature.

 In this system, a cleaning device for wet cleaning with dry soiling of the discs, in particular the disc front integrated.

 The discharged air can also be directed in another way on the disc front, for example by means of slit-shaped openings.

 In another embodiment, the air is passed both in a continuous beam and in an intermittently pulsating beam (pulsatile) on the disc front.

The force of the exiting air (ie the actual pressure strength of the compressed air) is adjustable.

Under jet stream units are in the context of this invention, the proportion of the cleaning system, which is itself directly to the disc (ie many individual nozzle units), understood: nozzle, drive for targeted adjustment of the nozzle, device for Regulation of the pressure intensity of the air leaving the nozzle. In the case of centralized control - not for each nozzle individually, but for all of them together - it is not part of the respective Jet-Stream unit but of the entire Jet-Stream system.

 The said nozzles relate to high-pressure air nozzles from which air is strongly focused and exits under high pressure.

By "directed and regulated air flow" is to be understood that the compressed air from the place of production to the place of action - ie the disk to be cleaned - is passed. "Regulated" means both that the exiting high-pressure air is aimed precisely at the points that are to be cleaned, as well as that the pressure strength of the exiting air is adjusted according to the respective conditions. The inventive method for cleaning and keeping clear of windows, in particular non window surfaces on mobile means of transport, is that using a jet stream window cleaning system compressed air (compressed air) is passed through compressed air nozzles on the discs to be cleaned or mirror on mobile transport ,

The nozzle units (jet stream units) can be individually regulated in their orientation and in the orientation of the air jet and direct to the discs to be cleaned or mirrors of transport vehicles, especially on front or rear windows in motor vehicles. Also, the force of the exiting air (the pressure of the compressed air) and the discharged air in their temperature can be regulated.

 In a particular embodiment, the discharged air is directed by slot-shaped openings on the disc front. The air can be directed to the windscreen front both in a continuous stream and in an intermittently pulsating jet (pulsatile).

The jet stream window cleaning system according to the invention also includes a device for wet cleaning with dry soiling of the windscreen front.

With the present invention, surprisingly, a number of advantages are achieved, especially the livelihood without windshield wipers. The advantages are in particular that soiled windows are cleaned in their entirety and the driver's field of vision remains completely unimpaired at all times.

 Furthermore, the application of the present invention provides the following advantages:

By the invention, a continuous and temporally closed cleaning of the window surfaces is achieved. The disc is thus cleaned evenly at all times. The entire disc surface is uniformly, uniformly and completely cleaned. The disc is thus cleaned in its entirety. The disc is simultaneously cleaned and dried by the compressed air. This prevents streaking and smeared dirt. The entire disc surface is free of any disturbing movement of an object (the windshield wiper) over it. There are no losses caused by wear in the quality and effectiveness of cleaning. Since no corresponding wearable portions of a windshield wiper system are present, no replacement of the same is necessary, with the corresponding cost savings. This also means a reduction in waste production and thus a relief of the environment.

By appropriate adjustment of the compressed air nozzles, an impact of moisture or dirt on the disc can be fundamentally prevented. In this way, the disc is from the outset not wetted or polluted (preemptive or preventive action of the present system).

 By appropriate temperature regulation of the compressed air, an ice layer lying on the outside of the disk can be removed immediately and a new freezing can be prevented. Freezing the windshield wiper system is avoided since no longer available. An adverse effect on the aerodynamics is completely eliminated.

An embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below.

In the edge region of the window surface are in accordance with appropriate number and size compressed air nozzles (jet stream units), in rows or mounted in series. The positioning of these nozzles may vary.

 They are mounted both in the lower edge region of the pane front and in the upper edge region, but also in the A-pillars (the lateral struts on the windshield, connection between the vehicle roof and the front bulkhead) laterally of the window front. These nozzles are sunk under the edge of the body panels or mounted within a separate bar.

From these nozzles compressed air (compressed air) is directed to the window surface, that this is freed of moisture and dirt and thus cleaned and dried at the same time.

 The nozzles can be adjusted by appropriate directional regulation also such that moisture and dirt are prevented from hitting the disc from the outset. In this way, wetting and soiling of the windshield is fundamentally prevented.

The nozzles are individually controllable in their orientation with respect. The direction of the respective air jet. The compressed air can also be passed in an alternative manner and thus otherwise as by direct nozzles on the disc. For example, it can emerge via slit-shaped or slit-shaped openings which are analogously placed in the edge region of the pane and can be directed onto the window front in this way.

 The exiting air is adjustable in temperature. In this way, for example, an ice layer located on the outside of the pane can be removed and a renewed icing prevented. Likewise, fogging of the disc is avoided or the fitting removed.

In the system, a cleaning unit for wet cleaning with dry scrubbing of the disc is integrated. In doing so, a liquid cleaning agent is distributed on the glass by means of compressed air and then removed through the system. This cleaning system is integrated into the actual nozzle units as well as installed separately from them.

The features of the invention will become apparent from the elements of the claims and from the description, wherein both individual features and several represent advantageous embodiments in the form of combinations for which protection is sought with this document. The essence of the invention consists in a combination of known (nozzles, compressed air) and new elements (jet stream units, the jet stream windscreen cleaning system), which influence each other and result in a new use and the desired success in their new overall effect, the fact that with the system according to the invention soiled windows are cleaned in their entirety, the field of vision of the driver remains completely unimpaired at any time and (virtually revolutionary) the age of the windscreen wiper is terminated.

Claims

Jet-stream windscreen cleaning system for cleaning and keeping windows and windows free from windows or mirrors on mobile means of transport through regulated and regulated air flows. Jet-stream windscreen cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of jet-stream units, which are on the wheels to be cleaned by means of transport / Transportvehikeln, especially on front or rear windows in motor vehicles, passed. Jet stream windscreen cleaning system according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that 3.1. it consists of nozzle units, which are individually adjustable in their orientation and in the orientation of the air jet  3.2. the discharged air can be regulated in its temperature  3.3. in this system, a cleaning device for wet cleaning with dry contamination of the windscreen front is integrated  3.4. the exhausted air is directed through slot-shaped openings on the windscreen front 3.5. the air is directed onto the windscreen front both in a continuous stream and in an intermittently pulsating jet (pulsatile)  3.6. the force of the exiting air (the pressure strength of the compressed air) is adjustable. Method for cleaning and freeing of windows or mirrors on mobile means of transport, characterized in that using a jet stream window cleaning system compressed air (compressed air) is directed via compressed air nozzles on the discs to be cleaned. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that nozzle units (jet stream units) are individually regulated in their orientation and in the orientation of the air jet and to be cleaned on the discs to be cleaned by transport vehicles, especially on front or rear windows in motor vehicles. A method according to claim 4 and 5, characterized in that  6.1. the force of the exiting air (the pressure strength of the compressed air) and  6.2. the discharged air in their temperature  be regulated. A method according to claim 4 and 5, characterized in that  .1. the exhausted air is directed through slot-shaped openings on the windscreen front  .2. the air is directed onto the windscreen front both in a continuous stream and in an intermittently pulsating jet (pulsatile). A method according to claim 4 and 5, characterized in that in the jet stream window cleaning system, a device for wet cleaning with dry soiling of the disc front is integrated so that a liquid detergent finely distributed placed on the disc and then removed by the system.