Cleaning device, compressed-air system, vehicle and cleaning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11433858-B2
Application number	US-201917285921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 19, 2018
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A cleaning device for selectively applying a first medium to a surface includes a high pressure reservoir configured to store the first medium held under a storage pressure, a pulse nozzle configured to apply the first medium under the storage pressure in a pulsed manner to the surface, and a switching valve that includes a nozzle port and a high pressure reservoir port for selectively establishing a first connection between the high pressure reservoir and the pulse nozzle, and a feed port for establishing a second connection between the high pressure reservoir and a first medium source. The high pressure reservoir and the switching valve are structurally integrated in a reservoir valve module. The switching valve comprises a solenoid valve to switch between the first and the second connection when the high pressure reservoir port is under the storage pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning device for selectively bombarding a surface with a first medium, the cleaning device comprising:
an accumulator valve module, comprising:
a high-pressure accumulator configured to store the first medium at a high-pressure accumulator pressure,
an impulse nozzle configured to bombard the surface with the first medium, and
a changeover valve configured as a solenoid valve having a nozzle connector configured to connect to the impulse nozzle, a high-pressure accumulator connector configured to connect to the high-pressure accumulator, and a feed connector configured to connect to a first medium source, wherein the changeover valve is configured to:
connect, in a release position, the high-pressure accumulator and the impulse nozzle via the high-pressure accumulator connector and the nozzle connector; and
connect, in a charge position, the high-pressure accumulator and the first medium source via the high-pressure accumulator connector and the feed connector; and
switch between the release position and the charge position.

2. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the changeover valve is configured to form, in the release position, a first connection between the high-pressure accumulator and the impulse nozzle, the first connection including the high-pressure accumulator connector, the nozzle connector, and a nozzle supply line; and
the changeover valve is configured to form, in the charge position, a second connection between the first medium source and the high-pressure accumulator, the second connection including a first medium supply line, the feed connector, and the high-pressure accumulator connector.

3. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second nozzle configured to bombard the surface with a second medium;
wherein the cleaning device is configured to bombard the surface with a media sequence of the first medium and the second medium,
wherein the first medium is a gaseous medium and the second medium is a liquid medium.

4. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solenoid valve is a 3/2-way valve.

5. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solenoid valve includes a magnetic coil unit configured to switch the solenoid valve from the charge position to the release position.

6. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the accumulator valve module further comprises a supply line check valve, the supply line check valve being configured to block a flow of the first medium in a direction from the changeover valve to a first medium supply line.

7. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure accumulator has a holding capacity between 2 ml and 10 ml.

8. A compressed-air system, comprising:
at least one cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first medium source is a medium source of the compressed-air system and, wherein the first medium source is, by way of a first medium supply line, configured to be connected to the at least one cleaning device.

9. The compressed-air system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
a second medium source, wherein the second medium source is, by way of a second medium supply line, configured to be connected to the at least one cleaning device.

10. The compressed-air system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the compressed-air system has a supply line check valve,
wherein the supply line check valve is disposed in the first medium supply line,
wherein the supply line check valve is configured to block a flow of the first medium in a direction opposite a conveying direction of the first medium source and/or is configured to maintain a supply pressure in a line connected to the high-pressure accumulator.

11. A vehicle having a compressed-air system as claimed in claim 8 .

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein, in the compressed-air system, the first medium source is configured to supply an air suspension system of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein, in the compressed-air system, the second medium source is configured to supply a cleaning system of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein, in the compressed-air system, the first medium source has a compressor assembly and/or a compressed air accumulator.

15. A cleaning method for cleaning a surface by selectively bombarding a surface with a media sequence of at least a first gaseous medium and a second liquid medium, the method comprising:
providing an accumulator valve module, comprising:
a high-pressure accumulator configured to store the first medium at a high-pressure accumulator pressure,
an impulse nozzle configured to bombard the surface with the first medium, and
a changeover valve configured as a solenoid valve having a nozzle connector configured to connect to the impulse nozzle, a high-pressure accumulator connector configured to connect to the high-pressure accumulator, and a feed connector configured to connect to a first medium source;

holding the high-pressure accumulator pressure in the high-pressure accumulator by switching the changeover valve to a charge position in which the high pressure accumulator and the first medium source are connected via the high-pressure accumulator connector and the feed connector;
bombarding, via a second nozzle, the surface with the second medium; and
bombarding, via the impulse nozzle, the surface with the first medium by switching the changeover valve to a release position in which the high-pressure accumulator and the impulse nozzle are connected via the high-pressure accumulator connector and the nozzle connector.

16. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the bombarding the surface with the second medium and the bombarding the surface with the first medium are performed in an alternating and/or intermittent manner.

17. The cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 , the accumulator valve module further comprising a housing, wherein the high-pressure accumulator and the changeover valve are disposed in the housing.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the accumulator valve module further comprises a housing, wherein the high-pressure accumulator and the changeover valve are disposed in the housing.

Assignees

• Zf Cv Systems Hannover Gmbh
• Zf Cv Systems Europe Bv

Inventors

• Fiebrandt Jan
• Westerkamp Helge

Classifications

• B60S1/56

  specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens {(rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602)} · CPC title

• B05B7/0807

  to form intersecting jets · CPC title

• B60S1/481

  the operation of at least part of the liquid supply being controlled by electric means (electrical washing liquid warming-up means B60S1/488) · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• B05B12/06

  for effecting pulsating flow {(nozzles, spray heads or other outlets with means for generating a discharge of pulsating nature B05B1/08)} · CPC title