DEVICE FOR CLEANING VEHICLE WHEELS

• US 20110035889A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WashTec Holding GmbH (Washtec AG)
• Original Assignee: WashTec Holding GmbH (Washtec AG)
• Inventors: KEUSCH, Siegfried
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/53.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/042 Wheel cleaning devices integral with vehicle B60S1/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cleaning vehicle wheels that contains a rotary body (3) driven rotationally by a drive motor (1) about a central axis (2), with cleaning elements (10) arranged on its front end face. An improved cleaning can be achieved by virtue of the fact that the rotary body (3) contains at least one rotary plate (8) equipped with additional cleaning elements (11) that is rotated by the rotation of the rotary body (3), not only about the central axis (2) but also, via a gear assembly (25, 26), about its own longitudinal axis (9).

Claims

1. A device for cleaning vehicle wheels, containing a rotary body, driven rotationally by a drive motor about a central axis, with cleaning elements arranged on its front end face, wherein the rotary body contains at least one rotary plate equipped with additional cleaning elements that is rotated by the rotation of the rotary body, not only about the central axis but also, via a gear assembly, about its own longitudinal axis.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one rotary plate is driven by the gear assembly at a speed different from the rotational speed of the rotary body.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one rotary plate is arranged in a corresponding opening of a cover plate of the rotary body.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary body is fixedly connected to a driveshaft rotatable by the drive motor.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the gear assembly is constructed as a planetary gear unit with a sun wheel rotationally fixedly arranged inside the rotary body and a planetary gear associated with each of the at least one rotary plate.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sun wheel is seated on a nonrotatable bearing bushing protruding into the rotary body.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the planetary gear is seated at the rear end of a shaft seated inside the rotary body via bearings.

8. The device according to claim 3, wherein the front end plate is mounted on an intermediate member.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the intermediate member is connected to a rear cover plate.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein a cleaning agent supply system is integrated into the rotary body.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent supply system contains a supply line and a rotary feed-through for supplying the cleaning fluid via a central supply channel.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary body contains several rotary plates distributed about the central axis.