Vehicle surface wash apparatus with heated wash fluid

• US 9,623,846 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Trager, Christian Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Joel
• Application Number:
  US14/590,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20160193986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 239103
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/25 using moving elements, e.g. rotating blades
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/002 incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/12 by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware using sonic or ultrasonic waves A47L15/13; of natural teeth, of prostheses using ultrasonic techniques similar to those used for natural teeth A61C17/20; application of ultrasonic vibrations to chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general B01J19/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/487 the liquid being heated nozzles provided with heating means B60S1/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/50 Arrangement of reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 40/00 Production or use of heat resulting from internal friction of moving fluids or from friction between fluids and moving bodies

Abstract

A vehicle surface wash apparatus using a cavitation heater fluidically coupled between a fluid reservoir and a spray nozzle to instantaneously heat wash fluid to an elevated temperature prior to dispensing the heated wash fluid through a spray nozzle onto a vehicle surface to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A vehicle surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

at least one spray nozzle positioned to dispense wash fluid onto a vehicle surface to be cleaned;

a fluid reservoir for the wash fluid;

a fluid heater including;

a housing coupled in fluid flow communication to the fluid reservoir and to the at least one spray nozzle; and

a rotor rotatably mounted within the housing, the rotor defining a plurality of cavities carried on an outer surface of the rotor to induce cavitation in the wash fluid in the housing during rotation of the rotor to heat the wash fluid to an elevated temperature for application through the at least one spray nozzle onto a vehicle surface;

a drive shaft;

a pump mounted to the drive shaft, the pump providing wash fluid from the fluid reservoir to the at least one spray nozzle; and

a motor mechanically aligned with the pump, the drive shaft extending from the motor to the rotor, and the motor operable to rotate the drive shaft and drive both the pump and the rotor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a switch actuatable to supply power to the motor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

each of the plurality of cavities defines an open end at an exterior surface of the rotor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the open end of each of the plurality of cavities is in close proximity to an interior wall of the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

each of the plurality of cavities has a closed interior end spaced from the open end.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of cavities extend over substantially the entire outer surface of the rotor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the pump is integrated within the housing of the fluid heater adjacent the rotor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the pump is provided along a first conduit passing wash fluid from the fluid reservoir to the housing and wherein the apparatus further comprises a diverter valve for selectively communicating wash fluid from a first outlet to the housing of the fluid heater, or from a second outlet to a second conduit adjacent the housing to the spray nozzles.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the open end of each of the plurality of cavities is in close proximity to an inner wall of the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

each of the plurality of cavities has a closed interior end spaced from the open end.

11. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the plurality of cavities extend over substantially the entire outer surface of the rotor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a switch actuatable to supply power to the motor,

wherein each of the plurality of cavities has;

an open end at an exterior surface of the rotor in close proximity to an inner wall of the housing; and

a closed interior end spaced from the open end.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the plurality of cavities extend over substantially the entire outer surface of the rotor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a diverter valve, wherein:

the diverter valve selectively provides wash fluid from the fluid reservoir to either the fluid heater or directly to the spray nozzles.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

the diverter valve receives wash fluid from the pump.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the motor drives the rotor at a first rotational speed and the motor drives the pump at a second rotational speed, wherein the first and second rotational speed are the same rotational speed.

17. A vehicle surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

at least one spray nozzle positioned to dispense wash fluid onto a vehicle surface to be cleaned;

a fluid reservoir for the wash fluid;

a fluid heater including;

a housing coupled in fluid flow communication to the fluid reservoir and to the at least one spray nozzle; and

a rotor rotatably mounted within the housing, the rotor defining a plurality of cavities carried on an outer surface of the rotor to induce cavitation in the wash fluid in the housing during rotation of the rotor to heat the wash fluid to an elevated temperature for application through the at least one spray nozzle onto a vehicle surface;

a drive shaft;

a pump mounted to the drive shaft, the pump providing wash fluid from the fluid reservoir to the at least one spray nozzle; and

a motor, wherein the drive shaft extends from the motor and is operable to drive the pump at a first rotational speed and the rotor at a second rotational speed, the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed being the same.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the drive shaft is mechanically aligned with the rotor, and further wherein the pump is mechanically aligned with the motor.