Fluid cleaning appratus

• US 10,773,270 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Zeng, Yi-Rong, Liu, Kuan-You, Wang, Yu-Ping, Wu, Chin-Cheng, Chiu, Min-Han, Lay, Yew-Shyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graf, Irina
• Application Number:
  US16/116,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20190366371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/124 responsive to distance between spray apparatus and target
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/18 using fluids, e.g. gas streams
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/02 with rotating elements electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/007 At least a part of the apparatus, e.g. a container, being provided with means, e.g. wheels, for allowing its displacement relative to the ground
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/024 Cleaning by means of spray elements moving over the surface to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/04 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of gearing electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/06 of change-speed gearing B60K17/10 - B60K17/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/354 having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59

Abstract

A fluid cleaning apparatus includes a driving assembly including a motor, a gear clutching assembly, a moving assembly, a swaying spray assembly, a sensing assembly, and a controlling module. The fluid cleaning apparatus integrates functions of movement actuation and spraying angle adjustment with the motor and achieves versatile spraying angles for spray-cleaning with apparatus configuration convertible between swaying motion and ceased swaying motion and/or between moving motion and ceased moving motion. Besides, self-propelled movement, spraying pressure modulation, and spraying angle adjustment can be controlled by the control module or manually remotely controlled by a user. Since the fluid cleaning apparatus of the present application saves the conventional installation cost and space needed, as well as resources consumed, for cleaning the bottom of an object to be cleaned, the fluid cleaning apparatus can be extensively applied to multiple fields.

Claims

1. A fluid cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a driving assembly comprising;

a motor; and

at least one driving gear disposed on a shaft of the motor;

a gear clutching assembly comprising;

a first clutching gear disposed adjacent to the at least one driving gear;

a second clutching gear disposed adjacent to the at least one driving gear;

a first retractable shaft connected with the first clutching gear;

a second retractable shaft connected with the second clutching gear;

a first actuating unit disposed on the first retractable shaft; and

a second actuating unit disposed on the second retractable shaft;

a moving assembly comprising;

a driven moving gear disposed adjacent to the first clutching gear;

a driven moving gear shaft connected with the driven moving gear; and

a plurality of driven wheels disposed on the driven moving gear shaft;

a swaying spray assembly comprising;

a driven spray gear disposed adjacent to the second clutching gear;

a rotating shaft connected with the driven spray gear;

a plurality of crank linkage devices disposed on two ends of the rotating shaft;

a plurality of manifolds connected with the plurality of crank linkage devices respectively; and

a plurality of nozzles disposed on the plurality of manifolds; and

a controlling module comprising

a wireless signal transmitting device for receiving a signal from a remote wireless emitter; and

a logical processing unit electrically connected with the wireless signal transmitting device, the motor, the first actuating unit and the second actuating unit and for controlling operation of the motor, the first actuating unit and the second actuating unit according to the signal received by the wireless signal transmitting device;

wherein the logical processing unit controls the first actuating unit to move the first retractable shaft, such that the first clutching gear engages or disengages the at least one driving gear and the driven moving gear, and the logical processing unit further controls the second actuating unit to move the second retractable shaft, such that the second clutching gear engages or disengages the at least one driving gear and the driven spray gear.

2. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of fluid transporting holes are respectively formed on the plurality of manifolds so as to transport a cleaning fluid into the plurality of manifolds.

3. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor of the driving assembly is a motor with variable rotational speed controlled by the logical processing unit.

4. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the first clutching gear engages with the at least one driving gear and the driven moving gear, the motor and the at least one driving gear drive rotation of the driven moving gear via the first clutching gear so as to drive the plurality of driven wheels.

5. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of driven wheels comprises two driven wheels, the moving assembly further comprises a second driven moving gear and a second driven moving gear shaft, and each of the two driven wheels respectively corresponds to a first set of the driven moving gear shaft and the driven moving gear, and to a second set of the second driven moving gear shaft and the second driven moving gear for respectively driving each of the two driven wheels for steering.

6. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of driven wheels comprises two driven wheels, the moving assembly further comprises a second driven moving gear and a second driven moving gear shaft, and each of the two driven wheels respectively corresponds to a first set of the driven moving gear shaft and the driven moving gear, and to a second set of the second driven moving gear shaft and the second driven moving gear for respectively driving each of the two driven wheels to rotate so that the fluid cleaning apparatus is capable of steering.

7. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the second clutching gear engages with the at least one driving gear and the driven spray gear, the motor and the at least one driving gear drive rotation of the driven spray gear via the second clutching gear so as to drive the rotating shaft, the plurality of crank linkage devices and the plurality of manifolds for spray-cleaning with versatile spraying angles.

8. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensing assembly comprising a plurality of distance sensing units electrically connected with the logical processing unit for transmitting real-time measured distance data to the logical processing unit, and the plurality of distance sensing unit being at least one of an ultrasonic distance sensing unit, an infrared distance sensing unit, and a laser distance sensing unit.

9. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensing assembly further comprises at least one camera electrically connected with the logical processing unit, and the logical processing unit performs image recognition algorithm on a feedback real-time image transmitted from the at least one camera so as to determine a dirty area on a cleaned object and to adjust a spraying pressure, a spraying angle or motion of the swaying spray assembly.

10. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of distance sensing units comprise a horizontal distance sensing unit and a vertical distance sensing unit, the logical processing unit processes feedback measured distance data transmitted from the horizontal distance sensing unit so as to determine a proper moving direction for controlling operation of the motor and the first actuating unit, and the logical processing unit further processes feedback measured distance data transmitted from the vertical distance sensing unit so as to calculate a distance from a bottom of a cleaned object to be cleaned by the fluid cleaning apparatus for determining a spraying pressure of the swaying spray assembly.

11. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensing assembly further comprises at least one camera electrically connected with the logical processing unit, and the logical processing unit performs image recognition algorithm on a feedback real-time image transmitted from the at least one camera so as to determine a dirty area on the cleaned object and to adjust the spraying pressure, a spraying angle or motion of the swaying spray assembly.

12. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transmitting device of the controlling module transmits status information of the driving assembly, the gear clutching assembly, and data processed by the logical processing unit to a remote wireless receiver.

13. The fluid cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a waterproof assembly comprising a box body, at least one partition plate and at least one waterproof strip for providing waterproof and dustproof functions.