Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Liquid sprayer for transparent panel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-20
2001-07-17
Morris, Lesley D. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Liquid sprayer for transparent panel
C239S570000, C137S846000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260771
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a valve device, in particular a window and lens cleaning device in motor vehicles.
There is a device which essentially comprises a plastic nozzle housing with a duct, two nozzles inserted at its end and also a connecting piece which is inserted into the duct on the other side and is fastened therein in a sealed manner, for feeding a cleaning liquid to the nozzles. At its end which faces the nozzles, the tubular connecting piece is provided with a nonreturn valve. This prevents the cleaning liquid from flowing back if the delivery pressure is reduced, for example by the relevant pump being switched off.
In detail, the known nonreturn valve is of similar construction to the inner tube valves known from older bicycle inner tubes. On its nozzle-side end, the tubular connecting piece is closed but has at least one hole in its circumferential surface. This hole is covered by a thin and elastic flexible tube which is pulled over the outside of the connecting piece. If the pressure in the interior of the connecting piece rises, the flexible tube is raised slightly due to the liquid emerging from the hole. This liquid then flows between the outer circumferential surface of the connecting piece and the inner wall of the flexible tube and emerges toward the nozzles.
Despite the relatively simple external construction, this arrangement has certain disadvantages with regard to flow through the nonreturn valve. The twisted and constricted overflow cross section increases the throttle resistance. On leaving the flexible tube, the liquid is as it were abruptly relieved of tension and atomized, with the result that an undesirable development of noise has to be attended to. In addition, at least at the beginning of each spraying process, if the region between the nonreturn valve and the nozzles is still empty or is only partially filled, for example because of evaporation, an air-water mixture is fed to the nozzles, the desired cleaning action thereby being reduced initially due to deficient spray pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to improve a valve device of the abovementioned type primarily-line with respect to flow technology but retaining its ability to be installed in a simple manner and having few parts.
If, in contrast to the prior art discussed at the beginning, the connecting piece is open at its end pointing toward the nozzle and this opening is covered by a normally closed mouth of an elastic shaped part, which mouth is opened by fluid pressure, the flow resistance of the valve device is thereby clearly reduced with the effect remaining the same.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the mouth has a flat-nozzle-like cross section and is orientated toward the nozzle in the axial direction of the duct between the open end of the connecting piece and the nozzle. This eliminates flow deflection and throttle losses can thus be minimized.
In a particularly advantageous manner, the shaped part has a tubular section which is pulled over the connecting piece with undersize and from which there emerge two lips which bear against one another in an unpressurized manner and form the mouth. These lips can be slightly pressed apart by the fluid and only interfere slightly with the jet passing through them.
In the context of simple installation and reducing the multitude of parts, there is a great advantage if the elastic shaped part seals off that region of the duct which follows the mouth by filling an annular gap formed between the connecting piece and the housing.
If the elastic shaped part, at its end which is remote from the nozzle, has a thickened portion which encircles it annularly and surrounds the connecting piece, this thickened portion, as an integral annular seal between the connecting piece and the housing, is able to provide the necessary sealing of the end section of the duct.
The duct preferably forms an annular shoulder, which is remote from the nozzle, as a stop for the connecting piece which is to be pushed in. This gives the fitter tangible feedback that the end position of the connecting piece in the housing has been reached. At the same time, this annular shoulder may serve in a particularly functional manner as a bearing surface for the thickened portion of the elastic shaped part and thus forms part of the sealing of the duct toward the outside.
A substantial advantage with regard to quality assurance is achieved if a stop which limits the insertion depth of the connecting piece into the duct is provided. The connecting piece can then be pushed into the duct only as far as a fixed depth which is independent of the annular shoulder on the duct side. Inadvertent squeezing of the elastic shaped part is thus reliably prevented. Of course, a stop of this type could be provided on the duct side or could be realized by means of an additional component. In a particularly simple manner, this stop is however formed by an annular collar which is molded onto the connecting piece and the external diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the duct on the insertion side.
The shaped part is furthermore particularly protected, in an expedient manner, against damage during installation by virtue of the fact that its external diameter is essentially smaller than the external diameter of the insertion section of the connecting piece and the latter has, on its end-side outer edge, a groove over which the elastic shaped part can be pulled. Only the elastic thickened portion should have the same external diameter as the insertion section or else should protrude slightly radially over the latter.
The thickened portion then moves with axial pretension against the abovementioned annular shoulder and is thus particularly expediently released from the effect of pressure. Its axial compression causes it to expand radially, with the result that it deploys its sealing action outward and inward both in the axial direction and in the radial direction.
Finally, it is of great advantage for the installation if the connecting piece is fixed in its fitted position in a form-fitting manner with respect to the housing and/or the inner wall of the duct by latching means since separate maneuvers to secure the connecting piece in the housing can be dispensed with and the entire procedure can also be mechanized if need be.
Further details and advantages of the subject matter of the invention emerge from the drawing of an exemplary embodiment and the subsequent, detailed description thereof in the following.
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Farber Martin A.
Mannesmann VDO AG
Morris Lesley D.
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