GB2378166A

GB2378166A - Mist extraction system for vehicle wheels

Info

Publication number: GB2378166A
Application number: GB0118705A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Silvey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-01
Filing date: 2001-08-01
Publication date: 2003-02-05
Also published as: GB0118705D0

Abstract

Apparatus for extracting mist, fog or spray from vehicle road wheels using suction apparatus comprising apertures 3 located in the vehicle mud guards 4 connected by ducting 2 to a suction module 1 containing a fan (10, fig3), a condenser (11, fig3), separator (13, fig 3) and a drain pipe 7 terminating close to the ground. Each wheel may have its own extraction apparatus.

Description

Mist Extraction Suction Apparatus for Vehicle Road Wheels FIELD OF THE INVENTION : The present invention relates to Mist Extraction Suction Apparatus for Vehicle Road Wheels to suck out at source the fine air borne clouds of mist produced by fast moving road vehicles particularly on wet motorways in rainy conditions. These hazardous clouds of road wheel mist obstruct vision and lead to numerous road accidents.

DEFINITION: Mud Guard: The normal wheel arch guard partially surrounding a road wheel/s to contain water, mud and other foreign bodies thrown up by the tyre/s.

Splash Guard: Used with a mud guard embodying flexible flaps encompassing the front, back and sides of road wheels.

Spray : Heavy droplets of water not small enough to remain airborne.

Road Wheel Mist : Rain water, tyre pressure produced, fine droplets of water small enough to remain airborne to form a vapour cloud, or fog, on the sides and behind vehicles, (predominantly Heavy Goods Vehicles), impairing visibility on roads.

EXISTING STATE OF THE ART: : It has been observed for years that road vehicles moving at high speed, particularly those with large tyres over wet rain drenched roads generate clouds of fine airborne mist behind and to the sides of the vehicle impairing the visibility of other road users. These un-abated clouds of fine airborne mist can be extremely hazardous and continue to lead to numerous major and fatal road accidents.

PRIOR ART-SHORTCOMINGS : Over the years numerous passive devices, such as Anti-Spray Flaps, Anti Mist Guards and wheel enclosures have been disclosed in the public domain, but none have been effective in eliminating the clouds of fine airborne road wheel mist, mainly because they have mistakenly treated the gaseous vapour fine airborne mist as a liquid spray of heavy droplets of liquid water. None can work as the mist vapour produced escapes and remains airborne.

INVENTIVE STEP/OBJECT The novel inventive step of the present invention is to overcome the mist eradication problem by treating mist as a gas- (not a liquid) embodying an air extractor suction fan module, to suck out the airborne mist from around the road wheel mud guards, condense the water vapour into liquid water, and dram off close to the ground.

Prior Art-No Product Available : At the time of filing, a search carried out on the World Patent Index showed no prior art for Mist Extraction Suction Apparatus for use on Vehicle Road Wheels to suck out at source the fine airborne mist produced by fast moving road vehicles particularly on wet motorways in rainy conditions.

FUTURE MOT VEHICLE TESTS TO INCLUDE MIST EXTRACTORS : As soon as vehicle mist extraction technology becomes available it is envisaged that future Vehicle Legislation will include mandatory"Mist Limit"regulations for all road vehicles to embody mist extraction apparatus, complimenting current mandatory Health & Safety regulations for tyres, brakes, lights, and exhaust pollution limits embodying catalytic converters, efficient fuel injection and electronic control units.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION : Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus to eradicate the hazardous fine airborne mist produced by fast moving road vehicles on rainy wet motorways comprising: ducting connecting specifically provided apertures on the Vehicle mud guards, to a mist suction extraction module containing an electric motor driven suction fan to suck out the mist, condenser to condense the mist into liquid water, strainers, to segregate/vent off the air from the liquid water and a drain pipe to dispose of the water close to the ground.

REFERENCE TO DRAWINGS : Figure I is an illustration of a typical embodiment of the Mist Extraction Apparatus showing one mist extractor module serving all mud guards of a typical vehicle.

Figure 2 is an illustration of a typical embodiment of the Mist Extraction Apparatus showing a separate mist extractor module for each mud guard of a typical vehicle.

Figure 3 is a sectioned internal illustration of a typical basic mist extractor module.

Figure 4 is a sectioned internal illustration of a typical mist extraction control valve.

Figure 5 is a sectioned internal illustration of the self-cleaning embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 6 is an electric wiring diagram of the automatic switching of the present invention.

Figure 7 is an electric wiring diagram of the automatic switching for the self-cleaning embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION 1. Referring to the drawings, in a typical embodiment of the present invention (see figure 1) there is provided Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus to eradicate the hazardous fine airborne mist produced by fast moving road vehicles on rainy wet motorways comprising an air mist suction extraction module, 1, connected by ducting, 2, to specifically provided apertures, 3, on all the road wheel mud guards, 4, of said Vehicle.

2. Alternatively, (see figure 2), each mud guard, 4b, is provided with its own air mist suction extraction module, 1 b, connected by ducting, 2b, to the apertures, 3b, on each of the mud guards, 4b.

3. The air mist suction extraction module, 1, (see figure 3) typically comprises :a) a closed cylindrical container, 5, having a funnel shaped bottom, 6, terminating with a drain pipe outlet, 7, at least one inlet air aperture, 8, and at least one outlet air aperture, 9, provided at the top and bottom respectively of the container, 5, the inlet air aperture, 8, is connected by ducting, 2, to the apertures, 3, on the mud guards, 4. b) An electric motor driven fan, 10, located inside the top of the cylinder, 5, is provided to move incoming air (bearing the airborne mist) downwards through the cylinder, 5. c) A condenser, 11, located below the fan, 10, embodying a plurality of cooling pipes, 12, is provided to liquefy the fine airborne mist-water vapour into heavy droplets of water, and optionally the condenser cooling efficiency is enhanced by provision of an auxiliary electric motor driven condenser cooling fan, 12f, located outside condenser to blow cooler air through the condenser cooling pipes, 12. d) A separator, 13, located below the condenser, 11, is provided embodying a plurality of funnel shaped strainers, 14, cascaded one below the other, to facilitate separation to vent off the dried air, free of airborne mist, through the outlet, 9, whilst allowing the liquefied water to flow out close to the ground through the drain pipe, 7.

4. Optionally (see figure 4), air mist suction flow rate handling means is provided typically comprising a butterfly valve, 15, located in the extraction module inlet duct, 16, preferably provided with servo motor control, 17, linked to automatic air mist detection sensor control means, (not illustrated), provided to control the amount of suction required by the apparatus under different environmental and speed conditions.

5. Additionally (see figure 5), to clean the extractor fan, 10, and all components in the module as and when necessary, the module, 5, includes provision of at least one self cleaning water jet unit, 19, located in the top of the module, 5, comprising an electric motor driven water pump, 20, with a water jet outlet, 21, connected with piping, 22, to a water reservoir, 23, provided on the vehicle.

6. Preferably (see fig 6), automatic switching means is provided to switch on the mist extraction module, 5, whenever fine mist being produced by the vehicle's road wheels, 4, is detected, comprising mist detecting means, typically a humidity switch, 27, wired between the vehicle battery ignition switch relay, 25, and the extractor module electrical equipment- (fan electric motor, 10), the humidity switch, 27, is set to make contact at a predetermined humidity level corresponding to a mist level that is below acceptable vehicle mist production limits.

7. Preferably (see fig 7), automatic switching means is provided to switch on the self cleaning water jet unit, 19, whenever a predetermined build up of dirt is detected inside the extraction module, 5, comprising a dirt detector switching means- vacuum pressure switch, 28, wired between the vehicle battery ignition switch relay, 25, and the self cleaning electric water pump jet unit, 19, the vacuum pressure switch, 28, is set to make contact at a predetermined pressure corresponding to a dirt blockage level impeding the free flow of air through the module, 5.

8. To additionally cool and liquefy the airborne mist for circumstances where environmental conditions demand it in hot summer conditions, refrigeration cooling tubes (not illustrated) are provided in the module beneath the extractor fan, the refrigeration cooling tubes are connected to a refrigeration unit, (not illustrated), provided on the vehicle.

9. For cold winter environmental conditions to additionally heat and eradicate the airborne mist, heating element means (not illustrated) are provided in the module beneath the extractor fan, the heating element means are connected to an energy supply means (not illustrated) provided on the vehicle.

10. Also, in cold winter frost conditions, to overcome the problems of components likely to malfunction due to frost, heat insulation (not illustrated) and flexible electric heat wrap cable (not illustrated) is provided around all vulnerable components, including the ducting to the mud guard apertures; the flexible electric heat wrap cable is connected to an electric supply means provided on the vehicle.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus to eradicate the hazardous fine airborne mist produced by fast moving road vehicles on rainy wet motorways comprising air mist suction extraction module means connected by ducting means to specifically provided apertures on all the road wheel mud guards of said vehicle.
2. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each mud guard is provided with its own air mist suction extraction module means connected by ducting to said apertures on each of said mud guards.
3. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claims 1 & 2, wherein said air mist suction extraction module typically comprises :- a) a closed cylindrical container having a funnel shaped bottom terminating with a drain pipe outlet, at least one inlet aperture and at least one outlet air aperture provided at the top and bottom respectively of said container, said inlet air aperture connected by said ducting means to said apertures on said mud guards, b) electric motor driven fan means located inside top of said cylinder so provided to move incoming air (bearing airborne mist) downwards through said cylinder, c) condensing means located below said fan means embodying a plurality of cooling pipes to liquefy said fine airborne mist into heavy droplets of water, said condenser cooling efficiency enhanced by provision of an auxiliary motorised condenser cooling fan located outside said condenser to blow air through said condenser cooling pipes, d) separator means located below said condensing means embodying a plurality of funnel shaped strainers, cascaded one below the other to facilitate separation and venting off the dried air, free of airborne mist, through said outlet aperture, whilst allowing the liquefied water to flow out close to the ground through said drain pipe.

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4. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claims 3, wherein optionally air flow rate handling means is provided typically comprising a butterfly valve located in said extraction module inlet duct, including optionally servo motor mechanism means so provided to control the amount of suction required by said apparatus under different environment and speed conditions.
5. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said module means optionally includes provision of at least one self cleaning water jet means, said self cleaning water jet means located in top of said module comprising a reservoir containing water connected with piping connected to an (electric motor driven) water pump with a water jet outlet, so provided to clean said extractor fan and all components in said module as and when desired.
6. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as m claim 5, wherein preferably automatic switching means is provided to switch on said mist extraction module whenever fine mist being produced by the vehicle's road wheels is detected, comprising mist sensing means, typically a humidity switch, wired between the vehicle battery ignition switch relay and the extractor module electrical equipment- (fan electric motor), said humidity switch set to make contact at a predetermined humidity level corresponding to a mist level that is below acceptable vehicle mist production limits.
7. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein preferably automatic switching means is provided to switch on the self cleaning water jet unit whenever a predetermined build up of dirt is detected inside the extraction module comprising a dirt detector switching means-vacuum pressure switch, wired between the vehicle battery ignition switch relay and the self cleaning electric water pump jet unit, said vacuum pressure switch set to make contact at a predetermined pressure corresponding to a dirt blockage level impeding the free flow of air through said module.

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8. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein additionally for hot summer environmental conditions refrigeration cooling tubes are provided in said module beneath said extractor fan to additionally cool and liquefy said airborne mist for circumstances where environmental conditions demand it, said refrigeration cooling tubes connected to a refrigeration unit means provided on said vehicle.
9. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein additionally for cold winter environmental conditions heating tubes are provided in said module beneath said extractor fan to additionally heat and liquefy said airborne mist for circumstances where environmental conditions demand it, said heating tubes connected to a hot water supply means provided on said vehicle.
10. Vehicle Road Wheel Mist Suction Extraction Apparatus as in any of the above claims wherein additionally, for cold winter conditions, heat insulation and flexible electric heat wrap cable means is provided around all components, including said ducting between said mud guard apertures, likely to malfunction in frost conditions; said flexible electric heat wrap cable means connected to an electric supply means provided on said vehicle.