GB2414105A

GB2414105A - Number plate cleaner / washer.

Info

Publication number: GB2414105A
Application number: GB0410505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Derek Burrowes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-11
Filing date: 2004-05-11
Publication date: 2005-11-16
Also published as: GB0410505D0

Abstract

A device for cleaning number plates / license plates 2 on vehicles has one or more cleaning heads 1 operated by electrical motors to wipe the face of the number plate. The cleaning heads may be moved along supports or guide rails 4 by means of lead screws or wires 5. A belt 6 may be provided for retracting the cleaning heads. A typical cleaning head may comprise a number of cleaning pads (7, Fig. 4) and a number of wiping blades (8, Fig. 4). Limit switches 9 may be provided and lights or LEDs may be provided to indicate the position and operational status of the cleaning heads.

Description

NUMBER PLATE CLEANER/WASHER There is to my knowledge no device in

operation today that automatically cleans the front or the rear number plate. It is part of the road traffic act that a number plate is clearly visible at all times. Often number plates become fouled and legibility becomes reduced, this may result in fine to the owner of the vehicle whose number plate is deemed unreadable.

The motoring today has become more and more policed, in regards for infringements, motoring offences are an on a dramatic increase, where police have targeted all areas of motoring offenses, number plate eligibility, sizing, character spacing and visibility has seen more and more cases brought to the court system.

This invention aims at providing the driver or user of the vehicle the ability to clean the number plates without the need to clean by hand. This can be done every time the driver of the vehicle is about to commence a journey The purpose of the invention is as follows.

To clean by methods of wipe and scrub with or without a cleaning solution.

The device is able to clean both a standard number plate as well as the squarer shaped number plate.

This device may be used for all motor vehicles.

The device when operated by the user will commence a wipe cycle by the use of one or more electrical motors and the use of a cleaning pad of various cleaning media and the use of cleaning wiper blades attached to a retractable belt held under tension so as to be able to retract the cleaning head of the device back. Either be pushed or pulled by wires or a lead-screw backwards and forwards across the number plate to clear any fouling that may be present.

The device will be made of plastics material or metal, carbon/boron or any other fibre material or in combination to provide bodies for the motor/e and the containment of a belt which may be retractable, the belt to be manufactured from fibre, fabric or plastic materials which may coil up under tension by the use of a spring or spring mechanism.

The cleaning head to be manufactured to house cleaning pads made from plastic materials, rubber, fabric or carbon/boron or any other fibre material to provide media for a cleaning surface.

That cable or wires used to push or pull the cleaning head will be made from metal, fibre or plastic materials.

The device will notify the driver of its operational status by an on/running lamp when device is activated. Also use of a status lamps to indicate when the cleaning head has reached one end when depressing limit switches.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with references to the accompanying drawing in which: FIGURE 1 Is the view face on of the number plate and the invention in place.

FIGURE 2 Is a view of the device in operation where a cleaning head has travailed half way across the number plate.

FIGURE 3 Shows a side view where a cleaning head is shown in contact with a number plate.

FIGURE 4 Shows a typical cleaning head with the purpose for clarity the use of a cleaning pad and two cleaning blades.

FIGURE 5 Shows a typical cleaning head side on view, on how it may look in contact with a number plate.

As shown in FIG 1, shows a typical set-up where the device comprises of two casings 3 that enclose the electric motors, any gearing, drive couplings and cable or wires 5 required to push, pull one or more cleaning heads 1. The casings 3 also accept the guide rails or lead- screws 4 and can also house a belt as shown in FIG 2 item 6.

The casings 3 also offer methods of fixing to the motor vehicle either permanent by fixing screws or bolts, or by temporary fixings using suction devices or adhesives The cleaning head 1, to contain the cleaning pads or wiping blades also to provide the facility to allow for the addition of cleaning fluids to be applied to aid the cleaning surfaces of the device.

The cleaning head or multiple cleaning heads are supported by the guide rails/ lead-screws 4, the cleaning heads 1 able to move up and down the guide rails/ lead-screws 4, across the motor vehicles number plate 2.

The limit switches 9 can be position either side of the number plate to provide indication of the position of the cleaning head at either end of the device.

As shown in FIG 2, shows a typical set-up where the device is shown where a cleaning head 1 has travailed halfway along the number plate 2, showing the belt 6 partially extended retained under spring tension, being pulled by a cable or wire 5.

The retraction belt 6 may be contained in either of the casings 3 and able to be fixed to either side of the cleaning heads 1. Allowing for the cleaning heads to be retracted to either side, or any of the casings 3 As shown on FIG 3, shows a typical set-up which shows a side view where a cleaning head 1 has travailed half way, it shows the cleaning head 1 in contact with the motor vehicle number plate 2, and showing the contact made by one or more cleaning pads 7, and one or more wiping blades 8.

As shown in FIG 4 is a typical cleaning head showing a cleaning pad 7, and the wiping blades 8. As described previously the cleaning heads may contain on or more cleaning pads 7 and one or more wiping blades 8, and be arranged in any arrangement that best suits the cisaning and wiping of a number plate. The retraction belt 6 is seen fixed to one of the ends of the cleaning head.

As shown in FIG 5 is a side on view of what a single cleaning head and what it may look like for surface contact with the number plate. It shows one cleaning pad fitted 7 and 2 wiping blades 8. As described earlier the cleaning heads may contain on or more cleaning pads 7 and one or more wiping blades 8.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning registration plates at the front and the rear of a motor vehicle, where the device wipes number plates with one or more cleaning heads operated with the use of one or more electrical motors.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, the device once activated will use one or more electric motors to operate a cleaning cycle to the front and rear number plates of a motor vehicle, by pulling or pushing the cleaning heads along support/guide rails or by the use of leads screws and or wires.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, that when a wipe cycle has commenced the cleaning head or heads are attached to a belt, which may also be retractable that returns the cleaning heads back to its original position.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 will notify the user that it is operating and when the cleaning heads have travelled to one end of the device and activating limit switches, by the use of visual indication such as lamps or LED,s.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 where the device operates from one or more AC or DC electrical motors that may be contained in casings manufactured from metal, Carbon/Boron fibre or any other such fibre materials, or plastics material, to operate the device and allow for the pushing or pulling of the cleaning heads by wires, belts or by the use of a lead screw design for moving the head along the number plates length.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 where the motors may be operated by being activated using of a switch or by radio signal or Infra red or remotely activated by remote contacts from an external device.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or in any preceding claim where the motors once activated by a method in claim 3 operate a cleaning cycle by moving the one or more cleaning heads along the number plate by a pulling or pushing action using wires consisting of metals, fabric, string, rubber or plastics material.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or in any preceding claim uses one or more guide/support rails or by the use of one or more guidelsupport rails acting as a lead screw or by the inclusion of additional lead-screw to support or drive the cleaning head or heads.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1 or in any other preceding claim, where the guide/support rails is manufactured from metals, Carbon/Boron fibre or any other such fibre materials, or plastic materials or a combination of materials.

10.A device as claimed in claim 1 or in any preceding claim where the lead screw is manufactured from metals, Carbon/Boron fibre or any other such fibre materials, or plastics material or a combination of materials.

11. A device as in claim 1 the cleaning head be made from metal, rubber of plastics material or Carbon/Boron fibre or any other such fibre materials, or a combination of materials to provide housing for one or more cleaning pads and, or wiper blades, and to provide containment of cleaning fluids or solutions.

12.A device as in claim 1 or claim 7 where the cleaning pads can consist of sponge, fibre materials, bristles, plastics material or cloth, or any other such cleaning media, or a combination of materials.

13.A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 7 where the wipers consist of one or more rubber, fibre materials or plastics material or a combination of materials making up the wiping blades.

14. A device as claimed in claim 1 or in any preceding claim where the belt will be provided in various widths and sizes and manufactured from fabric, fibres, metals or plastics material or a combination of materials.

15. A device as claimed in claim 1 or in any other preceding claim where the belt may be coiled and retained on a spring loaded retainer which causes the belt to retract back to its natural position at rest, causing the cleaning head to return to the original position.

16.A device as in claim 1 or any other preceding claim that may be fixed permanently to a to a motor vehicle by the use of screws, bolts and, or strong gluesladhesives or fixed temporary by using suction methods such as suction cups/pads, or by the use of moderate glues/adhesives.

17. A device a claimed in claim 1 or any other preceding claim notifies the user of its operational status by use of a running condition, which can be by a bulb or LED or any other illumination method.

18.A device as claimed in claim 1 or any other preceding claim, which notifies the user when the device has wiped one way in the wipe cycle by the use of a bulb or LED or other method of illumination for each of the devices cleaning the front and the rear number plate of the motor vehicle.

19. A device as in claim 1 and any other preceding claim where the use of limit switches are used to provide indication and location of the position of the cleaning head.

20.A device substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.