LU87244A1 - AUTOMATION METHOD FOR THE CONTROL OF SELF-SERVICE FAST WASHING STATIONS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES - Google Patents

Description

r _ “7 Λ / d * 'GRAND-DUCHÉ DE LUXEMBOURG" - - - ...... / .......... ù .......... 3 ,,, ....

ififwpfi Minister of —.............. iL? ..? ..? ..................... · of the Economy and the Middle Classes

Htm delivered Intellectual Property Service 1 st v 'LUXEMBOURG ...........

Patent Application -------- (1).

I. Request

Hypromat-FranceS .A., Rue du. Work - ZI F-67720 Hoerdt, ^ 2) .represented ...... by - Mister -... Uean.-Æaxwe.iler -., _ 5-5 .-. Xue__des. ^ Bruyères ..., _____; .HQw.al.d. # .. ™ ag.ia.s..an ± _en „„ gu.âllM._d.e._Æandataire ______ · ----------------- --------------; ------------------------ (3) deposit) this sixteenth of June one thousand nine hundred ~ qüat-twenty-hül ¥ at ..15 .., .0..0 hours, at the Ministry of the Economy and the Middle Classes, in Luxembourg: 1. this request for obtaining a patent of invention relating to:

Method for automating the control of self-service washing stations ^ 5) for motor vehicles. _ _____ 2. the description in language ££ §B.S.§.i.§.® ______________________ of the invention in triplicate; 3. ----------------./------ drawing boards, in triplicate; 4. the receipt of the taxes paid to the Luxembourg Registration Office, on 1 fi, flfi,] QSft _________; 5. the delegation of power, dated___________________________________ on__________________; 6. the successor document (authorization); declare (s) assuming responsibility for this declaration, that the inventor (s) is (are): (6)

Marthe KORMANN, 45 rue de la Loire, F-67800 Hoenheim claims (nt) for the above patent application the priority of one (s) application (s) of (7) __________ b .. £ syet _______________________________________________ filed in (8 ) _____________________________ on (9) April 21, 1988____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ _ __ under N ° (10) ..... gg.Q.54.86 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ »______________________ on behalf of (11) ... Hy.pr.omat = Fr.an , this ... „S ... A. * ..................................... ......................................... 1_________________________ elect (elect) domicile for him ( it) and, if appointed, for its representative, in Luxembourg_______________ 55 rue des Bruyères, Howald ______________________________; _____________________ (12) requests (s) the issue of a patent for the invention described and represented in the abovementioned appendices, with adjournment of this issue Λ ____________ Aug _________________________________________________________________; __________________________ month. (13)

The ^ sposæicÿ authorized representative: ü ......................____________________________________________________________; ______________________________ (14) 'Π. Deposit Minutes

The above application for a patent for invention has been filed with the Ministry of the Economy and the Middle Classes, Property Service fotelle ^^ l ^ à ^ »i ^ b ^ ourg, dated: 16.06.1988 (χθ t \ Pr. The Minister of Economy and Feast of the Middle Gasses,

- ’- àl.5. ,, ... 0..0. .-. hours I “· _; I

yï_ kfßgfctr JThe head of.semc ^ me 1 intellectual property, * - - A 68007 * _-- - 'f- __ *.

EXPLANATION OF THE DEPOSIT FORM. :: 1 - _ (y if applicable "Request for certificate of addition to the main patent, on main patent application No .. ......... of" "- (2) enter surname, first name, profession.

_ ~ address of the applicant, when the applicant is a private individual or company name, legal form, address of the head office, when the applicant is a legal person - (3) enter - _the surname, first name, address of the professional representative, counsel in industrial property, with special powers, if applicable: "represented by ........... acting as an agent" - (4) (date of filing in full - (5) title of invention - (6) enter the names, first names, addresses of the inventors or the indication "(see) separate designation (will follow)", when the designation is made or will be made in a document separate, or the indication "do not mention", when the inventor signs or signs a non-mention document to be attached to a designation f!> PRIORITY REUENDICATIQN Filing of b patent application

France (jy April 21, 1988 UNDER number 8805486

DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY FILED IN SUPPORT OF A PATENT INVENTION APPLICATION IN THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG

by; Hypromat-France S · .A.

Rue du Travail - Z.I.

F-67720 Hoerdt pou.rj Process for automating the control of self-service quick-wash stations for motor vehicles.

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The present invention relates to a process for automating the control of fast washing stations for motor vehicles, allowing centralized data management, permanent effective control and remote intervention.

5 In the following text, the automatic self-service washing stations according to the invention will be designated by the following simplified expression: self-washing stations. For self-washing stations of this type known to date, proper operation and maintenance are organized locally by 10 the agents in charge of on-site management and possibly, when breakdowns are noted, by teams of specialized technicians which move and work in situ. In the latter case, the technicians must prior to any analysis - examine the station after going there, the examination then giving rise to a diagnosis.

The impossibility of appreciating in advance the nature and severity of the malfunctions, as well as the sometimes distant location of the stations to be checked, can lead to delays in the resumption of operation, due in particular to the difficulty of planning the parts possibly to change or the treatment to be applied. The consequence is a shortfall resulting from the extension of the deadlines mentioned, aggravated by the increase in travel costs.

In addition, it is not possible to benefit from precise information on the daily operation of these installations scattered over the territory and which depend on a main establishment responsible in particular for maintenance operations, which would be likely to operate at beware of such data arriving regularly.

The method according to the present invention overcomes these drawbacks by authorizing the establishment of diagnostics at any time, after processing a certain number of information sent by the stations located in the territory of operation of the central establishment. Regardless of any notion of breakdown, the process allows immediate access to a large number of data concerning the operation and management of the washing facilities in said territory.

Thus, we can collect 2 w statistical information on the installations forming the "park" in connection with the data center, allowing forecast management and can also be used for centralized accounting. In an extension policy, one will also be able to realize the possibility and the interest of installing new installations.

One of the major advantages of this process comes from the fact that it is also possible to intervene from the central establishment, after analysis of the transmitted signals, by 1o returning information modifying certain parameters that can be scanned and taken into account by the automata. end of line. Indeed, in some cases, a precise definition of the malfunctions is carried out by the software which takes the appropriate measures.

15 More precisely, the process works with automatic machines installed in each station and which control the washing devices by eliminating a series of operations previously carried out manually. These automata are standard, more particularly configured - for specific use in a vehicle washing station - by composition from certain standard references. A telephone link enables the relationship with one or more also standard microcomputers - via MODEMS - located in the central information processing station.

A single automaton, adaptable and perfectible by adding standardized modular elements, is installed in a self-washing station and processes in parallel the operations on each track occupied by a vehicle, sending if necessary to the central office all information concerning the operations. In progress.

According to a first configuration, the transfer of information between the central control station and the stations is one-sided: the PLCs installed on site are not intended for operation with exchange of signals. 35 The parameters transmitted allow you to get a general idea of how the station with which communication is established work, and are for example: the washing time (if it is aberrant, this may be a sign of an anomaly).

'_' 3 the periodic station receipts, provided at regular intervals.

- ··. Icoesonuttations. current, .. eji water. " electricity and gas. signaling of some common faults which are easy to define. This of course takes place track by track, and for certain information, after each operation if necessary.

More precisely, in this first configuration, it is possible to receive three or four different diagnoses of simple faults. The most common problems can thus be detected almost instantaneously, before any intervention in situ, which provides significant time savings.

In a second configuration, the method is greatly improved. Each station is automated to the extreme, the individual electrical components are removed. In addition to the information listed in the previous configuration, this system offers additional possibilities, for example processed by grouping in modular specialized areas of the machine.

In this case, the amount of information provided by the controller can be for example around one hundred and fifty units. The power of the software attached to the microcomputer allows the latter, after analysis, to precisely define the 25 failures, or even to perform further interrogation for further analysis. In the subsequent step, it responds directly to the analyzed faults, as far as possible by modifying or sending certain signals.

These concern for example: 30 - changes in time or deadlines.

changes in the quality of the water used for washing, by adding or removing one or more elements (for example a polishing agent), or by refining the dosage, specific actions on temperatures ...

35 As can be seen, all these parameters are easily digitizable and executable by a PLC.

The specific software contained in the PLCs and in the central microcomputer allows optimal management of the network. In this type of configuration, the network for the circulation of information has been built in a star, centralized, because this increases the speed and efficiency of the operation - overall - by “using a personalized dialogue between the central command post and ® stations scattered throughout the territory.

This type of network provides another advantage to the managers who work on the site of the stations: the problem of after-sales service no longer arises in the same terms as before. Here, it is part of the reality of construction, it acts at a distance but is effective.

Of course, the method according to the invention is not limited to the examples cited above which should be understood as illustrative, but it also encompasses the other modes and embodiments.

15

Claims (2)

5 f i r 1. Method for centralizing and automating the management and control of auto-washing stations for motor vehicles for which each station is connected to a central establishment according to a star network, characterized in that each is provided a standard programmable controller connected by telephone line and modem to a standard microcomputer processing the data coming from said stations and which allow remote management of the entire network. thanks to the taking into account of the operating parameters and ΙΟ thanks to specific software allowing a very precise definition of the operation in progress at a given time for each operation affecting each track, and which also allow the elimination of unnecessary manual operations in if you. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it is possible, after recognition and definition of the problem affecting an operation in progress, after reception of the signals from the corresponding station, to intervene remotely in certain cases requiring modifications of 20 parameters that can be scanned and whose action is automated. 25