AU8937498A

AU8937498A - Apparatus for washing or polishing vehicles

Info

Publication number: AU8937498A
Application number: AU89374/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wolfgang Decker; Pierre Zeyer
Original assignee: Wesumat Fahrzeugwaschanlagen GmbH
Current assignee: Wesumat Fahrzeugwaschanlagen GmbH
Priority date: 1997-10-16
Filing date: 1998-10-16
Publication date: 1999-05-06
Also published as: NO984792L; EP0911233A1; NO314075B1; ATE210572T1; ES2167826T3; DE59802419D1; EP0911233B1; NO984792D0; DE29718402U1

Abstract

A vertical drive shaft (5) connected to the upper end of the working roller (7) is axially movable in an intermediate sleeve (4) rotatable in a bearing housing (3). The drive shaft, above and below the bearing housing, is concentrically enclosed by a support ring (8) rotatable in relation the drive shaft but axially immovable. The support ring has a face (8a) on its upper end which is inclined in relation to the rotational axis and by which it is supported on a support roller (10) carried by the bearing housing. A planetary gear (12) is installed between the drive shaft and support ring, with its sun wheel (13) connected to the drive shaft and its hollow wheel (14) connected to the support ring. A drive assembly (19) with a motor (19a) and gearbox (19b) is installed on the upper end of the drive shaft. For the transmission of reaction force of the drive assembly on the bearing housing a retaining arm (18) is connected to the drive assembly and is torsionally fixed in relation to the bearing housing but axially movable in the direction of the rotational axis.

Description

~1

I

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 WETSUVJAT Falirzeugwascanjge 1 1 Ginbil

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

STANDAR~D

PATENT

Invent~in Title: Apparatus for wcashing or polishing vehicles The folowing statement is a fill description. of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 4.

551...

This invention relates to an apparatus for washing or polishing vehicles, with at least one working roller mounted to be driven in rotation about its vertical axis (axis of rotation) and which comprises a plurality of individual working elements, such as bristles, rags, strips or the like and which is arranged in a frame rotatably and movable in the direction of its axis of rotation, wherein the working roller and the vehicle are movable relative to one another substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

DE-OS I 630 469 discloses an apparatus for washing vehicles with three washing rollers in all, of which two are mounted to be driven to rotate about substantially vertical axes of rotation in a frame and one about a horizontal axis of rotation. Moreover the washing rollers simultaneously have to carry out a reciprocating movement in the direction of their axes of rotation. However there are no further indications in DE-OS i 630 469 as to the particular means through which effect the reciprocating movement is effected.

It is further known in apparatuses for washing or polishing vehicles (cf. DE 195 24 748 Al) to provide a vertical drive shaft for driving and mounting a washing roller with a substantially vertical axis of rotation, which shaft is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing.

The working roller can be connected to the lower end of this drive shaft, while a drive assembly engages the upper end of the drive shaft, consisting of a motor and a gearbox.

zo The drive assembly is fixed to the upper end of the bearing housing. The bearing housing itself can pivot in a travelling carriage about a horizontal pivotal axis which runs transverse Sto the direction of relative movement of the vehicle and frame However, in this known washing apparatus the washing roller does not execute any additional movement in the direction of its axis of rotation. This has the disadvantage that zones remain in the a immediate vicinity of projecting pans, such as rubbing strips, trim strips, rearview mirrors and the like, as well as at depressions, e.g. in the window region, in which the dirt is actually not removed or is only inadequateiy removed. These zones are called "washing ,shadows" and are attributable to the fact that the washing elements are forced aside by the projecting parts.

3so The invention is based on the object of providing an apparatus for washing or polishing vehicles of the kind referred to initially which has a simple construction, can be -manufactured economically and ensures good washing or polishing results- This is achieved according to the invention in an apparatus for washing or polishing -2vehicles of the kind initially referred to in that a substantially vertical drive shaft which can be connected to the upper end of the working roller is mounted axially slidable in an intermediate bush, in that the intermediate bush is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing surrounding the bush and supported relative to the frame, in that the drive shaft is concentrically surrounded above or below the bearing housing by a support ring which is rotatable but axially immovable relative to the drive shaft and has an abutment surface at its lower end inclined relative to the axis or rotation, with which it bears on a support roller carried by the bearing housing, in that a planetary gear is arranged between the drive shaft and the support ring with its planet carrier positionally fixed, its sun wheel connected to the drive shaft and its annulus connected to the support ring, in that a drive assembly is arranged on the upper end of the drive shaft, being carried by this and consisting of a motor and a gearbox, and in that a retaining arm is connected to this for transmitting the reaction force thereof to the bearing housing and is fixed non-rotatably relative to the bearing housing but slidable in the direction of the axis of rotation.

A simpler construction and also a very compact structure is obtained through the planetary gear concentrically surrounding the drive shaft. The planetary gear rotates the support ring relative to the drive shaft and effects a reciprocating movement in the direction of the drive axis of the drive shaft and thus also of the working roller connected thereto, by virtue of the inclined abutment surface and drive roller. As a result no separate drive motor with a gearbox is needed to create the up and down movement of the drive shaft and the drive roller. The speed of rotation of the drive shaft is reduced by the planetary gear, i.e.

the support ring rotates at a lower speed than the drive shaft. The reduction ratio can be so selected by suitable design of the planetary gear that an optimal washing or polishing action is achieved. Thus, it has been shown that a reduction ratio of 2:1 is particularly advantageous. If for example the working roller can be driven at a speed of 120 rpm, the working roller then executes 60 strokes per minute. Since the stroke frequency is less than the speed of rotation the inertial forces arising from the up and down movement of the working roller are kept within limits. Thanks to the compact construction of the apparatus according to the invention it can be used in portal washing installations or washing lines of conventional construction: Accordingly the same assemblies like the portal frame), travelling carriage and the like can be used in combination with the apparatus according to the invention as are used for washing rollers which do not perform any up and down i

VAI

-3movement. This also facilitates cost-efective manufacture of the whole washing or polishing installation. If desired existing washing or polishing installations can even be retro-fitted with the apparatus according to the invention, in order to improve the washing or polishing effect in the existing installations.

s Advantageous arrangements of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus, partially in section as seen in the direction o1 I in Figure 2, Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus, likewise partially in section, as seen in the direction II in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a partial cross-section according to the line III-1 in Figure 1.

Only the upper part of an apparatus for washing or polishing vehicles is shown in 2 15 the drawings. A travelling carriage 2 is mounted on a frame 1, e.g. a portal, so as to move horizontally and transverse to the direction B of relative movement of the vehicle and the "A working roller. A bearing housing 3 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal pivotal axis S in the travelling carriage 2. The pivotal axis S also runs transverse to the direction B of 20 relative movement, i.e. in the direction V of displacement of the travelling carriage 2.

An intermediate bush 4 is rotatably mounted in the bearing housing 3. A substantially vertical drive shaft 5 is arranged axially slidably in this intermediate bush 4 in the direction of its axis of rotation A. A flange 6 to which a working roller can be attached is fixed on the lower end 5a of the drive shaft 5. The upper end of this working roller 7 is only shown in chain dotted lines in Figure 1. The working roller itself comprises in known 25 manner a plurality of individual working elements, such as bristles, rags, strips or the like, where the working elements are adapted to the relevant purpose of the working roller 7 as a washing roller or polishing roller.

Above the bearing housing 3 the drive shaft 5 is concentrically surrounded by an support ring 8. This support ring 8 is mounted so that it can rotate relative to the drive o3 shaft through the supporting cup 9 but is axially immovable. The support ring 8 has an abutment surface 8a inclined relative to the axis of rotation A on its lower end, which surface bears on a support roller 10. The abutment surface 8a is so inclined relative to the L:l axis of rotation A that the desired axial stroke H of the drive shaft 5 and the working roller 7 attached thereto results. A stroke H of about 60 mm has been shown to be particularly suitable. The support roller 10 is mounted on a carrier arm 11, which is for its part connected to the bearing housing 3.

In order to drive the support ring 8 at a smaller speed of rotation than the speed of rotation of the drive shaft 5, a planetary gear 12 is provided between the support ring 8 or its support cup 9 and the drive shaft 5 and surrounds the drive shaft 5 concentrically. The sun wheel 13 of this planetary gear is connected to the drive shaft 5. The annulus 14 is disposed on the inside of the support cup 9. A planet wheel carrier 15 is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft and carries a planet wheel 16 meshing simultaneously with the sun wheel 13 and the annulus 14. In order to prevent the planet carrier 15 rotating a connecting tongue 17 engages thereon and is connected to a retaining arm 18 described in more detail below. The arrangement of the support ring 8 and the planetary gear 12 above the bearing housing 3 is particularly advantageous if it is desired to keep the other parts and assemblies s1 of the washing or polishing installation largely unchanged. However the support ring 8 and the planetary gear 12 could if desired equally be arranged underneath the bearing housing 3.

A drive assembly 19 consisting of a motor 19a and a gearbox 19b is arranged on the upper end 5b of the drive shaft 5. This drive assembly 19 is carried by the drive shaft 5. A S retaining arm 1S is connected to the drive assembly 19 and has a vertical longitudinal slot 20 20. A roller 20 engages in this slot 20 and is mounted on the support arm 11. The retaining arm 18 is fixed non-rotatably relative to the bearing housing 3 in this way but it can slide in the direction of the axis of rotation A The retaining arm 18 serves to transfer the reaction force of the drive assembly 19 to the bearing housing 3.

The drive shaft 5 is driven at the desired speed of rotation by the drive assembly 19, 25 120 rpm for example. The sun wheel 13 connected thereto drives the annulus through the planet wheel 16. The support cup 9 and the support ring 8 connected thereto are thus driven with a reduced speed of rotation corresponding to the selected reduction ratio of the planetary gear 12, of 2:1 for example. As the support ring 8 rotates its inclined abutment surface Sa runs on the support roller 10, so that the drive shaft 5 is caused to execute a 30 vertical up and down movement. With a speed of rotation of the drive of 120 rpm and a reduction ratio of 2:1 the stroke frequency amounts to 60 strokes per minute- With the up and down movement of the drive shaft 5 the drive assembly 19 carried thereby also moves up and down. When the washing roller 7 is deflected by the vehicle in the direction B of relative movement, the drive shaft 5, the bearing housing 3, the support ring 8 and the drive assembly 19 also undergo a corresponding pivotal movement, as is shown in Figure 1 by chain-dotted lines.

1.1 i i i fi

Claims

1. Apparatus for washing or polishing vehicles, with at least one working roller mounted to be driven in rotation about its vertical axis (axis of rotation) and which comprises a plurality of individual working elements, such as bristles, rags, strips or the like and which is arranged in a frame rotatably and movable in the direction of its axis of rotation, wherein the working roller and the vehicle are movable relative to one another substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, characterized in that a substantially vertical drive shaft which can be connected to the upper end of the working roller is mounted axially slidable in an intermediate bush in to that the intermediate bush is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing (3) surrounding the bush and supported relative to the frame in that the drive shaft is concentrically surrounded above or below the bearing housing by a support ring which is rotatable but axially immovable relative to the drive shaft and has an abutment surface (Sa) at its lower end inclined relative to the axis or rotation, with which it bears on a support roller (10) carried by the bearing housing in that a planetary gear (12) is arranged between the drive shaft and the support ring with its planet carrier (15) positionally fixed, its sun wheel (13) connected to the drive shaft and its annulus (13) connected to the support ring in that a drive assembly (19) is arranged on the upper end (5b) of the drive shaft ao being carried by this and consisting of a motor (19a) and a gearbox (19b), and S. in that a retaining arm (18) is connected to this for transmitting the reaction force thereof to the bearing housing and is fixed non-rotatably relative to the bearing housing but slidable in the direction of the axis of rotation

2. 5 Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a planet wheel carrier (15) of the planetary gear (12) concentrically surrounding the drive shaft is connected to the retaining arm (18) through a connecting tongue (17).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the reduction ratio of the planetary gear (12) amounts to about 2:1. working roller effected thereby amounts to about 60 mm. 5 Apparatus according to any of claims I to 4, characterized in that the bearing housing is pivotally arranged relative to the frame about a horizontal pivotal axis arranged transverse to the directions of relative movement of the Svehicle to the frame

6. io Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the pivotal axis is supported in a travelling carriage movable horizontally on the frame in the direction of the pivotal axis. DATED THIS 14 DAY OF OCTOBER 1998 WESUMAT FAHRZEUGWASCHANLAGEN GMBH Patent Attorneys for the Applicant:- F B RICE CO r iI'l': t