Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
  • B60S3/04—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a portal for high pressure washing of motor vehicles.
• a horizontal brush follows the outline of the vehicle thanks to the use of opto-electronic sensors (photosensitive cells) which, at each brush stroke, detect the profile of the vehicle, which makes it possible to control the up / down movement of the brush in a corresponding manner, during the advance of the gate.
• opto-electronic sensors photosensitive cells
• the horizontal and transverse washing ramp of which is fixed in height. This does not allow proper washing of the entire body, in particular the front cover and the rear part, which are too far from the ramp.
• the ramp can only tilt around a transverse horizontal axis, between two extreme positions so as to orient the jet on one side or the other. Tipping takes place when the gantry passes through the central part of the vehicle. There are no intermediate jet orientation positions. The angle of incidence against the bodywork is therefore more or less favorable depending on the contour of the vehicle and the impact zone
• the sensor information is recorded and stored in a programmable controller and is then used on subsequent trips for high pressure washing.
• the orientation of the ramp is changed continuously and by degree as the gantry advances, so that the angle of incidence of the jet is constantly optimal.
• washing with such a device is much better because the jets are close to the vehicle and arranged at an effective inclination, relative to the vehicle body.
• An object of the invention is to alleviate such a drawback, that is to say to provide a portal for high pressure washing of vehicles which makes it possible to carry out efficient and uniform cleaning of the bodywork.
• a second objective is to offer a gantry crane which operates for a short time, without unnecessary loss of time. It is a simple and easy to use design portal.
• This motor vehicle high pressure washing gantry is movable longitudinally along a washing area. It includes a horizontal transverse upright and two parallel vertical uprights, and is provided with a transverse frame - called main frame -, mounted between the vertical uprights, movable ⁇ ertically and equipped with high pressure water spray nozzles, the nozzles can pivot relative to a horizontal transverse axis. It is characterized in that the nozzles diffuse monodirectional water jets and in that they are carried by a series of ramps arranged transversely and provided with means capable of subjecting them to an oscillatory movement about a longitudinal axis.
• the vehicle will be effectively cleaned by projecting onto its bodywork one-way jets of pressurized water, that is to say directed essentially along the axis of the nozzles, these jets being driven by an oscillatory movement.
• the gantry comprises a secondary chassis articulated on the main chassis around a transverse axis and the ramps are carried by this secondary chassis; - The angular travel of the ramps relative to a horizontal median position is less than or equal to 20 °;
• the gantry includes means for spraying shampoo and blowing air onto the vehicle, these means being carried by the main chassis;
• the gantry includes means for detecting the shape of the vehicle, which act before washing it;
• the detection means act when spraying shampoo on the vehicle, before washing;
• the vertical uprights are equipped with vertical ramps for spraying water onto the sides of the vehicle, ramps being provided with means capable of giving them an oscillatory movement around a vertical axis.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing gantry according to invention
• FIG. 2 is a front of the first and second chassis which equip the gantry, the second chassis being equipped with high pressure liquid spray nozzles;
• - Figures 3 and 4 are respectively top and side views of the frames of Figure 2;
• FIG. 5 is a diagram intended to explain the structure and the functioning of the ramps which equip the second chassis
• FIG. 6 is a front view of a carriage guided vertically along columns integral with the gantry and carrying a counterweight kinematically connected to the first and second chassis;
• Figure 7 is a top view of the diagram of Figure 6;
• - Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the kinematic connection between the counterweight and the chassis;
• - Figure 9 is a diagram showing successive positions of the second chassis relative to a vehicle.
• the gantry 1 shown in Figure 1 is made of mechanically welded stainless steel sub-assemblies.
• a first vertical upright 11 contains the electrical cabinet 110 which manages the control of the gantry.
• the second vertical upright houses the hot water accumulator or accumulators as well as the shampoo metering pumps and other maintenance products for vehicle bodies such as hot and cold waxes.
• a horizontal upright 10 connects the two vertical uprights 11 at their upper part.
• the guide rails 120 of the gantry are provided two guide rails 122 of the wheels of the vehicle to be cleaned. Between these rails is provided a ramp 121 in the shape of a "U" for cleaning the chassis of the vehicle.
• a coin mechanism 13 At the entrance to the area is provided a coin mechanism 13, while on the side thereof there are three pillars 123 which receive in their upper part the hoses 124 necessary for piloting the gantry.
• a longitudinal element extends parallel to the direction of movement of the gantry along the washing area.
• a metal frame arranged transversely 2 and which will hereinafter be called the main frame.
• This frame assumes in top view (see Figure 3) the shape of an elongated rectangle and it extends parallel to the horizontal upright 10 of the gantry. It is formed by an assembly of two longitudinal beams 21 and two transverse beams 20. According to the transverse median axis YY 'of this chassis are provided two fixing pieces 22 arranged at each end of the latter.
• Each of the parts 22 is fixed to a carriage 23 formed of two parallel plates between which are fixed, idle in rotation, three rollers 230. Their axis of rotation is parallel to the axis YY '. Two of these rollers are arranged vertically in line with one another while the third is offset laterally and in height with respect to the other two so that these three rollers occupy the vertices of a fictitious equilateral triangle.
• the rollers 230 are adapted to slide along a vertical column 112 integral with the gantry which extends parallel to each of the vertical uprights 11. We will explain later in the description how the guiding of these rollers operates.
• the face of the carriage 23 opposite the chassis 2 comprises a fixing part 24 of a toothed belt 240 which extends vertically.
• the chassis 2 is moreover equipped with two parallel arms bent downwards 200, 201, which extend in a vertical plane and which are arranged longitudinally, at a short distance from the end profiles 21. These arms are extend both to the rear and to the front of the chassis 2 and each carry a series of photocells 202, the function of which will be explained below.
• chassis 3 On chassis 2 is articulated a chassis 3 called secondary chassis.
• This chassis which also has a top view in the form of an elongated rectangle, occupies part of the space delimited by the profiles 20 and 21 of the chassis 2.
• the chassis 3 is formed by two parallel transverse profiles 30 and two parallel longitudinal profiles 31.
• This chassis is articulated relative to the main chassis around the axis YY ', by means of suitable equipment of known type, fixed on crosspieces 210 which extend parallel to the profile 21 of the chassis 2.
• An electric geared motor, mounted on one of the profiles 21 allows, via a system of pulleys and belt, to rotate the chassis 2 around the axis YY 'to make it occupy a particular angular position.
• the chassis 3 occupies an intermediate position, in the same plane as the chassis 2.
• the secondary chassis is equipped with a series of three small parallel rods 41 arranged longitudinally between the profiles 30. On these rods 41 are mounted, with the possibility of articulation, three ramps 4 which extend parallel to the axis YY ′, that is to say transversely with respect to the direction of advance of the gantry. In another embodiment, the number of ramps could be different
• the chassis 3 comprises a geared motor 32 as well as a system 33 with eccentric and rods (not shown), which makes it possible to impart to the series of three ramps 4 an oscillatory movement around the axis XX 'materialized by the rods 41.
• each of the ramps could be equipped with its own means allowing it to oscillate.
• FIG. 2 A particular angular position of the ramps 4 is shown in FIG. 2.
• the angular movement of the ramps relative to a horizontal median position is less than or equal to 20 e .
• each of the ramps 40 is equipped with a series of nozzles 40 capable of diffusing through them a unidirectional water jet, that is to say having a point of shape impact circular, very small in diameter, directly opposite the outlet of the nozzle.
• the ramps are equipped with means not shown which make it possible to supply them with water under high pressure.
• the angular travel of the ramps is adjusted so that the jets of the outermost nozzles of the central ramp interfere with the impact zone of the nozzle of the other two ramps closest to the center of the gantry.
• the two parallel belts 240 which are fixed by one of their ends to the two opposite sides of the carriage 2 each mesh with a pair of notched wheels 111 disposed at each of the vertical uprights 11 of the gantry and movable around a horizontal and transverse axis.
• a pair of wheels 111 For each pair of wheels 111, one of them is driving, for example that located directly above the end of the belt attached to the chassis 2.
• the second end is fixed to a counterweight 6 by a piece of fixing 60.
• This counterweight is itself integral with a plate 50 of a carriage 5, of the same type as the carriages 23 previously described, the three rollers 51 of which slide along two columns 113 and 114, of the same type as the column 112 .
• a free wheel system which equips the driving wheels 111 mentioned above makes it possible to manually raise the chassis 2 along the columns 112 since this chassis is balanced by the counterweight 6. This makes it possible to avoid the problems when the chassis arrives practically in contact with the vehicle body to be cleaned.
• the gantry of the invention may include shampoo dispensing means as well as hot air blowing ramps.
• these means are carried by the chassis 2 and / or by the gantry.
• the vertical uprights of the gantry can be equipped with vertical ramps, in the same way as the aforementioned ramps 4 and can be provided with means adapted to give them an oscillating movement around a vertical axis.
• the gantry is equipped with a programmable automaton that will manage the actuation of the various gantry equipment.
• the gantry is placed in the position of FIG. 1, that is to say at the front of the vehicle.
• the automaton before being activated by the coin mechanism 13, the latter controls the descent downwards of the chassis 2 to the end of travel stops which equip the columns 112. This movement is made possible by the fact that the automaton operates the pair of notched wheels described above
• the shampoo supply pump is activated.
• the automaton controls the translation of the gantry in the direction of the arrow g.
• this path is that during which the vehicle is sprayed with a cleaning product such as shampoo, an operation which does not disturb the detection of the vehicle by the photoelectric cells.
• the monodirectional water jets J make it possible to obtain an effective washing of the bodywork with respect to the nozzles 40.
• the oscillation movement f (FIG. 5) of the ramps 4 makes it possible to obtain washing along a transverse line, the same jet coming to sweep the same surface several times in a row.
• the programmable controller controls the chassis 3 which undergoes a rocking movement around the transverse axis YY 'so that the jets J diffused by the nozzles 40 are substantially perpendicular to the vehicle body V. This is shown schematically in Figure 9. When one arrives substantially in the middle of the vehicle, the tilting of the chassis 3 is reversed.
• the side ramps that equip the gantry wash the sides of the vehicle.
• washing takes place during a round trip of the gantry along the vehicle.
• the gantry and its equipment have the following characteristics:
• - water used mains water (at a pressure of 3-6 bars);

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vehicle Cleaning, Maintenance, Repair, Refitting, And Outriggers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9466388

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1994
  • 1994-08-12 FR FR9410137A patent/FR2723558B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1995
  • 1995-08-11 AU AU33445/95A patent/AU3344595A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-08-11 EP EP95929848A patent/EP0783418A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-08-11 WO PCT/EP1995/003187 patent/WO1996005088A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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