EP2430142A1

EP2430142A1 - Vehicles dry washing system

Info

Publication number: EP2430142A1
Application number: EP09787713A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Tornincasa; Giuseppe Andresini
Original assignee: Edo Srl
Current assignee: Edo Srl
Priority date: 2009-04-24
Filing date: 2009-04-24
Publication date: 2012-03-21
Also published as: WO2010122587A1

Abstract

Detergent specially studied together with a series of innovative systems associated with the detergent itself for alternative cleaning of vehicles, without any use or wastage of water with the purpose of ensuring an internal and external detergent system for vehicles in general, supported by a complete range of highly professional products that are simple to use and safe for the operator.

Description

Vehicles dry washing system

DESCRIPTION

The object of the present finding is a dry- washing system for vehicles in general, particularly a specially researched detergent, as well as a series of processes and/or ways of using it intended for washing vehicles completely dry, i.e. without using.water and energy and, therefore, in a totally environmentally- friendly way. In the current state of the art, whilst a large number of products have been produced in the field of washing for vehicles in general, none of them have involved anything of relevance either at the product level (dry cleaner) or at the level of the system or process for dry-washing associated with the product. For example, international patent No. WOO 110996 refers to a multiphase liquid cleaning product, consisting of at least two continuous phases (one involving less water and the other involving more water), not able to be mixed together, but able to be temporarily converted into an emulsion by shaking. The product consists of over 50% by weight of a non-ionic surface agent and the remaining fraction is made up of other components (including butyl-ether). The innovative "cleaning" agent can be used to clean rigid surfaces and is produced by directly mixing the relative raw materials releasing the agent itself in order to separate the temporary emulsion. Japanese patent No. JP2007021358 describes a method for eliminating stains from various surfaces, including vehicles, in an effective manner and without causing any damage to the surface itself. Such a method foresees the use of a detergent essentially- consisting of a water-soluble polymeric compound and an agent (polyvinyl alcohol) for facilitating the formation of the film, as well as water for the remaining part. The steps of said method foresee a "pressurised" application step of the detergent, a drying step and a final rinsing step with water. Finally, Japanese patent No. JP2004123875 has as its object a detergent product for washing vehicles that can easily be rinsed with tap water, also characterised by good foaming and detergent properties that is not harmful to the surface of the vehicle itself. The composition of the product foresees the use as detergent agent of at least one amphoteric surface agent, an anionic surface agent, a non-ionic surface agent and an isolating agent. Otherwise, the composition foresees the use of an aqueous medium and sugars and/or sugar derivatives in their dehydrated forms. As can be seen, the state of the art in the field offers various examples of detergents associated or not with relative washing processed for vehicles, all, however, having in common that they use water either within the composition of the detergent or in any step of the washing process. The finding object of the present invention, on the other hand, proposes a detergent specially studied in light of intense research and experimentation and a series of innovative systems associated with the detergent itself for alternative cleaning of vehicles, without any use or wastage of water. The purpose of the present finding, therefore, is to ensure an internal and external detergent system for vehicles in general, supported by a complete range of highly professional products that are simple to use and safe for the operator. Being proposed as the only solution of its kind, the present invention is able to reconcile cleaning and care for vehicles with love and respect for the environment through greater awareness in the use of natural resources.

These and other innovative characteristics shall become clear from the following detailed description, which shall refer to the following attached tables from 1/7 to 7/7 where: • table 1 shows the composition and the ingredients of the detergent for dry-washing;

• table 2 shows the physical and chemical characteristics of the detergent;

• fig. 1 shows an overall view of the washing station equipped with the detergent object of the invention;

• fig. 2 shows some details of the washing station, such as control buttons and dispensing gun for the sanitizing treatment of the vehicle interior;

• fig. 3 shows some components inside the washing station, such as the compressed air generator and the collection tank of the suction system;

• fig. 4 shows a technical table concerning the internal components of the washing station (compressor and relative gun); • fig. 5 shows a technical table concerning the internal components of the washing station (detergent dispensing gun);

• fig. 6 shows a technical table concerning the internal components of the washing station (collection tank and coiled hose);

• fig. 7 shows an overall view of the affiliated kit (equipped vehicle) for washing vehicles at home;

• figs. 8 and 9 show some details of the on-board equipment of the affiliated kit. As already stated earlier, the system object of the invention essentially consists of a detergent for dry-washing vehicles in general, without any need for either water or specific machinery, as well as a line of innovative products again for vehicle cleaning and care. The special formula of the detergent for dry- washing is based on a highly concentrated combination of silicon wax components on a nanometric base, enriched with natural carnauba wax that ensures excellent end results from the point of view not just of cleaning but also of finishing and of protection of the treated vehicle. The information on the composition of the detergent and on some chemical-physical characteristics is shown in tables 1 and 2. The revolutionary product object of the invention is suitable, for example, for the removal of all types of dirt from bodywork, windscreen, bumpers, trim and mouldings made from rubber, plastic, metals and special alloys, rims and tyres.

The process for cleaning- vehicles with the detergent just described foresees carrying out a series of steps, which can be summarised in six main, absolutely not limiting, steps, through which the proposed end result is obtained. Such steps essentially consist of:

• a first step of nebulising the detergent product onto the surface of the vehicle so as to suitably cover the entire surface involved;

• a second step of removing the nebulised detergent product using a suitable cloth, making horizontal movements in a single direction (from right to left or vice-versa). The movement does not require excessive pressure and therefore will have to be delicate, although still sufficiently firm; • a third step of finishing off the surface using a second cloth this time without following any particular direction in the movements, but simply ensuring that the cloth is wiped over the entire treated surface until it shines and is perfectly clean; • a fourth step of repeating the steps described above until the cleaning operation is complete for the entire bodywork, without missing out any components of the bodywork itself;

• a fifth step of cleaning the rims and the tyres of the vehicle using the dirty cloths used earlier;

• a sixth step of finishing off the entire outer surface of the vehicle, using clean cloths to be wiped over the entire treated surface in order to obtain a perfect result in terms of finish and final protection. The operations just described of nebulising the detergent product and the subsequent finishing operations through cloths have the purpose of effectively removing the dirt present on the surface of the vehicle thanks to the combination of two fundamental factors: the ability of the detergent product to capture the dirt and "pick it up" and the ability of the microfibre of which the cloth is made to trap the dirt detaching from the surface.

The range of products involved in the washing system are provided for the end user through the use of two different businesses, aimed at satisfying the market demand in the best possible way. A first business concerns fitting out a proper self- service washing station for washing the vehicle; on the other hand, the second business consists of a franchise that gives the end user the possibility of carrying out the washing of the vehicle at home. In terms of the washing station 1, as can be seen from fig.l, it is a "tower" that is easy to install and test through which it is possible for the client to carry out the washing procedure just described using the aforementioned products. As shown in figs. 2 and 3, the machine is equipped with a plurality of accessories necessary for the treatment of the vehicle: an electric nebuliser 2 of the detergent product for the treatment of the external surfaces equipped with spray gun, rilsan hose and nozzle kit; a series of control buttons 3; a powerful silent vacuum cleaner equipped with a coiled hose 4, filter with reinforcement basket and quick- release collection tank 5; compressed air generator 6 with silenced motor, dispensing gun 7 and kit for the sanitising treatment of the vehicle interior (in the case of a car). The power supply for such a station is 230 V. The station thus illustrated is the result of an adaptation by the owner of the present patent of machinery already found on the market and aimed at cleaning vehicles, in particular for the treatment of vehicle interiors (vacuum cleaning, seat cleaning and sanitising the interior). Suitable modifications have been made to the machinery, such as the addition of a special circuit for the nebuliser 2 of detergent product, or else the addition of a dispensing gun with kit for sanitising the vehicle interior. For example, by installing such machinery within a service station, it is possible to create a special area inside which vehicles are dry-washed according to the procedures described above and using the detergent products object of the present invention.

In the case of a franchise, on the other hand, it would be an extremely innovative business through which it is possible to ensure that the end user can have his vehicle washed directly at home, obviously thanks to the system described up to now with all of the benefits deriving from it. The business is based upon the creation of a network of suitably trained operators, who, using their own business skills, work in complete autonomy using the products, as well as the associated washing systems object of the present invention. Firstly, it is necessary to join up by paying a relatively small amount of money, keeping in mind that it is not necessary to pay entry fees or royalties, it is not necessary to have a commercial premises or to pay fixed costs: the business is based entirely upon the work of the individual member and upon the use of the products object of the invention. Each member, therefore, already before becoming a franchisee, is an entrepreneur, responsible for running his own business and possessing the autonomy and the necessary business acumen to efficiently and profitably manage his own business. His success will depend firstly upon his real desire and upon the effort made in driving towards hitting sales objectives and quality of service, building up a loyal customer base and, only secondly, it will be determined by the support, though necessary, of the network. After joining up, the operator is supplied with a specially studied starter pack to make the operator immediately operative. As can be seen from figs. 4, 5 and 6 such a pack consists of: an automobile 8 suitably equipped with a set of detergent products 9 sufficient for about 100 washes; a palmtop to allow the operator to organise his own business, an insurance policy for the products, a coordinated set of clothing, advertising campaign, as well as all the wide-ranging know-how of the theoretical- practical initial training and continuous support or the development of a business with little investment but with the prospect of high profit. Thus, in the case of the self-service washing station 1, the equipped vehicle is also provided with a compressor 10 with suitable spray gun for nebulising the detergent on the surface to be treated, with a vacuum cleaner 11 for cleaning vehicle interiors, as well as with a plurality of accessories again located on-board the vehicle to satisfy all of the customer's needs, such as electricity generator, vaporiser, dispenser, brushes and cloths. The washing procedure carried out by the operator is the same one described earlier. The treatment service according to this way requires good organisation of work on the part of the operator, for which reason it can be broken down into two main steps, which are absolutely not limiting:

• a first step of telephone contact with the customer, in which the customer himself contacts the affiliated operator to ask for information or to book the washing of a vehicle; • a second step of managing the appointments at the homes of the customers carried out by the affiliated operator.

In the first step it is important to carefully manage the telephone contact with the customer, with the goal of obtaining the essential information both so as to be able to plan the visit to the customer, and to be able to organise the work of the operator himself. Already at this stage the operator must understand the customer's requirements, the type of treatment required or whether or not it is worth carrying out the treatment. It is essential to get information like the type of vehicle to be treated, type of dirt, possible previous treatment already carried out, date of last wash, geographical location, time and particular requirements of the customer, outdoor space available to the customer.

The second step of managing appointments, on the other hand, must take into account both the needs and availability of the customer and the distribution of the appointments based on the areas from which the requests come and based on the assumed time necessary for each wash booked.

Basically, with all the ways in which it can be carried out, the dry- washing system for vehicles, object of the present invention, offers an incredible series of advantages. Firstly, as already repeated many times over, since it is a completely dry washing system, it does not foresee the use of water, proposing a line of products with zero impact. As well as the saving of water, already important in itself in this field, such a system has also been devised in order to make an energy saving (electrical energy), since thanks to the molecular structure of the cloth, together with the action of the detergent products used, it is possible to clean better and faster than conventional washing of vehicles. In the case of washing at home, the aforementioned benefits (water and energy saving) are added to by the benefits for the customer in terms of time and fuel savings with the consequent convenience of having washing at home when he wants and where he wants. The results obtained in terms of cleaning, polishing and protection are, moreover, better than those of conventional washing.

Claims

1) Detergent for dry- washing of vehicles with relative washing procedure characterised in that its composition comprises a mixture of non-ionic surfactants, dimethyl polysiloxane, stabilisers, preservatives, perfume, water, light abrasives, reactive silicons, special waxes and carriers overall constituting a percentage by weight of between a minimum of 90% and a maximum of 95% compared to the total of the components and characterised in that the remaining part of the components is divided into fractions almost identical to one another, in any case less than 1%, of the following components : alpha-iso-tridecyl-omega-hydroxy-polyglycol ether (CAS 9043-30-5), mixture of ethoxylated fatty alcohols, ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether (CAS 111-76-2), xylenes (CAS 1330-20-7).

2) Process for cleaning cars and motorcycles using the detergent for dry-washing according to claim 1, characterised in that said cleaning method essentially consists of six steps where the first consists of nebulising the aforementioned cleaning detergent on the vehicle whereas the remaining five consist of a series of cleaning operations of the surface of the vehicle by using suitable cloths.

3) Process for cleaning cars and motorcycles according to claim 2, characterised in that the aforementioned first nebulisation step takes place using the suitable vaporiser containing the detergent described in claim 1, so as to cover the vehicle to be treated as uniformly as possible and covering the entire surface involved.

4) Process according to claims 2 and 3, characterised in that the second step of said cleaning method consists of removing the nebulised product, applied according to claim 3, through the use of suitable cloths to be used on the treated surface with horizontal movements in one direction (from right to left or vice-versa). 5) Process according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the third step of said process consists of finishing off the surface of the treated vehicle using a second and/or further clean cloths and wiping without following any particular directions in the movements. 6) Process according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the fourth step of said process consists of repeating the steps described in claims 3 to 5 until the cleaning operation is complete for the entire bodywork without missing out any components of the bodywork of the vehicle. 7) Process according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that the fifth step of said process concerns the use of the dirtier cloths used in the previous steps described by claims 4 to 6, to clean the front surface of the tyres and of the relative rims. 8) Process according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterised in that the sixth and last step of said process consists of polishing and adding final protection to the entire bodywork using clean cloths to be wiped over the entire surface already treated. 9) Use of a self-service washing station 1 to dispense detergent products according to claim 1, equipped with electric nebuliser 2 of the detergent product equipped with spray gun, rilsan hose and nozzle, a plurality of control buttons 3, a silent vacuum cleaner equipped with a coiled hose 4, a quick- release collection tank 5, a compressed air generator 6 with silenced motor, a dispensing gun 7 with kit for sanitising treatment.

10) System for washing a vehicle at home using the detergent for dry-washing described in claim 1 and using the procedures according to claims 2 to 8, characterised by an automobile 8 suitably equipped with a set of detergent products 9 sufficient for about 100 washes.