GB2176757A

GB2176757A - Apparatus for drying a side surface of a washed vehicle in a vehicle washing plant

Info

Publication number: GB2176757A
Application number: GB08614725A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gebhard Weigele
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-06-27
Filing date: 1986-06-17
Publication date: 1987-01-07
Also published as: ATA111986A; GB8614725D0; GB2176757B; BE904887A; AT394166B; ES556038A0; ES8706539A1; FR2584037A1; CH672835A5; FR2584037B1; DE8518653U1

Abstract

An essentially vertical air supply duct 14 which extends over the height of the vehicle and comprises a slot nozzle 16 directed towards the side surface is mounted on a frame 1 so as to be slidable perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle 2. The air supply duct 14 is pivotable at its upper end 14a about a horizontal pivot shaft A extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel B of the vehicle. On both sides of the slot nozzle 16 are disposed soft, elastically yielding support elements 17 projecting towards the vehicle. Loading means act on the duct 14 in a direction towards the side surface of the vehicle. A control device for a servo-motor which effects sliding movement of the duct 14 comprises at least one tilt switch 19 connected to the duct 14 and responsive to swinging of the duct 14 when elements 17 contact the side of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for drying a side surface of a washed vehicle in a vehicle washing plant The invention concerns an apparatus for drying a side surface of a washed vehicle in a vehicle washing plant, in particular a tunneltype washing plant, in which the vehicle is guided by the wheels of one side of the vehicle in a track rail, with an essentially vertical air supply duct which extends over the height of the vehicle, comprises a slot nozzle directed towards the side surface and is mounted on a frame so as to be slidable perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle (track rail), and with a servomotor effecting sliding movement of the air supply duct, and a control device therefor.

Vehicles which have heen washed in a vehicle washing plant and are subsequently to be dried, have greatly varying widths from about 1.35 to 2.05 m. They are guided mostly by the left wheels in a track rail. To the right and left of this track rail are disposed the slot nozzles of the drying apparatus. In order to keep energy requirements as low as possible, the slot nozzles are to be located as close as possible to the side surfaces of the vehicle. In order to achieve this, there is known the practice of mounting the right-hand slot nozzle, which is further away from the track rail, so as to be capable of retracting perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle, while the left-hand slot nozzle which is closer to the track rail is usually arranged stationarily.

In an apparatus of the kind mentioned hereinbefore, the air supply duct is rigidly connected to a trolley which is in turn movable along a rail disposed above the vehicle and extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle. In order to adjust the air supply duct together with the slot nozzle according to the respective vehicle width, several vertical photoelectric light barriers are provided perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the emitter or receiver of each light barrier being disposed on the ground, while the receiver or emitter is located above the height of the vehicle. The components of the light barriers disposed on the ground, in particular the light barrier holders, can easily become damaged by vehicle wheels rolling over them. Also, light harrier control systems of this kind are expensive and liable to break down.

In another known apparatus for drying a side surface of a washed vehicle, the air supply duct with the slot nozzle is disposed at the free end of an arm whose other end is mounted pivotably about a vertical axis in a frame disposed laterally of the vehicle. On both sides of the slot nozzle are disposed wheels which are supported on the bodywork, in particular the side surface of the washed vehicle and roll over the side surface during movement of the vehicle relative to the drying apparatus. A major drawback of this drying apparatus is that the wheels are applied to the bodywork with relatively high pressure and can thus cause damage.

In a drying apparatus of similar design, instead of the wheels is provided a control rod which extends into the region of the righthand vehicle wheels and which, on contact with the front right wheel, is forced to the side and hence also moves the air supply duct together with the slot nozzle to the side.

However, the control rod must be relatively long in order for the rear left wheel to come within range of the control rod while the latter is still touching the front right wheel. The main disadvantage of this construction is that the point of engagement of the wheels with the control rod is unfavourable, being relatively low down, and hence the construction is unstable, or in the case of more solid constructions, that a relatively large mass has to be moved. Also, the slot nozzle must be disposed with a relatively large safety margin when its movement is controlled not by the bodywork itself, but by the vehicle wheels.

It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for drying a side surface of a washed vehicle in a vehicle washing plant, in particular a tunnel-type washing plant of the kind mentioned hereinbefore, which is of simple construction, operates reliably, and does not cause damage to the vehicle.

According to the invention, this is achieved by the fact that the air supply duct is pivotable at its upper end about a horizontal pivot shaft extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle, that soft, elastically yielding support elements projecting towards the vehicle are disposed on both sides of the slot nozzle, that loading means act on the air supply duct in a direction towards the side surface, and that the control device comprises at least one tilt switch connected to the air supply duct.

Due to the pendulum arrangement of the air supply duct, the air supply duct together with the slot nozzle disposed thereon can be deflected in the direction of travel of the vehicle. This capacity for deflection is not only an additional safety factor, but it also makes it possible for the control device to be designed particularly simply in the form of a tilt switch.

The tilt switch, for example a tube filled with mercury, controls the servomotor as soon as the air supply duct is moved out of its vertical position by the vehicle. This kind of control works rapidly and reliably. When the elastically yielding support elements contact the vehicle, the air supply duct is deflected in the direction of travel and the tilt switch actuates the servomotor which displaces the air supply duct outwardly until the support elements are no longer touching the bodywork, or only touching it lightly, and thus the air supply duct can swing back to its vertical position. The elastically yielding support elements do not in any way damage the vehicle. As they are disposed on both sides of the slot nozzle, they form in each case a kind of apron.As soon as the slot nozzle has reached the side surface of the vehicle, this produces a kind of air cushion between the slot nozzle and the side surface, as in an air cushion vehicle. This air cushion keeps the slot nozzle at a distance from the side surface of the vehicle, against the force of the loading means, without the support elements bearing on the side surface with a force corresponding to the force of the loading means. An optimum gap is automatically produced between slot nozzle and side surface by the air cushion. Consequently a lower air output of the drying apparatus is required, which leads to energy savings and a reduction in noise emission.The pendulum mounting of the air supply duct makes it possible to mount additional tilt switches or limit switches which, in case of greater deflection of the air supply duct, stop the conveying device advancing the vehicle, or switch off the whole plant.

Advantageous developments of the invention are characterised in the subsidiary claims.

Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to practical examples shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a first practical example of the apparatus before the washed vehicle has reached the slot nozzle, and through line I-I of Fig. 3, Fig. 2 shows another longitudinal section when the vehicle comes into contact with the support elements surrounding the slot nozzle, Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the apparatus in direction III of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section through line IV-IV of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 shows a front view of the apparatus, Fig. 6 shows a front view of a second practical example.

On a stationary frame 1 is provided, above the clearance height of the washed vehicle 2, a rail 3 extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel B of the vehicle 2. The left-hand wheels 4 of the vehicle are guided in a track rail 5 extending in the direction of travel B of the vehicle. The vehicle is moved in direction B by the driver 6 of a conveyor belt, not shown, which driver 6 abuts against a wheel 4.

A trolley 7 is movable along the rail 3. One of the wheels 8 of the trolley 7 is driven by the servomotor 9 by means of a gear mechanism 10 which also includes a free wheel. The free wheel has a locking effect when the servomotor 9 drives the wheel 8 in a direction which moves the trolley 7 away from the side surface 2a of the vehicle 2 in direction C. The trolley 7 is further engaged by a flexible tension member 11 to which is attached a loading weight 12. A force directed towards the side surface 2a and acting in direction D is applied to the trolley by the loading weight.

Instead of the flexible tension member 11 and loading weight 12, a tension spring 13 drawn in dot-dash lines in Fig. 3 could be provided if required.

An air supply duct 14 is mounted by its upper end 14a on the lower side of the trolley 7 so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot shaft A extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel B of the vehicle. The air supply duct 14 can thus perform a pendulum movement in the direction of travel B of the vehicle, as shown by the arrow P. At the upper end of the air supply duct 14 is disposed a fan 15.

The air supply duct 14 generally hangs vertically downwards by its own weight. It comprises a slot nozzle 16 which is directed towards the side surface 2a and extends over the full height of the vehicle body. On both sides of the slot nozzle 16 are disposed soft elastically yielding support-elements 17 projecting towards the vehicle 2. These may be bristles, or soft elastically yielding foam material or foam rubber. The support elements 17 are in each case provided on carriers 18 which are connected to the air supply duct 14. One of these two carriers 18 is disposed on each side of the slot nozzle 16. The support elements 17 each form an "apron" disposed on both sides of the slot nozzle 16.

Furthermore, connected to the air supply duct 14 or the fan housing are three tilt switches 19, 20, 21 which respond to different angles of inclination of the air supply duct to the vertical. The first tilt switch 19 acts on the servomotor 9, and responds even when the angle of inclination of the air supply duct to the vertical is very small. The second tilt switch 20 responds when the angle of inclination of the air supply duct 14 to the vertical is slightly larger, and acts on the conveyor belt drive motor, not shown. The third tilt switch 21, which responds when the inclination of the air supply duct 14 to the vertical is still greater, is an "emergency switch" which stops the whole vehicle washing plant.

When no vehicle is located near the air supply duct 14, the latter hangs vertically freely downwards. It is held by the loading weight in its inner end position corresponding to the minimum vehicle width b1. In this case the support elements 17 still project to some extent into the path of travel of the smallest vehicle. If a vehicle is now moved in direction B, its bumper 2b usually impinges first on the support elements 17. By this means the air supply duct 14 is swung out in the direction of travel B of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2.

The tilt switch 19 switches on the servomotor 9, and the latter moves the trolley 7 in direc tion C outwardly until the support elements 17 no longer abut against the vehicle 2, or abut against it with only very slight pressure.

Consequently, the air supply duct 14 swings back to its vertical position, and the tilt switch 19 switches the servomotor 9 to the opposite direction of rotation. As however, in this direction, as a result of the free wheel a driving force is transmitted to one of the wheels 8 of the trolley 7, the trolley 7 is now only under the influence of the loading weight 12. Via the trolley 7, the loading weight 12 applies to the air supply duct 14 a force directed towards the side surface 2a of the vehicle in direction D. The support elements 17, however, are not applied to the side surface 2a by this force.

On the contrary, in the region between the slot nozzle 16 and the projecting support elements 17 is formed an air cushion which keeps the slot nozzle 16 at a distance from the side surface 2a. Another effect of the air cushion is that the support elements 17 no longer abut against the side surface, or abut against it with very slight force only. The air cushion keeps the slot nozzle 16 at a constant distance from the vehicle side surface 2a, against the force of the loading weight 12. The aforementioned free wheel may also be incorporated in the drive wheel 8.

For vehicles of normal width b2 or extrawide vehicles b3, the air supply duct 14 is moved further outwards accordingly by the servomotor 9. If, in case of particularly wide vehicles, the air supply duct 14 is inclined at a greater angle to the vertical, then the tilt switch 20 switches off the drive motor of the conveyor belt for a short time and the vehicle is thus stopped until the air supply duct 14 and its slot nozzle 16 are located outside of the side surface 2a of the vehicle.

Since, in the practical example shown, the left-hand wheels of the vehicle 2 are guided in the track rail 4, due to the different vehicle widths bl, b2 and b3 the right-hand air supply duct must be mounted so as to be capable of deflection perpendicularly to the direction of travel B of the vehicle over a greater distance in the manner described. To dry the left-hand side surface 2c, an air supply duct could be mounted rigidly, as here the distance between the slot nozzle and the side surface 2c varies only within a range of approx. 20 cm with wider and narrower vehicles. It is, however, economically justifiable to provide a drying apparatus correspond ing to the drying apparatus described above, symmetrically for the lefthand side surface 2c as well.Due to the fact that the slot nozzle is then always kept at an optimum distance from the side surface 2c, energy is saved and noise emission is reduced.

In the practical example shown in Fig. 6 is provided a doubleacting pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 22 which extends in the direction of the rail 3' disposed perpendicularly to the direction of travel B of the vehicle. The cylinder 22 acts both as a servomotor and as a loading means. In this practical example, the supporting rail 3' is pivotable about the horizontal pivot shaft A. Consequently the air supply duct 14' can be rigidly connected to the trolley 7'. The same references are used for components which correspond in function to the components of the apparatus described above, so that the above description holds good analogously. The tilt switch 19 in this case acts on the control valve 23 which, with the air supply duct 14' hanging vertically downwards, is located in the position shown in Fig. 6.In this position the righthand side 22a of the cylinder 22, with a pressure regulator 24 interposed, is under a reduced pressure which acts on the trolley 7' and hence also the air supply duct 14' in direction D.

Here, a stop 25 limits the travel of the trolley 7'. In this case the cylinder 22 forms the loading means and replaces a loading weight or spring. If the air supply duct 14' is pivoted out of its vertical position by contact of its support elements 17 with the vehicle, the tilt switch 19 switches over the valve 23 and then the left-hand cylinder chamber 22b admits fluid under pressure. By this means the air supply duct 14' is moved outwards in direction C until the support elements 17 lack sufficient support and the air supply duct 14' pivots back to its vertical position. The tilt switch 19 then switches the control valve 23 back to its position shown in Fig. 6. Due to the air cushion formed between the nozzle 16, the support elements 17 and the side surface of the vehicle, the nozzle 16 is then kept at a distance from the side surface, against the pressure prevailing in the right-hand cylinder chamber 22a.

The servomotor 9 or 22 can also be controlled by the tilt switch 19 in such a way that after outward movement of the trolley 7, 7', the servomotor is simply stopped when the air supply duct 16 has pivoted back to its vertical position. The servomotor then remains at a standstill until the end of the vehicle has passed the air supply duct 16. The distance from the vehicle can be adjusted by delayed stopping of the servomotor after the air supply duct 16 has reached the vertical position.

Claims

1. Apparatus for drying a side surface of a washed vehicle in a vehicle washing plant, with an essentially vertical air supply duct which extends over the height of the vehicle, comprises a slot nozzle directed towards the side surface and is mounted on a frame so as to be slidable perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and with a servomotor effecting sliding movement of the air supply duct, and a control device therefor, characterised in that the air supply duct (14, 14') is pivotable at its upper end (14a) about a hori zontal pivot shaft (A) extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the vehicle, that soft, elastically yielding support elements (17) projecting towards the vehicle (2) are disposed on both sides of the slot nozzle (16), that loading means (12, 13, 22a) act on the air supply duct (14, 14') in a direction (D) towards the side surface (2a), and that the control device comprises at least one tilt switch (19) connected to the air supply duct (14, 143.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the support elements (17) are bristles.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the support elements (17) are made of soft, elastically yielding foam material or foam rubber.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the support elements (17) are provided on two carriers (18) which are connected to the air supply duct (14, 14'), and one of which is disposed on each side of the slot nozzle (16).

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the pivot shaft (A) is disposed on the lower side of a trolley (7) which is movable along a rail (3) provided above the clearance height of the vehicle (2) and extending perpendicularly to the direction of travel (B) of the vehicle.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the trolley is engaged, by means of a flexible tension member (11), by a loading weight (12) which applies to the trolley (7) a force directed towards the side surface (2a).

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the trolley (7) is engaged by a spring (13) which applies to the trolley (7) a force directed towards the side surface (2a).

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that on the trolley (7) is disposed the servomotor (9) which, by means of a gear mechanism (10) and a free wheel, acts on one of the wheels (8) of the trolley (7), the free wheel having a locking effect when the servomotor (9) drives the wheel (8) in the direction of rotation which moves the trolley (7) away from the side surface (2a) in direction (C).

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the servomotor is a doubleacting pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder (22) which is arranged in the direction of the rail (3') and which also acts as the loading means and, with a pressure regulator (24) interposed, applies to the trolley (7') a force acting in a direction (D) towards the side surface (2a).