IL28883A - Method of washing vehicle bodies to provide a spotless appearance - Google Patents

Description

C O H E N Z E D E K & S P I S B A C H EOD. PATENT ATTORNEYS 17127/67 24, LEVONTIN SIR., P O. B.1169 T E L - A V I V P A T E N T S & D E S I G N S O R D I N A N C E SPECIFICATION METHOD OF WASHING VEHICLE BODIES TO PROVIDE A SPOTLESS APPEARANCE ROBO-WASH, INC., a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Missouri, of 2 East Gregory, Kansas City, State of Missouri, U.S.A., REBY DECLARE the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is fo be peffomned This invention relates to cleaning of articles and more particularly to the washing and cleaning of the surfaces of vehicular equipment such as automobiles and the like to provide an air dried spotless surface appearance .

Heretofore, various types of vehicle washing apparatus have been utilized to apply water and detergent with some using high pressure sprays directed onto the surface and in others, the surfaces have been scrubbed or brushed to aid in the removal of soil and filth. In some apparatus, the vehicles are moved between stationary detergent,, water and rinse water applying equipment and in others the vehicle is driven to a selected position and apparatus moved therearound to apply water and detergent in the washing operation.

In all of these operations, after the washing, water is applied to rinse the vehicle surfaces. Thereafter the surfaces are wiped dry or allowed to dry either in the atmosphere or by forced air drying. Some equipment for washing and rinsing operations are automatic in that the washing and rinsing cycles are automatically timed for a programmed operation wherein there are periods of delivery of cleansing liquid through nozzles onto vehicle surfaces for washing and then rinse water is applied through the nozzles for rinsing the vehicle surfaces. With all of these cleaning systems, if the surfaces are permitted to dry as distinguished from manually drying with a chamois, The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a process of cleaning of surfaces such as vehicle surfaces wherein said surfaces air dry substantially spotless; to provide such a process wherein the vehicle surfaces are washed and then rinsed and while still wet are subjected to a light spray of treated water and thereafter allowed to air dry; to provide such a vehicle surface cleaning process that eliminates a necessity for manual drying with a chamois or the like; and to provide a process of cleaning vehicle surfaces that is economical, efficient in obtaining a substantially spotless appearance.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

Pig. 1 is. a diagrammatic plan view of apparatus for automatic washing of a vehicle with applicant's process; Pig. 2 is a diagrammatic end elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 illustrating the arrangement of sprays for applying the fine spray of treated water in applicant's process* Referring more in detail to the drawings: Applicant's process is applicable to various types of apparatus for washing and rinsing of vehicular equipment and is particularly adapted to operations streams with the nozzles and vehicle being relatively-movable so the streams progressively move over all of the top and side surfaces of the vehicle. The process is also particularly applicable to systems wherein there is a washing station 1 utilizing a movable carrier 2 that is power driven for movement about the vehicle in the washing area, said carrier carrying a spray arm 3 for directing cleaning and rinsing fluid onto the vehicle surfaces. The carrier and spray arm are connected with suitable equipment for providing a programmed cycle in supplying a cleansing liquid for a predetermined time or number of rotations and then applying a rinse water to the vehicle surfaces for a predetermined time or rotations.

In the apparatus illustrated, the washing station 1 has an area 4 for washing a vehicle indicated by the broken lines 5 in the washing position. The mobile carriage 2 is movable in a defined path as indicated by the tracks 6 to carry the spray arm 3 around the vehicle. The spray arm is preferably an L shape or the like having a portion 7 extending over a portion of the top of the vehicle to direct sprays downwardly thereon and a portion 8 to direct sprays onto the side surfaces of the vehicle. In such an apparatus the sprays 9 on the arm 3 are suitably connected to hose 10 which extends to a support 11 and has communication with a swivel 12 of a head 13 supported on a suitable frame or mounting 14. The head 13 is connected by conductor 15 city water supply through a conductor 19.

With the apparatus as described and a vehicle 5 in place, the mobile apparatus or carrier 2 is actuated and the controls for the pump energized whereupon as the carrier moves about the vehicle the pump moves detergent from a tank 20 and hot soft water from the softener l8 and heater 17 in selected quantities for a suitable cleansing mixture through the conductor 15, swivel head and swivel connection, hose 10 and discharges same in high pressure sprays through the nozzles 9.

It is preferred that the operating pressure be in the nature of from 400 to 600 pounds per square inch. The detergent and hot soft water preferably is such that when directed in high pressure sprays upon the top and side surfaces of the vehicle, soil and film thereon tend to be dissolved and flushed from the vehicle.

After a predetermined cycle as for example, two turns of the carrier 2 about the vehicle * the detergent and hot water supply is shut off and cold soft water from the water softener l8 is delivered by the pump l6 through the conduit 15 and discharged through the nozzles 9, while the carrier makes one or more passes about the vehicle. This rinse water is directed in high velocity sprays through the same nozzles as the cleansing fluid and contacts all of the top and side surfaces of the vehicle.

The use of water in the washing cycle at a temperature of 150°F. and the use of water at ambient In such washing and rinsing operations four to five gallons of water may be directed against the vehicle surfaces during the washing cycles and two to five gallons of water may be directed against the vehicle in the rinsing cycle. After the rinsing cycle is completed, if the vehicle is allowed to air dry, spots and streaks will remain on the dried surface.

In applicant's process there is a further step to provide spotless drying. Raw water from the city supply or the like as from the conduit 19 is chemically treated to deionize or demineralize same as by passing it through a deionizer 21 and a suitable quantity of the treated water is flowed through a conduit 22 to the swivel head 13 where it flows through a separate passage in the swivel 12 and then through a tube 23 to small nozzles 24 and 25 mounted on the arm 3. After the washed vehicle is rinsed and while still wet the treated water is delivered to said spray nozzles 24 and 25 and discharged onto the vehicle surfaces as the carrier 2 moves for one pass around the vehicle. It is preferred that a single spray nozzle 2 be mounted to direct a fine spray onto the upper surfaces of the vehicle and a single spray nozzle 25 be arranged approximately at the level of the windows of the vehicle to direct a fine spray against the upper side surfaces. This spot removing rinse is preferably a low velocity fine spray that is delivered to the vehicle surfaces immediately after the rinse cycle so that the vehicle that this spot removing rinse should require approximate ly one-half to one and one-half gallons of the treated water, with one gallon being preferred for the conventional passenger cars.

It is preferred that the deionizer 21 be such that it has a mixture of ion exchange resins such as polystyrene, polysulphonates, cross linked carboxylic resins or the like whereby the container has cation resin material and an anion resin material therein so when the water flows through the mixture of exchange resins the ions are removed. Any gases generated are removed in a suitable manner. The deionized or treated water preferably has a pH of below 7 with the ion or hardness content below 10 parts per million and preferably in the nature of one part per million. In such a structure the deionizer must be regenerated periodically, as for example, separating the anion resin material from the cation resin material as by back washing, removing the respective materials and regenerat ing the cation material with a caustic and the anion material with a suitable acid, for example, hydrocloric acid. After being regenerated, said materials are returned to the container mixed by air and is then ready to be utilized for further treating of water for the spot reducer rinse. The treater container, conductor 22, passage in the swivel head, tube 23 and nozzles 24 and 25 are all made of stainless steel or suitable plastics such as polyvinyl or lined metal for spray of said treated water and the carrier 2 stopped, the vehicle is driven from the wash area to a suitable drying area where it is allowed to dry in the atmosphere. It may be forced air dried with heated air or merely allowed to dry in the atmosphere, and with either method the vehicle surface is substantially spotless in appearance, thereby providing a suitable appearance of cleanliness without manual drying.

It should be clearly understood that the invention herein disclosed is not limited to the specific embodiments or the cycle of operations described and is subject to a number of variations which those skilled in the art can readily comprehend. For example, it is not necessary to utilize a mobile carriage ot two sprays, a single treated water spray may be utilized and said spray and vehicle provided with relative movement wherein the fine low velocity spray covers the top and side surfaces of the previously rinsed vehicle. It is therefore to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific process described except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

Claims (3)

1. We olaim:- 1. The process of cleaning vehicle surfaces for substantially spotless drying which comprises, supplying detergent and soft hot water in selected quantities and under proeeuroo to a common conduotor, dolivering oaid rooult-ing fluid at prossures of from 400 to 600 pounds per squaro inch through nozzles in high velocity streams against a vehicle surface, effecting relative movement of said vehicle and nozzles whereby said streams progress around the vohicle arid are directed against all of the top and side surfaces of the vehicle, supplying soft water to said common conductor and delivering said soft water at pressures of from J+OO to 600 pounds per square inch through said' nozzles in high velocity streams while continuing the relative movement of the vehicle and nozzles whereby said streams of soft water progress around the vohicle and are directed against all of the top and side surfaces of the vohicle to effectively rinso same, supplying a quantity of raw water from a conventional water supply, treating said raw water by chemically deionizing same to a hardness content of less than 10 parts per million, spraying the treated water oh the top and upper side surfaces of the vehicle in low velocity streams whereby said vehicle surfaces are contacted by said treated water while still wet with rinse water, and allowing the vehicle surfaces to drain and dry f in the atmosphere*

2. A process of cleaning vehicle surfac spotless drying as set forth in Claim 1 wherein treated n a fine spray to wet the top and upper side surfaces of the vehicle, and the quantity of treated water has a pH of less than 7*

3. A process of cleaning vehicle surfaces for substantially spotless drying as set forth in Claim 2 wherein the nozzles are supported on a mobile carrier movable in a path about a stationary vehicle in a wa3h area and the treated water is discharged through separate nozzles directing wido angle sprays onto the vehicle surfaces with at least one above and one at the side of a vehicle as the carrier moves therearound in one pass to wet the vehicle with the treated water.