JP2000085546A - Top brush of car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the top brush of a car washing machine which can wash a car easily by the enough force even when the car is an RV with a carrier, without interfering other brushes and devices. SOLUTION: By composition to shift a fulcrum shaft (the fulcrum of an arm) 41 where a brush 34, a weight 35B, and a motor 37 are balanced, and the rotating shaft of an arm 31 (the rotating center point of the arm), the rotating locus of the motor 37 is made smaller, and the height position of the rotary shaft 43 of the arm 31 can be made higher while avoiding the interference of a blower device and a frame. Since the height of the brush 34 is made higher by the distance between the fulcrum shaft 41 and the rotary shaft 43, when the brush 34 is at the upper limit position, the washable height of the brush 34 can be made at the height to allow to wash the ceiling of an RV sufficiently. Furthermore, it is made possible to suppress the increment of the length of the arm 31, and the interference with other brushes can be also avoided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a top brush of a car washer, for example, installed in a gas station and used for car washing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional car washer will be described with reference to the drawings. 8 and 9, reference numeral 1 denotes a gate-type car washer that straddles a vehicle 2 to be washed and travels in a front-rear direction of the vehicle 2 on a rail 5 laid on a floor 4 via a plurality of wheels 3. The gate-type car washer body 1 has a first washing water arch 6, a first wax arch 7, and a second wax arch 7 in order from the front side as a spray device for spraying rinse, detergent, or wax. A cleaning water arch 8, a second wax arch 9, and a detergent arch 10 are provided. A top nozzle 11 for drying, a pair of left and right side nozzles 12, and both nozzles 11, 12 are provided at the first cleaning water arch 6. And a pair of left and right blower devices 13 for simultaneously supplying air to the vehicle, and movably in the vertical direction to clean the upper surface of the vehicle 2 and to traverse in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the running direction of the car washer body 1. Freely and front and rear of the vehicle 2 and A pair of side brushes 15 for cleaning the side, each mounted via a swingable arm, each pair of left and right rocker brushes on each side lower portion
16 are attached so that they can approach and separate from each other. A car height sensor 17 composed of a sonic sensor for detecting the height of the vehicle 2 to be washed is provided at the upper front end of the car wash machine main body 1. An operation panel 18 on which operation switches for inputting modes and the like are arranged is provided.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the structure of the top brush 14. As shown in FIG. The top brush 14 has a brush 23 that rotates around a horizontal axis at one end of an arm 21 and a weight 24 for balance attached to the other end. The upper surface is cleaned with a brush 23. The brush 23 uses the rotational force of a motor 25 attached between the weight 24 of the arm 21 and the rotation fulcrum X to the brush 23.
It is rotated by being transmitted through a chain 27 stretched between a sprocket 26 fixed to the horizontal shaft of the motor. The elevation of the top brush 14 is performed by, for example, supplying and discharging oil to and from a cylinder 28 that rotates the arm 21.

The operation of the above-described top brush when the vehicle 2 is cleaned will be described. First, the motor 25 is driven to rotate the brush 23, and then the car wash machine body 1 is moved forward to move the car wash machine body 1 and the vehicle 2 to be washed relatively. With the movement of the car washer body 1, the shape of the vehicle 2 to be washed is measured based on data from the vehicle height sensor 17. Subsequently, the rinse is sprayed from the first wash water arch 6 and the second wash water arch 8 to the vehicle 2 to be cleaned, and the detergent from the detergent arch 10 is sprayed to the vehicle 2 to be cleaned. According to the shape, the cylinder 28 is driven so that the brush 32 is in optimal contact with the upper surface of the vehicle 2 to be cleaned, the arm 21 is rotated, and the rotating brush 23 is moved up and down by the rotating force of the motor 25. Then, the upper surface of the vehicle 2 to be cleaned is cleaned.

The top brush 14 has a height at which the brush 32 can be washed so that the ceiling of the ordinary passenger car can be sufficiently washed in correspondence with the ordinary passenger car.

[0006]

However, in recent years, RV
(Recreation vehicle) is increasing, but at the current car washable height of the brush 32,
The RV ceiling cannot be cleaned optimally. In order to be able to optimally clean the ceiling of the RV, it is necessary to raise the height at which the brush 32 can be washed, that is, the upper limit position of the top brush 14.

As a method of raising the upper limit position of the top brush 14 as described above, a method of “rotation center (rotation fulcrum X of the arm)
To increase the height of the arm 21 "and" to increase the length L of the arm 21 ".

However, if the height of the rotation center X of the top brush is too high, the rotation locus of the rotation motor 25 of the brush 23 comes into contact with the mounting frame of the blower device 13, so that there is a limit to the height at which the brush 23 can be raised. .

As shown in FIG. 11, if the length L 'of the arm 21' is much longer than the length L of the conventional arm 21 (L'≫L), the arm 21 'interferes with the side brush 15 and further lowers. When the top nozzle 11 is lowered with the brush 23 as the upper limit position, the arm 2
Since there is a problem that the weight 24 'balanced to 1' interferes with the position detecting photoelectric tube 29 of the top nozzle 11, there is a limit in increasing the length of the arm.

If the arm 21 is made longer, the weight 24 must be made heavier in terms of balance. However, if the size and thickness are increased to make it heavier, it interferes with the side frame supporting the blower device 13 and the length becomes longer. If it increases, there is a risk of interfering with the side nozzle 12.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a top brush of a car wash machine that can afford a sufficient amount of car washing without any interference with other brushes or devices, even with an RV.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a top brush of a car washer according to claim 1 is provided inside a car wash machine main body, and the car wash machine main body and the vehicle to be washed are relatively positioned. A top brush of a car washer that cleans the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed while moving, the brush rotating around a horizontal axis, and one end supporting the horizontal axis of the brush, and the other end balancing the brush with the brush. A pair of arms to which weights are attached; lifting means for raising and lowering the brush by rotating the arm; and a motor for rotating the brush provided on the arm, the brush, the weight, and the motor. Are shifted from the fulcrum of the arm to be balanced and the rotation center point of the arm by the lifting / lowering means.

According to the above configuration, the fulcrum of the arm and the center of rotation of the arm are displaced, so that when the brush is at the upper limit position, the height of the brush is equal to the distance between the fulcrum of the arm and the center of rotation of the arm. Since the height is increased, the height at which the brush can be washed can be set to a height at which the ceiling of the RV can be sufficiently washed. Further, the increase in the length of the arm can be suppressed, and interference with the side brush and the rocker brush can be avoided.

A top brush according to a second aspect of the present invention is provided inside the body of the car washer, and cleans the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed while relatively moving the body of the car washer and the vehicle to be washed. A brush that rotates about a horizontal axis, a pair of arms that support the horizontal axis of the brush at one end, and a weight that balances the brush at the other end, and rotating the arm. A lifting / lowering means for raising / lowering the brush, and a motor for rotating the brush provided on the arm, wherein a subweight is attached to a part of the lifting / lowering means for rotating the arm. It is.

According to the above configuration, by providing the sub-weight in addition to the weight, when the length of the arm is increased, the size, thickness, and length of the weight attached to the other end of the arm are changed. Without being able to balance with the brush. As described above, since the size, thickness, and length of the weight are not changed, it is possible to avoid interference with the side frame and the side nozzle.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the top brush of the car washer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The top brush T of the first embodiment includes a pair of hollow left and right arms 31, a horizontal shaft 32 supported between the distal ends of the arms 31, a cylindrical body 33 rotatably supported by the horizontal shaft 32, Weights 35A and 35B are provided to balance the brush 34 fixed to the cylindrical body 33 over the left and right, and the brush 34 fixed to the other end of each arm 31, and around the horizontal axis 32 at the tip of the arm 31. Rotating brush
34 are configured.

In the right arm 31, a sprocket 36 fixed to an end of the cylindrical body 33 and a horizontal shaft 32 of the right arm 31 are provided.
A motor 37 fixed to the outside of the opposite end, a sprocket 38 connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 37 in the right arm 31, and a sprocket 38 of the motor 37 and a sprocket 36 of the cylindrical body 33. A chain 39 is provided to extend over the sprocket 38 and the chain
The power is transmitted to the brush 34 via the sprocket 39, the sprocket 36, and the cylinder 33, and the brush 34 is rotated. Further, since the right arm 31 is provided with the motor 37, the right arm 31
Weight 35A and the weight 35B of the left arm 31 have different weights. The right arm 31 balances with the brush 34 fixed to the other end of the arm 31 by the weight of the motor 37 and the weight of the weight 35A (of the right arm 31).

A fulcrum shaft 41 horizontally fixed outside each arm 31 is provided at a fulcrum (hereinafter referred to as an arm fulcrum) of the arm 31 where the brush 34 and the weights 35A and 35B (and the motor 37) are balanced. When the brush 34 is located at the lower limit, a pair of left and right rotary shafts 43 supported horizontally and rotatably by bearings 42 provided on the frame of the car wash machine body at an obliquely forward upper position of each fulcrum shaft 41, A connecting member 44 for connecting between each fulcrum shaft 41 and the rotating shaft 43, a sprocket 46 fixed to each of the left and right rotating shafts 43, a motor 47 fixed at a position below each of the left and right rotating shafts 43, A sprocket 48 connected to the rotating shaft of 47 and a chain 49 stretched between the sprocket 48 of the motor 47 and the sprocket 46 of the rotating shaft 43 are provided. With this configuration, the rotating force of the motor 47 is reduced by the sprocket 48 and the chain. 49, rotating shaft 43 via sprocket 46 Is transmitted, the rotation shaft 43 is rotated, with the rotation of the rotary shaft 43,
The fulcrum shaft 41 is turned around the rotation shaft 43 via the connecting member 44, and the arm 31 is turned around the rotation shaft 43. Elevating means for raising and lowering the brush 34 by rotating the arm 31 includes a motor 47, sprockets 46 and 48, and a chain 49.
It consists of.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a disk 51 having slits at equal intervals fixed to the left rotary shaft 43 is provided.
And a pulse generator 52 that is composed of a photoelectric switch disposed opposite to the disk 51 and generates a pulse by a slit of the disk 51, and also serves as a plate-shaped detection target fixed to the left rotation shaft 43. When the stopper 53 and the brush 34 are at the lower limit,
Lower limit detector consisting of a proximity switch that detects the stopper 53
54 and an upper limit detector 55 composed of a proximity switch for detecting the stopper 53 when the brush 34 is located at the upper limit,
With this configuration, the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 43 is
Is measured by counting the pulses generated from the lower limit detector 54, and that the brush 34 is positioned at the lower limit.
And the upper limit detector 55 detects that the brush 34 is located at the upper limit. The stopper 53 is a brush
At the upper limit position and the lower limit position of 34, the operation is restricted by the stopper 56.

With the above configuration, the measured rotation angle of the rotating shaft 43, that is, the height of the brush 34 is fed back based on a command corresponding to the height of the upper surface of the vehicle 2 to be cleaned, and the lower limit of the brush 34 is further reduced. While checking the position and the upper limit position, the arm rotation motor 47 is driven to control the height of the brush 34, and the brush rotation motor 37 is driven to rotate the brush 34, so that the upper surface of the vehicle 2 to be cleaned is Optimally washed.

FIG. 1 shows the locus of the brush 34 at the upper limit position, the intermediate position, and the lower limit position under the above control. As shown in FIG. 1, since the rotation shaft 43 (the rotation center point of the arm) is located between the fulcrum shaft 41 (the fulcrum of the arm) and the motor 37,
The rotation trajectory of the motor 37 corresponds to the motor of the arm 21 'shown in FIG.
It is smaller than the rotation locus of 25, it is possible to raise the position of the rotating shaft 43 while avoiding interference with the frame of the blower device 13, and when the brush 34 is at the upper limit position,
Since the height of the brush 34 is increased by the distance between the rotating shaft 43 and the fulcrum shaft 41, the height at which the brush 34 can be washed can be set to a height at which the ceiling of the RV can be sufficiently washed. Further, the increase in the length of the arm 31 can be suppressed, and even if the length L ″ of the arm 31 is made shorter than the length L ′ of the arm 21 ′ shown in FIG. 8 (L ′> L). "> L), it is possible to provide a marginal car wash height at which the car can be safely washed with RV.

As described above, the extension of the length L ″ of the arm 31 can be suppressed, and the rotation locus of the weight 35 is shown in FIG.
The rotation shaft 43 is moved forward (the side opposite to the side brush 15) because it is smaller than the rotation locus of the weight 24 'shown in FIG.
, And interference with the side brush 15 can be avoided.

Further, when the brush 34 is at the upper limit position and when it is at the lower limit position, the position of the fulcrum shaft 41 is different about the rotation shaft 43 and the balance is different.
As shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the top nozzle 11 can be shifted from the center of the phototube 29 for detecting the position of the top nozzle 11 and can be inclined toward the end. When descending, the weight 35A,
The problem that 35B interferes with the position detecting photoelectric tube 29 of the top nozzle 11 can be solved.

When the brush 34 is at the lower limit position, the lower limit height is hardly reduced as compared with the prior art, so that interference with the rocker brush 16 can be avoided at the lower limit position. Second Embodiment A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the top brush of the car washer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment,
Although the fulcrum shaft 41 and the rotation shaft 43 are shifted, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotation shaft 43 is moved on the center line of the arm 31, and the fulcrum shaft 41 is further moved toward the weights 35A and 35B. It is shifted so that it coincides with the rotation axis 43 moved on the center line of the arm 31. That is, in a range that does not interfere with the side brush 15 and further does not interfere with the rocker brush 16 at the lower limit position,
The length of the arm 31 is substantially increased, and the rotation locus of the brush 34 is increased.

However, when the length of the arm 31 is increased, it is necessary to increase the weight of the weight 35 in consideration of the balance with the brush 34 (the contact pressure of the brush 34 on the vehicle 2 to be cleaned by the brush 34 is lightened, and the brush 43, the contact pressure with the vehicle 2 to be cleaned is increased). Increasing the length of 35 causes a problem that it interferes with the side nozzle 12 and also interferes with the position detecting photoelectric tube 29 of the top nozzle 11. Especially, the weight of the left weight 35B is insufficient, so the left weight 35B
Then, without changing the weight and shape (length, thickness),
The sub-weight 61 is attached to the stopper 53 of the balance for balancing. The attachment position of the subweight 61 is not limited to the stopper 53, but may be any as long as it is the rotating shaft 43. In addition, the right weight 35A is lighter than the left weight 35B by the weight of the motor 37, and has a smaller length and thickness. Although it rarely reaches the point where it interferes with the nozzle 12 and the like, the sub-weight 61 can be attached to the rotating shaft 43 in the same manner.

As described above, by attaching the subweight 61 to the rotating shaft 43 which is a means for elevating and lowering the brush 34, the arm 35 can be formed without changing the shape of the weight 35 while avoiding interference with the side frame and the side nozzle 12. The length of the brush 31 can be increased, the top brush having a sufficient height for washing the vehicle can be provided even with RV, and the contact pressure of the brush 34 on the vehicle 2 to be washed can be reduced at the upper limit. At the lower limit, the contact pressure of the brush 43 with the vehicle 2 to be cleaned can be increased, and sufficient cleaning power can be expected.

In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the motor 47 fixed at a position below each rotary shaft 43 rotates the rotary shaft.
Although 43 is rotated, it can be rotated by a cylinder as in the conventional example.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a top brush having a sufficient height for washing the car, which can avoid interference with other brushes and devices, and can be safely washed even with an RV.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a trajectory diagram of a top brush of a car washer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a top brush of the car washer.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a main part of a top brush of the car washer.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a main part of a top brush of the car washer.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a top brush of the car washer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part of a top brush of the car washer.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front view of a main part of a top brush of the car washer.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the car washer.

FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of the car washer.

FIG. 10 is a locus diagram of a top brush of a conventional car washer.

FIG. 11 is a trajectory diagram of a top brush of a car wash to be improved.

[Explanation of symbols]

 T Top brush 1 Car wash machine body 2 Vehicle (vehicle to be cleaned) 31 Arm 32 Horizontal axis 34 Brush 35A, 35B Weight 36, 38, 46, 48 Sprocket 37 Brush rotation motor 39, 49 Chain 41 Support shaft (arm fulcrum) 43 Rotation axis (Arm rotation center point) 47 Arm rotation motor 51 Disk 52 Pulse generator 53 Stopper (detected object) 54 Lower limit detector 55 Upper limit detector 61 Sub weight

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A top brush of a car washing machine provided inside a car washing machine main body and washing an upper surface of the vehicle to be washed while relatively moving the car washing machine main body and the vehicle to be washed, comprising: A pair of arms having one end supporting a horizontal axis of the brush and the other end having a weight attached to balance the brush, and a lifting means for raising and lowering the brush by rotating the arm. And a motor for rotating the brush installed on the arm, wherein the brush, the fulcrum of the arm where the weight and the motor are balanced, and the rotation center point of the arm by the lifting / lowering means are shifted. And car wash machine top brush. 2. A top brush of a car washing machine provided inside a car washing machine main body and cleaning an upper surface of the car washing machine while relatively moving the car washing machine main body and the car to be washed, wherein A pair of arms having one end supporting a horizontal axis of the brush and the other end having a weight attached to balance the brush, and a lifting means for raising and lowering the brush by rotating the arm. And a motor for rotating the brush installed on the arm, wherein a sub-weight is attached to a part of the lifting means for rotating the arm.