JP2002193079A - Portal car washer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device capable of safe and efficient car washing operation by performing speedy car washing for finishing car washing only by moving forward one time in a drive-through type portal car washer. SOLUTION: In a car washer body, an upper surface brush device, a side surface brush device, and a blower nozzle are arranged in order from the front side, and a car body detecting means is arranged in a rear end part of the car washer body. Brushing washing and car body drying are simultaneously advanced, and the car washer body can perform the speedy car washing for finishing the car washing only by moving forward one time from a car washing starting position. When finishing the car washing, the car washer body is retreated to the car washing starting position by detecting a retreat of an automobile.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gate for washing a car body by brushing and automatically washing the car body after the car body is provided with a brush device and a blower nozzle in a car wash device body running across an automobile. Type car washer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of car washer, since the car washer itself travels, there is a risk that a collision accident may occur if a car or a person waiting for the car enters the traveling range by mistake. In particular, as described in JP-A-6-219243, this is a drive-through type car washer in which an automobile can pass from the front to the rear of the car washer. Located ahead of the starting position,
Devices that have been improved to make it easier for cars to leave are known, but with such devices, the exit of a car after washing is almost the same as the car washing machine retreating to the car washing start position, Delaying the exit could lead to a contact accident.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to make it possible to execute a speed-washing operation in which a car-washing operation of a drive-through type car washing machine is completed only by making a single round trip. Is there a car wash that can be obtained?

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a car washing apparatus main body comprising: an upper surface brush device for brushing an upper surface of a vehicle body at a front side; a side brush device for brushing front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of a vehicle body at a rear side; And, at the rear end of the car washing device main body, a vehicle body detecting means is provided,
The speed of the car washing can be executed by performing the brushing washing by the brush device and the vehicle drying by the blower nozzle simultaneously, and the car washing device body can go forward only once from the car washing start position to finish the car washing. Then, the above-mentioned problem is solved, wherein the leaving means of the car is detected by the detecting means, and the car wash apparatus body is moved backward to the car wash start position.

Here, it is preferable that a shutter is provided between the side brush device and the blower nozzle so as to move up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body so that water scattered during brushing washing does not reach the blower nozzle side.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a main part of a side surface of the embodiment, and FIG. Reference numeral 1 denotes a car washing machine main body, which is formed in a gate shape and reciprocates on the rails 2.2 so as to straddle the automobile A. The main body 1 stops at the rear end of the traveling range normally provided by the rails 2 and 2 as shown in FIG. 1A, and starts car washing from this position. The main body 1 is provided with brush devices 3, 4, 4, 5, 5 and blower nozzles 6, 7, 7 as well as watering nozzles 19a to 19c, a liquid agent tank (not shown), and the like. A washing operation for spraying wax and the like and brushing and a drying operation for blowing air from a blower nozzle are performed. Here, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1 (A), the car A enters from the front of the travel range of the main body 1 provided by the rails 2 and 2 and ends the car washing as shown in FIG. 1 (B). The route is set so as to exit behind the traveling range.

The brush device includes an upper brush device 3 which is located in front of the main body 1 and moves up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body and brushes the upper surface. ) A pair of left and right rocker brush devices 4 and 4 that operate and mainly brush the lower side of the vehicle body, and are located behind the upper surface brush device 3 and the rocker brush devices 4 and move toward and away from the vehicle body (open / close). And a pair of left and right side brush devices 5.5 for brushing the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the front and rear surfaces. Further, the blower nozzle is located behind each of the brush devices 3, 4, 4, 5, and 5, moves up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body, and blows air onto the upper surface to dry the upper surface blower nozzle. It further comprises a pair of left and right side blower nozzles 7, which are located at the rear of the main body 1 to blow air to the side of the vehicle body for drying.

[0008] 8 is a brush device 3, 4, 4, 5,.
5 and a shutter which is located in front of the blower nozzles 6, 7 and 7 behind the watering nozzles 19a to 19c and shuts off water scattered from the brush device and the watering nozzle so as not to reach the drying processing section having the blower nozzle. It is raised and lowered along with known lifting means. The shutter 8 shuts off the cleaning section including the brush device and the drying section including the blower nozzle, so that the cleaning water is scattered from the cleaning section to the drying section and the blower blows from the drying section to the cleaning section. The cleaning process and the drying process can be reliably performed without blowing, and thus the cleaning process and the drying process can be performed simultaneously in parallel.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an approach guide light provided on the front surface of the main body 1, and reference numeral 12 denotes an exit guide light provided behind the main body 1 and at a position visible from the driver's seat of the automobile at the car wash position. Reference numeral 13 denotes an operation box provided at a height operable from the driver's seat of the vehicle just before entering the traveling range of the main body 1 provided by the rails 2, 2, and accepts operations such as input of a fee and selection input of car washing contents. Reference numeral 14 denotes a detection switch for detecting a car wash start position of the main body 1, which detects a convex piece 15 provided at a predetermined position on a car wash apparatus installation surface. The car wash start position is as shown in FIG. 2 is set at the rear end of the travel range given. Reference numeral 16 denotes a rotary encoder for detecting a traveling position of the main body 1, which is connected to a traveling wheel of the main body 1 and outputs a pulse every time the main body 1 travels a unit distance.
The running distance of the main body 1 can be detected by counting the pulses from the encoder 16.

Reference numerals 17a, b and 18a, b denote body detectors provided before and after the main body 1, respectively, and light-emitting devices 17a, 18a and light-receiving devices 17b, 18 sandwich a car wash space.
b are opposed to each other, and a vehicle signal is detected by detecting that a beam signal transmitted and received between the two is cut off by an automobile. An object detector 20 is provided on the rear surface of the main body 1 and detects an object in a predetermined range behind the main body 1. The object detector 20 includes a so-called area sensor that detects a reflected wave of the irradiated infrared light and detects the object. In this case, it is checked whether there is a vehicle, a person, or the like that exits in the traveling direction. Reference numerals 21 are contact switches provided at four positions on the front, rear, left and right sides of the main body 1, respectively, for detecting that they have come into contact with an object such as a vehicle or a person, and urgently stopping the main body 1.

The rails 2 are mounted in grooves C formed by recessing the car washing device installation surface, and are provided so that the vehicle can pass freely on the rails without protruding from the installation surface. The groove C communicates with a drain pit P provided at the center between the rails 2 and 2, and is formed so as to collect washing water scattered mainly outside the rails 2 and 2 to guide the washing water to a drain outlet D. It also functions as a drain. F is a fence, and the exit guide light 12 is fixed to the fence F.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the embodiment. Reference numeral 22 denotes a control unit having a microcomputer;
Is a drive circuit of each unit. The control unit 22 receives a car wash in the operation box 13 and runs the car wash machine body 1 according to a sequence programmed in advance based on signals from the detection switch 14, the encoder 16, the body detectors 17 and 18, the object detector 20, and the like. , Brush 3, 4, 4, 5,
5 and operation of blower nozzles 6, 7, 7; watering nozzle 1
Water discharge from 9a to 19c is controlled via the drive circuit 23. 24 is a storage unit provided in the control unit 22, 25 is a voice notification unit for performing voice guidance, and 26 is a storage unit 2.
4 is an input unit for performing processing such as storing the position of a fixed object described later.

FIG. 5 is a time chart for explaining an example of a car washing operation of the embodiment. Here, a speed car washing which is completed only by the main body 1 going once is illustrated. In addition to this, the main body 1 performs one and a half reciprocation to perform car washing including waxing,
Multiple car wash operations can be performed. Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The main body 1 of the car washing apparatus is usually provided with a detection switch 14.
At the car wash start position given by When the car wash user inputs a car wash fee in the operation box 13 and selects a desired car wash menu, the control unit 22 confirms that there is no preceding vehicle and the vehicle body detectors 17 and 18 are both in a non-detected state. The “advance” lamp of the entrance guide light 11 is turned on, and an announcement prompting entry is made by the audio notifying unit 25, so that entry is possible. Here, the user is on rail 2
-Enter the car between the two and enter the car until the "stop" lamp of the approach guide light 11 is turned on by detecting the front end of the car by the front car body detector 17. When the car is stopped at the predetermined car wash position, the car wash operation is started according to the car wash menu selected in the operation box 13. In addition,
During the car wash, the user will wait in the car.

In FIG. 5, when car washing is started, the apparatus main body 1 is moved forward, and firstly, washing water is discharged from the watering nozzle 19a and detergent water s1 is discharged from the watering nozzle 19b.
Drive the upper brush 3 and lower it to make the rocker brushes 4.4
Is driven to be pressed against the lower side of the vehicle body to start brushing cleaning of the upper surface and the lower side surface of the vehicle body. When the side brushes 5.5 are driven to close toward the center of the main body 1 and the front end of the vehicle touches the closed side brushes 5.5, this is detected by a known detecting means, and the apparatus main body 1 is detected. Is temporarily stopped, and here the side brushes 5, 5 are opened with the discharge of cleaning water from the sprinkling nozzle 19c to perform brushing cleaning of the front of the vehicle body. When the side brushes 5.5 are opened and cleaning of the front of the vehicle body is completed, the forward movement of the apparatus body 1 is resumed to continue the brushing cleaning of the upper surface and the lower side of the vehicle body, and the side brushes 5.5 are pressed against the side of the vehicle body to perform the same operation. Perform side brushing cleaning.

As the main body 1 travels, the control unit 22 detects the length of the vehicle body by counting the pulse from the encoder 16 and measures the travel distance until the vehicle body detector 17 turns to non-detection. Based on the data, the timing at which each brush and watering nozzle deviates from the rear end of the vehicle body is estimated, and the operation is sequentially stopped. In addition, a shutter 8 is driven behind the side brushes 5, and the space above the vehicle body is blocked by the shutter 8, so that water scattered during brushing washing does not reach the drying processing section having a blower nozzle. Is controlled based on vehicle length data.

The control unit 22 drives a blower (not shown) at the timing when the main body 1 resumes running, and blows air from the blower nozzles 6, 7, 7 to remove washing water attached to the vehicle body by brushing washing. Perform processing. Here, the upper surface blower nozzle 6 moves up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body, and operates so that the side blower nozzles 7 protrude and retract along the side surface of the vehicle body. The driving of the blower nozzle is also controlled based on the vehicle length data, and the operation stops when the blower nozzle reaches the rear end position of the vehicle body. Further, the control unit 22 counts the distance after the vehicle body detector 18 behind the main body detects the vehicle body, and when the counted value does not exceed the vehicle length data by the detector 17, that is, when the rear end of the vehicle body comes off the main body 1. The traveling of the apparatus main body 1 is stopped just before the detector 18 turns to non-detection.

In this way, when the speed car washing in which the main body 1 travels only once is completed, the control unit 22 turns on the exit guidance light 12 and announces from the voice notification unit 25 to prompt the exit of the car that has been washed. In response to this, when the vehicle exits and the vehicle body detector 18 turns to non-detection, the apparatus main body 1 is moved backward after a predetermined delay time and retreated to the car wash start position given by the detection switch 14. When the vehicle is still in the car wash space due to the retreat, and the vehicle body detector 18 and the object detector 20 are in the detection state, the main body 1 stops running, and waits until the detection is changed to non-detection.
To prevent collision with the car. Hereinafter, the retreat operation will be described in more detail.

In the storage unit 24 of the control unit 22, the position of a fixed object (fence F in this embodiment) which is fixedly installed near the traveling range of the main body 1 and in which the object detector 20 is in a detection state as the main body 1 approaches. Is stored. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a car washer is often installed at the last minute of a border such as a fence for effective use of the site, and when the main body 1 reaches near the car washing start position at the rear end of the traveling range, an object detector is provided. 20
Then, the fence F is detected. So, fence F
The position of the main body 1 corresponding to the range R for detecting
Is set so that processing such as running stop is not performed even if the detector 20 detects an object when the main body 1 is at this position. The specific processing will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 shows an object detector 2 when the main body 1 is retracted.
It is a flowchart figure which shows the program part executed when 0 becomes a detection state. The control unit 22 uses the car wash start position given by the detection switch 14 as a starting point, and
6 pulses are counted (+1 count when going to the main body,
(1 count at the time of return), the running position of the main body from the car wash start position is constantly detected. When the detector 20 detects an object, the control unit 22 reads the position of the fixed object from the storage unit 24, compares the position of the fixed object with the traveling position of the main body, and as shown in FIG. (Fence F)
Is detected, or whether an object such as a car to be avoided is detected as shown in FIG. 8 (1), and if it is determined that the object is to be avoided, step (2) is performed. To (5).

If it is determined in step (1) that an object to be avoided is detected, the traveling of the main body 1 is stopped and the voice alarm 25 sends a message such as "The car wash machine will be back, so please exit." An announcement is made to leave the traveling range (2). Thereafter, the apparatus waits until the object detector 20 becomes non-detected (3). If the object detector 20 becomes non-detected, the apparatus waits for a further fixed time (4), and restarts the running of the main body 1 (5). On the other hand, if it is determined in step (1) that the detection of the fixed object stored in the storage unit 24 is performed, the processing such as stopping the running of the main body 1 is not performed, and the running is continued as it is.

In addition, immediately after the car washer is installed, the storage unit 2
In the case where the position of the fixed object is not yet stored in 4 and the traveling is stopped by detecting the fixed object, by entering the key in the input unit 26 at the standby state in step (3), , Body 1 in the detection state
And the position of the fixed object can be stored.
That is, when there is a key input in the input unit 26 (6), the first position of the fixed object is set based on the current running position of the main body 1 (set to a position a fixed distance before the current position) and stored in the storage unit 24. After the storage, the running of the main body 1 is restarted (7). After that, although not particularly shown, when the object detector 20 turns to non-detection, or when the vehicle reaches the position given by the detection switch 14 while the detector 20 is in the detection state and the car wash ends, the detection is not performed. The second position of the fixed object is set based on the position or the car wash end position, and stored in the storage unit 24. In this way, the first and second positions of the fixed object are stored in the storage unit 24, and the position range where the detector 20 is always in the detection state by the fixed object is stored.

As for the method of setting the position of the fixed object, various methods other than those described above are conceivable. For example, a mode dedicated to position setting can be designated, and in this dedicated mode, an actual car wash operation or an operation similar to a car wash accompanied by running of a car wash machine is executed in a state where a car or a person does not approach the travel range of the main body 1. When an object is detected by the object detector 20 during this operation, the first position is set based on the detected position without stopping the traveling of the main body 1, and when the detector 20 becomes non-detected thereafter, this position is set. The second position may be set based on the second position. In most cases, buildings and fences, which are fixed objects, are located at the rear end of the normal traveling range. At this time, the first and second positions may be set.

This embodiment is constructed as described above. When the car exits after the car washes and the car washer retreats to the car washing start position, it is almost the same time. However, when the vehicle body detector 18 and the object detector 20 detect an automobile or the like, the traveling of the main body 1 is stopped immediately, and a contact accident can be prevented. Even if a failure or malfunction occurs in both detectors 18 and 20, the contact switch 21 can be used to stop the main body 1 in an emergency, so that the vehicle or the like is not seriously damaged. Further, even if the object detector 20 detects a fixed object that does not need to be avoided such as the fence F, the position of the fixed object is stored in the storage unit 24 so that even if the fixed object is detected, 1 does not need to be stopped one by one, and can operate smoothly. The position of the fixed object such as the fence F can be registered by actually washing the car, and can be arbitrarily stored according to the location conditions after the car washing machine is installed.

As another embodiment, a reflection type ultrasonic sensor can be used for the object detector 30. In the photoelectric area sensor used in the previous embodiment, since light is used, the amount of light reflected changes according to the color of the vehicle body and the like, and it is difficult to accurately determine the distance to the object. If a sound wave sensor is used, the distance to the object can be specified without being affected by color or the like. Therefore, the first approach range R1 and the second approach range R2 are set according to the distance to the object, and the operation is controlled according to the degree of approach.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a program portion which is executed when the detector 30 is in the detection state when an ultrasonic sensor is used as the detector 30. When the object detector 30 detects an object in the first or second approach range, whether the detector 30 detects a fixed object,
Alternatively, it is checked whether an object to be avoided is detected (11), and if an object to be avoided is detected, the detection is performed in the second approach range R2 or the first approach range R1.
It is confirmed whether it is (12) (13). The second closer
If it is within the approaching range, the traveling of the main body 1 is immediately stopped, an announcement is made by the audio alarm 25 to leave the traveling range of the main body 1, and the timer T2 is set (14). If it is the first approaching range, the traveling of the main body 1 is decelerated, an announcement is also made from the audio alarm 25 to leave the traveling range of the main body 1, and the timer T1 is set (15). Here, when the timer time T1 or T2 elapses without the detected object leaving, the steps (14) and (15) are executed again, and the announcement urging the leaving is repeated. When the detector 30 becomes non-detected in this way, the voice annunciator 25 announces the resumption of running and the main body 1 starts running again.

As described above, in this embodiment, the running of the main body is controlled in accordance with the degree of approach, and if there is sufficient distance to contact in the first approach range, the running of the main body is decelerated. If a danger of contact occurs in the second approach range, the main body is stopped. Thereby, the traveling of the main body 1 is avoided as much as possible while confirming safety, and the traveling operation is speeded up.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Of course, it can be applied to a general portal type car washing machine that sequentially performs washing, drying, and the like by conventionally known reciprocating traveling, and there is no problem with a type of car washing machine that performs washing only with a high-pressure spray without using a brush. Can be applied.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to execute a speed car wash in which the car wash is completed only by the car wash apparatus body going forward once from the car wash start position.
When the car washer retreats to the car wash start position, it can reliably detect the car that has not exited and prevent contact, and even when performing an unattended car wash service using this car washer, the operation can be automated safely. To be peeled off.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a main part of a side surface of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a main part of the front of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a time chart illustrating an example of a car washing operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a program part in a control unit.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a program portion executed when the detector 30 enters a detection state in an embodiment using an ultrasonic sensor as the detector 30;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car wash machine main body 3.4.4.5.5 brush device 6.7.7 blower nozzle 16 Rotary encoder which constitutes travel position detecting means 17.18 Body detector 19a to 19c Watering nozzle 20 Object detector serving as object detector 22 control section as control means 24 storage section as storage means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A gate-type car washer comprising a brush device and a blower nozzle provided on a body of a car washing apparatus running across an automobile to automatically wash the body of the automobile by brushing and drying the washed body. The main body of the machine has an upper surface brush device for brushing the upper surface of the vehicle body on the front side, a side brush device for brushing the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the vehicle body behind the device, a blower nozzle behind the device, and a detection of the vehicle body at the rear end of the car wash device main body. Means for carrying out brushing cleaning by the brush device and drying of the vehicle body by the blower nozzle in a simultaneous manner, so that the speed of the car washes can be reduced to a single speed by the car wash device body going forward from the car wash start position. Upon completion of car washing, the exit means of the car is detected by the detecting means, and the car washing apparatus body is retracted to the car washing start position. Gate-type car wash machine, characterized in that it was so that. 2. The portal type car washer according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter provided between the side brush device and the blower nozzle, the shutter being moved up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body, and water scattered along with the brushing cleaning is directed to the blower nozzle side. A gate-type car washer characterized by being prevented from reaching.