JP2003063364A - Car washing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a car washing system by which a user can perform correct parking by a proper guidance display according to which the user can make a position adjustment even if the tires of an automobile which has entered overstep a specified position, in a self operatable car washing system wherein the user enters and accepts washing by driving the user's own automobile by oneself. SOLUTION: The car washing system is provided with a tire detection means 7 for detecting an automobile to stop at a specified position and car body detection means 5, 6, 7 for detecting the automobile overstepping a specified position, wherein the guidance is displayed whether the automobile should move forward to the guidance display part 9 or stop or move backward corresponding to the detected results by the detection means to allow users to make the position adjustment.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car wash apparatus for cleaning and drying a car body of a car by causing a car wash machine body formed into a gate shape to run on a car that has entered and stopped a car wash area. In particular, the present invention relates to a car wash device suitable for a self-service car wash device in which a user of the car wash device enters the car wash area and receives the car.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a self-service car washing device, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-81531 is known. In other words, it is possible to wash a car by detecting that the car has entered the car wash area and the tires (front wheels) have entered the predetermined position, and if the car moves from the predetermined position during the car wash, the car wash is stopped to ensure safety. It was made possible to wash the car. Then, in this type of car wash device, the "forward" indicator light is turned on until the tires of the vehicle are in a predetermined position, and when the predetermined position is reached, the "stop" indicator light is turned on to ensure that the vehicle is in proper condition. It is also known to display a guide so that passengers can enter the position.

[0003]

By the way, there are cases in which some of the passengers enter with great force and tires (front wheels) pass over a predetermined position. In this case, the above-mentioned "forward movement" is required.
There was an inconvenience that the guide display of "stop" was confusing. That is, since "forward" is displayed until the state where the switch portion is stepped on by the tire, "forward" is displayed even if the switch portion is stepped over, and there is a problem that the vehicle cannot be stopped at a predetermined position as long as the guide display is followed. Also, if the rear wheel gets in after the switch over with the front wheel, it is possible to wash the car by misunderstanding that the car has come into a predetermined position in the car wash machine, and then the car is abnormally stopped because the position of the car is abnormal. There was also the problem of doing.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to
Even if the tires of the car that entered the car cross over the predetermined position, it is possible to provide a proper guide display so that the position can be corrected so that the car can be stopped correctly. There is a point.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle body detecting means for detecting a vehicle body of an automobile that has entered a car wash machine body beyond a predetermined stop position, and detecting that a tire of the automobile is in a predetermined position. Tire detection means, a guide display portion for displaying whether to move forward, stop, or retreat for a vehicle entering a car wash area, and the vehicle body detection means and tire detection means are not detected with respect to the guide display portion. When the tire detection means is in the detection state, it is displayed that the vehicle should stop and when the vehicle body detection means is in the detection state, it is displayed that the vehicle should move backward. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems were solved.

The present invention further includes a first vehicle body detecting means for detecting a vehicle body of an automobile that has entered a car wash area, and a second vehicle body detecting means for detecting a vehicle body of an automobile that has entered the car wash machine body beyond a predetermined stop position. Body detection means, tire detection means for detecting that the tire of the vehicle is in a predetermined position, a guide display section for displaying whether the vehicle entering the car wash area should move forward, stop, or move backward, First
And a vehicle entry control section for displaying whether to advance, stop, or retreat to the guide display section according to the detection states of the second vehicle body detection means and the tire detection means,
The above problem is solved.

Here, the entry control section causes the guide display section to display a message indicating that the vehicle should advance when the first and second vehicle body detection means and the tire detection means are not detected, and the tire detection means. When the second vehicle body detection means is in the detection state, it is controlled to display that the vehicle should be stopped, and when the second vehicle body detection means is in the detection state, the vehicle body is to be moved backward.
Further, in the entry control section, when the first vehicle body detection means is in the detection state and the tire detection means is not detected, whether or not the tire detection means is once in the detection state before reaching this state, It suffices to determine whether the guide display unit is to be displayed to move forward or to be moved backward.

[0008]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view of a car wash apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a car washing machine main body, which is a gate-shaped rail 2
・ A car that travels back and forth on 2 and enters a car wash area formed between rails 2 and 2 is cleaned by a processing device (not shown) such as a brush or a drying nozzle provided in main body
It dries. 3 is a car wash reception device provided in front of the car wash area, and 4 is a gate device also provided in front of the car wash area. When a car wash is accepted by entering a car wash fee at the car wash reception device 3 and selecting a desired car wash course, for example. The vehicle is allowed to enter by opening the gate of the gate device 4 after confirming that the car washing in the car washing area is completed and there is no preceding vehicle.

In this embodiment, the car wash reception device 3
It is operated by a drive-through method in which the vehicle enters into the car wash area from the side through the gate device 4 and exits to the rear of the car wash machine body 1 when the car wash ends. The self-service car wash device is not limited to the drive-through system, but there is also a system in which the car is moved backward after the car wash to exit, or the car wash machine body is moved backward after the car wash and the car exits from the front of the car wash to the side. There is also a method.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a first vehicle body detection means provided at the front end of the car wash machine body 1 for detecting the vehicle body of an automobile that has entered the car wash area. Here, a reflection type photoelectric switch is used. The reference numeral 6 is provided at a position recessed from the front surface of the car wash machine body 1 by a predetermined distance, and detects a vehicle body of an automobile that has excessively approached the car wash machine body to a position that should be abnormal (a position beyond a predetermined stop position). In the second vehicle body detecting means, a transmissive photoelectric switch is used here. Reference numeral 7 denotes a tire detecting means for providing a predetermined stop position of the automobile in the car wash area, which is composed of a depressing switch for detecting that the tire has climbed onto a step plate provided therein.

Numeral 8 is a third vehicle body detecting means provided at the rear end of the car wash machine body 1 for confirming whether or not the car has left the car wash area after the car wash. Here, a transmissive photoelectric switch is used. is doing. Reference numeral 9 is a guide display unit that displays whether to move forward, stop, or retreat for a vehicle entering the car wash area. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide display unit has instruction displays such as "forward", "stop", and "reverse". 9a
And a rotating light 9b corresponding to each display,
By selectively turning on the rotary lamp in response to an instruction from a control unit described later, it is displayed whether the vehicle should move forward, stop, or move backward.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the first and second vehicle body detecting means and the tire detecting means. Even if you go with a car in general, the size varies, and looking at the dimensions L1 and L2 of the front overhang from the tire (front wheel) to the front end of the vehicle body, from a light car K of about 500 mm to a wagon car W of about 1400 mm. Significant differences are recognized. In consideration of such a difference in size, the stop position of the vehicle with respect to the car wash machine body 1 is set by the installation position of the tire detection means 7. That is, even in a car with a large front overhang, the vehicle stop position is set to a position where the front end of the car can be washed and dried by the car wash machine. There is a case where the tip of the vehicle body has a small front overhang and the tip does not reach the car wash machine body 1.

For this reason, the first vehicle body detecting means 5 extends diagonally forward from the front end of the car wash machine body 1 so that the vehicle body of the vehicle can be reliably detected when the vehicle gets into a predetermined position given by the tire detecting means. A light signal is output by the vehicle and the reflected light from the vehicle body is received so that it can be detected even in the vehicle body of a light vehicle whose tip does not reach the car wash machine body 1. Further, the second vehicle body detecting means 6 is in a state where the second vehicle body detecting means 6 is in a predetermined position given by the tire detecting means,
Even if the vehicle body has a large front overhang, it is located inside the car wash machine body 1 so that the light signal cannot be blocked, and the second vehicle body detecting means is shielded before starting the car wash. It is set at a position where it can be judged that it is overkill.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control system of the embodiment. The control unit 11 is in the car wash main body 1 and receives an operation input from the car wash reception device 3. When the reception device 3 makes a car wash start request, the detection units 5 to 8 detect that the car is not in the car wash area. After confirming that the gate 4 is opened and the car enters the car wash area, "forward", "stop" or "reverse" is displayed on the guide display section 9 based on the detection signals from the detection means 5-7.
Is displayed. When the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle has stopped at the predetermined stop position given by the tire detection means, the control unit 11 causes the car wash drive unit 12 to wash the car wash machine 1 in accordance with the content of the car wash received by the reception device 3. .

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the control processing of the main part of the control section 11 and shows a routine of an entrance guide for displaying a guide when the vehicle enters the car wash area. The operation and usage of the embodiment will be described below with reference to this figure.

First, immediately after the gate 4 is opened, the second
It is confirmed that the vehicle body is not detected by the vehicle body detection means (1), and then it is confirmed that the front wheel of the vehicle has not reached the predetermined position by the tire detection means (2). However, when it is confirmed that the vehicle body is not detected (3), the "forward" lamp is turned on in the guide display unit 9 (4). Then, just follow the guide display and drive the car into the car wash area.

As the vehicle enters, the first step (3)
Even if the vehicle body detecting means detects the vehicle body, the guide display of "forward" remains as it is until the front wheel is detected in step (2), and the guide display portion 9 is not displayed until the front wheel enters the tire detecting means 7. Is switched to turn on the "stop" lamp (5). Here, the passenger may stop the traveling of the automobile, and if the state of being stopped at the predetermined position is continued for a predetermined time or longer (6), the routine of the illustrated entrance guide is ended and the car wash operation is started.

Step (2) when the car vigorously enters
Then, once the front wheel is detected and then the tire detection means is overcome, only the first vehicle body detection means is in the detection state,
At this time, in step (7), it is confirmed whether the vehicle is over the tire detecting means, that is, whether the front wheel is detected even momentarily after entering the entry guide routine, and if so, the guide display unit 9 Is switched to turn on the "reverse" lamp (8). Here, the customer can stop the vehicle at a predetermined stop position by slightly backing the vehicle.

[0019] Some users try to get into the car washer without thinking that the car cannot be washed unless the car is put into the car wash machine. Some of them try to get the rear wheel of the car into the tire detection means. There were also cases where the car stopped. In this embodiment, when the vehicle enters the position where the vehicle body is detected by the second vehicle body detecting means in the car wash machine in step (1), the guide display section is immediately switched to lighting the "reverse" lamp. .
This "reverse" display continues as long as the vehicle body is detected by the second vehicle body detecting means, and does not change even if the tire detecting means detects the tire. Since it is obviously abnormal to detect the vehicle body by the second vehicle body detecting means in the routine of the entrance guide, a voice is output in addition to the guide display to warn the user to return to the correct position.

This embodiment operates as described above. Until the tire detection means 7 detects a tire (front wheel), the guide display section 9 displays "forward" and the tire detection means 7 displays the tire. When "front wheel" is detected, "stop" is displayed, and when the second vehicle body detecting means 6 detects the vehicle body, "reverse" is displayed to ensure that the vehicle entering the car wash area is predetermined. It is designed to guide to the stop position. When the vehicle body is detected by the first vehicle body detection means 5 and the tire is not detected by the tire detection means 7, it is not possible to know accurately whether the vehicle should be moved forward or backward, but by the time that state is reached If it is not detected, it will be judged as "forward", and if it has already detected the tires by that time, it will be judged as "reverse", and the guide display will always display an alternative display so as not to confuse users. .

In this embodiment, as described above, the tires (front wheels) are always stopped so that the tires (front wheels) are in a predetermined position.
With this, it is possible to detect immediately and to take safety measures such as stopping the car wash operation.

The present invention can be implemented as described above, but is not limited to the above embodiments. In the embodiment, the drive-through type car wash device has been described, but it can be applied to other self-service car wash devices. Further, although a reflection type and a transmission type photoelectric switch is used as the vehicle body detection device, it is not limited to the photoelectric switch, as long as it can detect the presence of the vehicle body in a predetermined area,
Both are applicable.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, depending on the detection states of the first and second vehicle body detecting means and the tire detecting means, the guide display portion should be moved forward, stopped or moved backward. Since the ticker is displayed, even if the tire of the entering car has crossed over the predetermined position, the guide will be displayed properly so that the position of the tire can be corrected and the car can be stopped correctly. Machine can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a car wash device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front explanatory view of a guide display 9 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between the first and second vehicle body detection means and the tire detection means of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a main part of a program in the control unit 11 of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 car wash machine body 3 Car wash reception device 4 gate device 5 First vehicle body detection means 6 Second vehicle body detection means 7 Tire detection means 8 Third body detection means 9 Guide display 11 Control unit 12 Car wash drive

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A car wash apparatus for cleaning and drying a car body of a car by running a car-washer body having a gate shape on a car that has entered a car wash area and stopped at a predetermined position. A vehicle body detecting means for detecting a vehicle body of an automobile that has entered the main body of the vehicle beyond a predetermined stop position, a tire detecting means for detecting that a tire of the automobile is in a predetermined position, and a forward movement for a vehicle entering a car wash area A guide display section for indicating whether it should be stopped, or to move backward, and to the guide display section, display that the vehicle body detection means and the tire detection means should move forward when they are not detected, and the tire detection means detects. When the vehicle is in the state, the vehicle wash device is provided with a vehicle entrance control unit that controls to display that the vehicle should be stopped and to display that the vehicle body detection unit should move backward when the vehicle is in the detected state. 2. A car wash apparatus for cleaning and drying a car body of a car by running a car-washing machine body having a gate shape on a car that has entered a car wash area and stopped at a predetermined position. The first vehicle body detecting means for detecting the vehicle body of an automobile that has entered the area, the second vehicle body detecting means for detecting the vehicle body of an automobile that has entered the car wash machine beyond a predetermined stop position, and the tire of the vehicle are Tire detecting means for detecting that the vehicle is in a predetermined position, a guide display section for displaying whether to advance, stop, or retreat the vehicle entering the car wash area; the first and second vehicle body detecting means; A car wash device comprising: a vehicle entry control unit that displays whether to advance, stop, or retract to a guide display unit according to a detection state of a tire detection unit. 3. The car wash apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the entry control section should move forward with respect to the guide display section when the first and second vehicle body detection means and tire detection means are not detected. A car wash device characterized by displaying a message to the effect, displaying that the tire detection means should stop when it is in a detection state, and displaying that it should move backward when the second vehicle body detection means is in a detection state. 4. The car wash apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in the entry control section, when the first vehicle body detection means is in the detection state and the tire detection means is not detected, the tire detection means is set before reaching this state. In the car wash device, it is determined whether the guide display unit displays a message indicating that the vehicle should move forward or displays a message indicating that the vehicle should move backward based on whether the vehicle is in the detection state.