JP2003127842A - Car washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a car washing device capable of avoiding the shut-up a customer in the device or causing congestion and also capable of automatically recovering from an abnormal state. SOLUTION: When an abnormality is detected, an operation stop or an operation limit is given only to a corresponding car washing operation device and car washing is continued. After the car washing, the car washing operation device in which an abnormality occurs confirms an operation to check whether there is any more abnormality or not, and if no abnormality is found, the confirmation operation or the operation limit is canceled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car wash device for cleaning and drying a car by operating various car wash processing devices provided in the car wash device body as the car and the car wash device body move relative to each other. More specifically, the present invention relates to a gate-type car wash machine of a type in which a car wash device body travels back and forth so as to straddle a car, or a continuous car wash machine in which a car wash device body is conveyed by a conveyor to pass through the car.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventionally known car washing device, when an abnormality occurs during car washing, the car washing device is stopped and a staff member is notified, and the rushed staff member is engaged in recovery work. However, in recent years, the number of self-service gas stations and unmanned self-cleaning car wash stations has increased, and the use of car wash equipment for self-service has become more frequent, making it difficult to promptly deal with recovery work in the event of an abnormality. ing. Especially in recent years
In many cases, the car wash equipment is installed in a drive-through layout to ensure efficient operation.In such a car wash area, customers often receive a car wash while they are still in the car. Customers may be locked in without being able to open the car, and because cars that are waiting for car washing will be lined up one after another due to a drive-through, congestion and complaints will quickly result if abnormal conditions cannot be recovered quickly. There was a problem.

[0003]

By the way, there are some abnormalities that occur during car washing due to breakdowns or defects on the device side, but most of them are accidental such as the bristles of the brush being caught on the vehicle body. However, even if an abnormality occurs, it can often be easily restored if an informed person is attached. However, in the recent situation of rationalization, it is often the case that a full-time staff cannot be assigned, and there is a demand for a car-washing device that can be easily restored even by a clerk or a customer who has no concurrent knowledge. Therefore, the subject of this invention is
Whether there is a car wash device that does not stop and trap customers even if an abnormality occurs and does not cause congestion, and that the car wash device can automatically check the operation and recover from the abnormality In point.

[0004]

According to the present invention, means for detecting an abnormality in the operation or state of each car wash processing device, means for storing data relating to the abnormality detected by the detection means, and storage for the storage means. Means for confirming the presence or absence of abnormality by giving a predetermined operation to the car wash processing device based on the abnormality data, and detecting the abnormality by the detection means during car washing,
In order to prevent damage to automobiles, etc. according to the abnormal data, a means for controlling the car wash processing device to stop the operation or limit the operation so that the car wash is performed, and after the abnormal car wash ends, the checking means functions to cause an abnormality. The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, characterized in that it is provided with means for confirming whether or not there is an abnormality at the location of occurrence and, if there is no abnormality, for stopping the operation or canceling the operation restriction.

Here, by providing a means for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality when the detecting means detects an abnormality and an input means for causing the releasing means to function by an input operation thereof, an abnormal state can be detected by an operation such as a key input. It should be easy to restore. Further, a means for detecting that the car has exited from the car wash device is provided, and after the car wash is completed, it is confirmed that the car has exited and the release means is automatically made to function so that the car wash device is automatically restored. You can also

[0006]

As a result, when an abnormality is detected, the car wash processing device is stopped or the operation is restricted so that the automobile is not damaged according to the abnormality data. Since the car wash operation can be continued, it is not necessary to stop the car wash and keep the customer in the car. Also, after the abnormal car wash, the checking means is activated to check if there is any abnormality at the location where the abnormality occurred.If there is no abnormality, the above operation stop or operation restriction is released, so the car wash device automatically confirms the operation and quickly It will be possible to restore the car to the car, and there will be no congestion in the car waiting to be washed.

[0007]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view of a car wash apparatus as an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view explanatory view of the car wash apparatus. Here, a continuous car wash apparatus for carrying out a car wash while conveying an automobile by a conveyor is illustrated.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a car-washing apparatus body formed in a tunnel shape, 2 denotes a conveyor which is a transportation apparatus for automobiles, and the car-washing apparatus body 1 is provided along the conveyor 2 and is conveyed in the apparatus body 1 by the conveyor 2. It is washed by brushing and then dried. Here, the conveyor 2 is a push roller 3 that moves in contact with the rear side of the tire of the automobile.
Are arranged at intervals longer than the length of the car to be cleaned, and the front wheels of the car that have entered near the entrance 1a of the device body 1 are pushed into the body 1 by pushing them with the push rollers 3. When it reaches the vicinity of the 1st exit 1b, the rear push roller 3 pushes the rear wheel of the automobile to let it go out of the main body 1. The conveyor is not limited to the push roller type described above, but may be a known roller conveyor type.

The car wash apparatus body 1 has an inlet 1a and an outlet 1
Top brush 5, rocker brush 6 in order toward b
・ 6, side brushes 7 ・ 7, top nozzles 8, side nozzles 9 ・ 9 are equipped with car wash processing devices, and water spray nozzles 4a for spraying wash water, detergent water, wax, etc. between these processing devices. 4f are appropriately arranged.
The vehicle introduced into the apparatus main body 1 by the conveyor 2 receives the washing water and the detergent sprayed by the water spray nozzles 4a to 4c, the top brush 5 brushes the upper surface of the vehicle body, and the pair of left and right rocker brushes 6 and 6 drives the vehicle. The lower part of the side surface is brushed. After this, the automobile receives the washing water sprayed by the spray nozzle 4d, and the front, side, and rear surfaces of the vehicle body are sequentially brushed by the pair of left and right side brushes 7.

In the thus brush-cleaned automobile, after the cleaning water and the wax are sprayed by the water spray nozzles 4e, 4f, the top nozzle 8 and the pair of left and right side nozzles 9,
Air is sprayed from No. 9 to get dry. Reference numeral 10 denotes an operation panel provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body 1 for mainly performing a car wash course selection input and a car wash start input. Reference numeral 11 denotes a vehicle body detection sensor provided in the rear portion of the apparatus main body 1, which is composed of a photoelectric switch in which a light emitting device and a light receiving device are opposed to each other so as to sandwich a passing space of the vehicle, and mainly functions as means for detecting exit of the vehicle here. To do. That is, it is detected that the vehicle has exited from the apparatus main body 1 by detecting the change from the detection state of the vehicle body to the non-detection state at the end of car washing.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control system of the embodiment. Reference numeral 21 is a control unit including a microcomputer, and when classified according to its function, a car wash control unit 21a that operates the car wash processing device according to a program, an abnormality detection unit 21b that detects an abnormality in the operation or state of the car wash processing device,
An abnormality storage unit 21c that stores data related to the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit 21b, and an abnormality confirmation unit 21d that confirms the abnormality by causing the car wash processing device to perform a confirmation operation based on the abnormality data stored in the abnormality storage unit 21c. Detector 21b
An abnormality notification unit 21e is provided to notify a predetermined management source 24 when an abnormality is detected in.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a drive unit which is energized in response to a drive signal from the car wash control unit 21a or the abnormality confirmation unit 21d to operate the corresponding car wash processing device. Reference numeral 23 denotes a sensor group provided in each part of the car wash device body 1 and includes the vehicle body detection sensor 1
1 includes a known sensor (not shown) for detecting the position and load state of the car wash processing device. The car wash control unit 21a operates various car wash processing devices via the drive unit 22 and performs control according to a detection signal from the sensor group 23 accompanying the operation. In addition, the abnormality detection unit 21b
Always monitors the detection signal from the sensor group 23, and when it detects an operation that deviates from the normal car wash operation range of the car wash processing device, it judges that it is abnormal and outputs a signal.

On the operation panel 10, a car wash input section 10a for inputting a car wash course, a car type, etc., a cancellation input section 10b for canceling an abnormal state when an abnormality occurs, and a visual display and voice output for notifying an abnormality occurrence. The abnormality notification unit 10c is provided. The car wash can be started by selecting a desired car wash course with the car wash input unit 10a and designating the vehicle type and the protrusions and inputting the start. When an abnormality occurs during the car wash, the abnormality notification unit 10c outputs an alarm and outputs an abnormality. Display the occurrence location. If the abnormality that occurs is serious enough to damage the car wash equipment or the car, the car wash operation is stopped immediately, but if it is a minor abnormality other than that, stop or limit the operation of the abnormal part and wash the car. To continue. Then, if the cancel input is made by the cancel input unit 10b after the end of the car wash, the abnormality confirmation unit 21d confirms the abnormality occurrence portion, and automatically diagnoses the operation. If there is no abnormality, stop the operation of the abnormality occurrence portion or limit the operation. It can be canceled.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the main part of the program when an abnormality occurs in the control unit 21 of the above embodiment. The following describes the operation when an abnormality occurs in the embodiment based on this figure.

The abnormality detecting section 21b monitors the signals from the sensor group 23 during the car washing, and, for example, (1) in response to an elevating command to the top brush 5 or the top nozzle 8 from the car washing control section 21a, the signal is output. Whether the brush 5 and the nozzle 8 actually went up or down to a predetermined position, (2) Rocker brush 6
Whether each brush closed or opened to the specified position in response to the opening / closing command to 6 or the side brushes 7 ・ (3) Each brush 5
・ Check whether the rotational load of 6, 6, 7, 7 exceeds the specified value, and if it is judged that the programmed state is deviated, it is judged as abnormal.

When an abnormality occurs during the car wash, the routine shown in FIG. 4 is executed. First, based on the detection signal from the abnormality detection unit 21b, the abnormality occurrence location, the occurrence timing (which portion of the vehicle body was washed), etc. are stored as abnormality data in the abnormality storage unit 21c, and the abnormality notification of the operation panel 10 is given. The occurrence of an abnormality is notified by voice / display from the unit 10c (S1). Then, based on the abnormality data, it is confirmed whether or not there is a serious abnormality for which the car wash operation should be stopped (S
2) If it is determined that the abnormality is serious, the operations of the conveyor 2 and the car wash processing device are stopped (S3), and the main program is returned to. Here, the serious abnormality is, for example, (1)
It may damage the car wash processing equipment or the car body, such as the side brush not opening with respect to the front of the car body, (2) similar abnormalities occur repeatedly, and (3) excessive load on the brush. It refers to an abnormal condition.

If no serious abnormality is recognized in step (S2), that is, (1) the top brush 5 or the top nozzle 8 does not descend or is slow to descend, (2) the rocker brush or the side brush does not close. Or it may be closed slowly, or (3) if there is no possibility of damaging the car wash processing device or vehicle body immediately, such as when the brush is temporarily overloaded, etc. Take evasive measures (S4) and return. Here, the danger avoidance measure is to stop the operation or limit the operation of the car wash processing device in which the operation is abnormal, and specifically, for example, (1) when the top nozzle 8 is moved up and down. If there is an abnormality, the nozzle 8 is not lowered below a certain height. (2) If there is an abnormality in the opening and closing of the side brushes 7, 7, brushing of the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle body is stopped and only the side surface of the vehicle body is brushed. (3) Brush overload If it is recognized, retract the brush from the car body,
Take such measures. In addition, in the case of brush overload (3), the bristles of the brush are often caught in the vehicle body, resulting in a temporary overload. For example, it is possible to take measures to bring the brush that has been retracted at that point into contact with the vehicle body.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the main part of the program when the abnormal state is released in the control unit 21 of the above embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation at the time of canceling the abnormality of the embodiment will be described with reference to this drawing.

If an abnormality occurs during car washing, the operation panel 10
Since an abnormality is displayed on the abnormality notification unit 10c of the operator, a staff member or a customer sees this display on the operation panel 10 and inputs the cancellation input unit 10b.
The abnormal state can be canceled by inputting cancel with. The cancel input is valid only when the vehicle is in a standby state other than during the car wash operation. When there is a cancel input, the routine of FIG. 5 is executed.

First, the abnormality notification unit 1 of the operation panel 10
It is confirmed whether or not there is an abnormality occurrence state that is abnormally displayed at 0c (S11), and if it is the abnormality occurrence state, the abnormality storage unit 21c
The data on the risk avoidance measure is read from (S12). Subsequently, it is confirmed by the vehicle body detection sensor 11 or the like that there is no automobile in the device body 1 (S13), and if it is confirmed that there is no automobile, the abnormal car wash processing device is confirmed (S14). The confirmation operation executed here is (1) if the brush or nozzle is abnormal due to lifting / opening / closing, move the brush or nozzle up / down or open / close,
Confirm that it can open and close at the timing according to the setting,
(2) If the rotation load of the brush is abnormal, rotate the brush and check that it rotates without overloading.

As a result of the operation check, if the abnormality is recognized again (S15), it is judged that the repair is necessary and the abnormality reporting section 21e notifies the management source 24 (S1).
6). On the other hand, if no abnormality is found in the operation check (S1
5), The state of the danger avoidance measure in the relevant car wash processing device is canceled (S17). Even if the abnormal state is canceled in step (S17), the abnormal data in the abnormal storage unit 21c is not cleared but saved and used as an abnormal history for maintenance and the like.

When the cancellation processing for one abnormal data is completed in this way, the process returns to step (S11). When a plurality of abnormalities occur during the car wash, the cancellation processing is repeatedly performed from step (S12) to cancel the next abnormality. When all the cancellation processing for the abnormality that has occurred is completed, there is no abnormality in step (S11), and the process returns to the main program.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a main part of a program when the abnormal state is automatically released in the control section 21 of the above embodiment. In FIG. 5, the danger avoidance measure is released by the release input on the operation panel 10, but in the flow of FIG. 6, the danger avoidance measure is automatically released after the end of the car wash, and either operation is adopted. This can be selectively set by setting means not shown. 6 differs from FIG. 5 in that the routine of FIG. 6 is automatically executed when the car washing is completed, and the other processes and operations are the same, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

This embodiment is constructed as described above, and if an abnormality occurs during car washing, if the abnormality is not a serious one that directly leads to damage to the car washing device or the automobile, then only the relevant portion will be targeted. Take risk avoidance measures and continue car washing. As a result, the car wash operation will not be stopped due to the occurrence of an abnormality, and the customer will not be trapped in the car or wait for the following vehicle for a long time. In addition, even if risk avoidance measures are taken, by performing a reset input on the operation panel, the car wash device side can automatically and safely check the operation to see if there are any abnormalities. The avoidance measures can be automatically canceled. Further, the danger avoidance measure can be canceled automatically after the car wash is completed. In this case, the car wash device side can automatically cancel it after the operation is confirmed without requiring a special operation. As a result, even if an abnormality occurs, the recovery can be performed extremely easily and quickly, and a car wash device suitable for self-service can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various embodiments can be considered without departing from the scope of the claims. In the above embodiment, the invention is applied to the continuous car washer that conveys the car by the conveyor. However, it is obvious that the invention can be similarly applied to the gate type car washer where the car washer travels.

[0026]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention allows the car wash operation to continue even if an abnormality occurs, so that the car wash is not stopped and the customer is not trapped in the car. In addition, even if an abnormality occurs, the car wash device can automatically check the operation and quickly recover, so that a car waiting for car wash does not become congested. And, since it has such a characteristic that is difficult to obtain in the related art, it is possible to provide a car washing device that can perform stable business with less trouble even in the case of unmanned business.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing a configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a main part of a program when an abnormality occurs in the control unit 21 of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a main part of a program when an abnormal state is released in the control unit 21 of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a main part of a program when the abnormal state is automatically released in the control unit 21 of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Car Wash Device Main Body 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Brush and Nozzle as Car Wash Processing Device 10 Operation Panel 10b Release Input Unit 10c as Input Means Abnormality Notification Unit 11 as Notification Means Body Detection Sensor 21 Control as Exit Detection Means Part 21a Car wash control part 21b as control means Abnormality detection part 21c as detection means Abnormality storage part 21d as storage means Abnormality confirmation part as confirmation means

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tetsuro Maruta             1825 Amamiya, Aramiya, Sarahima-shi, Nagano MK             Within Seiko Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3D026 AA03 AA34 AA35 AA40 AA75                       AA76

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A car wash apparatus for cleaning and drying an automobile by operating various car wash processing devices provided in the car wash apparatus body as the car and the car wash apparatus body move relative to each other. A means for detecting an abnormality in each operation or state, a means for storing data relating to the abnormality detected by the detection means, and an abnormality by giving a predetermined operation to the car wash processing device based on the abnormality data stored by the storage means If the abnormality is detected by the means for confirming the presence or absence of the vehicle and the detection means during car washing, the car wash processing device is stopped or restricted so that the car is not damaged according to the abnormality data. The means for controlling to perform the operation and the checking means after the abnormal car wash are made to function to check the presence or absence of the abnormality at the location where the abnormality occurs, and if there is no abnormality, the operation is stopped or the operation is stopped. Car wash device being characterized in that a means for releasing the limit. 2. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a means for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality when the detecting means detects an abnormality, and an input means for causing the releasing means to function by an input operation thereof. Car wash equipment. 3. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting that the vehicle has exited the car wash apparatus.
A car wash device characterized in that after the car wash is completed, it is confirmed that the car has exited and the release means is automatically activated.