JP2003182539A - Car washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a car washing device capable of sufficiently retracting a brush so that the standby brush does not come into contact with an automobile in the case where it is unnecessary to bring the brush into contact with the automobile to prevent a customer from having uncomfortable feeling and prevent the finish from being impaired. <P>SOLUTION: This car washing device washes the automobile by brushing it along with the running of a car washing device main body formed into a portal shape. Usually, a brush device is retracted from the automobile and it put at a first standby position where the brush is rotated and operated at the position. If it is desirable to avoid the contact of the brush with the automobile, the brush is retracted at a second standby position apart from the automobile further than the first standby position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car-washing device main body having a gate-shaped car-washing device main body, which is usually provided in a standby position retracted from an automobile body and which is in contact with the car body at the time of car-washing for brushing and washing. The present invention relates to a car wash device of a type that brushes and cleans an automobile as it travels.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A plurality of rotating brush devices are provided and can be moved between a cleaning position in contact with an automobile and a standby position retracted from the automobile. When washing a car, the brush device is in the cleaning position and contacts the vehicle body for brushing cleaning. There is known a car wash device that is made to evacuate to a standby position after the car wash is completed. In such a car wash device, for example, because of the need for brush cleaning found in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-51665, the rotary brush device is provided between the brush and the inner wall of the car wash device body so that the rotary brush device can be rotated even in the standby position. It is installed so as to keep an appropriate interval.

[0003]

By the way, in response to the demand of customers who dislike the use of brushes, a car wash device may be used for spraying liquid agent or water to the vehicle body. The brush in the position may come into contact with the car body, which may cause complaints from customers. Also,
Evacuate the washed car through the car wash device,
The number of cases where the car wash device is operated by so-called drive through is increasing, but there is a disadvantage that the brush at the standby position comes into contact with the vehicle body even when the vehicle exits and wets the dried vehicle body after the car wash.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a car wash device which eliminates the above inconvenience by retracting a brush that is on standby in a case where it is not necessary to bring the brush into contact with the car, so that the brush does not come into contact with the car. To do.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a brush device is provided with a first standby position in which the brush device is retracted from the automobile and the brush is rotatably operated at that position. The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem by assuming a second standby position that is held further away from the automobile.

[0006] Here, when the brush device is in a standby state where it is not in a brushing operation, the brush device is normally held in the first standby position, and (a) cleaning water or In the process of spraying the liquid agent, the brush device is held at the second standby position, and (b) the brush device is moved to the second standby position when leaving the car at the end of the car wash.
In the standby position, and (c) in the process of drying the car after brushing and cleaning the car, hold the brush device in the second standby position, and (d) when the car passes through the car wash device. Is equipped with an input means for holding the brush device at the second standby position, and (e) moving the brush device from the first standby position to the second standby position.

[0007]

As a result, it is possible to have a second standby position which is held further away from the vehicle than the first standby position, so that it is normally held at the first standby position for brush cleaning and the like. When the brush is rotatable and it is not desired to bring the brush into contact with the automobile, the brush can be further retracted to the second standby position.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment. Here, a main body 1 of a gate-type car wash device travels back and forth on rails 2 and 2 and stops between rails 2 and 2. The example implemented in the gate type car wash machine which automatically cleans the car.

The car wash device body 1 is provided with an upper surface brush 3 and a pair of left and right side surface brushes 4 as a rotating brush device. The upper surface brush 3 is capable of moving up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle and mainly brushes the upper surface of the vehicle body. The side surface brushes 4 and 4 are opened and closed along the front and rear surface and the side surface of the vehicle, respectively. To brush. The upper surface brush 3 and the side surface brushes 4 and 4 are normally held at a first standby position (illustrated by a solid line), and from this position, they move inward to perform a brushing operation. It is possible to take a second standby position (shown by a dotted line) that is further retracted from the vehicle body from the position.

Further, the car wash device body 1 is provided with an upper surface blower nozzle 5 and a pair of left and right side surface blower nozzles 6 as a device for drying the vehicle after cleaning. The upper surface blower nozzle 5 moves up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle to inject the drying air, and the side surface blower nozzle 6
・ 6 injects drying air to each side of the car. In addition to the above, in the car wash device body 1, a nozzle pipe 7 for spraying washing water, liquids such as detergents and waxes to the car body, a drive device 8 for driving the car wash device body 1, Body detection means 9 for detecting that the vehicle has exited
Etc. are provided.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the structure of the upper surface brush 3 for explaining the lifting mechanism of the upper surface brush 3. Both ends of the rotation shaft of the upper surface brush 3 are supported by a carrier 11, and the carrier 11 is a main body 1 of the car wash device.
It is possible to move up and down along rails 12 which are respectively erected on both sides of the. Further, the carrier 11 is connected to a chain loop 13 provided near the rail 12 to form a pair of sprockets 14 and 14 forming the chain loop 13.
The upper surface brush 3 is moved up and down via the carrier 11 by driving one of the two in forward and reverse rotation by a motor 15 as an up-and-down drive means. The carrier 11, which is not particularly shown, fixedly supports a motor as a rotation driving means for the upper surface brush 3.

Reference numeral 16 is a counterweight for reducing the rotational load of the motor 15. Of the two chain tension portions formed by the chain loop 13, the carrier 11 is attached to one side and the counterweight 16 is attached to the other side. To do. Reference numeral 17 is a means for detecting that the upper surface brush 3 is at the first standby position, and 18 is means for detecting that the upper surface brush 3 is at the second standby position.
1 comprises a micro switch which is turned on and off when it reaches the corresponding position, and when it is desired to set the upper surface brush 3 to the first standby position, the drive of the motor 15 is stopped when the switch 17 operates as the carrier 11 moves. Let the second as well
Carrier 11 switch 1
When 8 is operated, the driving of the motor 15 is stopped.

FIG. 4 is a front explanatory view showing the structure of the side brushes 4, 4 for explaining the opening / closing mechanism of the side brushes 4, 4. The side brushes 4 and 4 are supported at the upper ends of their rotary shafts by the carriers 21 and 21, respectively.
1.21 is a rail 2 which is horizontally provided above the car wash device body 1.
It is possible to move along 2. The carriers 21 and 21 are connected to the chain loops 23 and 23 provided along the rails 22, respectively, and one of the sprockets 24 and 24 forming each chain loop 23 is normally and reversely rotated by a motor 25 serving as an opening and closing drive means. By driving, the side brushes 4, 4 are opened / closed via this carrier. Each of the carriers 21 and 21 fixedly supports a motor, which is a rotation driving means, of the side brushes 4 and 4, although not particularly shown.

Reference numerals 26 and 26 are means for detecting that the side brushes 4.4 are in the first standby position, and 27 and 27 are means for detecting that the side brushes 4 and 4 are in the second standby position. It consists of a micro switch that is turned on and off when the carrier 21 reaches the corresponding position. Here, when it is desired to set the side brushes 4 and 4 to the first standby position, the drive of the motor 25 is stopped when the switch 26 is actuated along with the movement of each carrier 21, and the second standby position is similarly set. At this time, the drive of the motor 25 is stopped when the carrier 21 operates the switch 27.

In the present embodiment, the first standby position is the storage position retracted from the automobile, but the car wash machine body is such that the brushes 3, 4 and 4 can be rotated at that position without any trouble. 1 is a position where a space is secured with respect to the inner wall. Therefore, the above-mentioned actual Kaihei 3-51
The brush cleaning operation seen in Japanese Patent No. 665,
The operation such as spinning the brush to prevent freezing and draining the water is performed at the first standby position. Even if the brush is in the first standby position, the bristles of the brush may come into contact with the vehicle body when the size of the car is large or the stop position of the car is laterally offset.

The second standby position is a position farther from the vehicle than the first standby position, and is a position closer to the inner wall of the car wash device body 1. Rotation of the brush at this position is the brush. It is not intended due to the risk of wear and the like. Holding the brush in the second standby position is intended to prevent the bristles of the brush from coming into contact with the vehicle body as much as possible, even if the vehicle is large or the vehicle stop position is offset left or right. is there.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control system of the embodiment. 31 is a control unit, which includes a microcomputer,
A signal is output to the drive unit 33 in response to an input operation on the operation panel 32 provided on the front surface of the car wash machine body 1 to sequentially operate the respective parts of the car wash apparatus body 1 such as the brush and the blower nozzle. Reference numeral 34 is a sensor block including various sensors including the above-mentioned standby position detecting means 17, 18, 26 and 27, and the control unit 31 outputs a command to the drive unit 33 in response to an input signal from the various sensors. The above-described operations such as normal rotation / reverse rotation / stop of the motors 15 and 25 are performed.

The operation panel 32 is provided with a well-known car wash course selection input section and a car wash start input section, as well as input means 35 for retracting the brush to the second standby position. The input means 35 can be operated only in the standby state where the car washing operation is not performed. When there is an input, the control unit 31 drives the motors 15 and 25 to drive the brushes 3 and 4.
・ Retract 4 from the first standby position to the second standby position,
If an input is made again in this state, it is possible to return to the original first standby position. Therefore, when the input means 35 is used when replenishing consumables such as liquid agent or performing repair work, work can be performed in the car wash device without the brush interfering.

In the embodiment configured as described above,
When the rotating brushes 3, 4, 4 are in the standby state, which is not in the brushing operation associated with the car wash, all the brushes are normally held in the first standby position, and the following cases (A) to (C) Will be moved to the second standby position.

(A) When a hand washing course without a brush is selected on the operation panel 32, the brush 3
・ 4 ・ 4 is held in the second standby position and car wash is executed. That is, the hand washing course means that the car wash device body 1 is run while each brush is in the standby state to spray the wash water or the liquid agent, and then the car wash device body 1 is stopped to perform the hand wash by the operator. After the process, the car wash device body 1 is run again to perform the drying process by the blower nozzles 5, 6, and 6. During this course, the brushes 3, 4, ...
4 is held in the second standby position. Customers who want this hand-washing course are more likely to hate the brush coming into contact with the vehicle body, so holding the brush in the second standby position reliably prevents the brush from coming into contact with the vehicle body. It can enhance the feeling.

An example of the operation of the hand washing course will be described.
(1) A pre-washing step in which the apparatus body 1 is moved forward and sprays washing water on the vehicle body, (2) A forming step in which the apparatus body 1 is moved backward and a foaming detergent is sprayed on the vehicle body, (3) Apparatus A hand-washing process in which the operator manually removes stains by using the foaming detergent on the car body with the main body 1 stopped, and (4) a rinse that sprays washing water and a wax agent while moving the machine main body 1 The waxing step and (5) the drying step in which the main body of the apparatus is moved backward and the vehicle body is dried by the drying air from the blower nozzles 5, 6 and 6 are sequentially performed. Although the apparatus main body 1 is reciprocated twice in this operation example, it may be assembled such that the course of three reciprocations is set to perform the rinsing / waxing step (4) separately for the rinsing step and the waxing step. Here, since the brushes 3, 4, 4 are consistently placed at the second standby position in each of the steps (1) to (5), the bristles of the brushes do not come into contact with the vehicle body through the car wash course.

(B) When leaving the car in the drive-through manner to the rear of the car wash device body 1 at the end of the car wash, the brush device is held in the second standby position and passed through the car. The following operations (1) to (3) are conceivable as a method for leaving the vehicle. In the following, referring to FIG. 6, (1) operation in which the device body 1 reaches the rear end of the rails 2 and 2 to end the car wash, and the automobile V advances as it is, passes through the device body 1 and exits ( 6 (a)), (2) The device body 1 reaches the rear end of the rails 2 and 2 to end the car wash, and then the device body 1 advances a predetermined distance to facilitate passage through the automobile V. Operation (see FIG. 6 (b)), (3) Operation in which the apparatus main body 1 performs a forward drying process to reach the front end of the rails 2.2 to end the car wash and leave the vehicle V as it is (FIG. 6).
(See (c)). If the car body comes into contact with the brush when exiting in this way, there is a problem that the water on the car body after the drying process will get wet and the finish will be worse than the customer's image, so move the brush to the second standby position. By evacuating, such problems have been definitely solved.

In the operation (1), the brushes 3 and 4 after the car wash is completed.
4 is held at the second standby position, and the brush is returned to the first standby position when the vehicle body detecting means 9 located at the rear of the apparatus main body 1 detects that the vehicle has passed through the rear. Operation
In (2), after the car wash, the brushes 3, 4, 4 are moved forward by a predetermined distance while being held at the second standby position, and the vehicle body detection means 9
When it is detected that the car has passed backward, the brush is returned to the first standby position. In the operation (3), the brushes 3, 4, 4 are held in the second standby position from the last drying process, and when the vehicle body detecting means 9 detects that the vehicle has passed backward, the brush is moved to the first standby position. To return to.

(C) Even in a normal car wash course for brushing and cleaning an automobile, the brushes 3, 4, 4 are held at the second standby position in the drying process for drying the automobile.
That is, when the process is changed to the drying process after the process involving brushing for cleaning or waxing, the brushes
4 is retracted to the second standby position and the drying process is executed. In recent years, car wash is often carried out in a drive-through format, and the car is washed while the passenger is still inside the car, so if the stopped brush bristles come into contact with the car body, the customer will complain. There was a case, but it is possible to eliminate such inconvenience.

The present invention is carried out as described above, but is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various embodiments can be considered without departing from the scope of the claims. In the above embodiment, the top brush 3 and the side brush 4
・ 4 and 4 are configured to take the first and second standby positions, but the most problematic is the side brushes 4 and 4, and only the side brushes have the first and second standby positions. A great effect can be obtained only by taking a position. Further, in the car washer equipped with the rocker brush for brushing the lower portion of the side surface of the vehicle body, the rocker brush can also be retracted to the second standby position.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the second standby position which is held further away from the vehicle than the first standby position can be set. Therefore, it is normally the first standby position. The brush can be rotated for cleaning brushes etc. by holding it in the standby position. If you do not want the brush to come into contact with the car, you can retract the brush further to the second standby position. Can be kept out of contact with the vehicle body, and will not cause distrust or discomfort to customers. Further, by setting the brush to the second standby position when the vehicle exits after car washing, the car body does not come into contact with the brush and water of the brush does not get on the car body after the drying treatment, and the car wash finish is impaired. You can leave the car without.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory side view showing the structure of the upper surface brush 3 in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front explanatory view showing a configuration of side brushes 4 in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control system of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example at the time of leaving the automobile in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Car wash device body 3 Top brush as a brush device 4.4 Side brush as a brush device 5 Top blower nozzle 6.6 Side blower nozzle 17 First Standby Position Detection Means 18 Second standby position detecting means 26.26 First standby position detecting means 27.27 Second standby position detecting means 31 Control unit as control means 32 Operation panel 35 input means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A car-washing device body formed in a gate shape is provided with a brush device which is usually in a standby position retracted from an automobile body and which comes into contact with the car body at the time of car-washing to perform brushing cleaning. In a car wash device of the type of brushing and cleaning, the brush device is further retracted from the automobile and is further retained from the automobile than the first standby position in which the brush is held in a state in which the brush can be rotated at that position. A car wash device characterized in that it can take a second standby position held in a separated state. 2. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the brush device is in a standby state without brushing operation, the brush device is normally held in a first standby position and the brush device is placed in a standby state. A car wash device characterized in that the brush device is held at a second standby position in the step of spraying washing water or liquid agent as it is. 3. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the brush device is in a standby state without brushing operation, the brush device is normally held in the first standby position and the vehicle exits at the end of the car wash. A car wash device, characterized in that the brush device is held at a second standby position when the cleaning is performed. 4. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the brush device is in a standby state where it is not in a brushing operation, the brush device is normally held in a first standby position and after the vehicle is brushed and washed. A car wash device characterized in that the brush device is held at a second standby position in a process of drying an automobile. 5. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the brush device is in a stand-by state without brushing operation, the brush device is normally held in the first stand-by position, and the automobile passes through the car wash device. In this case, the car wash device is characterized in that the brush device is held at the second standby position. 6. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input means for moving the brush device from the first standby position to the second standby position when the brush device is in a standby state not in brushing operation. A car wash device characterized by being provided.