JP2004149122A - Car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a car washing machine suitable for drive-through and having a vehicle body not increased in size. <P>SOLUTION: In this car washing machine, an upper surface washing brush 8, side surface washing brushes 9 and 9 opening and closing along the side surfaces of the vehicle body, an upper surface drying nozzle 16 vertically moving along the upper surface of the vehicle body and blowing high-pressure air against the upper surface, and side surface drying nozzles 30 and 30 blowing high-pressure air against the side surfaces of the vehicle body are disposed, in this order, starting at the front part of a washing machine body 1. The car washing machine also comprises a selection means 36 allowing a one-way washing in which the washing and drying of the vehicle body are performed while the car washing machine body 1 runs, one time, from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle by using the washing brushes 8, 9, and 9 and drying nozzles 16, 30, and 30 and a round-trip and a half washing in which the washing machine body runs from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle for drying by using the drying nozzles 16, 30, and 30 after the brush washing is performed by one reciprocating movement of the washing machine body by using the washing brushes 8, 9, and 9 and capable of arbitrarily selecting these washings. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

  The present invention provides a car wash processing device such as a washing brush, a water sprinkling nozzle, a drying nozzle and the like in a car wash machine body formed in a gate shape, and relatively moves the car wash machine body and a car body to be washed to form a car body. The present invention relates to a car washer that sequentially performs processes such as washing and drying.

  Conventionally, in a car washing machine of this type, an upper surface drying nozzle and a side surface drying nozzle, an upper surface cleaning brush, and a side cleaning brush are arranged in this order from the front of the main body, and the main body is run in a reciprocating unit to clean and dry the automobile body. Has become. However, in such a car washing machine, since traveling is performed in reciprocating units, the car washing starting position and the car washing ending position are the same, and the vehicle enters from the front of the car washing machine and exits from the rear of the car washing machine after the washing. If the drive-through method is adopted, the vehicle must pass through the inside of the car washer, which is inconvenient.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a car washer suitable for drive-through and without increasing the size of the main body.

  In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides a car wash processing device such as a washing brush, a water sprinkling nozzle, a drying nozzle, and the like in a car wash machine body formed in a gate shape, and drives the car wash machine body to drive the car body. In a car washer that performs washing, a top washing brush that moves up and down along the top of the car body, a side cleaning brush that opens and closes along the side of the car body, and a high pressure wind that moves vertically up and down along the top of the car body from the front of the car washing machine. An upper surface drying nozzle for blowing and a side drying nozzle for blowing high-pressure air to the side of the vehicle body are arranged in this order, and the car washer body is moved from the front side to the rear side of the automobile by using the cleaning brushes and the drying nozzles. A one-way car wash that cleans and dries the car body during the round trip, and after the car washer brush reciprocates one time using the respective cleaning brushes, the car washer is cleaned using the respective drying nozzles. Travels from the front side to the rear side of the moving vehicle and can perform a one reciprocation half wash of drying, in which a selection means for selecting the car wash arbitrarily.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a car wash machine can start a car wash from the front side of a motor vehicle, can end a car wash at the rear side of a motor vehicle, and can leave the car after a car wash directly behind a car wash machine. In other words, it is possible to obtain a drive-through type car washing mode without the car running through the inside of the car washing machine body after the car washing. Washing and drying are performed only by making one round trip, and if elaborate washing is necessary, brush washing can be performed during one reciprocation of the car washer body, and one round trip can be made to dry. Without deteriorating the quality of

  In addition, since the upper surface drying nozzle is moved vertically up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body, there is no interference even when it is used simultaneously with the side cleaning brush, and the distance between them can be kept to a minimum. I can't.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing a drying nozzle of the embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a car wash machine body formed in a gate shape so as to straddle an automobile body. The wheels 2, 2 are rotationally driven by motors 4, 4 capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation, and along the rails 3, 3. Travel back and forth. Reference numeral 5 denotes a rotary encoder for detecting the traveling position of the car washer, which is connected to the output shaft of the motor 4 and outputs a pulse signal at every unit angle rotation while detecting the rotation direction of the motor 4 to travel the traveling position of the car washer body 1. Is given.

  Reference numeral 6 denotes a position sensor for detecting the position of the car wash machine, which is provided at the lower portion of the car wash machine main body 1 and detects and switches a dog 7 which is a protrusion fixed to the surface on which the rail 3 is laid. Is given. The dog 7 gives a running start position of the car washer body.

  8 is an upper surface cleaning brush that moves up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle body, 9 and 9 are side cleaning brushes that open and close along the side surface of the vehicle body, 10 and 10 are upper surface watering nozzles, and 11, 11, 11, and 11 are side watering nozzles. Cleaning water is sprayed toward the, and the vehicle body is brushed with a cleaning brush to clean the vehicle body.

  The light emitters 12a, 13a, 14a, and 15a and the light receivers 12b, 13b, 14b, and 15b are photoelectric switches that detect the height of the vehicle body to be washed by the car washer. The vehicle body is detected by blocking the light emitted from the light emitter and received by the light receiver by the vehicle body. 12a and 12b indicate the height H1 of the lower part of the vehicle, 13a and 13b indicate the height H2 of the roof position of the ordinary car, 14a and 14b indicate the height H3 of the roof position of the wagon car, and 15a and 15b cannot be washed by the car washer The height H4 is detected.

  Reference numeral 16 denotes an upper surface drying nozzle, which is provided with trolleys 18 at both ends of arms 17 extending outward from both side surfaces thereof, and moves up and down on guide rails 19 erected on both sides of the car washer body 1. It is formed so that it can move. The bogies 18, 18 are suspended from the upper portion of the car washer body 1 by chains 21, 21 via sprockets 20, 20, 20, and interlock with the chains 21, 21 via sprockets 22 provided on a rod portion. It is raised and lowered by the operation of the air cylinder 23.

  The light projectors 24a and 25a and the light receivers 24b and 25b disposed at the opposing positions are photoelectric switches provided on the carts 18 and 18 and constitute a vehicle body detecting means of the present invention. Regarding the arrangement of the photoelectric switches, the mounting positions of the photoelectric switches 24a and 24b located in front of the car wash machine main body 1 are higher than the mounting positions of the photoelectric switches 25a and 25b located in the rear. When the photoelectric switches 24a and 24b in front of the car washer body 1 detect the vehicle body, the rods of the air cylinder 23 are contracted to raise the carts 18 and 18, and conversely, when the vehicle body is not detected, the rod of the air cylinder 23 is detected. Is extended to lower the carts 18 and 18. On the other hand, when the rear photoelectric switches 25a and 25b detect the vehicle body, the expansion and contraction of the rod of the air cylinder 23 is stopped to hold the carts 18 and 18, and the carts 18 and 18 are relatively held. 18 is moved up and down along the body shape.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes a magnet fixed to the carriage 18. Proximity switches 27 and 28 are provided on the side of the car washer body 1 on the straight line on which the magnet 26 moves as the carriages 18 and 18 supporting the upper surface drying nozzle 16 move up and down. Is fixed, and switching is performed in accordance with the movement of the magnet 26, thereby detecting the elevation position of the upper surface drying nozzle 16. The proximity switch 26 is provided at the same height H2 as the photoelectric switches 13a and 13b for detecting the position of the ordinary vehicle roof, and the proximity switch 26 is provided at the same height H3 as the photoelectric switches 14a and 14b for detecting the position of the wagon vehicle roof.

  29 and 29 are blowers for generating high pressure air, 30 and 30 are side drying nozzles arranged on both sides of the car washer body 1, and 31, 31, 32 and 32 communicate the blowers 29 and 29 with the nozzles 16, 30, and 30, respectively. The upper surface drying nozzle 16 and the side surface drying nozzles 30, 30 blow high pressure air supplied from the blowers 29, 29 toward the upper surface and the side surface of the vehicle body to remove water droplets attached to the vehicle body surface.

  Reference numeral 33 denotes an operation panel, which is provided on the front of the car washer body 1 and which is operated by an operator to operate the car washer such as car wash instructions, maintenance, and management of profits.

  Numeral 34 denotes a vehicle detection sensor, which is provided on the floor in front of the car washer body 1 and stopped at a predetermined standby position in front of the car washer body 1, and is switched by being stepped on by the front wheel of the car to be washed to perform washing. Is detected.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a pneumatic system for controlling the elevation of the upper surface drying nozzle. An air pressure source 45 supplies air at a predetermined pressure from a compressor or the like. Regulators 46 and 47 maintain the pressure of the air supplied from the pneumatic source at a constant pressure. 48 and 49 are three-port directional control valves for controlling the supply of air to the ports A and B of the air cylinder 23. 50 and 51 are speed controllers for controlling the speed of the air cylinder 23.

  When the 3-port directional control valve 46 is opened to the atmosphere and 47 is opened to the pneumatic source, the rod of the air cylinder 23 projects, and the upper surface drying nozzle 16 descends. When the three-port directional control valve 46 is opened to the air pressure source and 47 is opened to the atmosphere, the rod of the air cylinder 23 is retracted, and the upper surface drying nozzle 16 is raised. When the three-port directional control valves 46 and 47 are both opened to the pneumatic source, the rod of the air cylinder 23 stops, and the upper surface drying nozzle 16 is held.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation panel 33. On the operation panel 33, an LCD display 35 for displaying an operation guide of the car washing machine, a course key 36 for selecting a car washing course, and an operation of avoiding the upper surface cleaning brush, the side cleaning brush, and the upper surface drying nozzle during car washing are manually performed. Manual operation key 37, start key 38 for starting car washing, stop key 39 for stopping car washing, anti-freezing key 40 for instructing anti-freezing processing, numeric keypad 41 for inputting various data, card for accepting a prepaid card known as a car washing fee The system includes a reader / writer 42, a coin mech 43 for inserting coins, and a key switch 44 for switching on / off of power, a management mode, and an operation mode.

  The card reader / writer 42 has a function of permitting and prohibiting the acceptance of a card. Further, the coin mech 43 has a block function of prohibiting coin insertion. In the management mode, the worker checks the operation of each part of the car washer and displays the total number of car washes. In the operation mode, a worker or a customer who wants to wash the car performs a car wash receiving operation and a car wash instruction. The numeric keypad 41 and the anti-freeze key 40 are accepted only in the management mode, and are normally operated in the operation mode.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control system of the embodiment. Reference numeral 52 denotes a microcomputer as control means for the car washer, which comprises a CPU 53 for performing arithmetic processing, a memory 54 for storing programs and various data, and input / output interfaces 55, 55. Detection rotary encoder 5, position sensor 6, vehicle height measuring photoelectric switches 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b, blowers 29, 29, upper surface drying nozzle elevating photoelectric switches 24a, 24b, 25a, 25b, three-port directional control valves 48, 49 for controlling the air cylinder 23 for raising and lowering the upper surface drying nozzle, proximity switches 27, 28, upper surface cleaning brush 8, side cleaning brush 9, 9, upper surface watering nozzle 10, 10, side watering nozzle 11, 11, 11, 11, operation panel 33, vehicle detection sensor Over 34 is connected.

  Reference numeral 56 denotes an inverter for controlling the number of revolutions of the car wash machine running motors 4, 4. Change the rotation speed and change the running speed of the car washer as appropriate.

  57 is an abnormal signal input of the photoelectric switch for elevating and lowering the upper surface drying nozzle. The photoelectric switch, such as a decrease in light receiving sensitivity due to the influence of washing water or hot water when the photoelectric switch is scattered, steam when using hot water, dirt attached to the photoelectric switch, or the like. This signal is output when there is a problem with the detection of the vehicle body.

  The microcomputer 52, the vehicle height measuring photoelectric switches 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b, and the traveling position detecting rotary encoder 5 interact with each other to constitute the vehicle shape detecting means of the present invention. .

  In the control of the upper surface drying nozzle, the microcomputer 52, the three-port directional control valves 48, 49 for controlling the upper surface drying nozzle elevating air cylinder 23, and the proximity switches 27, 28 interact with each other to perform the first control of the present invention. Configure means. Further, the microcomputer 52, the upper-surface drying nozzle elevating photoelectric switch 24a, 24b, 25a, 25b, and the three-port directional control valve 48, 49 for controlling the upper-surface drying nozzle elevating air cylinder 23, interact with each other to form the present invention. The second control means is constituted.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described. First, a description will be given of an example in which a washing brush and a drying nozzle are used at the same time, and a car washer is washed by a single traveling from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle body to be washed by the car washer. As shown in FIG. 7A, the car A that performs car washing stops at a predetermined standby position where car washing starts. The stop of the vehicle A at the standby position is detected when the vehicle detection sensor 34 is stepped on the front wheel of the vehicle A stopped at the standby position. Here, the operator operates the operation panel 33 provided on the car wash machine main body 1 to designate a one-way car wash course, and presses the start key 38 to start the car wash.

  When the car washing process starts, the car washing machine body 1 starts running, and the vehicle height detecting photoelectric switch detects the shape of the vehicle body. First, as shown in FIG. 7B, the photoelectric switch for detecting the lower part of the vehicle is shielded from light between the light emitter 12a and the light receiver 12b by the vehicle A, and detects the vehicle. The car washer stores the traveling position of the car washer body 1 detected by the traveling position detecting rotary encoder 5 in the memory 54 as the front end position CS of the vehicle A at this time. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, the photoelectric switch for detecting the roof position of the ordinary car is shielded from light by the body of the automobile A between the light emitter 13a and the light receiver 13b, and detects the body. The car wash machine stores the running position of the car wash machine body 1 at this time in the memory 54 as the front end position RS of the roof portion of the car A. Thereafter, when the photoelectric switch for detecting the position of the roof of the ordinary car is released from the light blocking by the vehicle A body between the light emitting device 13a and the light receiving device 13b, and the vehicle body is not detected, the car washing machine starts to operate the car washing machine body 1 at this time. The running position is stored in the memory 54 as the rear end position RE of the roof portion of the vehicle A. When the photoelectric switch for detecting the lower part of the vehicle is unblocked by the vehicle body of the vehicle A between the light emitter 12a and the light receiver 12b and the vehicle body is no longer detected, the car washer changes the traveling position of the car washer body 1 at this time. It is stored in the memory 54 as the rear end position CE of the vehicle A. In this manner, the position of the moving car washer body 1 and the detection result of the photoelectric switch for detecting the vehicle body are stored in association with each other, and the shape of the automobile A is detected as shown in FIG.

  At the same time as the detection of the car body, the car wash processing devices such as the upper surface cleaning brush, the side cleaning brush, and the upper surface drying nozzle are controlled according to the detected shape of the vehicle body, and the car is washed. The car washer runs while spraying washing water from the upper surface watering nozzle and the side watering nozzle, and as shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C, the upper surface cleaning brush 8, the side cleaning brush 9, and the upper surface cleaning brush. Car washing is performed by causing the car washing processing device such as the drying nozzle 16 to act on the body of the automobile A. In this car wash, the washing with the washing brush and the drying with the drying nozzle are performed at the same time, so that the photoelectric switch, which is a vehicle body detecting means integrally provided with the upper surface washing nozzle, is affected by the side washing brush, and the detection of the automobile body is performed. It may not work properly. For this reason, the car washer performs a car wash by controlling the upper surface drying nozzle in a stepwise manner. As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the car washing machine raises and holds the upper surface drying nozzle 16 until it is detected by the proximity switch 27 provided at the same height as the height H2 of the ordinary car roof position. As shown in FIG. 9B, when the upper surface drying nozzle 16 reaches a position just before the distance L1 in consideration of safety from the front end position RS of the roof portion detected by the vehicle shape detecting means, The drying nozzle 16 is raised and held until it is detected by the proximity switch 28 provided at the same height as the wagon car roof position H3, and the car washing is continued. Next, as shown in FIG. 9 (c), the car washing machine moves the upper surface drying nozzle 16 from the rear end position RE of the roof portion detected by the vehicle shape detecting means to a position behind the distance L2 in consideration of safety. Then, the upper surface drying nozzle 16 is lowered and held until it is detected by the proximity switch 27 provided at the same height as the height H2 of the ordinary vehicle roof position, and the car washing is continued. When the car washer body 1 has traveled to the rear of the body of the car A and the car wash has been completed, the car A exits, and when the vehicle detection sensor 34 no longer detects the wheels of the car A, the car wash machine assumes that the car A has exited. Judgment is made and the car wash machine body 1 is returned to the traveling start position, and waits for the next car wash.

  Next, an example in which the step of using a cleaning brush and the step of using a drying nozzle are separately performed will be described. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which after one round trip process using a cleaning brush is performed, the car washer is run from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle body to be cleaned by the car washer using a drying nozzle to finish the car wash. As shown in FIG. 10A, the car washer applies the upper surface cleaning brush 8 and the side cleaning brush 9 to the vehicle body of the automobile A while spraying the cleaning water from the upper surface watering nozzle and the side watering nozzle. Travel from the front to the rear. When the car washer has traveled to the rear end of the car A, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), while the upper surface cleaning brush 8 and the side cleaning brush 9 act on the car A body, the direction from the rear to the front of the car A is changed. And returns to the traveling start position to complete the cleaning process with the cleaning brush.

  When the one-round brush cleaning process is completed, the car washer enters a drying process. In this car wash, since the washing brush and the drying nozzle are not used at the same time, the body detecting means provided integrally with the upper surface drying nozzle can accurately detect the car body without being affected by the side washing brush. The control of the upper surface drying nozzle is performed based on the detection result of the vehicle body detecting means. The car washer activates the blower and travels while injecting high-pressure air from the upper surface drying nozzle and the side surface drying nozzle, and is integrated with the upper surface drying nozzle 16 as shown in FIGS. 11 (a), 11 (b) and 11 (c). The upper surface drying nozzle 16 is controlled to move up and down so that the photoelectric switches 25a and 25b provided in the vehicle detect the vehicle A body and the photoelectric switches 24a and 24b do not detect the vehicle A body. The nozzle 16 is actuated to perform drying, the vehicle is driven to the rear of the vehicle A, and the washing is completed.

It is a side explanatory view of an example of the present invention. It is a front explanatory view of an example of the present invention. It is a front explanatory view showing a drying nozzle of an example of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing a pneumatic system of an example of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing a control system of an example of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car wash machine main body 8 Top surface cleaning brush 9,9 Side cleaning brush 10,10 Top surface watering nozzle 11,11,11,11 Side watering nozzle 16 Top surface drying nozzle 30 Side surface drying nozzle 36 Corskey (selection means)

Claims (1)

A car wash processing device such as a washing brush, a water sprinkling nozzle, a drying nozzle, etc. is provided in a car wash machine body formed in a gate shape, and the car wash machine performs running of the car wash machine body to wash an automobile body. , A top cleaning brush that moves up and down along the top of the car body, a side cleaning brush that opens and closes along the side of the car, a top drying nozzle that moves vertically up and down along the top of the car and blows high-pressure air, and blows high-pressure wind to the side of the car A side drying nozzle is arranged in this order, and the one-way washing and drying of the vehicle body is performed using the cleaning brushes and the drying nozzles while the car washer body travels once from the front side to the rear side of the automobile. Car wash and brush washing are performed by the car wash machine body making one reciprocation using each of the washing brushes, and then the car wash machine body travels from the front side to the rear side of the automobile to dry using the respective drying nozzles. Reciprocally and you can execute a half car wash, car wash, characterized in that it comprises a selection means for selecting the car wash arbitrarily.

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