JP2007296964A - Top brush device of car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a top brush to freely rise for avoiding abnormal projection of a vehicle and the like, and to prevent drop after freely rising, by a simple structure, in a top brush device of a car washing machine. <P>SOLUTION: The top brush device 71 is journaled with a top brush 24 to a lifting arm 23 provided on a car washing machine body 11 so as to freely lift, and has a lifting drive device 30 moving and positioning the lifting arm 23 in a lifting direction. In a rising direction, the lifting arm 23 is forcibly raised by normal direction action of the lifting drive device 30, freely raised by external force acting on the top brush 24. In a lowering direction, the lifting arm 25 is forcibly prevented from dropping by stopping of the lifting drive deceive 30, and braked and lowered by reverse direction operation of the lifting drive device 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a top brush device of a car wash machine.

As a top brush device of a car wash machine, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a lift drive device that pivotally supports a top brush on a lift body provided in a car wash machine body so as to be liftable and moves and positions the lift body in the lift direction. There is something that I have. In this top brush device, the elevating drive device raises / lowers the top brush by moving an engaging body that is in contact with the engaged body on the elevating body side from below by using an electric motor, and the top brush. The detected value of the detection device for detecting the amount of movement of the locked body and the amount of movement of the locking body are further determined by separating the locked body from the locking body by the external force acting on The electric motor is controlled so that the difference between the detection values of the detection devices to be detected falls within the set value, and the locked body is automatically prevented from separating from the locked body more than necessary.
JP 9-156475 A

  According to the top brush device of Patent Document 1, when an external force (overload that generates a strong contact pressure) acts on the top brush device during car washing, the top brush device can freely rise and release the overload. Soft brushing can be performed without scratching the surface, and abnormal bumps on the vehicle can be avoided. Further, by using two detection devices that detect the amount of movement of the locked body and the locked body, the locked body is prevented from being separated more than necessary from the locked body, and the top brush is used in the vehicle. When falling after avoiding the abnormal protrusion, the locked body is immediately received by the locking body and the amount of the falling is reduced, and the top brush does not violently fall and collide with the surface of the vehicle.

  However, in the top brush device of Patent Document 1, two detection devices are prepared in order to reduce the amount of fall of the top brush after avoiding the abnormal protrusion of the vehicle, and the electric motor is based on the detection results. It is necessary to provide a means for controlling the operation, which is complicated.

  Further, in the top brush device of Patent Document 1, when the electric motor of the lifting / lowering drive device breaks down while the vehicle is being washed, the operator manually lifts the top brush to the rising end side, and the vehicle is moved from below the top brush. I have to leave. On the side where the vehicle and the car washer are moving relative to each other to leave the vehicle, it is difficult for the operator to keep lifting the top brush to the rising end side.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a top brush device for a car wash machine with a simple configuration that allows the top brush to freely rise to avoid abnormal projections of the vehicle, and to prevent a violent fall after being lifted freely. There is.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a top brush for a car wash machine comprising a lift brush drive device that pivotally supports a lift body provided in a car wash machine body so as to be movable up and down and moves and positions the lift body in the lift direction. In the apparatus, the elevating body is forcibly raised in the ascending direction by the forward operation of the elevating drive apparatus, and is freely raised by an external force acting on the top brush, and the elevating drive apparatus is stopped in the descending direction. Is forcibly prevented from falling and is braked and lowered by reverse operation of the lifting drive.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the lifting drive device further includes an electric motor, and a power transmission path between the electric motor and the lifting body is interposed via a one-way clutch. It is a thing.

  The invention of claim 3 is the invention of claim 2, wherein the one-way clutch further comprises an inner ring, an outer ring, a cam surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring or the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, and a cam surface of the inner ring. An inner ring surface of the outer ring or a roller loaded between the cam surface of the outer ring and the outer ring surface of the inner ring, and when the inner ring rotates relative to the outer ring in one direction, the roller and the cam surface of the inner ring The inner ring and the outer ring are substantially combined by a wedge action between the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring or the cam surface of the outer ring and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring.

(Claim 1)
(a) During car washing in which the car washer and the vehicle move relative to each other, the lifting body pivotally supporting the top brush can be freely raised by an external force acting on the top brush. Therefore, the top brush freely rises by the contact force with the surface that forms an upward gradient in the relative movement direction of the vehicle and follows the surface, or rises freely by the contact force with the abnormal protrusion of the vehicle and removes the abnormal protrusion. The surface of the vehicle can be soft brushed while avoiding.

  On the other hand, the elevating body that pivotally supports the top brush can be lowered by being braked by the reverse operation of the elevating drive device (reverse rotation of the electric motor). Therefore, when the car wash machine and the vehicle move relative to each other, by moving the lifting and lowering movement device in the reverse direction, the top brush is slowly braked and moved down so as to follow the descending surface in the relative movement direction of the vehicle. In addition, the fall after avoiding the abnormal protrusion of the vehicle can be braked slowly.

  The lifting body pivotally supporting the top brush is forcibly raised by the forward operation of the lifting drive device (forward rotation of the electric motor) and is forcibly prevented from falling by the stop of the lifting drive device. Therefore, after the car wash is completed, the top brush is raised to the rising end by the forward operation of the lifting / lowering driving device, and thereafter, the top brush is prevented from falling by the stop of the lifting / lowering driving device, and waits at the rising end. When the car wash is started, the elevating drive device is operated in the reverse direction as described above, so that the top brush is lowered to the descending end that becomes the car wash start level with respect to the front surface of the vehicle.

  (b) Even when the elevating drive device (electric motor) breaks down during the washing of the vehicle, the elevating body pivotally supporting the top brush can be freely lifted by an external force and forcibly prevented from falling. Therefore, once the operator manually lifts the top brush to the rising end side while the car wash machine main body is stopped, the top brush is maintained on the rising end side even if the lifting force is released thereafter. . Therefore, the operator can leave the car washer main body and can make the vehicle exit from below the top brush.

(Claim 2)
(c) The elevating drive device has an electric motor, and the power transmission path between the electric motor and the elevating body is configured with a one-way clutch. Therefore, in the ascending direction, the elevating body is forcibly raised by the normal rotational force of the electric motor transmitted by the one-way clutch, and can be freely raised by the external force acting on the top brush. Further, the elevating body is forcibly prevented from dropping in the descending direction by stopping the electric motor, and can be slowly lowered by being braked by a braking force corresponding to the reverse rotation speed of the electric motor.

(Claim 3)
(d) The one-way clutch includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a cam surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring or the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, a cam surface of the inner ring and an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, or a cam surface of the outer ring and the inner ring. The one-way clutch can be configured in a compact manner by providing the roller loaded between the outer peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface.

  1 is a side view showing a car wash machine, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the car wash machine, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the top brush apparatus, FIG. 4 is a side view showing the top brush apparatus, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the one-way clutch.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the car wash machine 10 includes a gate-type car wash machine body 11 straddling a vehicle that is mounted on a floor rail 13 via wheels 12, and reciprocates with respect to the vehicle by a travel drive device (not shown). Run.

  The car wash 10 includes a vehicle entry confirmation detector 14, a vehicle lower detector 15A, a vehicle front window detector 15B, and a vehicle upper detector 15C. The car wash machine 10 includes a pre-rinse arch and a finish rinse arch (not shown), and includes a side brush device 16 (not shown in FIG. 2), a top brush 17 and a drying nozzle device 18.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top brush 17 supports the left and right lifting rotary shafts 22 via the bearings 21 on the left and right frames 11 </ b> A of the car wash machine body 11. The base end side of the top brush 23 is fixed, and the center axis 25 of the top brush is pivotally supported at the tip ends of the left and right lifting arms 23. The left and right lifting arms 23 are swingable with respect to the car wash machine body 11 and can be lifted and lowered to constitute the lifting body of the present invention. A brush rotating electric motor 26 is provided at the base end of one lifting arm 23, and the output shaft of the electric motor 26 is connected to the central shaft 25 of the top brush 24 via a chain or the like built in the lifting arm 23. The surface of the vehicle can be brushed while the top brush 24 is rotated by the electric motor 26. A weight 27 is attached to the opposite side of the lift arms 23 to the top brush 24.

  The top brush device 17 is coupled to a lifting rotary shaft 22 of at least one lifting arm 23 of the left and right lifting arms 23, and moves up and down (swings in this embodiment) and positions the lifting arm 23. 30.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the elevating drive device 30 includes a brush elevating electric motor 31 installed on the frame 11 </ b> A of the car wash machine body 11, and a one-way clutch in a power transmission path between the electric motor 31 and the elevating arm 23. 40 is interposed. In this embodiment, the one-way clutch 40 is fixed to the output shaft 31 </ b> A of the electric motor 31, and the sprocket 32 is fixed to the lifting / lowering rotary shaft 22 of the lifting / lowering arm 23. The chain 33 was wound around the sprocket 42B.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the one-way clutch 40 includes an inner ring 41 fixed to the output shaft 31 </ b> A of the electric motor 31, an outer ring 42 fitted to the outer periphery of the inner ring 41, and a plurality of one-way clutches 40 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 42. And a plurality of rollers 43 loaded in a plurality of wedge-shaped spaces between each cam surface 42A of the outer ring 42 and the circular outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 41. When the inner ring 41 rotates relative to the outer ring 42 in one direction (A1 direction in FIG. 6), the roller 43 is engaged between each cam surface 42A of the outer ring 42 and the circular outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 41 by a wedge action. The inner ring 41 and the outer ring 42 are substantially connected (coupled state capable of transmitting rotational force). A sprocket 42 </ b> B that meshes with the chain 33 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 42.

Thereby, the raising / lowering drive apparatus 30 operate | moves as follows.
(A) A forward rotational force of the electric motor 31 under a state in which a downward rotational force M1 (FIG. 6) caused by the weight of the top brush 24 acts on the outer ring 42 of the one-way clutch 40 via the lifting arm 23. When (A1 in FIG. 6) acts on the inner ring 41, the inner ring 41 and the outer ring 42 are coupled to rotate the outer ring 42 upward against M1 (B in FIG. 6), forcing the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24). Increase.

  (B) An upward rotational force M2 (FIG. 6) larger than the forward rotational force (A1 in FIG. 6) of the electric motor 31 due to the external force acting on the top brush 24 is applied to the one-way clutch 40 via the lifting arm 23. When acting on the outer ring 42, the elevating arm 23 (top brush 24) rises freely.

  (C) When the electric motor 31 stops rotating in a state in which the downward rotational force M1 (FIG. 6) caused by the weight of the top brush 24 acts on the outer ring 42 of the one-way clutch 40 via the lifting arm 23, The inner ring 41 and the outer ring 42 of the direction clutch 40 are coupled to stop the rotation of the outer ring 42 against M1 and forcibly prevent the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24) from falling.

  (D) In the state where the downward rotation force M1 (FIG. 6) caused by the weight of the top brush 24 is acting on the outer ring 42 of the one-way clutch 40 via the lifting arm 23, the reverse rotation force ( When A2 in FIG. 6 acts on the inner ring 41 of the one-way clutch 40, the elevating arm 23 (top brush) does not become faster than the downward rotation due to M1 of the electric motor 31 while the inner ring 41 and the outer ring 42 are maintained in a coupled state. 24) is lowered while being braked in accordance with the reverse rotation speed of the electric motor 31 (because the rotation speed of the inner ring 41 is low, the outer ring 42 is lowered in a state where the inner ring is always pressed (maintaining the coupled state)). The lowering speed of the elevating arm 23 (top brush 24) is controlled to increase / decrease according to the increase / decrease of the reverse rotation speed of the electric motor 31.

  Therefore, the lifting arm 23 and the top brush 24 are forcibly lifted in the upward direction as described above (A) by the forward operation of the lift driving device 30 (forward rotation of the electric motor 31). And (b) is lifted freely by the external force acting on the top brush 24 as described above (B). On the other hand, in the descending direction, (c) by stopping the elevating drive device 30, it is forcibly prevented from falling as described above (C), and (d) the elevating drive device 30 is operated in the reverse direction (electric motor 31). ), The brake is lowered and lowered as in (D) above.

Hereinafter, the car wash operation of the car wash machine 10 will be described.
(1) The elevating arm 23 (top brush 24) is positioned at the ascending end during standby, and is prevented from dropping as described above (C) by stopping the rotation of the electric motor 31. At this time, the rising end position of the lift arm 23 is detected by the upper limit detection switch 51 provided on the frame 11A of the car wash machine body 11.

  When the vehicle that has entered the car wash machine 10 has its tip positioned between the vehicle entry confirmation detector 14 and the vehicle lower detector 15A and stops, the car wash starts. Accordingly, as the car wash machine body 11 starts to travel on the vehicle, the pre-rinse arch, the finish rinse arch, the side brush device 16, the top brush 17, and the drying are used while using the vehicle shape detection results by the detectors 15B and 15C. The nozzle device 18 operates to perform car washing. Hereinafter, the operation of the top brush 17 will be described in detail.

  (2) With the brushing start operation of the top brush 17, the electric motor 31 is reversed, and the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24) is braked and lowered from the rising end of (1) as described above (D). And positioned at the lower end. At this time, the lower end position of the lifting arm 23 is detected by the lower limit detection switch 52 provided on the frame 11A of the car wash machine body 11.

  (3) From the start to the end of the brushing of the top brush 17, the electric motor 31 generally continues to reverse (forward rotation only while the top brush 24 passes through the emblem of the vehicle). As described above (B), the top brush 24 of the above (2) positioned at the descending end is in a state where the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24) can be freely lifted by the external force acting on the top brush 24. After hitting the front surface, the top brush 24 rises freely from the front surface of the vehicle by a contact force with a surface that forms an upward slope, and soft brushes following the surface of the vehicle.

  Only while the top brush 24 passes through the emblem at the upper front of the vehicle, the electric motor 31 is switched to normal rotation, and the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24) is forcibly raised to the intermediate level by the above-mentioned (A). . The intermediate level of the lift arm 23 is detected by an intermediate level detection switch 53 provided on the frame 11 </ b> A of the car wash machine body 11.

  Even when the top brush 24 encounters an abnormal protrusion of the vehicle, the top brush 24 is freely raised by the contact force with the protrusion to avoid the protrusion. After the top brush 24 avoids the abnormal protrusion of the vehicle, the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24) descends while being braked at a descending speed corresponding to the reverse rotation speed of the electric motor 31, as described above (D). 24 can land quietly on the surface of the vehicle.

  Even when the top brush 24 comes into contact with the surface that forms a downward slope on the rear side of the vehicle, the lifting arm 23 (the top brush 24) moves downward according to the reverse rotation speed of the electric motor 31, as described in (D). The top brush 24 is soft brushed following the surface of the vehicle.

  (4) When the top brush 24 passes the tail of the vehicle and the top brush device 17 finishes brushing, the electric motor 31 is rotated forward to force the lifting arm 23 (top brush 24) as described above (A). The top brush 24 is positioned at the rising end standby position described in (1) above.

  (5) When the electric motor 31 stops due to a failure during the brushing of the top brush device 17, the top brush 24 rises freely with respect to the surface that forms the upward slope of the vehicle according to (B) described above, and is applied to the surface of the vehicle. Follow the soft brushing. However, the top brush 24 cannot be lowered so as to follow the surface forming the downward slope of the vehicle, and brushing becomes impossible. At this time, the top brush 24 can be manually lifted to the rising end side manually by the operator (B), and the top brush 24 is prevented from falling by the above (C) and lifted even if the lifting force is released thereafter. Since the vehicle is maintained at the end side, the vehicle can be withdrawn from below the top brush 24.

According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(a) When the car wash machine body 11 and the vehicle move relative to each other, the lifting arm 23 that pivotally supports the top brush 24 can be freely raised by an external force acting on the top brush 24. Accordingly, the top brush 24 freely rises by following the contact force with the surface that forms an upward gradient in the relative movement direction of the vehicle and follows the surface, or rises freely by the contact force with the abnormal protrusion of the vehicle, and the abnormal protrusion. The surface of the vehicle can be soft brushed while avoiding the above.

  On the other hand, the elevating arm 23 pivotally supporting the top brush 24 can be lowered by being braked by the reverse operation of the elevating drive device 30 (reverse rotation of the electric motor 31). Therefore, when the car wash machine body 11 and the vehicle move relative to each other, by moving the lifting and lowering movement device in the reverse direction, the top brush 24 is slowly braked to follow the surface that forms a downward slope in the relative movement direction of the vehicle. The vehicle can descend slowly or brake slowly after avoiding an abnormal protrusion on the vehicle.

  Further, the lifting arm 23 pivotally supporting the top brush 24 is forcibly raised by the forward operation of the lifting drive device 30 (forward rotation of the electric motor 31) and forcibly by the stop of the lifting drive device 30. It is prevented from falling. Therefore, after the car wash is completed, the top brush 24 is raised to the rising end by the forward operation of the lifting / lowering driving device 30, and thereafter, the top brush 24 is prevented from dropping by stopping the lifting / lowering driving device 30 and waits at the rising end. At the start of car wash, by operating the elevating drive device 30 in the reverse direction as described above, the top brush 24 is lowered to the lower end that is the car wash start level with respect to the front of the vehicle.

  (b) Even when the elevating drive device 30 (electric motor 31) breaks down during the washing of the vehicle, the elevating arm 23 pivotally supporting the top brush 24 can be freely raised by an external force and is forcibly prevented from falling. The Therefore, once the operator manually lifts the top brush 24 to the rising end side while the car wash machine main body 11 is stopped, the top brush 24 moves to the rising end side even if the lifting force is released thereafter. Maintained. Accordingly, the operator can leave the car wash machine main body 11 and cause the vehicle to exit from below the top brush 24.

  (c) The elevating drive device 30 has an electric motor 31, and is configured with a one-way clutch 40 interposed in a power transmission path between the electric motor 31 and the elevating arm 23. Accordingly, the elevating arm 23 is forced to rise in the ascending direction when the forward rotational force of the electric motor 31 is transmitted by the one-way clutch 40 and can be freely raised by the external force acting on the top brush 24. . The elevating arm 23 is forcibly prevented from dropping by stopping the electric motor 31 in the descending direction, and can be slowly lowered by being braked by the braking force corresponding to the reverse rotation speed of the electric motor 31.

  (d) The one-way clutch 40 is loaded between the inner ring 41, the outer ring 42, the cam surface 42A formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 42, and the cam surface 42A of the outer ring 42 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 41. By providing the roller 43, the one-way clutch 40 can be configured in a compact manner.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is included in the present invention. For example, the elevating drive device may be moved up and down by moving linearly without swinging the elevating body.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a car wash machine. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the car wash machine. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the top brush device. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the top brush device. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the lifting drive device. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the one-way clutch.

Explanation of symbols

10 Car Wash Machine 11 Car Wash Machine Main Body 17 Top Brush Device 23 Lift Arm (Elevator)
24 Top brush 30 Lifting drive device 31 Electric motor 40 One-way clutch 41 Inner ring 42 Outer ring 42A Cam surface 43 Roller

Claims (3)

The top brush is pivotally supported by a lifting body that can be raised and lowered in the car wash machine body,
In a top brush device of a car wash machine having a lifting drive device that moves and positions the lifting body in the lifting direction,
The elevating body is forcibly raised by the forward operation of the elevating drive device in the ascending direction, and is freely raised by an external force acting on the top brush, and is forced by the stop of the elevating drive device in the descending direction. A top brush device for a car wash machine, wherein the top brush device is prevented from falling down and is braked and lowered by a reverse operation of an elevating drive device.   The top brush device of a car wash machine according to claim 1, wherein the elevating drive device has an electric motor, and is configured with a one-way clutch interposed in a power transmission path between the electric motor and the elevating body. The one-way clutch includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a cam surface formed on an outer peripheral surface of the inner ring or an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, a cam surface of the inner ring and an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, or a cam surface of the outer ring and an outer periphery of the inner ring. With a roller loaded between the surface,
When the inner ring rotates relative to the outer ring in one direction, the roller is engaged by the wedge action between the cam surface of the inner ring and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, or between the cam surface of the outer ring and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring. The top brush device of a car wash machine according to claim 2, wherein the outer ring is substantially joined.

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