JP2008094250A - Car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To leave no unwashed part of a brush on the surface of a vehicle in a car washing machine. <P>SOLUTION: In the car washing machine 10, a bent brush support shaft 31 is pivotally attached to a brush support body 29, an attaching angle changing means 32 for changing the attaching angle around a central axis of the brush support shaft 31 with respect to the brush support body 29 is provided, each of a plurality of shaft parts 31A, 31B of the brush support shaft 31 bent with each other pivotally attaches brushes 41A, 41B respectively, and a brush drive motor 12A for rotatively driving each brush 41A, 41B is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a car wash machine.

  As a car wash machine, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a frame that moves relative to the vehicle to be washed in the front-rear direction, a carrier that moves in the left-right direction of the frame, and a side that is swingably connected to the carrier in the front-rear direction. Some have a brush support and a side brush that is supported by the side brush support and rotated.

In this conventional car wash machine, when cleaning the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the vehicle with the side brush, the side brush is rotated against the front and rear surfaces or side surfaces of the vehicle while rotating the side brush, Or move along the side.
JP-A-6-312649

  In the prior art, the center axis of the side brush is straight, whereas the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the vehicle in contact with the side brush have a curved shape such as a middle height in the direction along the axial direction of the side brush. ing. For this reason, it is easy for the side brush to be left behind on the front and rear surfaces or the entire side surface of the vehicle, and as a result, it is easy to leave unwashed.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent a brush from being left unwashed on the surface of a vehicle in a car wash machine.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a car wash machine comprising a frame that moves relative to a vehicle to be washed, a brush support that is movably provided on the frame, and a brush that is supported by the brush support and is driven to rotate. And a mounting angle changing means for changing the mounting angle of the brush support shaft around the central axis of the brush support shaft with respect to the brush support. A brush is pivotally supported on each of a plurality of shaft portions that are bent with respect to each other, and a brush rotation motor that rotationally drives each brush is provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the attachment angle changing means comprises an attachment angle changing motor.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the rotation shafts of the brushes pivotally supported on each of the plurality of shaft portions of the brush support shaft are connected to each other by a flexible joint. It is a thing.

(Claim 1)
(a) By appropriately changing the mounting angle around the central axis of the brush support shaft with respect to the brush support, the brush surface of each brush pivotally supported on each of the shaft portions in contact with each other of the brush support shaft, Each brush can be rotated while being applied to the entire surface of the curved surface of the vehicle (upper and lower parts) without any gaps, so that no unwashed parts are generated on the surface of the vehicle.

(Claim 2)
(b) The mounting angle changing motor can easily and accurately change the mounting angle of the brush support shaft described in (a) above.

(Claim 3)
(c) By connecting the rotation shafts of the respective brushes pivotally supported by the plurality of shaft portions of the brush support shaft to each other by a flexible joint, each brush can be driven to rotate by a single brush rotation motor.

  FIG. 1 shows a car wash, (A) is a side view, (B) is a front view, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the car wash, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing a support structure of a side brush, FIG. Is a schematic sectional view showing a driving structure of a side brush, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a brushing cleaning state of the vehicle, FIG. 6 is a brushing cleaning state of the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle, (A) is a side view, and (B). 7 is a front view, FIG. 7 shows a state of cleaning the side of the vehicle, (A) is a side view, and (B) is a front view.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the car wash machine 10 includes a portal-type travel frame 11 that moves relative to the car wash target vehicle 1 in the front-rear direction by reciprocating on the left and right rails. Side brush 12, top brush 13, cleaning liquid nozzle 14, drying nozzle 15 and the like.

  The car wash control device 20 includes a microcomputer, and according to transfer data such as a car wash menu from the operation panel 16, the travel motor 11 </ b> A of the travel frame 11, the rotation motor 12 </ b> A of the side brush 12, the lateral movement device 12 </ b> B, and the top brush 13. The rotary motor 13A, the lifting device 13B, the output device such as the cleaning liquid nozzle 14 and the drying nozzle 15 are controlled at predetermined timings, respectively, and the vehicle 1 is cleaned while moving the traveling frame 11 of the car wash machine 10 relative to the vehicle 1. .

  At this time, the car wash control device 20 refers to the detection results of the car shape detection device 17 and the travel position detection device 18 included in the car wash machine 10 and controls the operation of the above-described output device in accordance with the car shape. Car wash the car body and accessories.

  The vehicle shape detection device 17 is provided on the traveling frame 11 and includes, for example, a light projecting sensor 17A and a light receiving sensor 17B opposed to each other on both sides of the vehicle 1, and the light projecting sensor 17A and the light receiving sensor 17B are sensor lines along the vertical direction. Are configured to share a large number of detection optical axes (N1, N2,... Nn) (FIG. 1).

  The traveling position detection device 18 detects the current position of the traveling frame 11 on the rail, and includes, for example, a rotary encoder attached to the traveling motor 11A of the traveling frame 11.

  The car wash control device 20 obtains the detection results of the vehicle shape detection device 17 and the travel position detection device 18, and the existence height range of the vehicle 1 for each travel position of the travel frame 11, in other words, for each longitudinal position of the vehicle 1. The contour shape of the vehicle 1 can be detected from the calculation result.

A cleaning mechanism using the side brush 12 of the car wash machine 10 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the car wash machine 10 has a pair of left and right guide rails 21 that extend in the left-right direction of the traveling frame 11 and is provided on the traveling frame 11, and is supported by the guide rails 21 in the left-right direction. It has a pair of left and right carriers 22 that move. The carrier 22 is suspended and supported by the guide rail 21 via rollers 23 that are in rolling contact with the guide rail 21. The guide rail 21 is provided with left and right air cylinders 24 constituting the lateral movement device 12B of the side brush 12. The piston rod 25 of the air cylinder 24 protrudes from one side of the air cylinder 24 and is connected to the protruding end of the piston rod 25. The carrier 22 is connected via a rod 26.

  The car wash machine 10 connects the side brush first support 28 to each carrier 22 via a front / rear swing shaft 27A so as to be swingable in the front / rear direction, and the side brush first support 28 has a left / right swing shaft 27B. The side brush 2nd support body 29 is connected so that rocking | fluctuation is possible in the left-right direction, and it has the side brush 12 supported by the side brush 2nd support body 29 and rotationally driven. The rotation motor 12 </ b> A of the side brush 12 is supported by the side brush second support 29.

  The car wash machine 10 makes the side brush 12 come into contact with the front and rear surfaces and the side surface of the vehicle 1 by washing the vehicle 1 by moving the traveling frame 11 in the front-rear direction and moving the carrier 22 in the left-right direction (lateral movement). At this time, the car wash machine 10 moves the periphery of the vehicle 1 by bringing the side brush 12 into contact with the front and rear surfaces and the side surface of the vehicle 1 with a constant contact pressure in a state where the side brush 12 is rotated by the rotary motor 12A. In addition, the longitudinal movement of the traveling frame 11 and the lateral movement of the carrier 22 are controlled.

  However, the car wash machine 10 has the following configuration in order to prevent the side brush 12 from being left unwashed on the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the vehicle 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the car wash machine 10 pivotally supports a bent brush support shaft 31 on the side brush second support 29 described above. The brush support shaft 31 of the present embodiment defines an upper shaft portion 31A and a lower shaft portion 31B on both sides of one bending point of the intermediate portion, and the upper end portion of the upper shaft portion 31A serves as a side brush second support body 29. Support hanging. The upper shaft portion 31 </ b> A and the lower shaft portion 31 </ b> B each have a straight shape and are arranged so as to cross each other so as to form a dogleg shape having an intersection angle a.

  The car wash machine 10 has an attachment angle changing motor 32 as attachment angle changing means for changing the attachment angle (rotation angle) around the central axis of the brush support shaft 31 with respect to the side brush second support 29. The mounting angle changing motor 32 is supported by the side brush second support 29, applies a rotational force to the upper end portion of the brush support shaft 31 that is pivotally supported by the second support 29, and brushes the second support 29. The mounting angle of the support shaft 31 can be changed. The brush support shaft 31 changes its mounting angle with respect to the second side support 29 of the side brush, for example, when the car wash machine 10 is viewed in a side view (also a side view of the vehicle 1). The shaft portion 31B changes between a maximum bending state in which the maximum bending angle a is formed and a straight state in which the upper shaft portion 31A and the lower shaft portion 31B are placed on the same straight line.

  The car wash machine 10 includes a hollow rotating shaft 42A of the upper brush 41A constituting the side brush 12 and a lower brush 41B on each of the upper shaft portion 31A and the lower shaft portion 31B formed by bending the brush support shaft 31. Each of the hollow rotating shafts 42B is pivotally supported. The rotary shafts 42A and 42B are pivotally supported by the upper shaft portion 31A and the lower shaft portion 31B via bearings 43A and 43B.

  The car wash machine 10 rotationally drives the upper brush 41A and the lower brush 41B by the aforementioned rotary motor 12A. The rotary motor 12A is supported by the side brush second support 29 and applies a rotational force to the upper end portion of the rotary shaft 42A of the upper brush 41A. At this time, the lower end portion of the rotating shaft 42A of the upper brush 41A and the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 42B of the lower brush 41B are connected to each other by a flexible joint 44 such as a bellows joint. Accordingly, the rotary motor 12A also applies a rotational force to the rotary shaft 42B of the lower brush 41B.

  Hereinafter, the operation in which the side brush 12 (the upper brush 41A and the lower brush 41B) of the car wash machine 10 brushes and cleans the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the vehicle 1 will be described.

(A) Front and rear surfaces of vehicle 1 (Fig. 6)
As shown in FIG. 6, when the front surface of the vehicle 1 (the same as the rear surface) has a middle-high shape protruding forward in the height direction intermediate portion, the side view of the car wash machine 10 (even in the side view of the vehicle 1). An attachment angle of the brush support shaft 31 with respect to the second side support 29 of the side brush is set by an attachment angle changing motor 32 so that the bent state of the brush support shaft 31 seen in (A)) follows the middle-high front surface of the vehicle 1.

  That is, the car wash control device 20 obtains detection results of the vehicle shape detection device 17 and the travel position detection device 18 while relatively moving the travel frame 11 of the car wash machine 10 with respect to the vehicle 1, and the side brush 12 (upper brush 41 </ b> A). When the lower brush 41B) cleans the front surface of the vehicle 1 (the same applies to the rear surface), the mounting angle changing motor 32 sets the mounting angle of the brush support shaft 31 as described above and the side brush 12 (upper brush 41A). The front side of the vehicle 1 is cleaned by controlling the rotary motor 12A and the lateral movement device 12B of the lower brush 41B). The upper brush 41A and the lower brush 41B of the side brush 12 rotate around the upper shaft portion 31A and the lower shaft portion 31B of the brush support shaft 31 bent so as to follow the medium-high front surface of the vehicle 1, while The front surface of the vehicle 1 is cleaned by contacting with the upper and lower sides of the front surface of the vehicle 1 with a constant contact pressure.

(B) Side view of vehicle 1 (Fig. 7)
As shown in FIG. 7, when the side surface of the vehicle 1 has a middle-high shape protruding sideways in the height direction intermediate portion, the vehicle 1 is viewed in a front view (also a front view of the vehicle 1). The attachment angle changing motor 32 sets the attachment angle of the brush support shaft 31 with respect to the second side brush second support body 29 so that the bent state of the brush support shaft 31 follows the medium-high side surface of the vehicle 1.

  That is, the car wash control device 20 obtains detection results of the vehicle shape detection device 17 and the travel position detection device 18 while relatively moving the travel frame 11 of the car wash machine 10 with respect to the vehicle 1, and the side brush 12 (upper brush 41 </ b> A). When the lower brush 41B) cleans the side surface of the vehicle 1, the mounting angle of the brush support shaft 31 is set by the mounting angle changing motor 32 as described above, and the side brush 12 (upper brush 41A, lower brush 41B) is set. ) And the lateral movement device 12B are controlled to clean the side surface of the vehicle 1. The upper brush 41A and the lower brush 41B of the side brush 12 rotate around the upper shaft portion 31A and the lower shaft portion 31B of the brush support shaft 31 bent so as to follow the medium-high side surface of the vehicle 1. The side surface of the vehicle 1 is cleaned by contacting the upper side and the lower side of the side surface with a constant contact pressure.

According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(a) By appropriately changing the mounting angle around the center axis of the brush support shaft 31 with respect to the second side support body 29, the shaft portions 31A and 31B of the brush support shaft 31 that are in contact with each other are pivoted. The brushes 41A and 41B can be rotated while the brush surfaces of the supported brushes 41A and 41B are applied to the entire surface of the curved surface of the vehicle 1 without any gaps. No residue is left due to 41B.

  (b) The mounting angle changing motor 32 can easily and accurately change the mounting angle of the brush support shaft 31 described above (a).

  (c) A single brush rotation is achieved by connecting the rotating shafts 42A and 42B of the brushes 41A and 41B pivotally supported by the shaft portions 31A and 31B of the brush support shaft 31 to each other by the flexible joint 44. The brushes 41A and 41B can be rotationally driven by the motor 12A.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, 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 brush structure of the present invention (a structure in which the mounting angle of the bent brush support shaft is changed and the brush is pivotally supported on each shaft portion of the brush support shaft) is a top for cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle 1. It can also be applied to brushes.

  Further, the bending point of the brush support shaft is set to 2 or more, and three or more shaft portions that bend each other are provided, and the brush can be pivotally supported on each of the shaft portions.

FIG. 1 shows a car wash machine, (A) is a side view and (B) is a front view. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the car wash machine. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the support structure of the side brush. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the drive structure of the side brush. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the vehicle is washed by brushing. FIGS. 6A and 6B show the brushing cleaning state of the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle. FIG. 6A is a side view and FIG. 6B is a front view. FIGS. 7A and 7B show a state of cleaning the side of the vehicle, where FIG. 7A is a side view and FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 10 Car wash machine 11 Traveling frame 12 Side brush 12A Brush rotation motor 29 Brush support body 31 Brush support shaft 31A, 31B Shaft part 32 Attachment angle change motor (attachment angle change means)
41A, 41B Brush 44 Flexible joint

Claims (3)

In a car wash machine having a frame that moves relative to a vehicle to be washed, a brush support that is movably provided on the frame, and a brush that is driven and rotated by the brush support.
And a mounting angle changing means for pivotally supporting a bent brush support shaft on the brush support and changing the mounting angle around the central axis of the brush support shaft with respect to the brush support;
A car wash machine comprising: a brush rotation motor that pivotally supports a brush on each of a plurality of shaft portions formed by bending the brush support shaft, and rotationally drives each brush.   The car wash machine according to claim 1, wherein the mounting angle changing means comprises a mounting angle changing motor.   The car wash machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating shafts of the brushes pivotally supported by each of the plurality of shaft portions of the brush support shaft are connected to each other by a flexible joint.

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