JP2012030623A - Automobile wheel washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To wash a front wheel and a rear wheel including a disc brake of an automobile with proper washing time without causing insufficient washing of the front wheel and excessive washing of the rear wheel.SOLUTION: Whether a wheel detected by a photoelectric sensor (14) is the front wheel or the rear wheel is discriminated and outputted, and wheel washing time of washing by a wheel washing brush device (W) is controlled so as to become longer in the front wheel than that in the rear wheel by a wheel washing control means (D) based on the output of discrimination.

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wheel cleaning device for automobiles, particularly automobiles having front and rear wheels provided with disc brakes.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a wheel cleaning device that cleans automobile wheels with a wheel cleaning brush (see Patent Document 1 below).

  There is also known a wheel cleaning device that cleans a vehicle wheel with cleaning water sprayed from a spray nozzle (see Patent Documents 2 to 4 below).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 50-10657 CDROM of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-16529 JP-A-8-253109 JP 2002-59816 A

  In recent years, wheel brakes equipped on automobile wheels have a good feeling because the braking force changes in proportion to the pedaling force of the brake pedal, and the brake effect has been stabilized. Instead, a disc brake is adopted.

  By the way, in an automobile, in order to effectively apply the braking force, the front wheel is set to have a larger braking force than the rear wheel. The front wheels tend to be worse than the wheels.

  Therefore, if the front and rear wheels are cleaned with the same specifications, for example, if the front and rear wheels are cleaned with specifications that match the dirt on the rear wheels, the front wheels will become insufficiently washed and the front wheels will match the dirt on the front wheels. According to the specification, if the front wheel and the rear wheel are cleaned, there is a problem that the cleaning time of the rear wheel is too long and the cleaning time becomes uselessly long.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the front wheel cleaning time is controlled to be longer than the rear wheel cleaning time, leading to insufficient cleaning of the front wheels and unnecessary cleaning time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel wheel cleaning device that can prevent this from occurring.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is directed to an automobile wheel cleaning apparatus including wheel cleaning means for cleaning front and rear wheels of an automobile.
Wheel detection means for detecting the wheel, front / rear wheel discrimination output means for judging whether the wheel detected by the wheel detection means is a front wheel or a rear wheel, and output of the discrimination, and output of the front / rear wheel discrimination output means Wheel cleaning control means for controlling the wheel cleaning means based on
The wheel cleaning control means controls the time for cleaning the front wheels longer than the time for cleaning the rear wheels.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 2 is directed to an automotive wheel cleaning apparatus including wheel cleaning means for cleaning front and rear wheels of an automobile.
Wheel detection means for detecting the wheel, front / rear wheel discrimination output means for judging whether the wheel detected by the wheel detection means is a front wheel or a rear wheel, and output of the discrimination, and output of the front / rear wheel discrimination output means Wheel cleaning control means for controlling the wheel cleaning means based on
The wheel cleaning control means includes setting operation means capable of setting a time for cleaning the front wheels to be longer than a time for cleaning the rear wheels.

  According to the invention described in the claims, both the front and rear wheels can be cleaned with an appropriate cleaning time without the front wheels becoming insufficiently washed or the rear wheels becoming excessively washed.

Overall plan view of automotive wheel cleaning equipment Overall side view of automotive wheel cleaning equipment Front view of the car washer body along line 3-3 in FIG. Sectional drawing of the car wash machine body along line 4-4 in FIG. Front view of control panel Control block diagram of automotive wheel cleaning equipment Action diagram of automotive wheel cleaning system Flowchart diagram of automotive wheel cleaning Action diagram of modified example of automotive wheel cleaning device

  Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below based on the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIGS.

  1 to 4, a car wash machine body 1 of a car wash machine includes a portal frame 2 that can straddle an automobile V, and a pair of left and right front wheels 3 and 3 and a pair of left and right rear wheels provided on the portal frame 2. 4 and 4 reciprocate on a pair of left and right traveling rails 5 and 5 provided on the installation surface F. Traveling motors 6, 6 provided in the car wash machine body 1 are connected to the front wheels 3, 3, and these traveling motors 6, 6 are driven to reciprocate the portal frame 2 on the pair of traveling rails 5, 5. It can be run. A rotary encoder 7 is provided on the output shaft of one traveling motor 6.

  On the installation surface F of the car wash machine body 1, a start position cam 8 is provided. Further, the portal frame 2 is provided with a start position detection switch 9 for detecting that the car wash machine body 1 is at the start position 1A by hitting the start position cam 8.

  The portal frame 2 includes a top brush 10 for cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle V, a pair of left and right side brushes 11 and 11 for cleaning the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle V, a top nozzle 12 for drying the upper surface of the vehicle V, and the vehicle V. A pair of left and right side nozzles 13 and 13 are provided for drying the left and right side surfaces.

  The top brush 10 and the side brushes 11 and 11 constitute a vehicle body washing means, and the top nozzle 12 and the side nozzles 13 and 13 constitute a vehicle body drying means.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the left and right lower parts of the portal frame 2 have a pair of left and right wheel washers as wheel washing means for washing the front and rear wheels Wf and Wr of the vehicle V having the disc brake DB. Brush devices W and W and a photoelectric sensor 14 as a wheel detection means are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the photoelectric sensor 14 includes a projector 14a and a light receiver 14b, and an optical axis 14c (dashed line) projected from the projector 14a is received by the photodetector 14b.

  Next, the structure of the pair of left and right wheel cleaning brush devices W, W will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Since the pair of left and right wheel cleaning brush devices W, W have the same structure, one of them will be described. The wheel cleaning brush device W includes a pneumatic cylinder 31, a tension spring 32, and a parallel link mechanism 33.

  The pneumatic cylinder 31 has a base end on the cylinder barrel side pivotally supported by the portal frame 2 so as to be swingable, and a tip on the cylinder rod side is provided integrally with one parallel link 33A of the parallel link mechanism 33. The arm 31 is connected to the tip 31b. The tension spring 32 has an upper end connected to the portal frame 2 and a lower end connected to an intermediate portion of the arm 34. The parallel link mechanism 33 includes parallel links 33A and 33B which are parallel to each other and are equal in length. The upper fulcrums 35A and 35B of the parallel links 33A and 33B are pivotally supported by the portal frame 2 so as to be swingable. A brush support member 37 is supported on the lower fulcrums 36A and 36B of the links 33A and 33B. The brush support member 37 extends in the vertical direction in the portal frame 2, and a brush support shaft 38 is rotatably supported horizontally at a lower portion thereof, and a wheel cleaning brush 39 is fixed to the tip thereof. A motor 40 is provided at the upper end of the brush support member 37, and the motor 40 can rotationally drive the wheel cleaning brush 39 via a transmission mechanism provided in the brush support member 37.

  When the pneumatic cylinder 31 is extended, the wheel cleaning brush 39 is moved from the retracted position (FIG. 4, solid line position) via the parallel link mechanism 33 to the operating position (FIG. 4, two). Proceed toward the inside of the portal frame 2 to the dotted line position).

  When the pneumatic cylinder 31 is deactivated, the wheel cleaning brush 39 returns to the retracted position by the tensile force of the tension spring 32.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a control panel 15 is provided in the front portion of the portal frame 2, and a control device 16 that controls the car wash machine is disposed in the control panel 15. A setting operation means P is provided on the front surface of the control panel 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a stopper 17 and a photoelectric sensor 18 as vehicle detection means are provided on an installation surface F between the traveling rails 5 and 5.

  The photoelectric sensor 18 includes a projector 18a and a light receiver 18b, and an optical axis 18c (one-dot chain line) projected from the projector 18a is received by the light receiver 18b.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle V can be stopped at the vehicle washing position V <b> 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) by stopping the right front wheel tire T of the vehicle V against the stopper 17. Yes.

  The photoelectric sensor 18 can detect that the automobile V has stopped at the vehicle washing position V2 by detecting the right front wheel T of the automobile V.

  1 and 2, a vehicle entrance EN is provided in front of the pair of running rails 5 and 5, and a circuit breaker 19 is installed in front of the vehicle entrance EN. A reception device 20 is installed on the front side of the circuit breaker 19. The receiving device 20 is provided with a fee receiving device 21 and a start key 22.

  A vehicle exit EX is provided behind the pair of traveling rails 5 and 5, and an exit guide indicator 23 is installed on one side of the vehicle exit EX.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 16 provided in the control panel 15 includes a separation distance detecting means 24, front and rear wheel discriminating means 25, setting control means 26, front wheel cleaning time storage means 27, rear wheel cleaning time storage means 28, and The function of the control signal output means 29 is provided.

  The control device 16 includes travel motors 6 and 6, a rotary encoder 7, a start position detection switch 9, vehicle body cleaning means 10 and 11, vehicle body drying units 12 and 13, a wheel cleaning brush device W, and a photoelectric sensor 14 as a wheel detection unit. , The vehicle detection means 18, the circuit breaker 19, the reception device 20, the exit guidance display 23 and the setting operation means P are connected.

  The separation distance detection means 24 adds or subtracts the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 7 from when the start position detection switch 9 becomes inoperative, so that the separation distance L ( ) Is detected.

  The front and rear wheel discriminating means 25 has storage means M for storing completion of cleaning of the front wheels Wf, and when the photoelectric sensor 14 detects a wheel, the storage means M does not store completion of cleaning of the front wheels Wf. Determines the detected wheel as the front wheel Wf, and when the storage means M stores the completion of the cleaning of the front wheel Wf, the detected wheel is determined as the rear wheel Wr.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the setting operation means P includes a setting key 51, an enter key 52, a front wheel key 53, a rear wheel key 54, an increase key 55, a decrease key 56, and a display 57.

  The front and rear wheel discriminating means 25 corresponds to the front and rear wheel discriminating output means according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the setting operation means P, the setting control means 26, the front wheel cleaning time storage means 27, the rear wheel cleaning time storage means 28, and the control signal output means 29 cooperate with each other in the wheel cleaning control according to the present invention. Means D are configured.

  The cleaning time for the front wheel Wf and the rear wheel Wr is set as follows.

<Setting of front wheel washing time TF>
5 and 6, when the front wheel key 53 is pressed after pressing the setting key 51, the setting control means 26 causes the display 57 to display the front wheel cleaning time TF stored in the front wheel cleaning time storage means 27.

  Next, to increase the front wheel cleaning time TF, the increase key 55 is pressed. In order to shorten the front wheel cleaning time TF, the decrement key 56 is pressed. When the increase key 55 is pressed, the setting control means 26 lengthens the front wheel cleaning time TF displayed on the display 57, and when the decrease key 56 is pressed, the setting control means 26 shortens the front wheel cleaning time TF displayed on the display 57. When the display 57 displays the desired front wheel cleaning time TF, the enter key 52 is pressed. Thereby, the setting control means 26 stores the front wheel cleaning time TF displayed on the display 57 in the front wheel cleaning time storage means 27.

<Setting of rear wheel cleaning time TR>
5 and 6, when the rear wheel key 54 is pressed after pressing the setting key 51, the setting control means 26 causes the display 57 to display the rear wheel cleaning time TR stored in the rear wheel cleaning time storage means 28. .

  Next, to increase the rear wheel cleaning time TR, the increase key 55 is pressed. In order to shorten the rear wheel cleaning time TR, the decrement key 56 is pressed. When the increase key 55 is pressed, the setting control means 26 lengthens the rear wheel cleaning time TR displayed on the display device 57, and when the decrease key 56 is pressed, the setting control means 26 shortens the rear wheel cleaning time TR displayed on the display device 57. To do. When the display 57 displays the desired rear wheel cleaning time TR, the enter key 52 is pressed. As a result, the setting control means 26 stores the rear wheel cleaning time TR displayed on the indicator 57 in the rear wheel cleaning time storage means 28.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the front wheel cleaning time TF is set longer than the rear wheel cleaning time TR.

  Next, the wheel cleaning action of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS.

  As shown by solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is assumed that the car wash machine body 1 is at the start position 1A of the traveling rails 5 and 5 and the circuit breaker 19 is closed.

  In step S1, the control device 16 determines whether the automobile V has stopped at the vehicle washing position V2.

  In step S <b> 1, the driver stops the vehicle V at the reception position V <b> 1 next to the reception device 20, puts a predetermined fee into the fee reception device 21, and then presses the start key 22. When the start key 22 is pressed, the control device 16 opens the circuit breaker 19. When the circuit breaker 19 opens, the driver advances the car. When the automobile V reaches the vehicle washing position V2 through the vehicle entrance EN, the driver applies the right front wheel tire T to the stopper 17 and stops the automobile V. As a result, when the photoelectric sensor 18 is continuously shielded from light for a predetermined time, the control device 16 closes the circuit breaker 19 to start the car wash, assuming that the automobile V has stopped at the vehicle washing position V2, and step S2 Proceed to As a result, the car wash machine 1 travels from the start position 1A shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the forward end position shown in FIGS. Normal car washing, that is, washing with the top brush 10 and the side brushes 11 and 11 and drying with the top nozzle 12 and the side nozzles 13 and 13 are performed.

  FIG. 7A shows the time when the car wash is started.

  Note that the driver remains on the vehicle V until the car wash is completed.

  In step S2, the control device 16 determines whether the photoelectric sensor 14 has detected a wheel.

  When the car wash machine main body 1 continues traveling and reaches the position shown in FIG. 7B and the photoelectric sensor 14 detects a wheel, the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the front and rear wheel discriminating means 25 discriminates whether the wheel detected by the photoelectric sensor 14 is the front wheel Wf or the rear wheel Wr. In this case, the front and rear wheel discriminating means 25 discriminates that the front wheel Wf has been cleaned since the storage means M does not store the completion of the cleaning of the front wheel Wf, and proceeds to step S4.

  In step S4, the photoelectric sensor is detected from the center of the wheel cleaning brush 39 based on the separation distance Ld (see FIG. 7B) detected by the separation distance detection means 24 when the photoelectric sensor 14 detects the front wheel Wf in step S2. When the car wash machine body 1 travels a distance (Ld + G + Lf × 1/2) obtained by adding 1/2 of the distance Lf where the photoelectric sensor 14 is shielded by the front wheel Wf to the distance G up to 14, the center of the wheel cleaning brush 39 However, it substantially coincides with the center line of the front wheel Wf (see FIG. 7C), and the control signal output means 29 stops the forward travel of the car wash machine body 1 and extends the pneumatic cylinders 31, 31. At the same time, the motors 40 are driven. As a result, the wheel cleaning brushes 39 and 39 are rotated and lowered through the parallel link mechanism 33 to move forward and reach the operating position (chain line position in FIG. 4) to clean the front wheels Wf and Wf.

  Next, when the front wheel cleaning time TF stored in the front wheel cleaning time storage means 27 has elapsed, the control signal output means 29 deactivates the pneumatic cylinders 31, 31 and stops the rotation of the motors 40, 40. Then, the wheel washing brushes 39, 39 are retracted to the retracted position (FIG. 4, solid line position) by the tensile force of the tension springs 32, 32, and the storage means M is made to store the completion of the cleaning of the front wheel Wf, so that the car wash machine The main body 1 is returned. Next, the process returns to step S2.

  In step S2 returned from step S4, the control device 16 determines whether the photoelectric sensor 14 has detected a wheel.

  When the car wash machine body 1 continues traveling and reaches the position shown in FIG. 7D and the photoelectric sensor 14 detects a wheel, the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the front and rear wheel discriminating means 25 discriminates whether the wheel detected by the photoelectric sensor 14 is the front wheel Wf or the rear wheel Wr. In this case, since the storage means M stores the completion of the cleaning of the front wheel Wf, the rear wheel Wr is determined, and the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, the photoelectric sensor 14 moves to the distance G from the separation distance Ld ′ (see FIG. 7D) detected by the separation distance detection means 24 when the photoelectric sensor 14 detects the rear wheel Wr in step S2. When the car wash machine main body 1 travels a distance (Ld ′ + G + Lr × ½) that is 1/2 of the distance Lr shielded from light by the rear wheel Wf, the center of the wheel cleaning brush 39 becomes the center of the rear wheel Wr. The control signal output means 29 substantially stops on the center line (see FIG. 7 (E)), stops the forward movement of the car wash machine main body 1, extends the pneumatic cylinders 31, 31, and operates the motors 40, 40. Drive. As a result, the wheel cleaning brushes 39, 39 are rotated downward while moving downward via the parallel link mechanism 33, and move forward in parallel to clean the rear wheel Wr. Next, when the rear wheel cleaning time TR stored in the rear wheel cleaning time storage means 28 elapses, the control signal output means 29 deactivates the pneumatic cylinders 31 and 31 and rotates the motors 40 and 40. The wheel washing brushes 39, 39 are retracted to the retracted position by the tension force of the tension springs 32, 32, and the car wash machine main body 1 is moved forward again. Next, the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S <b> 6, when the car wash machine body 1 reaches the travel end position 1 </ b> B (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the car wash machine is finished and the traveling of the car wash machine body 1 is stopped. Further, the storage device M is cleared.

  Next, the exit guidance display 23 displays “Car wash is complete. Please move forward and leave”. As a result, the driver causes the automobile V to move forward and leave.

  When the automobile V leaves, the car wash machine body 1 travels backward and returns to the start position 1A.

  Next, a modified example of the front and rear wheel discriminating means will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The control means 16 is provided with front and rear wheel discriminating means 51 in place of the front and rear wheel discriminating means 25, and the car brush machine body 1 has side brushes 11 and 11 as shown in FIG. A detection sensor 50 is provided for detecting contact with the front surface of the.

  In FIG. 9, while the car wash machine body 1 travels from the start position 1A to the outbound end position 1B shown in FIG. 9B, when the photoelectric sensor 14 detects a wheel before the detection sensor 50 detects that the side brushes 11 and 11 are in contact with the front surface of the automobile V, as shown in FIG. The detected wheel is determined as the front wheel Wf, and the photoelectric sensor 14 is detected after the detection sensor 50 detects that the side brushes 11 and 11 are in contact with the front surface of the vehicle V as shown in FIG. When the wheel is detected, the detected wheel is determined as the rear wheel Wr.

  Thereby, the front wheel Wf is cleaned during the front wheel cleaning time TF. Further, the rear wheel Wr is cleaned during the rear wheel cleaning time TR.

  In this modification, the detection sensor 50 and the front and rear wheel discriminating means 51 cooperate to constitute a front and rear wheel discriminating output means.

  As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the Example, A various Example is possible within the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the invention described in claim 1 can be implemented in a form that does not have means for changing the cleaning time of the front wheels and the rear wheels.

  The present invention can be implemented in a form having means for changing at least one of the front wheel cleaning time and the rear wheel cleaning time.

  The present invention can be implemented in a wheel cleaning apparatus including wheel cleaning means for cleaning a wheel with cleaning water sprayed from a spray nozzle. And when washing a wheel with the washing water sprayed from the spray nozzle while running the car wash machine main body, by controlling the running speed of the car wash machine body when washing the wheel with the washing water sprayed from the spray nozzle Control the time to wash the wheels.

  The present invention can be implemented in a car wash machine in which a car wash machine body is fixed to an installation surface and an automobile is moved by a conveying means such as a conveyor.

14 .... Photoelectric sensor (wheel detection means)
25 ······· Front and rear wheel discrimination means (front and rear wheel discrimination output means)
50 ······ Detection sensor (front / rear wheel discrimination output means)
51... Front and rear wheel discrimination means (front and rear wheel discrimination output means)
D ... Wheel cleaning control means P ... Setting operation means V ... Automobile W ... Wheel cleaning Brush device (wheel cleaning means)
Wf: front wheel Wr: rear wheel

Claims (2)

In an automobile wheel cleaning apparatus equipped with wheel cleaning means for cleaning the front and rear wheels of an automobile,
Wheel detection means for detecting the wheel;
Determining whether the wheel detected by the wheel detecting means is a front wheel or a rear wheel, and outputting front / rear wheel determination output means;
Wheel cleaning control means for controlling the wheel cleaning means based on the output of the front and rear wheel discrimination output means,
The wheel cleaning control means controls the time for cleaning the front wheels longer than the time for cleaning the rear wheels. In an automobile wheel cleaning apparatus equipped with wheel cleaning means for cleaning the front and rear wheels of an automobile,
Wheel detection means for detecting the wheel;
Determining whether the wheel detected by the wheel detecting means is a front wheel or a rear wheel, and outputting front / rear wheel determination output means;
Wheel cleaning control means for controlling the wheel cleaning means based on the output of the front and rear wheel discrimination output means,
The wheel cleaning control means includes a setting operation means capable of setting a time for cleaning the front wheels to be longer than a time for cleaning the rear wheels.

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