JP2023180930A - Vehicle entry assist device and car washer - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a car to be washed to be placed at a center as seen in a width direction of a washer body easily.SOLUTION: A vehicle entry assist device (7) includes: a surface material (74) provided at the outer side of an outlet opening of a washer body (4) which moves in an anteroposterior direction relative to a vehicle (X) to wash the vehicle (X); a lifting mechanism (72) for moving the surface material (74) in a vertical direction; a mirror (75) attached to an inner side of the washer body (4) of the surface material (74); and a control unit (71) which controls the lifting mechanism (72).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle entry assist device and a car wash machine equipped with the vehicle entry assist device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a car wash machine that washes a car by running a car wash main body on an installation surface.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-120307

When washing a car using a car wash machine such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, a driver stops the vehicle to be washed at a predetermined stopping position in front of the main body of the car wash machine before washing the car. In this case, the vehicle to be washed at the stopped position is preferably located at the center in the width direction of the opening of the car wash machine. However, in conventional car wash machines, it is not easy for drivers to position the vehicle to be washed in the center of the car wash machine body in the width direction.

One aspect of the present disclosure aims to facilitate positioning of a vehicle to be washed at the center in the width direction of a car wash main body.

In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle entry assist device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a face member provided on the outside of an exit opening of a car wash machine main body that washes a vehicle by moving relative to the vehicle in the front and rear direction. , a lifting mechanism for vertically moving the facing material, a mirror attached to the inside of the car wash main body of the facing material, and a control unit controlling the lifting mechanism.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily position the vehicle to be washed at the center in the width direction of the car wash main body.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a car wash machine including a vehicle entry assist device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. 1 is an example of a functional block diagram of a car wash machine including a vehicle entry assist device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic front view of a car wash machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control example of a control unit regarding a vehicle entry assisting operation by the vehicle entry assisting device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a remote panel included in the car wash machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. It is a schematic side view of the car wash machine concerning Embodiment 2 of this indication. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a vehicle entry assist device according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

[Embodiment 1]
The ground where the car wash machine 2 is installed is usually provided with an entry guide for the driver to enter the space of the car wash main body 4 at an appropriate position. However, it is difficult to grasp the left and right positions using only the approach guide provided on the ground. Further, the approach guide provided on the ground may be difficult for the driver to see depending on the vehicle's approach position and vehicle height.

The vehicle entry assist device according to the present embodiment is a device that assists the driver in advancing the vehicle to a predetermined stopping position so that the vehicle can enter the car wash machine while being located approximately at the center in the width direction of the car wash machine. be. In the first embodiment, an example will be described in which the vehicle entry assist device 7 is attached to the car wash machine main body 4.

Hereinafter, a vehicle entry assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a car wash machine equipped with the vehicle entry assist device will be described in detail.
In this specification, the positive direction of the X-axis is referred to as the front direction, and the negative direction of the X-axis is referred to as the rear direction. Further, the positive direction of the Y-axis is referred to as an upward direction, and the negative direction of the Y-axis is referred to as a downward direction. Further, the positive direction of the Z axis is referred to as the right direction, and the negative direction of the Z axis is referred to as the left direction. In addition, in Figures 1 to 7, for structures that are vertically symmetrical or horizontally symmetrical with respect to a certain axis, only one of the symmetrical structures is labeled with a code, and the other configuration is labeled with a code. In some cases, it may be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle entry assist device 7 and a car wash machine 2 including the vehicle entry assist device 7 according to the first embodiment. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view 2S of a vehicle entry assist device 7 according to the present embodiment, a car wash main body 4 and a remote panel 6, and a schematic front view 4F of the car wash main body 4. . FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of the car wash machine 2 including the vehicle entry assist device 7. As shown in FIG.

<Overview of car wash machine>
As shown in FIG. 1, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment includes a car wash main body 4 that washes a vehicle X, which is a vehicle to be washed. The car wash machine 2 may include a remote panel 6 that acquires the car wash conditions for the vehicle X by the car wash main body 4, which are selected by the driver's operation. In a schematic side view 2S of the car wash machine 2 in FIG. 1, the outer shape of the vehicle X is indicated by a dotted line to indicate that the vehicle X is located further back from the remote panel 6 toward the paper surface.

As shown in a schematic front view 4F of the car wash main body 4 in FIG. 1, the car wash main body 4 includes, for example, two frames 8 and a ceiling part 10 that connects the upper ends of the two frames 8. The car wash main body 4 has a structure that allows the vehicle X to pass through a space 4S surrounded by the frame 8 and the ceiling part 10 along the approach direction DA of the vehicle have. Note that in this specification, the approach direction DA is a direction from the front of the car wash machine main body 4 to the back. Further, in this specification, the front opening of the car wash main body 4 may be referred to as an inlet opening, and the rear opening may be referred to as an exit opening.

The car wash main body 4 has, for example, wheels 12 at the bottom of each frame 8, and is placed on the ground G by rotationally driving the wheels 12 by a drive unit 4A (not shown in FIG. 1). It moves relative to the vehicle X in the longitudinal direction along the rail R. For example, the rail R is formed along the approach direction DA. The car wash main body 4 washes the vehicle X in the space 4S while moving relative to the vehicle X.

The car wash main body 4 is provided with a plurality of rotating brushes that slide on the vehicle X and brush the vehicle X as one of the cleaning sections 4B. For example, the rotating brushes included in the car wash main body 4 include a top brush 14, a side brush 16, and a rocker brush 18, each of which is rotated by a rotating motor (not shown). The top brush 14 moves along the top surface of the vehicle X and cleans the top surface of the vehicle X. The side brush 16 and the rocker brush 18 clean both sides of the vehicle X. In particular, the rocker brush 18 cleans the lower side of the vehicle X, including the portion of the side surface of the vehicle X below the portion that can be cleaned by the side brush 16 .

A tank accommodating portion 20 is disposed on the side of the car wash main body 4 to accommodate a plurality of liquid storage tanks (not shown) storing various liquids including detergent, wax, and the like. A distribution piping section 22 is provided above the tank storage section 20 for distributing water including city water or liquid agents from each liquid storage tank. The distribution piping section 22 includes a first water purification nozzle 24, a second water purification nozzle 26, a first detergent nozzle 28, a second detergent nozzle 30, a water repellent coat nozzle 32, and a wax nozzle 34, which are included in the cleaning section 4B. It is derived via a solenoid valve (not shown).

The first water purification nozzle 24 and the second water purification nozzle 26 are arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash main body 4, respectively, and spray water containing city water to the vehicle X. The first detergent nozzle 28 and the second detergent nozzle 30 are arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash main body 4, respectively, and spray a cleaning liquid containing shampoo or the like onto the vehicle X. The water-repellent coating nozzle 32 and the wax nozzle 34 are arranged on the rear surface of the car wash machine main body 4. The water-repellent coating nozzle 32 injects a water-repellent coating agent onto the vehicle X. The wax nozzle 34 injects wax onto the vehicle X.

The car wash main body 4 is also provided with a blower 36 that generates airflow to dry the vehicle X. A top blow nozzle 38 and a side blow nozzle 40 are connected to the blower 36 . The top blow nozzle 38 is provided at the upper center of the car wash main body 4 and blows air toward the ceiling surface of the vehicle X. The side blower nozzles 40 are provided on both sides of the car wash main body 4 and blow air toward the sides of the vehicle X. The car wash main body 4 dries the washed vehicle X by blowing air from the top blow nozzle 38 and the side blow nozzle 40 .

An operation panel 42 is arranged on the front side of one frame 8 of the car wash machine main body 4. The operation panel 42 includes operation buttons (not shown) for setting car wash conditions, and is operated by a user who has gotten off the vehicle X to accept a car wash or set the car wash conditions.

Further, the car wash machine 2 includes a car wash control section 44 that controls the car wash main body 4. The car wash control unit 44 rotates the wheels 12 and moves the car wash machine main body 4 along the rail R by controlling the drive unit 4A. Further, the car wash control unit 44 controls the washing of the vehicle X by the car wash main body 4 by controlling the operation of each part of the cleaning unit 4B. The car wash control unit 44 may be provided in the car wash main body 4, as shown in FIG. 1, or may be located outside the car wash main body 4. The car wash control section 44 may control the car wash main body 4 by transmitting and receiving information to and from the car wash main body 4 or a remote panel 6, which will be described later, via the communication section 44A. Further, the car wash control unit 44 can transmit and receive information to and from the vehicle entry assist device 7 via the communication unit 44A. The car wash control unit 44 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and various controls are realized by executing a control program stored in a memory on the processor.

The remote panel 6 is located, for example, on the front side of the car wash main body 4 and is arranged approximately along the moving direction of the car wash main body 4. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the remote panel 6 has its front facing the vehicle Placed. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the back side of the remote panel 6 is shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, the remote panel 6 includes a housing 46 and a post 48 that is erected on the ground G and supports the housing 46. The remote panel 6 may acquire at least part of the car wash conditions for the vehicle X by the car wash main body 4 by operating a touch panel or buttons (not shown) provided on the housing 46 . The car wash control unit 44 may control the car wash main body 4 and wash the vehicle X based on at least part of the car wash conditions acquired by the remote panel 6.

In addition, in FIG. 1, for simplicity of illustration, the illustrations of the various devices for washing the vehicle X that are included in the car wash machine main body 4 described above may be omitted in some cases. Further, each device included in the car wash main body 4 shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and the car wash main body 4 includes a device for washing the vehicle X, including conventionally known configurations in addition to the above-mentioned devices, The frame 8 or the ceiling 10 may also be provided with a device to assist the cleaning.

<Vehicle entry assist device>
The vehicle entry assist device 7 includes a control section 71, a lifting mechanism 72, a pair of left and right guide rails 73, a shutter 74, and a mirror 75. The vehicle entry assisting device 7 includes a casing that can accommodate a control section 71, a lifting mechanism 72, and a shutter 74 during storage. The housing is attached to the back side of the ceiling portion 10 of the car wash machine main body 4, for example.

The guide rail 73 is a rail for guiding the shutter 74 and assisting in raising and lowering it. The guide rail 73 is attached to each of the two frames 8 of the car wash machine main body 4. More specifically, the guide rails 73 are provided on both left and right sides of the exit opening (exit exit) of the car wash main body 4, with the vertical direction being the longitudinal direction.

The shutter 74 is an example of a surface material that is provided outside the outlet opening of the car wash main body 4 and that can be raised and lowered by the raising and lowering mechanism 72. The shutter 74 also functions as a support member to which a mirror 75 is attached. The shutter 74 may be, for example, an aluminum shutter. A shutter similar to the shutter 74 may be provided on the entrance opening side of the car wash main body 4 together with a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the shutter. In this case, by lowering the two shutters provided on the entrance opening side and the exit opening side of the car wash main body 4, the inside of the car wash main body 4 can be generally shielded from the outside (outside air). That is, the shutter 74 may also have a function of reducing the possibility that the car wash device in the car wash main body 4 freezes when the outside air in the car wash is low temperature.

The mirror 75 is attached to the inside of the car wash machine main body of the shutter 74. As the mirror 75, for example, a mirror sheet can be used. By using a mirror sheet, the possibility that the mirror 75 will be damaged by impact or the like is reduced. Further, the mirror sheet is easy to process and can be easily attached to the shutter 74. The mirror 75 may be divided according to the slits of the shutter 74.

The mirror 75 is located in the entire area of the exit opening 35 when the shutter 74 is viewed from the entrance side of the car wash main body 4 when the shutter 74 is lowered (the exit opening 35 is closed). You can leave it there. In this case, even if the control unit 71 does not move the shutter 74 in the vertical direction using the lifting mechanism 72 based on the vehicle height information of the vehicle X, when the user approaches the parking position regardless of the size of the vehicle The left and right positioning can be easily performed.

The mirror 75 may be located in the lower half region of the exit opening when the shutter 74 is viewed from the entrance side of the car wash main body 4 in a lowered state. The area of the mirror 75 may be 40% to 60% of the area of the shutter 74 seen from the entrance side of the car wash main body 4 when the shutter 74 is lowered. Further, the mirror 75 may have a width (horizontal width) of 1.8 m or more and 2.2 m or less, and a height (vertical width) of 1 m or more and 1.5 m or less, for example. By limiting the area of the mirror 75 attached to the shutter 74, the effort required to clean the mirror 75 when it becomes dirty can be reduced. Further, since the area of the mirror 75 is limited, the cost for manufacturing the vehicle entry assist device 7 can be reduced.

The elevating mechanism 72 is a winding-type elevating mechanism that moves the shutter 74 in the vertical direction by winding it up or letting it out. The elevating mechanism 72 includes a motor that winds up or lets out the shutter 74, and the like. By providing the elevating mechanism 72, the shutter 74 can be moved upward when the mirror 75 is not required, such as during positioning, so that it does not interfere with car washing or the passage of the vehicle X. Furthermore, since the lifting mechanism 72 is of a winding type, the shutter 74 can be housed compactly within the housing. That is, a compact vehicle entry assist device 7 can be realized.

The control unit 71 controls the vehicle entry assist device 7. The control unit 71 is composed of a processor such as a CPU, for example, and each control is realized by executing a control program stored in a memory on the processor. The control unit 71 raises and lowers the shutter 74 by controlling the lifting mechanism 72, for example, and adjusts the position in the vertical direction. In other words, the control unit 71 controls the vertical movement of the shutter 74 by controlling the lifting mechanism 72.

<Various sensors>
Further, the vehicle entry assist device 7 according to this embodiment includes an entry position detection sensor 81 and a vehicle height sensor 82, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The entry position detection sensor 81 and the vehicle height sensor 82 may be controlled by the control unit 71 of the vehicle entry assist device 7, for example.

The entry position detection sensor 81 is a sensor that detects the entry position of the vehicle X. The entry position detection sensor 81 is, for example, a plurality of photoelectric sensors that have a light emitting part and a light receiving part facing each other in the vehicle width direction to form an optical axis, and detect the presence or absence of a vehicle body by transmitting/blocking light of the optical axis. good. As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of photoelectric sensors are supported by, for example, brackets 80 provided so as to protrude forward from frames 8 on both sides of the car wash main body 4, and are supported in the direction in which the vehicle X approaches. Arranged. Alternatively, the entry position detection sensor 81 may include a plurality of sensors provided between the remote panel 6 and the car wash main body 4, for example on the ground G of the car wash. When the entry position detection sensor 81 is installed on the ground G of a car wash, it is necessary to apply explosion-proof treatment to the entry position detection sensor 81.

The control unit 71 can determine that the vehicle X has reached the specified stopping position P based on information acquired from a plurality of sensors. The control unit 71 can receive entry position information from the entry position detection sensor 81 via the communication unit 71A. The entry position information is information regarding the entry position of the vehicle X, and may indicate the distance between the car wash main body 4 and the vehicle X, for example.

The entry position detection sensor 81 may be configured to be able to communicate with the car wash control section 44 of the car wash machine 2 . When the presence of the vehicle X cannot be detected by one of the plurality of sensors, the car wash control unit 44 determines that the vehicle The user may be guided to move forward. Alternatively, if the presence of the vehicle X is detected by some other sensor, the car wash control unit 44 determines that the vehicle X has moved too far forward in the traveling direction DA from the prescribed stopping position, and causes the vehicle You may also provide guidance to the user.

The vehicle height sensor 82 is a sensor that detects the vehicle height of the vehicle X. The vehicle height sensor 82 may be, for example, an area sensor that is attached to the front side of the remote panel 6 and includes a plurality of photoelectric sensors arranged in the vertical direction. Alternatively, if a vehicle height gate is installed in front of the remote panel 6 to prevent vehicle X higher than a predetermined vehicle height from entering, the vehicle height sensor 82 is installed downward from above the vehicle height gate. It may also be an ultrasonic sensor. In this case, by measuring the distance between the ultrasonic sensor and the vehicle body surface of the vehicle X, the vehicle height can be measured. The position of the vehicle height sensor 82 is not limited to the vicinity of the remote panel 6, and may be provided independently on the ground G in the car wash in front of the remote panel 6, for example. Vehicle height sensor 82 acquires vehicle height information that is information regarding the vehicle height of vehicle X. When the control unit 71 receives information indicating that a car wash has been accepted via the remote panel 6 from the car wash control unit 44, the control unit 71 may cause the vehicle height sensor 82 to acquire vehicle height information. The control unit 71 can receive vehicle height information acquired by the vehicle height sensor 82 via the communication unit 71A.

<Control of vehicle entry assist device>
FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the car wash machine 2. A diagram indicated by reference numeral 301 in FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first state of the vehicle entry assist device 7. As shown in FIG. The diagram indicated by reference numeral 302 in FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the second state of the vehicle entry assist device 7. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control example of the control unit 71 regarding the vehicle entry assisting operation by the vehicle entry assisting device 7. As shown in FIG.

The first state of the vehicle entry assist device 7 is a state in which a part or all of the exit opening of the car wash main body 4 is closed by the shutter 74 (closed state), and the mirror 75 is located in front of the vehicle X in the traveling direction. It means the state of being located at. In the first state, the shutter 74 covers at least a portion of the outlet opening of the car wash main body 4. In the "closed state", the shutter 74 only needs to cover at least a portion of the outlet opening of the car wash main body 4, and does not need to cover the entire outlet opening. The second state of the vehicle entry assist device 7 is a state in which the shutter 74 is rolled up and the exit opening of the car wash main body 4 is opened.

(Step S1)
When receiving information from the car wash control unit 44 of the car wash machine 2 indicating that the car wash of the vehicle that was being washed before the vehicle X has been completed and that the vehicle has left the car wash machine 2, the vehicle entry assist device 7 is controlled. The unit 71 controls the lifting mechanism 72 and lowers the shutter 74 (step S1). By executing step S1, the vehicle entry assist device 7 enters the first state. The vertical position of the shutter 74 in the first state may be a position where the shutter 74 is lowered to the vicinity of the ground G. Alternatively, the shutter 74 may be lowered to a predetermined height from the ground G.

As shown in the diagram indicated by reference numeral 301 in FIG. 3, the mirror 75 can reflect the vehicle X in the first state. The driver can adjust the lateral position by using the mirror 75 attached to the shutter 74 to check the distance between the side mirror of the vehicle X and the car wash machine main body 4, for example.

The trigger by which the control unit 71 executes step S1 is not limited to the above example. For example, when the control unit 71 receives information indicating that the user of the vehicle X has started operating the remote panel 6 from the car wash control unit 44, the control unit 71 may execute step S1.

In step S1, the control unit 71 may adjust the vertical position of the shutter 74 in the first state based on the vehicle height information of the vehicle X acquired from the vehicle height sensor 82. More specifically, the control unit 71 may determine the initial position of the first state based on the vehicle height information of the vehicle X acquired from the vehicle height sensor 82. The control unit 71 may maintain the initial position of the first state while the vehicle X is traveling until it reaches a predetermined stopping position before washing the vehicle X. That is, the control unit 71 can control the vertical position of the shutter 74 while the vehicle X is traveling until it reaches a predetermined stopping position before the vehicle X is washed. Thereby, the position of the mirror 75 can be adjusted to an appropriate position according to the height of the vehicle X.

Further, in step S1, the control unit 71 may change the vertical position of the shutter 74 while the vehicle X is traveling until it reaches a predetermined stopping position before cleaning the vehicle X. Specifically, the control unit 71 controls the lifting mechanism 72 according to the distance between the car wash main body 4 and the vehicle X indicated by the entry position information acquired from the entry position detection sensor 81, and controls the shutter 74 in the first state You may adjust the vertical position of. For example, the control unit 71 may control the lifting mechanism 72 to move the shutter 74 upward as the distance between the car wash main body 4 and the vehicle X becomes shorter.

As the vehicle X approaches the main body of the car wash, the area of the mirror that is visible to the driver gradually moves upward. By gradually moving the shutter 74 upward as the vehicle X approaches the stop position, the time required to wind up the shutter 74 after the vehicle X has stopped at the stop position can be shortened. Furthermore, if the position where the mirror 75 is attached to the shutter 74 is limited, it is possible to adjust the mirror 75 to a position suitable for the driver depending on the distance between the vehicle X and the car wash main body 4. can.

(Step 2)
After lowering the shutter 74 to the first state, the control unit 71 determines whether the vehicle X has reached the parking position P (step S2). Specifically, the control unit 71 determines whether the vehicle X has reached the stop position P based on the approach position information received from the approach position detection sensor 81.

The control unit 71 controls the elevating mechanism 72 so that the first state is maintained while the vehicle X is traveling to the stopping position P. Since the mirror 75 remains positioned in front of the vehicle X until the vehicle X moves to the stop position P, the driver can easily perform left and right alignment.

(Step 3)
When the control unit 71 determines that the vehicle X has reached the stop position (S2: YES), the control unit 71 raises the shutter 74 by controlling the elevating mechanism 72. As a result, the vehicle entry assist device 7 enters the second state (step S3).

As shown by reference numeral 302 in FIG. 3, by setting the vehicle entry assist device 7 to the second state and opening the opening before the car wash is started by the car wash main body 4, the car wash operation may be hindered. It is possible to reduce the

The control unit 71 ends the series of controls when step S3 is completed.

Note that, when the vehicle entry assistance operation in steps S1 to S3 described above is completed, the control unit 71 may transmit information indicating that the vehicle entry assistance operation has been completed to the car wash control unit 44 of the car wash machine 2. When the car wash control unit 44 receives the information, it may control each unit to wash the car.

By including the vehicle entry assist device 7, the car wash machine 2 can easily position the vehicle X in the center of the car wash main body 4 in the width direction.

(Modification 1: Modification regarding acquisition of vehicle height information)
In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the initial position in the first state is determined based on the vehicle height information acquired by the vehicle height sensor 82. In Modification 1, an example will be described in which vehicle height information is input by the vehicle user via the remote panel 6. Note that the user includes the driver.

The vehicle user may input vehicle height information of the vehicle X via the remote panel 6.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of the operation panel type remote panel 6 included in the car wash machine 2 shown in FIG.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the remote panel 6 may have a structure in which a casing 46 is mounted on a support 48 so as to be vertically movable. The remote panel 6 has a built-in lifting device (not shown) in the support 48, and is configured to be able to move up and down between the lower end H0 and the higher end H1 by pressing the up button 62a or the down button 62b. ing. Note that a button that collectively includes the up button 62a and the down button 62b is referred to as the up/down button 62.

When the lift button 62 is pressed, there are two cases: a simple lift and an inching lift. In simple lifting, when the lift button is pressed, the elevator moves between the lower end and the upper end. That is, in the case of simple lifting, when the lifting button 62 is pressed, the remote panel 6 moves to the rising end or the falling end even if the button is released. Even if the user releases the lift button 62, the movement of the remote panel 6 continues until it reaches the rising end or the falling end, but the height of the remote panel 6 cannot be delicately adjusted.

On the other hand, in the inching up/down operation, the robot moves up and down between the lower end and the upper end only while the up/down button 62 is pressed down. That is, in the case of inching up/down, the remote panel 6 moves up and down only while the up/down button 62 is pressed. In this way, the height of the remote panel 6 can be finely adjusted.

The control unit 71 may acquire information based on the height H of the remote panel 6, which is adjusted by pressing the up/down button 62, as the vehicle height information.

Note that the example of input of vehicle height information by the user is not limited to the input based on pressing the up/down button 62 described above. For example, a mode may be adopted in which the user selects step-by-step options regarding the vehicle height.

The control unit 71 controls the shutter 74 while the vehicle X is traveling to a predetermined stopping position before washing the vehicle X, based on the vehicle height information of the vehicle X input by the user via the remote panel 6. Controls the vertical position of Thereby, the position of the mirror 75 can be adjusted to an appropriate position according to the height of the vehicle X.

(Modification 2: Modification of face material)
In the embodiment described above, an example has been described in which the surface material provided outside the outlet opening of the car wash main body 4 is the shutter 74, but the surface material is not limited to the shutter. For example, the facing material may be a vinyl curtain. Even when the facing material is a vinyl curtain, a mirror 75 is attached to the inside of the car wash machine main body 4 of the curtain, as in the first embodiment. For example, mirror tape may be used for the mirror 75.

(Modification 3: Cleaning the mirror 75 with a side brush)
The car wash main body 4 includes a side brush 16. The car wash control unit 44 of the car wash machine 2 may control the side brush 16 to cause the side brush 16 to wash the mirror 75.

The upper end of the side brush 16 is supported by the car wash main body 4 via a support mechanism (not shown), and is swingable in the front-rear direction. Further, the side brush 16 may include a holding mechanism (not shown) that can hold the rotation axis (for example, the axis along the vertical direction) of the side brush 16 at a predetermined swing angle. With the holding mechanism, the side brush 16 is held in a posture (swing angle) that allows the mirror 75 to be cleaned, and the mirror 75 can be cleaned.

Note that if the car wash machine 2 is not provided with a holding mechanism, the side brush 16 may be placed near the outlet opening.

By cleaning the mirror 75 with the side brush 16, visibility for the driver can be improved.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as the members described in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a car wash machine 2A according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of a vehicle entry assist device 7A according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the car wash machine 2A, the vehicle entry assist device 7A differs from the first embodiment in that the lifting mechanism 72 is not attached to the car wash main body 4. The elevating mechanism 72 is installed on the ground G and attached to a frame 76 through which the vehicle X can pass. Thereby, maintenance of the vehicle entry assist device 7 can be easily performed.

The frame body 76 includes a pair of frame portions 76A that are vertically arranged, and a ceiling portion 76B that connects the upper portions of the pair of frame portions 76A. The space formed by the pair of frame portions 76A and the ceiling portion 76B has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, but is not limited to this as long as the vehicle X can pass therethrough.

In the car wash machine 2A, a lifting mechanism 72 is attached to a frame 76. Therefore, even if the control unit 71 determines that the vehicle It is not necessary to move to the 2nd state. The control unit 71 may control the elevating mechanism 72 to move the shutter 74 from the first state to the second state after the vehicle X has been washed. Thereby, the vehicle X that has been washed can pass through the frame 76.

[Additional notes]
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made within the scope of the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

2, 2A Car wash machine 4 Car wash main body 44 Car wash control section 44A Communication section 6 Remote panel 7, 7A Vehicle entry assist device 71 Control section 71A Communication section 72 Lifting mechanism 73 Guide rail 74 Shutter (face material)
75 Mirror 76 Frame 81 Approach position detection sensor 82 Vehicle height sensor

Claims (12)

a face member provided on the outside of an outlet opening of a car wash machine body that washes the vehicle by moving relative to the vehicle in a front-back direction;
a lifting mechanism for moving the surface material in the vertical direction;
a mirror attached to the inside of the car wash machine main body of the face material;
A vehicle entry assist device, comprising: a control unit that controls the lifting mechanism. A first state is a state in which the face material covers at least a portion of the exit opening and the mirror is located forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle;
The control unit controls the lifting mechanism so that the first state is maintained while the vehicle is traveling to a predetermined stopping position before washing the vehicle. Vehicle entry aid. When the vehicle stops at the stopping position, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism from the first state to a second state in which the exit opening is open, and moves the panel upward. The vehicle entry assist device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle entry assist device is moved to. The mirror is located in a lower half region of the outlet opening when the face member is viewed from the entrance side of the car wash main body when the outlet opening is closed by the face member. The vehicle entry assist device according to claim 1. The control unit controls the lifting mechanism according to the distance between the vehicle and the car wash main body, and adjusts the vertical position of the face material in the first state. Vehicle entry aid. The vehicle entry assist device according to claim 1, wherein the panel is a shutter or a curtain, and the elevating mechanism is a winding type elevating mechanism. The vehicle entry assist device according to claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism is attached to the car wash machine main body. The vehicle entry assist device according to claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism is installed on the ground and attached to a frame through which the vehicle can pass. A car wash machine comprising the vehicle entry assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. It is equipped with a remote panel operated by a user of the vehicle,
The control unit is configured to control the height of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling to a predetermined stopping position before washing the vehicle, based on vehicle height information of the vehicle input by the user via the remote panel. The car wash machine according to claim 9, wherein the vertical position of the face material is controlled. comprising a remote panel operated by a user of the vehicle and a vehicle height sensor,
When a car wash is accepted via the remote panel, vehicle height information of the vehicle is acquired by the vehicle height sensor,
9 . The control unit controls the vertical position of the face material while the vehicle is traveling to a predetermined stopping position before washing the vehicle, based on the vehicle height information. 10 . The car wash machine listed in. comprising a car wash control section that controls the car wash machine main body,
The car washing machine main body includes a pair of left and right side brushes that wash the side surfaces of the vehicle,
The car wash machine according to claim 9, wherein the car wash control section causes the side brush to wash the mirror.

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