JP2773566B2 - Car wash machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car washer for self-propelled car washing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional car wash, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the same. 4 and 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a gate-type car washer that straddles a vehicle 2 to be washed and travels in a front-rear direction of the vehicle 2 on a rail 5 laid on a floor 4 via a plurality of wheels 3. It is a main body, and this gate-shaped car wash machine main body 1 includes:
The first washing water arch 6, the first wax arch 7, and the second
A wash water arch 8, a second wax arch 9, and a detergent arch 10 are arranged in this order, and the first wash water arch 6
A pair of left and right side nozzles 11 and a top nozzle 12 for drying and a pair of left and right blower devices 13 that simultaneously communicate with the two nozzles 11 and 12 to supply the air are provided at the location, and the vehicle 2 is movable vertically. Top brush for cleaning the top surface
An arm (not shown) that can swing freely with a pair of side brushes 14 and a pair of side brushes 15 that can traverse in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the car washer body 1 (lateral direction) and that cleans the front and rear surfaces and both side surfaces of the vehicle 2. A pair of left and right rocker brushes 16 are attached to the lower portions on both sides so as to be able to approach and separate from each other in the left-right direction. A sonic sensor 17 for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle 2 is provided at an upper front end of the car wash machine main body 1, and an operation panel 18 is provided at a front side portion of the car wash machine main body 1. The operation panel 18 includes a start / stop switch, a car wash course setting key for setting a car wash course with one touch,
A manual / option operation key for setting addition or removal of a function such as raising of the top brush 14 in accordance with a car wash situation, and setting a vehicle type and characteristics of the vehicle 2 such as a jeep is provided. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 19 denotes a spare tire of the vehicle 2, and reference numeral 20 denotes a tire mounted on the vehicle 2.

When the vehicle 2 to be washed is a jeep as shown in FIG. 4, the tire house 2E is high, and
Since the spare tire 19 is often attached to 2D,
In the case of cleaning with the usual brushes 14 to 16, a problem as shown in FIG. 6 occurs.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the front window 2B is higher than the position of the axis A of the top brush 14, so that the top brush 14 is caught by the front window 2B of the vehicle 2 and rises. As shown in Fig. 6 (b), the rocker brush
The 16 arm 16A enters the jeep tire house 2E, causing the tire house 2E to be caught and damaged, and the side brush 15 is attached to the rear surface 2D of the vehicle 2 as shown in FIG. 6 (c). This causes a problem of being caught by the spare tire 19 that has been set.

[0005] The operation and action of the brushes 14 to 16 when the vehicle 2 to be washed in the above configuration is a jeep will be described. First, when cleaning, the operation panel
Select a jeep with the 18 manual / option operation keys, select a car wash course with the car wash course setting key, and select start with the start / stop switch. Car wash machine body 1
A control device (not shown) built in the vehicle 2 in response to the operation of the operation panel 18 causes the car wash machine main body 1 to move forward while the washing water arches 6, 8 and the detergent arch 10 In addition, the cleaning brush is sprayed, the top brush 14 is driven to clean the upper surface of the vehicle 2, and the side brush 15 is driven to clean the front surface and both side surfaces of the vehicle 2. At this time, in order to avoid the above-mentioned problem, the top brush 14 is forcibly raised at the front window portion 2B of the vehicle 2,
Separate the rocker brush 16 to lock its rotation drive,
A special method of controlling the side brush 15 not to wash the rear surface 2D of the vehicle 2 is employed.

[0006]

As described above, in a conventional car washing machine, a special control method is employed for cleaning a jeep. However, a manual / option operation key on the operation panel 18 is used due to an operator error. If the selection of the jeep is not performed, the control device performs the normal cleaning, and the above-described problem occurs.

[0007] The present invention is to solve the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a car washer that automatically determines whether the type of a vehicle is a jeep and avoids problems caused by the jeep.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a car washer according to the present invention detects a vehicle height of a vehicle above a front surface of a gate-shaped car washer which reciprocates back and forth across a vehicle. A vehicle height signal from the vehicle height detecting means to the car washer body, detecting a bonnet portion and a ceiling portion of the vehicle, wherein the height of the bonnet portion is a hood of a passenger car. When the height of the ceiling is greater than the height of the ceiling of the passenger car, and the height of the ceiling is greater than the height of the ceiling of the passenger car, the vehicle type is determined to be a jeep, and control means for performing car wash control according to the jeep is provided. It is characterized by having.

[0009]

With the above arrangement, the hood and the ceiling of the vehicle are detected by the vehicle height signal from the vehicle height detecting means, and the height of the hood is larger than the height of the hood of the passenger car, for example, 1200. When the height is 1300 mm and the height of the ceiling is larger than the height of the ceiling of the passenger car, for example, 1500 mm, the type of the vehicle is determined to be a jeep, and the car washing control according to the jeep is performed.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a car washer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control system of the car washer is built in the car washer body 1, and includes a control device 31 including a microcomputer, a sensor system 32 including the operation panel 18, the sonic sensor 17, and the like, and a traveling drive including a traveling motor of the car washer body 1. Device 33, top brush (drive unit) 14, side brush (drive unit) 15, rocker brush (drive unit)
16, a pump for supplying cleaning water to the first cleaning water arch 6 and the second cleaning water arch 8, a cleaning water supply device 34 including a solenoid, a pump for supplying detergent to the detergent arch 10, a detergent supply device including a solenoid, etc. Drive system 3 consisting of 35, etc.
6, and a power supply 37, and the control device 31
An operation signal from the operation panel 18 and a detection signal of the sensor system 32 are input and stored, and the drive system is operated in accordance with the operation signal and the selection signal.
36 is controlled to control the entire operation of the car washer body 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle height detection signal of the vehicle 2 from the sonic sensor 17 becomes zero because the sound reflection is oblique at the front window 2B of the vehicle 2 and the vehicle height cannot be detected. . Thus, the vehicle height detection signal from the phenomenon (a point P of this point) suddenly becomes zero from vehicle height value h ₁ of the bonnet portion 2A, and return is the vehicle height detection signal, vehicle height h ₂ at this time hood when larger vehicle height h ₁ parts 2A, can detect the leading end of the ceiling portion 2C of the vehicle 2 (the point to point Q), the rear end of the vehicle 5 by vehicle height value h is zero followed (this A point R).

Hereinafter, a method for determining that the vehicle 2 is a jeep in the control device 31, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. It is assumed that an operation signal for performing cleaning by the brushes 14 to 16 of the vehicle 2 is input from the operation panel 18 to the control device 31, and the points P and Q are detected by the above method.

First, it is checked whether the car washer body 1 is being washed.
(Step-1). If the car is not being washed,
Parameter h₁, H_Two, Initialize the flag J (step
-2), end, and during car washing, point P was detected
(Step-3), and when the point P is detected, the vehicle
The vehicle height h immediately before the height becomes zero is h₁In the memory (step
P-4), followed by the vehicle height h₁Is 1200mm ~ 1300mm
Range (1200mm <h ₁<1300mm)
(Step-5). Vehicle height h₁Is not within the range
If it is within the range and it is within the range, check whether the Q point is detected.
Confirmation (Step-6), and when the Q point is detected, the Q point is
The vehicle height value h immediately after the detection is h_Two(Step-
7) Then, the vehicle height h_TwoIs larger than 1500 mm (15
00mm <h_Two) Is confirmed (step-8). Vehicle price
h_TwoIf the value is small, end the process.
Jeep judgment flag J is set when judgment is made (J = 1)
(Step-9), and the process ends.

The jeep is in high predetermined height range vehicle height value h ₁ is from passenger car bonnet 2A, and because vehicle height value h ₂ of the ceiling portion 2C is higher than the passenger, by the method described above,
Vehicle height h ₁ of the bonnet portion 2A, for example 1200mm~13
It is within the range of 00 mm and the height h ₂ of the ceiling 2C is 1500.
When it is larger than mm, it can be determined that the vehicle type is a jeep.

When it is determined that the vehicle type is a jeep (J
= 1), the brushes 14 to 14 implemented by the control device 31
The 16 special control methods will be described. Top brush 14 When the rotating brush of the top brush 14 reaches the point P, the forcible rise control is performed. When the rotating brush reaches the position of the point Q,
It descends and returns to the normal cleaning operation of the ceiling 2C.

When the rotating brush of the side brush 15 reaches the point R, the side brush 15 separates (opens) in the left-right direction, stops the rotating drive of the rotating brush, and stops cleaning.

Rocker brush 16 A pair of rocker brushes 16 are moved apart (opened) in the left-right direction and fixed, the rotation of the rotary brush is stopped, and the cleaning is stopped.

As described above, the control device 31 can automatically determine whether the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 is a jeep,
Therefore, there is no need for the operator to set the vehicle type, and the burden on the operator to set the vehicle type can be reduced.Moreover, due to an incorrect setting of the operator, the jeep body may be damaged by the brushes 14 to 16 due to the jeep. Failure can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the sonic sensor 17 is used as the vehicle height detecting means. However, the vehicle height is detected by a plurality of photoelectric switches installed opposite to each other across the vehicle 2 at a predetermined height interval. Is also possible.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not the vehicle type is a jeep, based on the vehicle height signal from the vehicle height detecting means, so that the operator sets the vehicle type. It is not necessary to perform the operation, the burden on the operator who sets the vehicle type can be reduced, and the trouble caused by the vehicle type being a jeep can be prevented by performing the car wash control according to this determination.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a car washer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram of a sonic sensor of the car washer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a vehicle type judgment by a control device of the car washer.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional car washer.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a conventional car washer.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a problem that occurs when a vehicle type is a jeep by a conventional car washer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car wash machine main body 2 Vehicle 14 Top brush 15 Side brush 16 Rocker brush 17 Sonic sensor (vehicle height detecting means) 18 Operation panel 31 Control device 32 Travel drive

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vehicle height detection means for detecting a vehicle height of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle height detection means detects a vehicle height of the vehicle above and in front of a portal type car wash machine main body reciprocating back and forth across the vehicle. A vehicle height signal is input from the height detecting means, and the hood and the ceiling of the vehicle are detected, and the height of the hood is greater than the height of the hood of the passenger car, and the height of the ceiling is high. When the height of the vehicle is greater than the height of the ceiling portion of the passenger car, the vehicle type is determined to be a jeep, and control means for performing car wash control according to the jeep is provided.