JP4246443B2 - Car wash method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a car wash method using a drive-through type car wash machine through which a vehicle can pass.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a drive-through type car wash machine, for example, as shown in FIG. 16, there is a gate-type car wash machine 83 that cleans a vehicle 82 while traveling back and forth in a washing area 81. The car wash machine 83 is provided with a cleaning brush 84, a watering nozzle 85, a drying nozzle 86, and the like. Further, assuming that the vehicle entry portion 87 in the washing area 81 is in front and the vehicle exit portion 88 on the opposite side is in the rear, a standby position P is set in the rear portion of the travel route 89 of the car wash machine 83. A vehicle stop position Q is set in front of the standby position P.
[0003]
According to this, the vehicle 82 enters the cleaning area 81 from the vehicle entry portion 87 and stops at the vehicle stop position Q (see the solid line in FIG. 16). Thereafter, the car washer 83 is moved forward from the standby position P and washed from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle 82 with the watering nozzle 85, the brush 84, and the like. When the car wash machine 83 moves forward to the rear of the vehicle 82 (see the phantom line in FIG. 16), the traveling direction of the car wash machine 83 is switched to move the car wash machine 83 backward. When the car wash machine 83 is returned to the standby position P (see the solid line in FIG. 16), the car wash machine 83 is stopped and the car wash is finished. Thereafter, the vehicle 82 is moved forward, passes through the car wash machine 83 stopped at the standby position P, and exits the washing area 81 through the vehicle exit portion 88 (see the phantom line in FIG. 16).
[0004]
The car wash is a main cleaning using the brush 84 and the drying nozzle 86. Prior to the main cleaning (brush cleaning), washing water is used to remove sand and pebbles attached to the vehicle 82. In some cases, pre-cleaning may be performed by spraying water from the watering nozzle 85 toward the vehicle 82. Car washing with such pre-washing has the following procedure.
[0005]
That is, the vehicle 82 enters the cleaning area 81 from the vehicle entry portion 87 and stops at the vehicle stop position Q (see the solid line in FIG. 16). Thereafter, the car wash machine 83 is advanced from the standby position P, and water is sprayed from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle 82 by the water spray nozzle 85 to perform preliminary cleaning. And if the said car wash machine 83 advances to the back of the vehicle 82 (refer the virtual line of FIG. 16), watering will be stopped, the running direction of the car wash machine 83 will be switched, the car wash machine 83 will be moved backward, and it will return to the standby position P ( (See the solid line in FIG. 16).
[0006]
Thereafter, the car wash machine 83 is moved forward again from the standby position P and washed from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle 82 with the watering nozzle 85, the brush 84, and the like. Then, when the car wash machine 83 moves forward to the rear of the vehicle 82, the traveling direction of the car wash machine 83 is switched to move the car wash machine 83 backward, and the front end of the vehicle 82 is dried by the drying nozzle 86. When 83 returns to the standby position P, the car wash machine 83 is stopped to complete the main cleaning.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional type, when the vehicle 82 passes through the car wash machine 83 stopped at the standby position P after the car wash is completed, water droplets adhering to the car wash machine 83 fall on the washed car 82 and the vehicle 82 becomes dirty. There is a problem that drying of 82 becomes insufficient.
[0008]
In addition, when pre-cleaning is performed before the main cleaning is performed as described above, it is necessary to run the car washer 83 for one reciprocal movement back and forth, so that sufficient pre-cleaning can be performed. This causes a problem that the entire car washing time is prolonged. Therefore, when the user prioritizes time reduction over the degree of preliminary cleaning, the conventional car washing method is inappropriate.
[0009]
An object of the present invention is to provide a car wash method that can prevent the vehicle from becoming dirty or the vehicle from becoming insufficiently dried when the vehicle exits after the car wash is completed, and further reducing the car wash time. And
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention is a car wash method that uses a car wash machine through which a vehicle can pass while running the car wash machine back and forth in a wash area,
In the cleaning area, we approached the standby position and the vehicle entrance side ahead of this standby position.Multiple before and afterThe turning point is set,
The distance from the standby position to each turning point corresponds to the total length of the vehicle,
The vehicle is entered from the vehicle entry part into the washing area, the vehicle is passed from the front with respect to the car wash machine stopped at the standby position, and the vehicle is stopped with the second half part of the vehicle held in the car wash machine,
Turn the car wash machine from the standby position to the turning pointTowardsAdvance the vehicle to pre-washWhen determining the total length of the vehicle,
Select the turning point according to the total length of the vehicle,
When the car wash advances to the selected turning point,Car wash machine aboveSelected aboveReverse the vehicle from the turning point and clean the vehicle from the rear end to the front end.
Above car wash machine aboveSelectedAfter stopping at the turning point and completing the main cleaning,
Remove the vehicle from the cleaning area,
Reverse the car wash machine aboveSelectedReturning from the turning point to the standby position.
[0011]
  According to this, when the main cleaning is completed,SelectedSince the vehicle stops at the turn-back point and retreats to the rear side of the vehicle, the vehicle can leave the washing area as it is without passing through the car wash machine. Therefore, the water droplets adhering to the car wash machine do not fall on the vehicle that has been washed, and the vehicle can be prevented from becoming dirty or the vehicle becoming insufficiently dried.
[0012]
  Also, pass the vehicle against the car wash machine that is stopped at the standby position, stop the vehicle with the second half of the vehicle held in the car wash machine, and remove the car wash machine from the standby position.Selected aboveSince the vehicle is pre-cleaned after moving forward to the turning point, the amount of pre-cleaning for the first half of the vehicle is somewhat lower than before, but the distance traveled by the car wash machine during pre-cleaning is reduced. In addition, the time required for preliminary cleaning is greatly reduced.
  Furthermore, since the distance from the standby position to the turning point can be changed according to the total length of the vehicle, for vehicles with a short overall length, the distance from the standby position to the turning point can be shortened to return from the standby position. The traveling time of the car wash machine to the point is shortened and the car wash time is shortened.
[0013]
  The second invention also providesA first vehicle detection means is provided in the car wash;
Before the preliminary washing, the first vehicle detection means causes the vehicle to pass from the front with respect to the car wash machine stopped at the standby position, and the vehicle is stopped with the second half of the vehicle kept in the car wash machine. Detect
At the time of preliminary cleaning, the total length of the vehicle is determined based on the elapsed time from the time when the car wash machine starts moving forward until the time when the first vehicle detection means stops detecting the vehicle.Is.
[0014]
  Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the first vehicle detection means is provided at the rear part of the car wash machine,
A second vehicle detection means is provided at the front of the car wash,
The first vehicle detection means when the vehicle is passed from the front with respect to the car wash machine stopped at the standby position before preliminary washing, and the vehicle is stopped with the second half of the vehicle held in the car wash machine. When both the vehicle detection means and the second vehicle detection means detect the vehicle, it is determined that the vehicle is a large vehicle having a total length equal to or longer than the car washable length, and the car wash is stopped.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a drive-through type car wash facility for washing a vehicle 2, which includes a wash area 3 and a car wash machine 4 installed in the wash area 3.
[0016]
The car wash machine 4 is formed in a gate shape so that the vehicle 2 can pass through. The car wash machine 4 is supported and guided by a running rail 5 laid in the washing area 3 via wheels 6 so as to be able to run forward and backward. ing. In the car wash machine 4, a top brush 7 that cleans the upper surface of the vehicle 2, a pair of left and right side brushes 8 that clean both side surfaces and both front and rear end surfaces of the vehicle 2, and both lower portions of the vehicle 2 and tires 9 are cleaned. A pair of left and right rocker brushes 10, a nozzle 11 for spraying water on the vehicle 2, an injection nozzle 12 for spraying liquid detergent or liquid rinse onto the vehicle 2, a top nozzle 13 for drying the upper surface of the vehicle 2, A pair of left and right side nozzles 14 for drying both side surfaces, a motor 15 for rotating one of the wheels 6, a rotary encoder 37 for detecting the position of the car wash machine 4, and the like are provided. In addition, a vehicle height detection device 16 (such as a sonic sensor) that detects the presence / absence of the vehicle 2 and the vehicle height is provided at the rear of the car wash machine 4.
[0017]
The rotary encoder 37 outputs a pulse every unit angle rotation while detecting the rotation direction of the motor 15, and the output pulse is counted by a counter 38.
[0018]
Further, the top brush 7 is retracted to the upper side of the vehicle 2 when raised to the upper limit position. Both side brushes 8 and both rocker brushes 10 retract to both sides of the vehicle 2 when they are opened to the left and right to the open limit position.
[0019]
Further, a vehicle entry portion 17 is formed in the front portion of the cleaning area 3, and the vehicle entry portion 17 is provided with a breaker 18 that can be opened and closed up and down. Further, an operation panel 19 is installed in front of the circuit breaker 18, and the operation panel 19 is provided with a charge entry port (not shown), a car wash course selection button 43 for selecting and inputting a car wash content for each car wash course, and the like. ing. A vehicle exit portion 20 is formed on the left and right sides of the rear portion of the cleaning area 3.
[0020]
Further, on the travel route 22 of the car wash machine 4, a front turning point A, a rear turning point B, a standby position C, and a vehicle stop position D are set. The front turning point A is set at the front end of the traveling route 22, and the rear turning point B is set at the rear end of the traveling route 22. The standby position C and the vehicle stop position D are set between the front turn-back point A and the rear turn-back point B, and the standby position C is positioned ahead of the vehicle stop position D by a certain distance. Yes. Further, the front turn-around point A is located a certain distance ahead (the vehicle entry part 17 side) from the standby position C, and as a result, stopped at the vehicle stop position D as shown in FIG. A vehicle in which the second half of the vehicle 2 stays in the car wash machine 4 stopped at the standby position C, and the car wash machine 4 stopped at the front turning point A stops at the vehicle stop position D as shown in FIG. The positional relationship is such that it is retracted to the rear side of 2.
[0021]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, at the lower part of the car wash machine 4, there are a first detection device 39 for detecting the front turning point A, a second detection device 40 for detecting the rear turning point B, and a standby position C. And a third detection device 41 for detecting. As the first to third detection devices 39 to 41, there are used limit switches or the like that are switched on and off in contact with projections provided on the laying surface side of the traveling rail 5, respectively.
[0022]
Furthermore, a vehicle detection device 42 that detects the presence or absence of the vehicle 2 at the vehicle stop position D is provided on the laying surface side of the traveling rail 5. As the vehicle detection device 42, a photoelectric switch that detects the presence or absence of the vehicle 2 when the vehicle 2 blocks the optical axis, a limit switch that detects the presence or absence of the vehicle 2 by contacting a part of the vehicle 2, and the like are used. It has been.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6, a pair of left and right displacement detection devices 23 that detect a displacement in the left-right direction of the vehicle 2 with respect to the car wash 4 are provided at the front end of the car wash 4. Yes. These shift detection devices 23 include a detection body 24 that can swing back and forth between a detection position E and a non-detection position F, and a limit switch 25 that is switched on and off by the swing of the detection body 24. The return spring 29 biases the detection body 24 toward the non-detection position F.
[0024]
The two detection bodies 24 are arranged in a lateral direction orthogonal to the travel path 22 and protrude inward from the car wash machine 4. A detection rod 26 and a coil spring provided at the free end of the detection rod 26 are provided. 27 and a rubber bag-like protective cap 28 covered with the coil spring 27. When the detection body 24 is at the detection position E, the limit switch 25 is turned on. When the detection body 24 is at the non-detection position F, the limit switch 25 is turned off.
[0025]
In addition, a display device 31 is installed behind the cleaning area 3. As shown in FIG. 7, the display device 31 is provided with a blue forward instruction lamp 32, a red stop instruction lamp 33, and a message display unit 34.
[0026]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the car wash machine 4 displays the travel of the car wash machine 4 and the driving and display of the brushes 7, 8, 10 based on the car wash information such as the car wash course inputted from the operation panel 19. A control device 44 for controlling the device 31 and the circuit breaker 18 and the like is provided.
[0027]
Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
A car wash method for washing the vehicle 2 using the car wash facility 1 will be described.
(1) As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 (a), the driver stops the vehicle 2 in front of the closed circuit breaker 18, puts a fee into the fee entry port of the operation panel 19, and selects a car wash course selection button. Operate 43 etc. to select the car wash course.
[0028]
(2) When the circuit breaker 18 is opened, the forward instruction lamp 32 of the display device 31 is turned on, and the driver advances the vehicle 2 to enter the cleaning area 3 from the vehicle entry portion 17, and FIG. ), The vehicle 2 is passed from the front to the car wash machine 4 stopped at the standby position C, and the vehicle 2 is stopped at the vehicle stop position D. Thereby, the vehicle 2 stops in a state where the latter half portion remains in the car wash machine 4. At this time, the brushes 7, 8, 10 are stopped, the top brush 7 is raised to the upper limit position and retracted above the vehicle 2, and both the side brushes 8 and both the rocker brushes 10 are opened. It opens to the position and retracts to both sides of the vehicle 2. When the vehicle 2 is stopped at the vehicle stop position D, the forward instruction lamp 32 is turned off, the stop instruction lamp 33 is lit, and the breaker 18 is closed.
[0029]
(3) Thereafter, washing water is sprinkled from the watering nozzle 11 to the vehicle 2, and the car wash machine 4 moves forward from the standby position C, so that the vehicle 2 is preliminarily washed.
(4) Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), when the car washer 4 is pre-cleaned to the rear end of the vehicle 2 and reaches the front turning point A, it is switched from forward to reverse, The cleaning process of cleaning is performed.
[0030]
That is, as the cleaning process of the main cleaning, cleaning water is sprinkled from the watering nozzle 11 to the vehicle 2, and liquid detergent or liquid rinse is sprayed from the spray nozzle 12 to the vehicle 2. The brushes 7, 8, 10 are driven to rotate, and the top brush 7 moves up and down based on the vehicle height detected by the vehicle height detection device 16 to clean the upper surface of the vehicle 2, and both side brushes 8 open and close Then, both side surfaces and both front and rear end surfaces of the vehicle 2 are cleaned, and both rocker brushes 10 are opened and closed to clean the lower portions on both sides of the vehicle 2 and the tires 9. Thereby, the surface of the vehicle 2 is brush-cleaned.
[0031]
(5) Then, as shown in FIG. 3 (d), when the car wash machine 4 moves backward and is washed with the brushes 7, 8, 10 from the rear end to the front end of the vehicle 2 and reaches the rear turning point B. The brushes 7, 8, 10 stop rotating and move to a position where they are retracted from the vehicle 2, and the spraying of the cleaning water from the spraying nozzle 11 and the spraying of the liquid detergent and the liquid rinse from the spraying nozzle 12 are stopped. Thereafter, the car wash machine 4 is switched from backward to forward, and the main washing drying process is performed while moving forward.
[0032]
That is, as the drying process of the main cleaning, drying air is injected from the top nozzle 13 to the upper surface of the vehicle 2, and drying air is injected from both side nozzles 14 to both sides of the vehicle 2. The Thereby, the surface of the vehicle 2 is dried.
[0033]
(6) Then, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3 (e), the car wash machine 4 moves forward and dries from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle 2 by the nozzles 13 and 14 and reaches the front turning point A. Then, the spray of drying air from the nozzles 13 and 14 is stopped, and the car wash machine 4 is stopped to complete the main cleaning. At this time, since the car wash machine 4 stops at the front turning point A with respect to the vehicle 2 stopped at the vehicle stop position D, the car wash machine 4 retreats to the rear side of the vehicle 2. Further, the forward instruction lamp 32 is turned on and the stop instruction lamp 33 is turned off.
[0034]
(7) In this state, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 3 (e), the driver starts the vehicle 2 and exits the cleaning area 3 from the vehicle exit portion 20. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3 (f), the car wash machine 4 moves backward to return from the front turning point A to the standby position C and waits at the standby position C.
[0035]
When the main washing is completed by the car washing method described in the above (1) to (7), the car washing machine 4 stops at the front turning point A as shown in FIG. Therefore, the vehicle 2 can leave the washing area 3 without passing through the car wash machine 4. Therefore, water drops or the like adhering to the car wash machine 4 do not fall on the washed vehicle 2, and it is possible to prevent the vehicle 2 from becoming dirty or the vehicle 2 from being dried insufficiently.
[0036]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 (b) and 2 (c), the degree of preliminary cleaning for the first half of the vehicle 2 is somewhat reduced as compared with the conventional case, but the traveling distance of the car wash machine 4 during preliminary cleaning is reduced. The time required for pre-cleaning is greatly reduced. Note that the decrease in the degree of preliminary cleaning is compensated to some extent by the subsequent main cleaning.
[0037]
(8) In addition, in the above (2), when the vehicle 2 is passed from the front to the car wash machine 4 stopped at the standby position C, the vehicle 2 is inclined as shown by the phantom line in FIG. When the lateral displacement exceeds the allowable amount, the detection body 24 comes into contact with the side surface of the vehicle 2 and swings from the non-detection position F to the detection position E, and the limit switch 25 is turned on. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the forward instruction lamp 32 is turned off, the stop instruction lamp 33 is turned on, and an error message such as “the car is slanted” is displayed on the message display unit 34. When the machine 4 moves backward from the standby position C, the detection body 24 returns from the detection position E to the non-detection position F, and the limit switch 25 is switched from on to off, the car wash machine 4 stops. Thereby, it can avoid that the vehicle 2 contacts the car wash machine 4, and can notify the driver | operator in the vehicle 2 that the vehicle 2 is slanting.
[0038]
Next, the control of the control device 44 in the car washing methods {circle around (1)} to {circle around (8)} will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS.
In (1) above, when an operation signal is sent from the operation panel 19 to the control device 44 (step-1), the control device 44 opens the circuit breaker 18 and lights the forward instruction lamp 32 (step-2).
[0039]
Thereafter, in (2) above, it is determined whether or not the limit switch 25 of the deviation detecting device 23 is on-off (step-3). If it is off, it is determined whether the vehicle detecting device 42 has detected the vehicle 2 (step 3). -4) If detected, the forward instruction lamp 32 is turned off and the stop instruction lamp 33 is turned on to close the circuit breaker 18 (step -5).
[0040]
Thereafter, in (3) above, the controller 44 performs preliminary cleaning while driving the motor 15 to advance the car wash machine 4 (step-6).
Thereafter, in (4) above, it is determined whether or not the first detection device 39 has detected the front turning point A (step -7), and if detected, the control device 44 reversely drives the motor 15 to drive the car wash machine 4. The cleaning process of the main cleaning is performed while moving backward (step-8). In the above (Step-7), when the first detection device 39 detects the front turning point A, the counter 38 is reset to 0, and thereafter, the pulses of the encoder 37 are counted by the counter 38 and controlled. The device 44 calculates the position of the car wash machine 4 based on the count value.
[0041]
Thereafter, in the above item (5), it is determined whether or not the second detection device 40 has detected the rear turning point B (step -9). If detected, the control device 44 reversely drives the motor 15 to advance the car wash machine 4. Then, the drying process of the main cleaning is performed (Step-10).
[0042]
Thereafter, in (6) above, it is determined whether or not the first detection device 39 has detected the front turning point A (step-11), and if detected, the control device 44 stops the motor 15 and turns the car wash machine 4 on. Stop at the front turning point A, turn on the forward instruction lamp 32 and turn off the stop instruction lamp 33 (step -12).
[0043]
Thereafter, in (7) above, it is determined whether the vehicle detection device 42 has detected the vehicle 2 (step -13). If it is not detected, it is determined that the vehicle 2 has left the washing area 3, and the control device 44 Drives the motor 15 to reverse the car wash 4 (step -14). Then, it is determined whether or not the third detection device 41 has detected the standby position C (step-15). If detected, the control device 44 stops the motor 15 and stops the car wash machine 4 at the standby position C (step). -16) Finish the series of car washing.
[0044]
Further, as described in (8) above, when passing the vehicle 2 from the front with respect to the car wash machine 4 stopped at the standby position C, the vehicle 2 is slanted and the displacement in the left-right direction is allowed. When the capacity is exceeded, the limit switch 25 of the deviation detecting device 23 is turned on in the above (step-3), the control device 44 turns off the forward instruction lamp 32 and lights the stop instruction lamp 33, and further displays a message. An error message such as “the car is tilted” is displayed on the display unit 34 (step-17), and the car wash machine 4 is moved backward (step-18). When the limit switch 25 is turned off (step -19), the car wash machine 4 is stopped and the car wash is stopped (step -20).
[0045]
In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 (c), 3 (d), and 3 (e), the car wash machine 4 is moved between the front turning point A and the rear turning point B in the main cleaning. Although the vehicle is reciprocated back and forth, the car wash machine 4 may be reciprocated a plurality of times back and forth according to the content of the car wash course selected by the car wash course selection button 43.
[0046]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the car wash machine 4 is provided with first and second vehicle detection means 51 and 52 for determining the entire length of the vehicle 2 and a timer 54 (time measuring device). Yes. Photoelectric switches are used for these vehicle detection means 51, 52, and the first vehicle detection means 51 is composed of a pair of left and right first projectors 51a and first light receivers 51b provided at the rear of the car wash machine 4, The second vehicle detection means 52 includes a pair of left and right second light projectors 52 a and a second light receiver 52 b provided at the front portion of the car wash machine 4. The first and second optical axes 53a and 53b orthogonal to the traveling path 22 are washed between the first projector 51a and the first receiver 51b and between the second projector 52a and the second receiver 52b, respectively. It is formed in the front and rear portions of the machine 4 with a certain interval.
[0047]
Further, in front of the standby position C (on the vehicle entry portion 17 side), a plurality of front and rear front turning points, that is, a first front turning point A1 (see FIG. 10B) and a second front turning point. A2 (see FIG. 11B) is set. Among these, the second front turning point A2 is located behind the first front turning point A1. In the lower part of the car wash machine 4, one first detection device 39 a that detects the first front turning point A <b> 1 and the other first detection device 39 b that detects the second front turning point A <b> 2 are provided. ing.
[0048]
As shown in FIG. 10, the distance from the standby position C to the first front turning point A1 is set to be long corresponding to the total length of the large vehicle 2, and as shown in FIG. The distance from the first front turning point A2 to the second front turning point A2 is set to be shorter than the distance to the first front turning point A1 corresponding to the total length of the small vehicle 2.
[0049]
According to this, in (2) above, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 11 (a), before preliminary washing, the vehicle 2 remains in the washing machine 4 at the standby position C before the second half. When the vehicle stops at the vehicle stop position D, the first optical axis 53a is normally blocked by the vehicle 2, so the first optical receiver 51b is turned on and the second optical axis 53b is not blocked. The light receiver 52b is turned off. Thereafter, preliminary cleaning is performed, and the car wash machine 4 moves forward from the standby position C.
[0050]
At this time, the first optical axis 53a is formed between the first projector 51a and the first light receiver 51b from the time when the car wash machine 4 starts moving forward, and the first light receiver 51b is switched from on to off. The elapsed time T up to the time is measured by the timer 54. Here, for example, the elapsed time T for a large vehicle 2 (see FIG. 10) having a total length of about 5 m is longer than the elapsed time T for a small vehicle 2 (see FIG. 11) having a total length of only about 3 m. Therefore, when the elapsed time T is equal to or longer than the reference time ts, the control device 44 determines that the vehicle 2 is a large vehicle 2 whose overall length is longer than a certain value, and as shown in FIG. The first front turning point A1 is selected. When the elapsed time T is less than the reference time ts, the control device 44 determines that the vehicle 2 is a small vehicle 2 whose overall length is shorter than a predetermined value, and as shown in FIG. As a result, the second front turning point A2 is selected.
[0051]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, when washing a large vehicle 2, the car wash machine 4 moves forward from the standby position C to the first front turn-back point A1 in the above (3) and (4) during preliminary washing. In addition, during the main cleaning, the car wash machine 4 moves forward from the rear turn-back point B to the first front turn-back point A1 in (5) and (6) above. When washing the small vehicle 2, the car wash machine 4 advances from the standby position C to the second front turn-back point A 2 during the pre-washing, and the car wash machine 4 moves from the rear turn-up point B at the main wash. 2 Advance to the front turning point A2.
[0052]
Therefore, since the travel distance of the car wash machine 4 is shortened in the case of washing the small vehicle 2 than in the case of washing the large vehicle 2, the travel time of the car wash machine 4 is shortened and the small vehicle 2 is washed. The time for washing the vehicle is shorter than in the case of the large vehicle 2.
[0053]
Further, in the above (2), when the vehicle 2 is stopped at the vehicle stop position D with the latter half portion remaining in the washing machine 4 at the standby position C before the preliminary cleaning, the first optical axis 53a and the first optical axis 53a When both the two optical axes 53b are cut off and both the first light receiver 51b and the second light receiver 52b are turned on, the control device 44 is a large vehicle 2 having a total length longer than the car washable length. Judge that there is a car wash.
[0054]
In addition, control of the control apparatus 44 in the above car wash methods is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13, FIG. That is, after Step-1 to Step-5 (see FIG. 8), the on / off of the second light receiver 52b is detected (Step-21). It is judged that there is, and the car wash is stopped (step-22).
[0055]
Thereafter, the controller 44 performs preliminary cleaning while driving the motor 15 to advance the car wash machine 4 (step -23). At this time, when the first light receiver 51b is switched from on to off (step -24), the elapsed time T is compared with the reference time ts (step -25), and the elapsed time T is equal to or longer than the reference time ts. For example, the control device 44 determines that the vehicle 2 is a large vehicle 2 and selects the first front turning point A1 (step -26). When the first detection device 39a detects the first front turning point A1 (step -27), the control device 44 reversely drives the motor 15 to move the car wash machine 4 backward, and performs the cleaning process of the main cleaning. (Step-28). In the above (Step-27), when one of the first detection devices 39a detects the first front turning point A1, the counter 38 is reset to 0, and thereafter, the pulse of the encoder 37 is generated by the counter 38. The control device 44 calculates the position of the car wash machine 4 based on the count value.
[0056]
After that, when the second detection device 40 detects the rear turning point B (step-29), the control device 44 performs the drying process of the main cleaning while driving the motor 15 backward by moving the motor 15 backward (step-). 30).
[0057]
Thereafter, when one of the first detection devices 39a detects the first front turning point A1 (Step-31), the control device 44 executes Step-12 to Step-16 (see FIG. 9) and ends the car wash. .
[0058]
Further, in the above (Step-25), if the elapsed time T is less than the reference time ts, the controller 44 determines that the vehicle 2 is small and selects the second front turning point A2 (Step-32). When the other first detection device 39b detects the second front turning point A2 (step -33), the control device 44 reversely drives the motor 15 to reversely move the car wash machine 4, and performs the cleaning process of the main cleaning. (Step-34). In the above (Step-33), when the other first detection device 39b detects the second front turning point A2, the counter 38 is reset to 0. Thereafter, the pulse of the encoder 37 is The control device 44 calculates the position of the car wash machine 4 based on the count value.
[0059]
Thereafter, when the second detection device 40 detects the rear turning point B (step 35), the control device 44 reversely drives the motor 15 to advance the car wash machine 4, and performs the drying process of the main cleaning (step −). 36).
[0060]
Thereafter, when the other first detection device 39b detects the second front turning point A2 (step-37), the control device 44 executes step-12 to step-16 (see FIG. 9) and ends the car wash. .
[0061]
In the above embodiment, the elapsed time T and the reference time ts are compared to determine two types of the long vehicle 2 and the short vehicle 2, and correspondingly, two types of front turning points ( That is, the first and second front turning points A1 and A2) are set, but a plurality of reference times ts having different values are set, and the vehicle 2 is discriminated into three or more types according to the total length, and corresponding to this. Then, three or more types of front turning points may be set.
[0062]
Further, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact-type deviation detecting device 23 is provided, but as a third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, a pair of left and right photoelectric switches There are some which are provided with a non-contact type deviation detecting device 61 using. That is, the deviation detection device 61 includes a pair of left and right light projectors 62 provided at the rear end of the car wash machine 4 and a pair of left and right light receivers 63 provided behind the rear turning point B. An optical axis 64 parallel to the traveling path 22 is formed between the light projector 62 and the light receiver 63 that face each other in the front-rear direction.
[0063]
According to this, in (2) above, when the vehicle 2 is passed from the front with respect to the car wash machine 4 stopped at the standby position C and the front part of the vehicle 2 protrudes to the rear side of the car wash machine 4, When 2 is inclined and the displacement in the left-right direction exceeds an allowable amount, the front end of the vehicle 2 blocks either the left or right optical axis 64. Accordingly, the forward instruction lamp 32 is turned off, the stop instruction lamp 33 is turned on, and an error message such as “the car is slanted” is displayed on the message display unit 34, and the car wash is stopped. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the car wash machine 4 from traveling and coming into contact with the vehicle 2 and to notify the driver in the vehicle 2 that the vehicle 2 is inclined.
[0064]
In each of the above embodiments, at the time of preliminary cleaning, cleaning water having a predetermined pressure is sprinkled from the nozzle 11 for watering. However, high-pressure cleaning water having a pressure higher than the predetermined pressure is sprayed, and sand and pebbles by preliminary cleaning are sprayed. Etc. may be improved.
[0065]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, in the first invention, when the main cleaning is completed,SelectedSince the vehicle stops at the turn-back point and retreats to the rear side of the vehicle, the vehicle can leave the washing area as it is without passing through the car wash machine. Therefore, the water droplets adhering to the car wash machine do not fall on the vehicle that has been washed, and the vehicle can be prevented from becoming dirty or the vehicle becoming insufficiently dried.
[0066]
Compared to the conventional case, the degree of preliminary cleaning for the first half of the vehicle is somewhat reduced, but the travel distance of the car washer during preliminary cleaning is reduced, and the time required for preliminary cleaning is greatly reduced.
[0067]
  further,The distance from the standby position to the turning point can be changed according to the total length of the vehicle, so for vehicles with a short total length, the distance from the standby position to the turning point can be shortened. The traveling time of the car wash machine is shortened and the car wash time is shortened.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a car wash facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the car wash equipment, in which (a) shows a state before the vehicle enters the washing area, (b) shows a state where the vehicle is stopped at the vehicle stop position, and (c) shows a standby state. The state which drive | worked the car wash machine to the front turning point at the time of washing | cleaning is shown.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the car wash equipment, in which (d) shows a state in which the car wash machine travels to the rear turning point during the main cleaning, and (e) shows a car wash machine travels to the front turning point during the main washing. (F) shows a state in which the car wash machine is returned to the standby position after the main cleaning.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the car wash machine of the car wash facility.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control system of the car wash equipment.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a deviation detecting device provided in the car wash machine of the car wash facility.
FIG. 7 is a front view of a display device provided in the car wash facility.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a car wash method using the car wash equipment.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a car wash method using the car wash equipment.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are plan views of a car wash facility according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 10A shows a state where a large vehicle is stopped at a vehicle stop position, and FIG. The state which drive | worked to the 1st front part turning point is shown.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of the car wash equipment, in which (a) shows a state where a small vehicle is stopped at a vehicle stop position, and (b) shows that the car wash machine travels to the second front turning point during preliminary washing. Shows the state.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the control system of the car wash equipment.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a car wash method using the car wash equipment.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a car wash method using the car wash equipment.
FIG. 15 is a plan view of a car wash facility according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a plan view of a conventional car wash facility.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Vehicle
3 Washing area
4 Car wash machines
17 Vehicle entry section
A Front turning point
A1 first front turning point
A2 2nd front turning point
C Standby position

Claims (3)

A car wash method using a car wash machine through which a vehicle can pass, while running the car wash machine back and forth in a wash area,
Within the cleaning area, a standby position and a plurality of turn points before and after the vehicle entrance part ahead of the standby position are set,
The distance from the standby position to each turning point corresponds to the total length of the vehicle,
Enter the vehicle into the washing area from the vehicle entry part, pass the vehicle from the front with respect to the car wash machine stopped at the standby position, stop the vehicle with the second half of the vehicle held in the car wash machine,
Determining the total length of the vehicle when pre-washing the vehicle by moving the car wash machine from the standby position toward the turning point ,
Select the turning point according to the total length of the vehicle,
When the car wash moves forward to the selected turning point, the car washing machine is moved backward from the selected turning point, and the front end from the rear end of the vehicle is cleaned.
After the car wash is stopped at the selected turning point and the main wash is completed,
Remove the vehicle from the cleaning area,
A car wash method, wherein the car wash machine is moved backward to return from the selected turning point to a standby position. A first vehicle detection means is provided in the car wash;
Before the preliminary washing, the first vehicle detection means causes the vehicle to pass from the front with respect to the car wash machine stopped at the standby position, and the vehicle is stopped with the second half of the vehicle kept in the car wash machine. Detect and
The total length of the vehicle is determined based on the elapsed time from the time when the car wash machine starts moving forward to the time when the first vehicle detection means stops detecting the vehicle during preliminary cleaning. Car wash method. The first vehicle detection means is provided at the rear of the car wash machine,
A second vehicle detection means is provided at the front of the car wash,
The first vehicle detection means when the vehicle is passed from the front with respect to the car wash machine stopped at the standby position before preliminary washing, and the vehicle is stopped with the second half of the vehicle held in the car wash machine. 3. The car wash method according to claim 2, wherein when both the vehicle detection means and the second vehicle detection means detect the vehicle, the car wash is stopped by determining that the vehicle is a large vehicle having a total length equal to or longer than a car washable length.

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