JP4414265B2 - Car wash machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides a limit switch in a car wash machine main body that can travel on the installation surface, the limit switch is operated by the actuator of the limit switch contacting a cam provided on the installation surface, and the car wash machine main body is in the standby position. The present invention relates to a car wash machine that detects the presence of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a mobile car wash machine, a car wash machine body is provided on a rail laid on an installation surface so as to be able to travel, and the car wash machine body is stopped at a standby position (start position). After stopping the vehicle to be cleaned in front of the main body, drive the car wash machine body in the standby position toward the vehicle, and when the car wash machine body passes across the vehicle, the car wash such as a brush provided there A device that cleans a vehicle with a device is well known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-12-127915

  By the way, in the mobile type car wash machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, a limit switch is provided at the lower part of the car wash machine body, while a cam for operating the limit switch is provided on the installation surface. When in the standby position (start position), the limit switch operator maintains contact with the cam and detects that the car washer is in the standby position (see Patent Document 1 and FIG. 2). Has been.

  However, in an environment where the outside air temperature is 0 ° C. or lower, such as in winter or in a cold region, as shown in FIG. 5, the adhering water such as the washing water adhering to the actuator 117A of the limit switch 117 is frozen and the freezing ice. The icing ice 150 grows and extends downward as the number of car washing increases, and the icing ice 150 is located below the lower end of the actuator 117A (for example, from the car wash machine main body to the installation surface). There is a problem that the limit switch 117 malfunctions when it comes into contact with the installation surface of the car wash machine body or the ice lump that has fallen above.

  In addition, when the main body of the car wash machine is in the standby position, the attached water adhering to the actuator 117A is frozen in a state where the actuator 117A of the limit switch 117 is swung to the operation position (FIG. 5, the one-dot chain line position). In such a case, even if the car wash machine travels and the actuator 117A moves away from the cam 119, the actuator 117 may not return to the non-operating position. There was also a problem of inviting.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by melting the ice adhering to the limit switch actuator provided in the car wash machine body, the operation of the limit switch is made accurate, and the car wash machine body is It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel car wash machine that can reliably detect being in a standby position.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention as set forth in claim 1 is provided with a limit switch in a car wash machine main body capable of traveling on the installation surface, and a cam for operating the limit switch on the installation surface. When the main body is in the standby position on the installation surface, the limit switch actuator is held in contact with the cam.
The cam is provided with heating means, and the ice attached to the actuator is melted by heating the cam.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention as set forth in claim 2 is provided with a limit switch in a car wash machine body capable of traveling on an installation surface, and a cam for operating the limit switch on the installation surface. When the main body is in the standby position on the installation surface, the limit switch actuator is held in contact with the cam.
The cam has a heating chamber, and the ice adhering to the operating element is melted by flowing a heating fluid through the heating chamber.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent problems caused by freezing of water adhering to the actuator of the limit switch that detects that the car washer is at the standby position. Further, since the ice attached to the operating element can be melted without providing heating means in the limit switch, there is no influence on the operating reliability of the limit switch.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the invention, the ice adhering to the actuator can be melted even in an atmosphere where there is a risk of ignition.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below based on examples of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a car wash machine, FIG. 2 is a partial view of FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction of arrow 2, FIG. 3 is a partial view of FIG. FIG.

  1 and 2, a car wash machine main body 1 of a car wash machine includes a portal-type traveling frame 2 that can straddle a vehicle V to be cleaned. A pair of left and right front wheels 3, 3 and rear wheels 4, 4 are provided at the lower end of the portal traveling frame 2, and the portal traveling frame 2 includes the wheels 3, 3; 4 is supported on a pair of left and right traveling rails 5L, 5R laid on the installation surface G of the car wash machine. The front wheels 3 and 3 are driven by the traveling motors 6 and 6 so that the portal traveling frame 2 reciprocates in the front-rear direction (right and left in FIG. 1) along the traveling rails 5 and 5. .

  The portal-type traveling frame 2 includes a top brush 7 for cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle V, a pair of left and right side brushes 8 and 8 for cleaning the front and rear surfaces and side surfaces of the vehicle V, and a top nozzle 9 for drying the upper surface of the vehicle V. A pair of left and right side nozzles 10 and 10 for drying the side surface of the vehicle V, a polishing agent injection pipe 12 having a plurality of nozzles 11 for injecting a polishing agent to the vehicle body surface of the vehicle V, and the vehicle V A detergent spray tube 14 having a plurality of nozzles 13 for injecting detergent onto the vehicle body surface, and a rinse water detergent spray tube 16 having a plurality of nozzles 15 for injecting rinsing water onto the vehicle body surface of the vehicle V Is provided.

  The travel limit switch 17 as a limit switch according to the present invention includes a swing arm 17B supported by the switch body 17C so as to be swingable along the travel direction of the portal-type travel frame 2, and a tip of the swing arm 17B. 3, a metal roller 17 </ b> A supported rotatably, and as shown in FIG. 3, the roller 17 </ b> A is provided on the installation surface G so as to come into contact with a standby position cam 19 as a cam according to the present invention. When the moving arm 17B swings, the travel limit switch 17 is operated, and it can be detected that the car wash machine body 1 is in the standby position (start position). The swing arm 17B and the roller 17A constitute an actuator according to the present invention.

  On the installation surface G, elongated left and right floor boards 18L and 18R are laid in parallel, and the left and right traveling rails 5L and 5R are fixed on the floor boards 18L and 18R, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, one floor plate 18L is formed wider than the other floor plate 18R, and a standby position cam 19 as a cam according to the present invention is fixed to the upper surface of the rear portion. 19, a heating means H for heating the cam 19 is provided.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the heating means H will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

  A sealed heating chamber 19 </ b> A is formed inside the standby position cam 19. One side surface of the heating chamber 19A is provided with an inlet port 19B of an antifreeze liquid that is a heat medium, and the rear surface thereof is provided with an outlet port 19C of the antifreeze liquid. A heating circuit is connected between the inlet 19B and the outlet 19C. The heating circuit is connected to a pump 21 and an antifreeze liquid tank 22 provided on the suction side of the pump 21. The antifreeze liquid stored in the antifreeze liquid tank 22 is heated to 30 to 40 ° C. A heater 22A is provided. A supply pipe 20 connected to the discharge side of the pump 21 is connected to the inflow port 19B. The outlet 19C is connected to one end of a return line 23. The return line 23 reciprocates vertically in one (left side) traveling rail 5L, and the other end is connected to the antifreeze liquid tank 22. Is done. Further, a branch pipe 24 is branched from the middle of the supply pipe 20, and this branch pipe 24 reciprocates vertically in the other (right side) travel rail 5R, and the other end is connected to the antifreeze liquid tank 22. The

  As shown in FIG. 1, a forward travel limit cam 26 is fixed on the front end portion (right end portion of FIG. 1) of one (left side) floor plate 18L, and the roller 17A is attached to the forward travel limit cam 26. When the swing arm 17B swings in contact, the travel limit switch 17 detects that the car washer 1 has reached the forward travel limit (return start position).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when the car wash machine body 1 is in the standby position (start position), the roller 17A is in contact with the standby position cam 19, and the swing arm 17B is swung to run. The limit switch 17 is in an activated state, detects that the car wash machine body 1 is in the standby position, and applies the detection signal to a conventionally known car wash control device (not shown).

  When the car wash machine main body 1 is in a standby state and the pump 21 is driven, the antifreeze liquid (heated fluid) heated (30 to 40 ° C.) in the antifreeze liquid tank 22 flows through the supply line 20. After being supplied into the heating chamber 19A from the inlet 19B, the standby position cam 19 is heated here, and then flows from the outlet 19C through the return pipe 23 and returns to the antifreeze liquid tank 22. Further, a part of the antifreeze liquid flowing through the supply pipe line 20 flows through the branch pipe line 24 and returns into the antifreeze liquid tank 22.

  By the way, when the heated antifreeze liquid (heating fluid) flows through the heating chamber 19A, the heat of the antifreeze liquid is transmitted to the standby position cam 19, and the standby position cam 19 can be heated. Since the roller 17A is in contact with the standby position cam 19, the heat is transferred from the standby position cam 19 to the roller 17A and is conducted through the roller 17A. Further, the heat conducted in the roller 17A is transmitted from the roller 17A to the swing arm 17B, and is conducted in the swing arm 17B.

  Thereby, the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B can be heated. Further, the heated antifreeze liquid (heating fluid) flows through the return line 23 and the branch line 24, whereby the heat of the antifreeze liquid is also transmitted to the left and right traveling rails 5L and 5R, and heats the traveling rails 5L and 5R. And can prevent water adhering to them from freezing.

  Next, the washing process of washing the vehicle to be washed V by the car wash machine will be described. When the car wash is started, the car wash machine body 1 travels from the standby position (start position) shown in FIG. Start right). When the car wash machine main body 1 travels across the vehicle to be cleaned V and reaches the forward end position (return start position), the vehicle travels backward (left travel in FIG. 1). When the car washer 1 reciprocates at least once across the vehicle V to be cleaned, and the car washer 1 returns to the standby position, the car wash is terminated.

  As the car wash machine body 1 reciprocates, the body surface of the vehicle V to be cleaned is brushed and cleaned with the top brush 7 and the pair of left and right side brushes 8 and 8 as appropriate. The water including the glazing, the water including the detergent and the rinsing water are sprayed from the nozzles 11, 13 and 15 of the detergent spray pipe 14 and the rinse water spray pipe 16 to the vehicle body surface of the vehicle V to be cleaned. When returning, air is blown from the top nozzle 9 and the pair of left and right side nozzles 10 to the vehicle body surface of the vehicle V to be cleaned to dry the vehicle body surface.

  In addition, since the said washing | cleaning process is conventionally well-known, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  By the way, when the outside air temperature drops to 0 ° C. or less in the washing process, the water used for the car wash adheres to the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B of the travel limit switch 17, and this water sticks to the car wash. The machine body 1 freezes before returning to the standby position, but when the car wash machine body 1 completes the car wash stroke and returns to the standby position, the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B are moved by the heating means H as described above. Since it is heated, the ice adhering to the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B can be melted.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ice adhering to the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B from gradually growing as the number of car washing increases, and the travel limit switch 17 may malfunction due to the adhering ice. This can be prevented beforehand. In addition, since the travel limit switch 17 itself can be heated without providing the heating means H, that is, the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B can be heated, the operation reliability of the travel limit switch 17 is increased by the heating. It will not be damaged. Further, since the heating means H is provided in the standby position cam 19 having no movable part, the configuration of the heating means H can be simplified.

  Further, since the heated antifreeze liquid (heating fluid) flows in the heating chamber 19A, the standby cam 19 is heated, so that the ice adhering to the actuator of the limit switch 17 is melted even in an atmosphere where there is a danger of ignition such as a gas station. Can be implemented.

  The ice blocks that have fallen on the left and right floor boards 18L, 18R are melted by the heat transmitted to the left and right traveling rails 5L, 5R to the floor boards 18L, 18R.

  Note that if the roller 17A is formed of a material having good thermal conductivity such as metal, heat can be easily transmitted, so that the ice adhering to the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B can be effectively melted.

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

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the operating element of the travel limit switch 17 is composed of the roller 17A and the swing arm 17B has been described, but this may be replaced with another effect.

Car wash machine side view 2 is a partial view of FIG. Partial view of arrow 3 in FIG. A plan view of the heating means, as viewed in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. Explanatory drawing when ice is attached to the limit switch

Explanation of symbols

1. Car wash machine body 17 ... Limit switch (travel limit switch)
17A ... Actuator (roller)
17B ... Actuator (swinging arm)
19 …… Cam (standby position cam)
19A ... Heating chamber G ... Installation surface H ... Heating means

Claims (2)

A limit switch is installed on the car wash machine that can run on the installation surface, while a cam that operates the limit switch is installed on the installation surface, and when the car wash machine is in the standby position on the installation surface, In a car wash machine that is held in contact with the cam,
A car washing machine, wherein the cam is provided with heating means, and the ice attached to the actuator is melted by heating the cam. A limit switch is installed on the car wash machine that can run on the installation surface, while a cam that operates the limit switch is installed on the installation surface, and when the car wash machine is in the standby position on the installation surface, In a car wash machine that is held in contact with the cam,
2. The car wash machine according to claim 1, wherein the cam has a heating chamber, and the ice adhering to the operating element is melted when a heating fluid flows through the heating chamber.

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