JP5696653B2 - Car wash machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a car wash machine used for car wash, and more particularly to a car wash machine provided with a top brush for washing the upper surface of a vehicle.

  Conventionally, as a car wash machine used for car washing, it is installed in a gas station, etc., and the liquid agent and washing stored in the liquid storage tank in the car to be washed are moved relative to each other in the front-rear direction. 2. Description of the Related Art A gate type car wash machine is known which is configured to inject water and to perform car washing by brushing.

  In the cleaning process of a conventional gate-type car wash machine, first, dirt is removed using washing water, then washing is performed using a liquid agent such as shampoo, and further washing is performed using washing water. After this washing process, a drying process is performed in which air is blown from each blowing nozzle and dried. In addition, car washing is performed by appropriately combining liquid agent application processes such as wax and water repellent coating as necessary. In this way, various shampoos, waxes and coats are used as liquid agents used in car washing, and each car wash process is stored in a dedicated liquid storage tank and inserted into the tank. It is injected and consumed according to the process. In addition, an operation panel and a remote panel are provided for selecting a desired mode from a plurality of car wash modes, selecting a type of liquid agent to be used, and setting a predetermined car wash mode. The operation panel is installed in the car wash machine body, but the remote panel is installed at a position away from the car wash machine body, and the remote panel is electrically connected to the operation panel. The car wash machine can be driven by the car wash mode.

  In the above car wash machine, when cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle to be cleaned, the brush is rotated while the top brush is moved along the upper surface of the vehicle to be cleaned, so that the top brush can be moved up and down freely. It is set as the structure provided with the raising / lowering means to perform. Further, when the vehicle to be cleaned is moved in the front-rear direction, a swinging means is provided that supports the vehicle to be swingable in the front-rear direction in order to suppress an impact when contacting the vehicle to be cleaned.

  When cleaning the vehicle to be cleaned using the top brush, it is preferable to perform the cleaning with the top brush lightly contacting the vehicle to be cleaned. Therefore, when lowering the top brush, the left and right ends of the brush shaft are supported via holders so that the pressing force of the top brush against the vehicle to be cleaned does not exceed a predetermined level. There has already been proposed a car wash machine that is movably mounted and automatically avoids pressing the descending top brush against the vehicle to be cleaned (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-1434 A

  If the top brush can be moved upward, it can escape upward if a strong force is applied when the top brush is brought into contact with the vehicle to be cleaned, so that the top brush presses the vehicle to be cleaned more than necessary. Can be prevented.

  Further, by supporting the brush shaft in a swingable manner via the arm member, the contact force with respect to the vehicle to be cleaned can be automatically adjusted when the top brush is moved in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to be cleaned.

  However, in the case of a configuration that can be swung freely, it is difficult to suppress flutter and blur caused by unbalanced rotation of the top brush. Further, when the brush is fluttered or shaken, it looks bad and gives the user distrust or anxiety. Further, when the flicker or blur exceeds a predetermined range, the sensor senses the brush and lifts it away from the vehicle surface, causing a problem that unwashed parts are generated.

  Also, the brush rotation balance varies from brush to brush.If a brush with poor balance is used, variations in brush material, roundness of the brush pipe, how water is contained in the brush, brush mounting accuracy, etc. There are so many stability elements that it is very difficult to balance.

  If the rotation balance of the brushes varies and blurring occurs, it causes problems for the user who performs the car wash, or the arm is tilted by a predetermined angle or more to activate the sensor to stop the car wash.

  Therefore, even if the top brush can be moved up and down and swingably supported, it effectively suppresses brush flickering and blurring, stabilizes the appearance, enables safe car washing, and generates unwashed items. A car wash machine with a top brush that is not configured is desirable.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a car washing machine having a top brush for washing the upper surface of a vehicle, effectively suppressing fluttering and blurring of the top brush, enabling a stable and safe car washing, It aims at providing the car wash machine which does not generate a residue.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a car wash machine that performs a car wash while relatively moving the car wash machine body and the vehicle to be cleaned in the front-rear direction, and the cleaning means used for the car wash has left and right upper parts of the vehicle to be cleaned. The brush shaft extending in the direction has a top brush that is swingably supported by a pair of left and right holder members via an arm member, and suppresses the perturbation even when an external force that swings the top brush is applied. The holding means has a function of maintaining the neutral state and a function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging when an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is applied.

  According to this configuration, even if there is a factor that shakes when the top brush rotates, it can rotate while maintaining its neutral state while the force is small, so that the brush does not flutter or shake during the top brush rotation operation. In addition, the car can be washed with a stable appearance. In addition, when an external force of a predetermined magnitude or greater is applied, the neutral state is released and the cylinder swings smoothly so that a safe car wash is possible. You can get a car wash machine that doesn't.

  According to the present invention, in the car wash machine configured as described above, the holding means temporarily fixes a support shaft serving as a swing shaft of the arm member to hold the arm member in a neutral state. According to this configuration, by temporarily fixing the support shaft without rotating it using the holding means, it is possible to easily suppress the swing of the arm member and hold it in a neutral state, so that the car wash is performed without swinging the top brush. Is possible.

  In the car wash machine having the above-described configuration, the holding means includes a first member attached to the support shaft side, a second member attached to the car wash machine main body side, and the first member with respect to the second member. A biasing member that elastically supports in the vertical direction, and the function of maintaining the neutral state is that the engagement concave portion provided in the first member and the engagement convex portion provided in the second member are in the vertical direction. The function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging it is exerted by an external force greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The temporary fixed engagement relationship is released against the urging force of the urging member, and the engagement convex portion released from the temporary fixed engagement relationship is urged against the engagement sliding surface provided on the first member It is characterized by being brought out of a sliding state in which it comes into contact and slides. According to this configuration, the top brush is maintained in a neutral state while the engagement concave portion provided in the first member and the engagement convex portion provided in the second member are engaged. Further, when an external force of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied and this engagement relationship is released, the engagement convex portion provided on the second member contacts and slides on the engagement sliding surface provided on the first member. As a result, the top brush is slidably supported while receiving a predetermined urging force, and car washing with the top brush can be performed safely.

  According to the present invention, in the car wash machine configured as described above, the engaging convex portion is formed of a bearing member, and the engaging concave portion is formed of a curved concave surface having a predetermined depth that engages with an outer peripheral surface of the bearing member. The sliding surface is formed of a curved convex surface that comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member. According to this configuration, since the curved concave surface provided on the first member engages with the bearing member provided on the second member, the range in which the neutral state of the top brush is maintained can be obtained by considering the shape and depth of the curved concave surface. It can be easily adjusted to an appropriate range. That is, the temporarily fixed engagement state is an element that exhibits both the function of maintaining the neutral state and the function of releasing the neutral state. Further, when the curved concave surface is detached from the bearing member, the curved convex surface contacts and slides against the bearing member, so that the top brush can be supported in a freely swingable manner. That is, this sliding state exhibits a function of smoothly swinging the top brush.

  Further, the present invention is the car wash machine having the above configuration, wherein the first member includes a concave plate having a fixing portion fixed to the support shaft side and a side plate portion connected to the fixing portion, and a center of a lower end portion of the concave plate The engagement recess is provided on the both sides of the engagement recess, and the engagement sliding surfaces are provided on both sides of the engagement recess. According to this configuration, even if the arm member that supports the top brush so as to be freely slidable moves from the neutral state in any of the front and rear directions, the engagement sliding surface comes into contact with the bearing member serving as the engagement convex portion, and the posture is maintained. Can be maintained.

  According to the present invention, in the car wash machine configured as described above, the engagement sliding surface has a length that does not allow the bearing member to be disengaged even if the arm member deviates more than a maximum allowable deflection amount. According to this configuration, since the top brush does not deviate from the swingable range, a safe car wash machine that does not cause an accident or failure can be configured.

  According to the present invention, in the car wash machine having the above-described configuration, the second member includes a fixed frame configured to be bent in a U-shaped cross section including an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, and a side surface portion, and a guide member provided on the fixed frame. And a coil spring as an urging member that elastically supports the moving frame in the moving direction, and the guide member includes the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion. The bearing member is provided at an intermediate portion of the left and right insertion portions of the moving frame having an insertion portion through which the pair of left and right guide shafts are inserted. It is characterized by being attached to. According to this configuration, when an external force that swings the arm member acts, the first member swings, and a force that pushes down the bearing member in the vertical direction to press the moving frame is generated. At this time, the spring force of the coil spring acts so as to prevent the moving frame from being pressed, and while exhibiting a predetermined resistance force, the moving frame is vertically moved by a pair of left and right guide shafts provided on both sides of the bearing member. It can be moved correctly and stably in the direction. That is, the engagement relationship between the engagement concave portion provided in the first member and the engagement convex portion provided in the second member can be stably maintained in the vertical direction.

  According to the present invention, since the neutral state of the arm member that supports the top brush so as to be slidable is maintained, and the holding means for releasing the neutral state when an external force exceeding a predetermined size is applied is provided, Even if there is a factor that shakes when the top brush rotates, it is possible to rotate while maintaining the neutral state, and the brush does not fluctuate or shake during the rotation of the top brush, and the car can be washed with a stable appearance. Moreover, the car wash machine which does not generate | occur | produce the unwashed residue resulting from stopping a car wash by shaking more than a predetermined angle can be obtained. Furthermore, when the vehicle runs on its own or when the vehicle shape detection sensor erroneously detects it, the vehicle can be safely washed by preventing the vehicle from being damaged by the top brush.

It is a schematic side view which shows the whole structure of the car wash machine which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic front view which shows the whole structure of a car wash machine. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a top brush. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure of a top brush. It is a principal part block diagram of the holding means which maintains the neutral state of an arm member. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the example of 1st embodiment of the 1st member which comprises a holding means. It is a front view explaining the engagement state of a holding means. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the 2nd embodiment of the 1st member which comprises a holding means.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a side view and a schematic front view showing a car wash machine WA according to an embodiment. The car wash machine WA includes a car wash machine main body (main body part) 1 that has a ceiling 91 that connects upper ends of two left and right opposing stand parts 90 and is formed in a gate shape. A remote panel 7 </ b> A is disposed on the approach path of the car wash machine body 1. The vehicle to be cleaned CA stops in front of the remote panel 7A, and receives a car wash by operating the remote panel 7A.

  Wheels 3 arranged on a pair of left and right rails 2 provided on the ground are provided on the bottom surface of the car wash machine main body 1. As a result, the car wash machine main body 1 is erected so as to travel on the rail 2 and move relative to the vehicle to be cleaned CA.

  The car wash machine main body 1 is provided with a plurality of rotating brushes for brushing the vehicle to be cleaned CA. The brush comprises a top brush 4, a side brush 5 and a rocker brush 6. The top brush 4 is formed by cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle CA to be cleaned and fixing brush hairs made of cloth (woven fabric, knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, etc.) or resin fibers in a radial manner.

  A pair of left and right side brushes 5 is provided, and slides on both side surfaces and front and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be cleaned CA to clean the vehicle to be cleaned CA. A pair of left and right rocker brushes 6 are provided to clean the lower portion of the side surface including the tire of the vehicle CA to be cleaned. The side brush 5 and the rocker brush 6 also have the same rotating shaft and brush hair as the top brush 4.

  On one side of the car wash machine main body 1 is disposed a tank storage portion 10A for storing a plurality of liquid storage tanks (not shown) for storing various liquid agents such as detergents and waxes. Distributing piping section 10B for distributing city water and the liquid agent from each liquid storage tank through an electromagnetic valve or the like is provided above tank storage section 10A. First and second water purification nozzles 11 and 13, first and second detergent nozzles 12 and 15, a water-repellent coating nozzle 14, and a wax nozzle 16 are led out to the distribution pipe portion 10 </ b> B. A supply unit (not shown) for supplying cleaning liquid and high-pressure air is provided behind the car wash machine main body 1 and connected to the distribution pipe unit 10B. The cleaning liquid may be mixed not only with city water but also with various liquid agents such as detergents and waxes.

  The first and second water purification nozzles 11 and 13 are respectively arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash machine body 1 and inject city water to the vehicle to be cleaned CA. The first and second detergent nozzles 12 and 15 are respectively arranged on the near side and the far side of the car wash machine main body 1 and spray detergent onto the vehicle to be cleaned CA. The water repellent coating nozzle 14 is disposed on the back side of the car wash machine body 1 and sprays a water repellent coating agent onto the vehicle CA to be cleaned. The wax nozzle 16 is disposed on the back side of the car wash machine body 1 and injects wax onto the vehicle CA to be cleaned.

  The car wash machine main body 1 is provided with a top blow nozzle 21 and a side blow nozzle 22 for drying the vehicle CA to be cleaned. A top blowing nozzle 21 is provided at the upper center of the car wash machine main body 1, and side blowing nozzles 22 are provided on both sides. The top blower nozzle 21 and the side blower nozzle 22 blow the blown air from the blower 20 against the vehicle CA to be cleaned.

  A vehicle sensor 8 is provided on the front upper portion of the car wash machine body 1. The vehicle sensor 8 includes a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like, and detects the outer surface shape of the vehicle CA to be cleaned that enters the car wash machine main body 1.

  An operation panel 7 is disposed on the front surface on one side of the car wash body 1. The operation panel 7 has the same operation buttons as the remote panel 7A, and accepts a car wash and sets car wash conditions by the operation of a user who gets off the vehicle to be cleaned CA.

  As setting of the car wash conditions, buttons for adding shampoo, waxing, water repellent coat, etc. to the water wash are provided on the operation panel 7 and the remote panel 7A. In addition, buttons for performing high-grade shampoo, high-grade wax (for example, glazing coating), high-grade water repellent coating, special coating, and the like are also provided. In addition, equipment setting buttons such as front guard, fender pole, door mirror, rear wiper, and no applicable equipment are provided.

  As described above, the car wash machine WA according to the present embodiment is a car wash machine that performs a car wash while relatively moving the car wash machine body 1 and the vehicle to be cleaned CA in the front-rear direction. A brush shaft 41 extending in the left-right direction at the top of the vehicle CA has a top brush 4 supported by a pair of left and right holder members via an arm member 42 so as to be swingable, and maintains a neutral state of the arm member 42. In addition, the holding means 30 (see FIG. 5) for releasing the neutral state when an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is applied is provided.

  That is, the car wash machine WA of this embodiment provided with the holding means 30 temporarily fixes the position of the top brush 4 while the external force is small when an external force that swings the top brush 4 back and forth is applied (temporarily fixed). A holding means 30 having a function of maintaining a neutral state by being fixed to the surface and a function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging when an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is applied. Yes. Next, the top brush 4 of this embodiment provided with the holding means 30 is demonstrated using FIGS.

  The top brush 4 is configured to be movable up and down along rails 60 that are vertically provided on both sides of the car wash machine body, and the brush shaft 41 is connected to the arm member 42 as shown in FIG. The holder member 44 is slidable along the rail 60 via the support shaft 43.

  The holder member 44 supports the support shafts 43 provided on both sides of the brush shaft 41. The holder member 44 is displayed on the right side of the drawing in order to clearly display the guide rollers 34, 35A, 35B, and 35C. Not. However, the holder member 44 provided on the left and right slides up and down along the pair of left and right rails 60 so that the top brush 4 can be raised and lowered.

  One end of the support shaft 43 is fixed to the arm member 42, and the other end is rotatably attached to the holder member 44. Therefore, the arm member 42 is configured to be swingable about the support shaft 43, and the support shaft 43 serves as a swing shaft to support the top brush 4 so as to be swingable.

  The brush shaft 41 is rotatably supported by the arm member 42 via bearing members 48 and 49 provided at both ends thereof. Also, a driven sprocket 52 is mounted on one shaft end, a drive motor 50 including a drive sprocket 51 is mounted on the arm member 42, and the brush shaft 41 is rotationally driven via a power transmission body 53 such as a chain or a timing belt. It is the structure to do.

  The holder member 44 includes guide rollers 33, 34, and 35 (35 </ b> A, 35 </ b> B, and 35 </ b> C), and is configured to be movable up and down along the rail 60. In addition, a receiving portion 45 is provided on the outside of the side portion of the holder member 44, and an ascending / descending movement driving portion is engaged with the receiving portion 45 to apply a driving force in the upward direction. As this raising / lowering drive part, what attached | subjected the dog member to power transmission bodies, such as a chain which reciprocates to an up-down direction, can be used, for example.

  If it is said structure, it inserts in the through-hole of receiving parts 45, such as a power transmission body, such as a chain, and it engages with the engaging part provided in the receiving part 45 with the dog member with which this power transmission body was mounted | worn, and top brush By adopting a configuration in which 4 is placed and supported, the dog member can be lifted to move the holder member 44, that is, the top brush 4. When the dog member is lowered, the top brush 4 naturally descends due to its own weight.

  The holder member 44 moves up and down along the rail 60 via the guide rollers 33A, 33B, 34, and 35 (35A, 35B, and 35C). Therefore, the holder members 44 and 44 that support both ends of the brush shaft 41 can be moved up and down simultaneously, and the top brush 4 can be moved up and down smoothly along the rail 60 in the vertical direction.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the rail 60 includes a pair of rail members 60 </ b> A and 60 </ b> B that are separated from each other by a predetermined distance, and guide rollers 33 </ b> A and 33 </ b> B are slidably incorporated in the opposed inner portions. Further, guide rollers 35 (35A, 35B, 35C) are brought into contact with the support shaft 43 side which is inside the rail members 60A, 60B, respectively, and the guides are respectively provided at the receiving portion 45 side which is outside the rail members 60A, 60B. The roller 34 is in contact.

  Therefore, the holder member 44 is configured to be guided with respect to the front, rear, left, and right directions of the rail 60, and is configured to be movable up and down in a state in which rattling is suppressed in both the front and rear directions and the left and right directions.

  In the holder member 44, for example, an inner frame 44A and an outer frame 44B are integrally formed via a connecting frame 44C. In addition, in order to support the top brush 4, the support shaft 43 is rotatably supported via a rotation support tool 46 such as a bearing and a bush mounted on the outer frame 44B and a rotation support tool 47 mounted on the inner frame 44A. doing.

  In the support structure of the top brush 4 as described above, the present embodiment releases the neutral state when the support shaft 43 has a function of maintaining the neutral state of the arm member 42 and an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude. The holding means 30 having the function of smoothly swinging is provided.

  The holding means 30 is a member that applies a predetermined rotational braking torque to the support shaft 43 that is the swing shaft of the arm member 42, and suppresses the swing when the swinging external force is small at the start of the swing of the arm member 42. And demonstrates the function of maintaining a neutral state. In other words, it is possible to suppress peristation in small increments.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the holding means 30 according to this embodiment includes a first member 31 attached to the support shaft 43 side, a second member 32 attached to the car wash machine main body side, and the second member 32. And a biasing member (coil spring 32F) that elastically supports the first member 31 in the vertical direction.

  Further, the function of maintaining the neutral state described above is such that the engagement concave portion provided in the first member 31 and the engagement convex portion provided in the second member 32 are engaged in the vertical direction and temporarily fixed via the biasing member. The function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging it when it is exerted from the temporarily fixed engagement state is against the urging force of the urging member when an external force larger than a predetermined level is applied. Is released, and the engagement convex portion whose temporary fixed engagement relationship has been released is configured to be exerted from a sliding state in which the engagement convex portion comes into contact with and slides while being urged by the engagement sliding surface provided on the first member 31. .

  Here, the first member 31 includes a concave plate having a fixing portion fixed to the support shaft 43 side and a side plate portion continuous to the fixing portion, and the above-described engaging concave portion is formed in the concave plate. For example, the concave plate 31A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has an upper surface plate portion fixed in contact with the support shaft 43 and a side plate portion bent into an L shape from the upper surface plate portion. An engaging recess 31Aa is provided at the lower end of the part. In addition, the fixing portion fixes the upper surface plate portion that contacts the support shaft 43 using the U bolt 31B. In other words, the U-bolt 31B is fixed to the support shaft 43 via the left and right screw portions in a two-point stop configuration. Therefore, when the concave plate 31A can be firmly fixed to the support shaft 43 and the support shaft 43 rotates, the first member 31 also rotates simultaneously. That is, it moves.

  The second member 32 is attached to the car wash machine main body side, for example, the inner frame 44A of the holder member 44, and a fixed frame 32A configured to be bent in a U-shaped cross section having an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, and a side surface portion, A moving frame 32C that is slidably mounted in a vertical direction along a guide member provided on the fixed frame 32A, and a coil spring 32F as an urging member that elastically supports the moving frame 32C in the moving direction. It is supposed to be configured.

  The engagement recess 31Aa provided in the first member 31 is a recess provided in the lower end of the side plate portion disposed in the vertical direction, and the engagement protrusion provided in the second member 32 is a bearing attached to the moving frame 32C. This is the member 32D. The guide member includes a pair of left and right guide shafts 32B and 32B supported at both ends by the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion of the fixed frame 32A, and the bearing member 32D is an insertion portion through which the pair of left and right guide shafts 32B and 32B are inserted. Is attached to a support shaft 32E provided at an intermediate portion between the left and right insertion portions. The coil spring 32F is interposed between the moving frame 32C and the lower plate of the fixed frame 32A, and elastically supports the moving frame 32C in the vertical direction.

  As described above, the pair of left and right guide shafts 32B and 32B are provided on both sides of the bearing member 32D, and the moving frame 32C is slidably supported. Therefore, when an external force for pressing the bearing member 32D is applied. The moving frame 32C slides and moves accurately and stably in the vertical direction. Therefore, by engaging the lower end portion of the concave plate 31A of the first member 31 with the bearing member 32D, the engagement concave portion provided in the first member 31 and the engagement convex portion provided in the second member 32 are provided. Can be stably maintained in the vertical direction.

  Next, the concave plate 31A will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  The concave plate 31A has an engaging concave portion 31Aa that engages (fits) with the bearing member 32D at the center of the lower end thereof. Moreover, it has engagement sliding surface 31Ab on both sides of engagement recessed part 31Aa. The engagement concave portion 31Aa has a depth H such that the bearing member 32D is slightly fitted, and the engagement sliding surface 31Ab is a surface on which the bearing member 32D removed from the engagement concave portion 31Aa comes into contact and slides. Thus, it is formed in an arc shape centering on the axis 43a of the support shaft 43 fixed via the U bolt 31B.

  Therefore, when the concave plate 31A receives a force that swings in the direction of the arrow D1 in the drawing, the concave plate 31A can be temporarily fixed while suppressing the swing until the engaging recess 31Aa gets over the bearing member 32D. After the external force of the above magnitude is applied and the temporarily fixed engagement relationship is released and the engagement recess 31Aa gets over the bearing member 32D, the engagement sliding surface 31Ab is engaged with the bearing member 32D and displaced. That is, the arm member 42 and the top brush 4 swing smoothly in a state where the engagement sliding surface 31Ab is in contact with the bearing member 32D.

  As described above, the holding means 30 according to this embodiment includes the first member 31 attached to the support shaft 43 side, the second member 32 attached to the car wash machine main body side, and the first member 31 relative to the second member 32. An engagement recess 31Aa provided in the first member 31 and an engagement protrusion (bearing member 32D) provided in the second member 32. The function of temporarily holding the support shaft 43 to maintain the neutral state and the external force of a predetermined magnitude or greater are released, and the engagement relationship is released. A function of abutting on the provided engagement sliding surface 31Ab and smoothly sliding while receiving an urging force is exhibited.

  The function of maintaining the neutral state described above is such that the engagement recess 31Aa provided in the first member 31 and the engagement protrusion (bearing member 32D) provided in the second member 32 are engaged and temporarily fixed in the vertical direction. This is exhibited from the fixed engagement state and the urging force by the urging member (coil spring 32F) that urges the temporarily fixed engagement state. Further, the function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging is such that when an external force larger than a predetermined value is applied, the temporarily fixed engagement relationship is released against the urging force of the urging member (coil spring 32F), The engagement convex portion (bearing member 32D) from which the temporarily fixed engagement relationship has been released is exhibited from a sliding state in which it slides in contact with the engagement sliding surface 31Ab provided on the first member 31 while being urged.

  With this configuration, the top brush 4 is maintained in a neutral state while the engagement recess 31Aa provided in the first member 31 and the engagement protrusion (bearing member 32D) provided in the second member 32 are engaged. The Further, when this engagement relationship is released, the engagement protrusion provided on the second member 32 slides in contact with the engagement sliding surface 31Ab provided on the first member 31, so that the top brush 4 is slid. In addition, the engaging convex portion and the engaging sliding surface 31Ab are engaged and guided while sliding, so that the abnormal swinging of the top brush 4 can be regulated and the car can be washed safely.

  Further, the engaging convex portion is made of a bearing member 32D, the engaging concave portion 31Aa is made of a curved concave surface having a predetermined depth H that engages with the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member 32D, and the engaging sliding surface 31Ab is made of the bearing member 32D. It consists of a curved convex surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface. If it is this structure, since the engagement recessed part 31Aa of the curved concave surface provided in the 1st member 31 engages with the outer peripheral surface of bearing member 32D provided in the 2nd member 32, the shape and its depth of a curved concave surface are considered. Thus, the range in which the neutral state of the top brush 4 is maintained can be easily adjusted to an appropriate range. Further, even if the curved concave surface is detached from the bearing member 32D, the curved convex surface comes into contact with the bearing member 32D, so that the top brush 4 can be slidably supported.

  The depth H of the engaging recess 31Aa is, for example, about 6 mm when the outer diameter of the bearing member 32D is 32 mm. When the magnitude of the external force at the start of the swing of the arm member 42 was measured under these conditions, the force was about 9 kgf when the holding means 30 was not attached, but increased to about 12.5 kgf when the holding means 30 was attached. It was. Further, the swing angle when the bearing member 32D is disengaged from the engaging recess 31Aa was about 5 °. This angle is approximately half of the maximum allowable swing amount of the arm member 42 (for example, an allowable swing angle of 10 ° by which the sensor senses that the flutter or blur exceeds a predetermined range and lifts the brush away from the vehicle surface). It corresponds to.

  That is, by restricting the depth H of the engagement recess 31Aa to a predetermined depth, the magnitude of the external force when the arm member 42 starts to swing and the swing angle at which the arm member 42 smoothly swings can be adjusted. Therefore, the temporarily fixed engagement state in which the bearing member 32D and the engagement recess 31Aa are engaged and temporarily fixed has both the function of maintaining the neutral state and the function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging. Works.

  In addition, since the engagement sliding surfaces 31Ab are provided on both sides of the engagement recess 31Aa, the arm slide 42 that supports the top brush 4 so as to be freely slidable moves from the neutral state to the front and back in any direction. The moving surface 31Ab can be brought into contact with the bearing member 32D serving as an engaging convex portion to maintain the posture.

  Further, the total width 2L of the engagement sliding surfaces 31Ab on both sides sandwiching the engagement recess 31Aa is preferably a length that does not disengage from the bearing member 32D even when the arm member 42 is displaced by more than the maximum allowable swing amount. . With this configuration, even when the top brush 4 is swung over a permissible range (for example, ± 10 °) and detected by the sensor, the posture is maintained and does not swing greatly, so an accident or failure occurs. There can be no safe car wash machine.

  The magnitude of the external force that releases the engagement relationship between the engagement recess 31Aa provided in the first member 31 and the engagement protrusion (bearing member 32D) provided in the second member 32 is a coil spring provided below the recess plate 31A. It can also be adjusted by the spring force of 32F. That is, when the spring force of the coil spring 32F is strong, the urging force is increased, and the temporarily fixed state is maintained without releasing this engagement relationship until a larger external force is applied. Therefore, by changing the depth H into which the engaging recess 31Aa is fitted and the spring force of the coil spring 32F, the torque when the top brush 4 is about to swing can be adjusted.

  The coil spring 32F may be attached to each of the pair of left and right guide shafts 32B. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the coil spring 32F may be installed below the center line of the bearing member 32D between the guide shafts 32B and 32B.

  For example, the coil spring 32F is installed on the lower plate of the fixed frame 32A. At this time, the spring mounting shaft 32G may be erected on the lower plate of the fixed frame 32A, and the coil spring 32F may be fitted and attached to the spring mounting shaft 32G. Further, an insertion hole through which the tip of the spring mounting shaft 32G can be inserted is provided on the lower surface of the moving frame 32C, and the inner diameter of the coil spring 32F is guided with the length of the spring mounting shaft 32G as the length penetrating the lower surface of the moving frame 32C. It is good also as a structure.

  The state shown in FIG. 7 is a neutral state in which the engagement recess 31Aa is engaged with the bearing member 32D. When an external force that swings the top brush 4 is applied from this neutral state, a force that attempts to swing in the direction indicated by the arrow D1 in the drawing is applied. When the concave plate 31A tries to swing in the direction of the arrow D1, a force F1 is generated in which the engaging concave portion 31Aa tries to push down the bearing member 32D. Further, since the coil spring 32F exerts a force F2 that pushes the moving frame 32C upward, the engaging recess 31Aa is disengaged from the bearing member 32D when the force F1 becomes larger than the force F2. That is, the engagement state between the bearing member 32D and the engagement recess 31Aa is released, and the swinging is started.

  Even when the engagement state between the bearing member 32D and the engagement recess 31Aa is released, the force F2 that pushes up the moving frame 32C by the coil spring 32F is acting, so that the engagement sliding surface 31Ab of the recess plate 31A acts as a bearing. It will be in the state which contact | abutted and received predetermined urging | biasing force to member 32D.

  That is, even if the temporarily fixed state in which the bearing member 32D and the engaging recess 31Aa are engaged is released and the sliding state is brought about, the engaging sliding surface 31Ab abuts and guides while being urged by the bearing member 32D. It is configured to perform its function and slide smoothly.

  The concave plate according to the present embodiment is not limited to the concave plate 31A that is fixed by using the U bolt 31B, and may be any shape that has a fixing portion that is fixed to the support shaft 43 side and a side plate portion that is continuous with the fixing portion. Therefore, the concave plate 31AA of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The concave plate 31AA shown in FIG. 8 is a flat plate fixed to a mounting plate 43B that is integrally fixed to the support shaft 43 by welding or the like. Even in this case, an engagement recess 31Aa having a depth H that engages (fits) with the bearing member 32D is provided at the center of the flat plate-like lower end, and engagement slide surfaces 31Ab are provided on both sides of the engagement recess 31Aa. Is the same.

  Even in this configuration, the concave plate 31AA can be firmly fixed to the support shaft 43 with the two-point fixing configuration via the screw fixing portions 31C and 31C provided at two places. Accordingly, even in this case, when the support shaft 43 rotates, the concave plate 31AA (first member 31) also rotates simultaneously.

  In other words, a concave plate having a fixed portion fixed to the support shaft side and a side plate portion connected to the fixed portion is provided, and an engagement concave portion is provided in the center of the lower end portion of the concave plate, and the engagement slide is formed on both sides of the engagement concave portion. It is the same that the moving surface is provided. Moreover, by doing in this way, even if the arm member 42 which supports the top brush 4 slidably moves from the neutral state in any of the front and rear directions, the bearing member whose engaging sliding surface becomes the engaging convex portion The posture can be maintained by contact.

  As described above, the car wash machine WA according to the present embodiment has a function of maintaining the neutral state by suppressing the perturbation even when an external force that perturbs the top brush 4 is applied, and an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is applied. Then, it is the structure which provided the holding | maintenance means 30 which cancels | releases a neutral state, and has the function to swing smoothly.

  With the above configuration, when the external force for swinging the top brush 4 is small, the peristalsis is suppressed and the neutral state is maintained. Therefore, the variation in the brush material, the roundness of the brush pipe, the water of the brush The top brush 4 can be prevented from swinging due to unstable elements such as the inclusion of the brush and the mounting accuracy of the brush. Therefore, it is preferable to effectively prevent the top brush 4 from fluctuating or blurring due to variations in the rotational balance during the car wash, so that the car can be washed with a stable appearance and is not preferable as a car wash machine that does not generate a washing residue. Furthermore, when the vehicle runs on its own or the vehicle shape detection sensor erroneously detects the vehicle, the top brush 4 can prevent the vehicle from being damaged and can be washed safely.

  As described above, the car wash machine WA according to the present embodiment maintains the neutral state of the arm member 42 that supports the top brush 4 in a freely swingable manner, and the neutral state when an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is applied. Since the holding means 30 for canceling the rotation is provided, even if there is a factor that shakes when the top brush 4 is rotated, the top brush 4 can be rotated while maintaining the neutral state. The appearance is stable and the car can be washed safely without the occurrence of the problem. Moreover, the car wash machine which does not generate | occur | produce the unwashed residue resulting from stopping a car wash by shaking more than a predetermined angle can be obtained.

  Therefore, the car wash machine according to the present invention is suitably applied to a car wash machine in a car wash place where a safe and reliable car wash is required without causing anxiety to the user who performs the car wash and without generating a washing residue.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car wash machine main body 2 Rail 4 Top brush 5 Side brush 30 Holding means 31 1st member 31A, 31AA Recessed plate 31Aa Engagement recessed part 31Ab Engagement sliding surface 32 Second member 32A Fixed frame 32B Guide shaft (guide member)
32C Moving frame 32D Bearing member (engagement convex part)
41 Brush shaft 42 Arm member 43 Support shaft 44 Holder member CA Vehicle to be cleaned WA Car washer

Claims (7)

A car wash machine that performs a car wash while relatively moving the car wash machine body and the vehicle to be cleaned in the front-rear direction,
The cleaning means used in the car wash has a top brush in which a brush shaft extending in the left-right direction at the upper part of the vehicle to be cleaned is supported by a pair of left and right holder members so as to be swingable via an arm member, and the top brush A holding means having a function of suppressing neutralization and maintaining a neutral state even when an external force for perturbing is applied, and a function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly perturbing when an external force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is applied. Provided,
The holding means includes a first member that is attached to a support shaft side that is a swing shaft of the arm member, a second member that is attached to a car wash machine main body side, and the first member in a vertical direction with respect to the second member. An urging member for elastically supporting,
The first member is provided with an engagement concave portion, the second member is provided with an engagement convex portion, and these are engaged in the vertical direction to maintain a neutral state,
The second member is provided with a guide member that guides the vertical movement of the engagement convex portion, and the guide member includes a pair of left and right guide shafts provided on both sides of the biasing member. Car wash machine. Car wash machine according to claim 1, wherein the holding means, characterized in that to hold the arm member to the support shaft temporarily fixed to the neutral state. Function, the said engaging portion engages in the vertical direction provided in the second member and the engaging recess provided in the first member is temporarily fixed by the bias member for maintaining the neutral state The function of releasing the neutral state and smoothly swinging it when it is exerted from the temporarily fixed engagement state is applied to the temporary fixed engagement against the urging force of the urging member when an external force larger than a predetermined level is applied. The engagement relationship is released, and the temporarily fixed engagement relationship is released, and the engagement convex portion is exerted from a sliding state in which it slides in contact with the engagement sliding surface provided on the first member while being urged. The car wash machine according to claim 2.   The engaging convex portion is formed of a bearing member, the engaging concave portion is formed of a curved concave surface having a predetermined depth to be engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member, and the engaging sliding surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member. The car wash machine according to claim 3, comprising a curved convex surface that abuts.   The first member includes a concave plate having a fixing portion that is fixed to the support shaft side and a side plate portion that is continuous with the fixing portion, and the engagement concave portion is provided at the center of the lower end portion of the concave plate. The car wash machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the engagement sliding surface is provided on both sides of the recess.   6. The car wash machine according to claim 4, wherein the engagement sliding surface has a length that prevents the bearing member from coming off even when the arm member is deviated more than a maximum allowable deflection amount. Said second member comprises a fixed frame constituted bent on the upper surface portion and lower surface portion and the shaped cross section U having a side portion, slidably mounted in the vertical direction along the guide member provided on the fixed frame And a coil spring as an urging member that elastically supports the moving frame in the moving direction, and the guide member is a pair of left and right whose both ends are supported by the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion. made from the guide shaft, the bearing member has a feature that it is mounted on the mobile frame pair of the guide shaft is provided with an insertion portion to be inserted, provided in the middle portions of the left and right of the insertion portion support shaft The car wash machine according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

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