JP6002516B2 - Car shape detection device and car wash machine equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention includes a vehicle shape detection device for detecting the shape of an automobile, and the same device, and cleaning the automobile body by operating a car wash processing device such as a cleaning brush and a drying nozzle according to the shape of the automobile body to be cleaned. The present invention relates to a car wash machine that performs processing such as drying.

  The present applicant has proposed a vehicle shape detection device described in Patent Document 1. This device includes a vehicle body detector in which a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are arranged with a vehicle sandwiched in a width direction, traveling means for moving the vehicle body detector in the length direction of the vehicle, and movement for detecting a moving distance by the traveling unit. A distance detection means for detecting the vehicle body each time the vehicle body detector travels a unit distance and creating vehicle shape data.

  This vehicle body detector is composed of a light emitting section in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged above and below, and a light receiving section in which light receiving elements that are paired with the light emitting elements are arranged, and light formed between the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements. The presence / absence of the vehicle body is detected by light transmission / shading of the shaft. The light transmission / light-blocking of the optical axis is determined by whether or not the light-receiving level at the light-receiving element reaches a predetermined threshold value. The light-transmitting optical axis is “0” and the light-blocking optical axis is “1”. Value image data is created.

  In Patent Document 1, the optical axis formed is a horizontal optical axis of a light receiving element that is horizontally opposed to one light emitting element, and an upper inclined optical axis of a light receiving element adjacent to the light receiving element. , And a lower inclined optical axis with a light receiving element adjacent thereto. That is, when 32 pairs of the light emitting element L and the light receiving element R are provided, the optical axis Ln−Rn, the optical axis Ln−Rn−1, and the optical axis Ln with respect to the light emitting elements L2 to L31 excluding the light emitting elements L1 and L32, respectively. -Rn + 1 is formed. Thus, for example, binary image data having an intermediate height between the optical axis L1-R1 and the optical axis L2-R2 is created based on the detection results of the optical axis L1-R2 and the optical axis L2-R1, and the light emitting element-light receiving element The vehicle body can be detected with a resolution higher than the number of sets.

  By the way, in the vehicle shape detection device of Patent Document 1, for example, when detecting the shape of an automobile equipped with a rear mirror, the height position of the rear mirror can be accurately detected, but the rear mirror is attached to either the left or right side of the vehicle body. I couldn't recognize what was being done. For this reason, when car washing is performed along the vehicle shape data detected by this vehicle shape detection device, there is a problem that the vehicle body on the side where the rear mirror is not attached cannot be washed, and a large amount of washing remains.

Japanese Patent No. 4047672

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle shape detection device capable of determining whether equipment such as a rear mirror is attached to the left or right side of a vehicle body, and a car wash that realizes a safe and less car wash by including this device. The machine is provided.

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a light emitting unit in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged above and below, and a light receiving unit in which a plurality of light receiving elements opposed to the light emitting elements of the light emitting unit are arranged up and down. A vehicle body detection device opposed to each other across the width direction, and a vehicle shape control unit that detects the presence or absence of the vehicle body by translucency / light shielding of an optical axis formed between each element of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the vehicle body detection device; A horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element in the light emitting section and the light receiving element horizontally facing, and a light receiving element horizontally facing one light emitting element in the light emitting section. an upper inclined optical axis formed between the two or more distant the light-receiving element above, is formed between one light-emitting element and the horizontally facing the light receiving element in the light emitting portion of the two or more distant receiving element under a lower inclined optical axis formed that, emit one light emitting element A unit control operation for detecting the vehicle body by repeating the unit detection operation of receiving light by one corresponding light receiving element for each optical axis and each light emitting element, and the vehicle shape control unit includes a horizontal light that detects the vehicle body. The left-right position of the vehicle body detected on the horizontal optical axis is determined by the logical product or logical sum of the vehicle body detection result of the upper inclined optical axis and the vehicle body detection result of the lower inclined optical axis that intersects the horizontal optical axis. It has the function to perform.

A car wash machine having a car wash processing device such as a washing brush and a drying nozzle in a car wash body formed in a portal shape, and a car body detection device at a position preceding the car wash processing device. The detection device is provided with a light emitting section in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged above and below, and a light receiving section in which a plurality of light receiving elements opposed to the light emitting elements in the light emitting section are arranged above and below in the width direction of the automobile. And is controlled by a vehicle shape control unit that detects the presence or absence of the vehicle body from light transmission / light shielding of the optical axis formed between each element of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. Between a horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element and a horizontally facing light receiving element, and one light emitting element in the light emitting portion and one light receiving element one above or below from the horizontally facing light receiving element One with a tilted optical axis formed on A unit detection operation in which a light emitting element emits light and is received by one corresponding light receiving element is repeated for each optical axis and each light emitting element to detect the vehicle body, and horizontally with one light emitting element in the light emitting unit. An inclination formed between a horizontal optical axis formed between the opposing light receiving elements and a light receiving element that is separated from one light emitting element in the light emitting portion and two or more light receiving elements horizontally above and below the light receiving element. A unit detection operation of causing one light emitting element to emit light and receiving light by a corresponding one light receiving element with the optical axis is performed for each second optical axis and each light emitting element, and second vehicle body detection for detecting the vehicle body is performed. A car wash machine that detects an upper surface contour of a vehicle body based on a first vehicle body detection and detects a left-right position of the vehicle body based on a second vehicle body detection.

In the second vehicle body detection , the vehicle shape control unit horizontally extends the horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element in the light emitting unit and the light receiving element horizontally facing, and one light emitting element in the light emitting unit. An upper inclined optical axis formed between a light receiving element two or more upward from the opposing light receiving element, and a light receiving element two or more downward from a light receiving element horizontally facing one light emitting element in the light emitting portion; A unit detection operation in which a light emitting element emits light and is received by a corresponding one light receiving element is repeated for each light axis and each light emitting element to detect the vehicle body. For the horizontal optical axis where the vehicle body is detected, detection is performed on the horizontal optical axis by the logical product or logical sum of the vehicle body detection result of the upper tilt optical axis and the vehicle body detection result of the lower tilt optical axis that intersects the horizontal optical axis. It has a function to judge the left and right position of the The features.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine which equipment such as a rear mirror is attached to the left or right side of the vehicle body. A car washing operation such as a washing brush is applied based on the determination result, thereby realizing a safe and less car washing operation.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the example which used this invention for the gate type car wash machine. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration and a control system of a vehicle body detection device 5. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the optical axis which detects a vehicle body. It is a flowchart which shows a threshold value setting process. This is threshold data obtained by threshold setting processing for each optical axis. This is threshold data obtained by threshold setting processing for each optical axis. It is a flowchart which shows a vehicle shape detection process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the rear-mirror detection state by 1st detection. It is explanatory drawing which shows the detection result by 1st detection, and binary data. It is explanatory drawing which shows the rear-mirror detection state by 2nd detection. It is explanatory drawing which shows the detection result by 2nd detection, and binary data. It is explanatory drawing which shows the binary image data by 1st detection. It is explanatory drawing which shows the binary image data by 2nd detection. It is explanatory drawing which shows the car wash operation | movement by the car wash brushes 3 and 4. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an example in which the present invention is used in a gate type car wash machine.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a car wash machine, which travels back and forth across the automobile A stopped between the rails 2 and 2. The car wash machine 1 includes an upper surface processing device 3 such as an upper surface brush, an upper surface drying nozzle, and an upper surface jet nozzle that mainly process the upper surface of the automobile, and a side surface processing device 4 that mainly processes the side surface of the automobile. The car body is automatically cleaned by operating the device along the shape of the car. Reference numeral 5 denotes a vehicle body detection device, which is provided in front of the car wash machine 1 and has a plurality of light emitting elements and light receiving elements facing each other up and down across the vehicle in the width direction, and is an optical signal exchanged between the light emitting and light receiving elements. The vehicle body is detected by whether or not the vehicle is blocked by the vehicle body. A traveling encoder 6 detects the rotation of the traveling motor 7 of the car wash machine 1 and outputs a pulse signal each time the car wash machine 1 travels a unit distance.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration and control system of the vehicle body detection device 5.
The vehicle body detection device 5 includes a light emitting unit 5a in which a plurality of light emitting elements L1 to Ln are arranged vertically, and a light receiving unit 5b in which a plurality of light receiving elements R1 to Rn paired with the light emitting elements L1 to Ln are arranged. Optical signals (infrared rays) are exchanged between the light emitting unit 5a and the light receiving unit 5b. In this vehicle body detection device 5, the light emitting elements of the light emitting section 5a and the light receiving elements of the light receiving section 5b are arranged so as to correspond one-to-one, and the optical axis is basically constituted by horizontally facing elements. However, since the optical signal from one light emitting element is diffused at a certain angle, it is possible to configure the optical axis with another light receiving element that is a predetermined number away from the corresponding light receiving element. Reference numeral 8 denotes a light emission scanning drive unit which sequentially turns on the light emitting elements from the top to the bottom (or from bottom to top) when detecting the vehicle body. A light receiving / scanning drive unit 9 sequentially sets the light receiving elements corresponding to the scanning of the light emitting elements to the light receiving state.

A vehicle shape control unit 10 includes a travel position detection unit 11, a light reception detection unit 12, a threshold setting unit 13, a vehicle body detection unit 14, a vehicle shape data detection unit 15, an image processing unit 16, and a data storage unit 17. The scanning drive units 8 and 9 are periodically operated to detect the upper surface shape of the automobile.
The travel position detector 11 counts the pulse signal from the travel encoder 6 and detects the travel position of the car wash machine 1. The light reception detector 12 detects the light reception level at each light receiving element. The threshold setting unit 13 determines a light transmission / shading of the optical axis based on the light reception level received by each light receiving element in a state where there is no automobile between the light emitting unit 5a and the light receiving unit 5b. Set. The vehicle body detection unit 14 operates the scanning drive units 8 and 9 at predetermined intervals, and compares the received light level of each light receiving element detected by the received light detection unit 12 with the discrimination threshold set by the threshold setting unit 13. Then, the light transmission / shading of each optical axis is determined. The vehicle shape data detection unit 15 creates binary image data from the travel position of the car wash machine 1 given from the travel position detection unit 11 and the translucency / light shielding determination of each optical axis given from the vehicle body detection unit 14. The image processing unit 16 analyzes the vehicle shape data created by the vehicle shape data detection unit 15 and creates car wash data. The data storage unit 17 is a car wash machine travel position data detected by the travel position detection unit 11, a threshold value set by the threshold value setting unit 13, and binary image data created by the vehicle shape data detection unit 15. The car shape data for car wash extracted by the image processing unit 16 is stored.

  Reference numeral 18 denotes a car wash control unit which drives the car shape control unit 10 in accordance with the car wash program to create car wash car shape data, and based on the created car wash car shape data, the upper surface washing device via the car wash drive unit 19 3. Driving the side motor 4 and the traveling motor 7 of the car wash machine 1 to drive the car wash process such as washing and drying of the vehicle body while the car wash machine 1 is running. Reference numeral 20 denotes an operation panel which is provided on the front surface of the car wash machine 1 and performs selection input of car wash contents and car wash start input.

The vehicle shape control unit 10 forms five optical axes B1 to B5 with respect to one light emitting element, and performs a unit operation for receiving light from the light emitting element by the corresponding light receiving element for each element according to the number of elements. The vehicle shape data is created by determining the translucency / light-shielding of each of the optical axes B1 to B5.
As shown in FIG. 3, the optical axis is adjacent to the optical axis B1 formed between the light receiving element Ra and the light receiving element Ra horizontally opposed to the light emitting element La and the light receiving element Ra horizontally opposed to the light emitting element La. An optical axis B3 formed between an optical axis B2 formed between the light receiving element Ra-1 and a light receiving element Ra + 1 adjacent to the lower side of the light receiving element Ra horizontally facing the light emitting element La; The optical axis B4 formed between the light receiving element Ra-x shifted by a predetermined number x from the light receiving element Ra horizontally facing the light emitting element La, and the light receiving element Ra horizontally facing the light emitting element La. The optical axis B5 is formed between the light receiving element Ra + x shifted by a predetermined number x. In the following description, vehicle body detection on the optical axes B1, B2, and B3 is referred to as first vehicle body detection, and vehicle body detection on the optical axes B1, B4, and B5 is referred to as second vehicle body detection.

  In the first vehicle body detection, the presence / absence of the vehicle body at the height position Ha of the light emitting element La, the intermediate height position Hb between the light emitting element La-1 and the adjacent light emitting element La-1, and the intermediate height position Hc between the light emitting element La + 1. The vehicle body height position is detected with a resolution about twice the inter-element pitch p. For example, the detection result of the optical axis B2 that receives the light of the light emitting element L10 by the upper light receiving element R9 and the optical axis B3 that receives the light of the light emitting element L9 by the lower light receiving element R10, The vehicle body can be detected at an intermediate height position Hb with respect to the light emitting element L10, the optical axis B3 for receiving the light of the light emitting element L10 by the lower light receiving element R11, and the light receiving element for receiving the light of the light emitting element L11. Based on the detection result of the optical axis B2 received at R10, the vehicle body can be detected at the intermediate height position Hc between the light emitting element L10 and the light emitting element L11.

  The second vehicle body detection is used to divide the inter-element distance S between the light emitting element La and the light receiving element Ra at the intersection of the optical axis B4 and the optical axis B5 with respect to the optical axis B1, and to determine the presence or absence of the vehicle body in the divided width range. The left and right positions are detected in width units of a pitch d (= x / S) obtained by dividing the distance S between the light emitting unit 5a and the light receiving unit 5b by the division number x. Here, the division number x is determined by the number of intersections between the optical axis B1 and the optical axis B4 (or the number of intersections between the optical axis B1 and the optical axis B5), and forms the optical axis B4 and the optical axis B5. It becomes equal to the shift number x. For example, when the shift number x is “8”, the optical axis B1-10 of the light emitting element L10 is divided into eight by intersecting the optical axes B4-10 to B4-18 and the optical axes B5-10 to B5-2. The vehicle body can be detected in the divided width units.

  Thereby, in this embodiment, the vehicle shape can be detected with a resolution of about twice the arrangement pitch p of the light emitting elements L (32 × 2-2 = 62 for 32 pairs) with respect to the vehicle body height position. The vehicle body can be detected with the resolution of the pitch d divided by the division number x (here, 8) of the inter-element distance S with respect to the vehicle body left-right position.

Next, the operation of the car wash machine configured as described above will be described.
When there is a car wash start input on the operation panel 20, the car wash machine 1 sets a threshold value and then starts running to execute car shape detection and car wash processing. Hereinafter, threshold setting processing, vehicle shape detection processing, and car wash processing will be described.

<Threshold setting process>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the threshold setting process. Here, a case where the number of pairs of light emitting elements and light receiving elements is 32 will be described as an example, but the number of pairs is not particularly limited.
In the threshold setting process, light reception before driving the light-emitting element L1 by driving the scanning drive unit 9 of the light-receiving unit 5b in a state where the automobile is not inserted between the light-emitting unit 5a and the light-receiving unit 5b of the vehicle body detection device 5. The light reception level Lva of the element R1 is captured (1). Next, the scanning drive unit 8 of the light emitting unit 5a and the scanning drive unit 9 of the light receiving device 5b are driven to capture the light reception level Lvb of the light receiving element R1 when the light emitting element L1 emits light (2). Thereafter, a difference light reception level Lvc between the light reception level Lva captured in the process (1) and the light reception level Lvb captured in the process (2) is calculated (3), and a predetermined ratio (for example, 30%) to the difference light reception level Lvc. ) Is set as a threshold value (4), and stored as a discrimination threshold value S in the data storage unit 17 (5). Such basic operations (1) to (5) are repeated for the number of elements, and discrimination thresholds for the optical axes B1 to B5 of the light emitting elements L1 to L32 are set (6).

  Such basic operations (1) to (5) are repeated, and the discrimination thresholds S1-1 to S1-32 of the optical axis B1 and the discrimination threshold of the optical axis B2 are determined for each of the light emitting elements L1 to L32. Values S2-2 to S2-32, optical axis B3 discrimination threshold S3-1 to S3-31, optical axis B4 discrimination threshold S4-9 to S4-32, optical axis B5 discrimination threshold S5 Set -1 to S5-24. At this time, the optical axis B2 is not formed in the light emitting element L1 because the scanning timing of the light receiving portion 5b is delayed by one element from the scanning timing of the light emitting portion 5a. The optical axis B3 is not formed in the light emitting element L32 because the scanning timing of the light receiving portion 5b is advanced by one element from the scanning timing of the light emitting portion 5a. The optical axis B4 is not formed in the light emitting elements L1 to L8 because the scanning timing of the light receiving unit 5b is delayed by 8 elements from the scanning timing of the light emitting unit 5a. The optical axis B5 is not formed in the light emitting elements L25 to L32 because the scanning timing of the light receiving unit 5b is advanced by 8 elements from the scanning timing of the light emitting unit 5a.

  In this way, the discrimination threshold value for each optical axis is set, and threshold data shown in FIGS. In this way, the threshold value between each element to be detected is not only allowed to allow instrumental error of each element, but also recognizes in advance the light transmission state due to dirt or failure of each element or cover. This is also necessary for accurate vehicle body detection.

<Car body detection process>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the vehicle shape detection process. When the setting of the threshold value is completed, the vehicle body detection process is executed every time a predetermined number of pulse signals are input from the traveling encoder 6 as the car wash machine 1 travels.
In the vehicle shape detection process, the light receiving level Lva of the light receiving element R1 before causing the light emitting element L1 to emit light and the light emitting element L1 to emit light are the same as the threshold setting process (1) to (3). A difference light reception level Lvc with respect to the light reception level Lvb of the light receiving element R1 is calculated (7), and compared with the discrimination threshold S stored in the data storage unit 17 (8). Here, if the difference light reception level Lvc is higher than the stored determination threshold value S, it is determined that “○ is translucent” and binary data of “0” is given to the optical axis B (9). If it is lower than the value S, it is judged as “× light shielding”, binary data “1” is given to the optical axis B (10), and stored in the data storage unit 17 (11). When these processes (7) to (11) are executed for the optical axes B1, B2, and B3, the first vehicle body detection is completed (12), and binary image data for the first vehicle body detection is created (13). Next, when the processes (7) to (11) are executed for the optical axes B1, B4, and B5, the second vehicle body detection is completed (14), and binary image data for the second vehicle body detection is created (15).

Here, the vehicle body detection process will be described in detail by taking as an example the case of detecting a rear mirror of an automobile.
FIG. 8 shows detection of the rear mirror by the first vehicle body detection.
In FIG. 8, the vehicle body detection device 5 includes a light emitting portion 5a and a light receiving portion 5b in which light emitting elements L1 to L32 and light receiving elements R1 to R32 are arranged to face each other. By this vehicle body detection device 5, the optical axis B1 (B1-1 to B1-32), the optical axis B2 (B2-2 to B2-32), the optical axis B3 (B3-1 to B3- 31) Binary data is detected, and binary image data for the first vehicle body detection is created. Here, the optical axis B1-11 to optical axis B1-13, the optical axis B2-11 to optical axis B2-13, and the optical axis B3-11 to optical axis B3-13 are shielded by the rear mirror RM, and the other optical axes Are all translucent.

FIG. 9 shows binary data of the rear mirror obtained by the first vehicle body detection and binary image data based on the binary data.
As shown in FIG. 9, binary data “1” is given to the optical axes B1-11 to B1-13 where the detection result of the optical axis B1 is “× light shielding”. Next, for the optical axis B2-11, the optical axis B2-12, and the optical axis B2-13 for which the detection result of the optical axis B2 is “× light shielding”, the intermediate between the optical axis B1-10 and the optical axis B1-11, respectively. The intermediate height between the height, the optical axis B1-11 and the optical axis B1-12, and the intermediate height between the optical axis B1-12 and the optical axis B1-13 are “× light shielding”, and the detection result of the optical axis B3 is “× For the optical axis B3-11, optical axis B3-12, and optical axis B3-13 that became “shielded”, the intermediate height between the optical axis B1-11 and the optical axis B1-12, the optical axis B1-12, and the optical axis B1 respectively. The intermediate height between -13 and the intermediate height between the optical axis B1-13 and the optical axis B1-14 is defined as “× light shielding”. Finally, the intermediate height detection result is ORed to give binary data. As a result, the optical axis B1-13 and the optical axis B1-14 are obtained from the intermediate height between the optical axis B1-10 and the optical axis B1-11. Binary image data in which the vehicle body exists up to the intermediate height is obtained. As a result, the presence / absence of the rear mirror at the intermediate height of the light emitting / receiving element actually provided is determined, so that the vehicle body can be detected at a resolution of about twice the number of elements at the height position of the element and its intermediate position.

FIG. 10 shows the detection of the rear mirror by the second vehicle body detection.
10, in the same manner as described above, the optical axis B1 (B1-1 to B1-32), the optical axis B4 (B4-9 to B4-32), the optical axis B5 (B5-1 to B5) along the flowchart of FIG. -24) to create binary image data for second vehicle body detection. Here, the optical axis B1-11 to the optical axis B1-13, the optical axis B4-13 to the optical axis B4-16, and the optical axis B5-9 to the optical axis B5-12 are shielded by the rear mirror RM, and the other optical axes. Are all translucent.

FIG. 11 shows binary data of the rear mirror obtained by the second vehicle body detection and binary image data based on the binary data.
As shown in FIG. 11, for the optical axis B1-11 whose detection result of the optical axis B1 is “× light shielding”, the optical axis B4 (B4-11 to B4-19) intersecting the optical axis B1-11 is shown. The detection result is given to the intersections 0 to 9 on the optical axis B1-11. Next, the detection result of the optical axis B5 (B5-11 to B5-3) intersecting with the optical axis B1-11 is given to the intersections 0 to 9 on the optical axis B1-11. Finally, the detection results given to the respective intersections 0 to 9 are ANDed to give binary data, and the rear mirror position on the optical axis B1-11 is detected. Here, it is detected that an object exists between the intersection 2 and the intersection 3 of the optical axis B1-11.

  Similarly, for the optical axis B1-12 and optical axis B1-13 for which the detection result of the optical axis B1 is “× light shielding”, binary data at the intersection points 0 to 9 is given in the above procedure to detect the rear mirror position. To do. Here, it is detected that an object exists between the intersection 1 and the intersection 4 of the optical axis B1-12, and it is detected that an object exists between the intersection 2 and the intersection 3 of the optical axis B1-13. Thereby, the rear mirror position in the width direction is detected, and it can be determined whether the rear mirror is attached to the left or right side of the vehicle body. Note that binary data obtained by OR processing the detection results given to the respective intersections 0 to 9 are shaded in FIG. 11, and are detected in a larger range than the binary data obtained by AND processing. But it doesn't matter which one you choose.

  Such a vehicle shape detection process is continuously executed until the car wash machine 1 finishes traveling, and each time a predetermined number d of pulse signals are input from the traveling encoder 6, the light transmission “0” and the light shielding “1” are performed. Binary image data developed on a matrix of running pitch d × detection pitch 2p is created. At the same time, binary image data developed on a matrix of divided pitch x × array pitch p is created for each running pitch d. That is, by executing the first vehicle body detection and the second vehicle body detection, an image in which the vehicle body is expanded in the length direction and an image in which the vehicle body is expanded in the width direction can be captured, and a three-dimensional vehicle body shape can be obtained. become.

FIG. 12 shows binary image data created by the first vehicle body detection, and FIG. 13 shows binary image data created by the second vehicle body detection at points A to E in FIG.
The binary image data created in this way is subjected to a logical filter in the image processing unit 16 to extract a contour line. Since the vehicle body image data is sequentially sent and developed as the car wash machine 1 is traveled and tracked, the contour line is tracked. Therefore, the entire contour line is extracted when the binary image data of the entire vehicle is captured. From the outline of the automobile thus obtained, car wash data is determined in which data in the car height direction relative to the direction of travel of the car wash machine is determined.

<Car wash processing>
Operation | movement of the car wash machine 1 which employ | adopted the vehicle shape detection apparatus comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated.
When the automobile A is stopped at a predetermined stop position that is not detected by the vehicle body detection device 5, a car wash course is selected on the operation panel 20, and a car wash start is input, a car wash operation is started. When the car wash starts, the threshold setting unit 13 performs threshold setting processing. At this time, since the washing water splashed by the high-pressure jet or the like may affect the detection of the vehicle body, it is desirable to change the threshold reference according to the car washing course. When this threshold value setting operation is completed, the car wash machine body 1 is made to travel, and each time the travel encoder 6 sends a pulse signal, the travel position detector 11 detects the travel distance of the car wash machine 1 and the vehicle body detector 14 Then, the presence or absence of the vehicle body is detected, and the vehicle shape detection unit 15 performs vehicle shape detection processing to create binary image data for one scan. The timing for executing the vehicle shape detection process may be executed not only with the pulse signal of the traveling encoder as a trigger but also with a constant cycle.

  When a certain amount of binary image data (here, 5 scans) accumulates as the car wash machine 1 travels, the image processing unit 16 performs image processing on the car shape data to create car wash data. The creation of the car wash data is continuously executed while the car wash machine 1 travels on the forward path, and a continuous top surface contour of the automobile is obtained. When the shape of the automobile is detected, a car washing operation is performed based on the detected outline of the automobile. As the car washing operation is performed, as the car wash machine 1 travels, brushing of the vehicle body with shampoo injection, coating with wax injection, blow by high-speed wind injection, and the like are executed. Of these, the upper surface brush and the upper surface nozzle are vertically controlled along the detected upper surface contour of the automobile as shown in FIG. Car washed. Further, as shown in FIG. 14B, the side brush and the side nozzle are controlled to be opened and closed in accordance with the position of the side surface of the automobile. Since it can be recognized, the vehicle body on the side without the equipment (the rear surface of the rear mirror that is not equipped) can be cleaned with the side brush. Thus, when the car wash operation is finished, the car is prompted to leave and the car wash is finished.

  The present invention is configured as described above, and with respect to the horizontal optical axis in which the vehicle body is detected, the left and right positions of the vehicle body detected by the horizontal optical axis are determined based on the vehicle body detection result of the inclined optical axis that intersects the horizontal optical axis. It is characterized by having a function to do. The equipment to be detected has been described by taking a rear mirror as an example, but needless to say, a custom mirror or a small fender may be used. It is also possible to detect the side position of the vehicle body by making the shift amount of the tilt optical axis variable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car wash machine main body 5 Car body detection apparatus 5a Light-emitting device 5b Light-receiving device 8, 9 Scanning drive part
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle shape control part 11 Traveling position detection part 12 Light reception detection part 13 Threshold value setting part 14 Vehicle body detection part 15 Vehicle shape data detection part 16 Image processing part 17 Data storage part

Claims (3)

A vehicle body detection device in which a light emitting unit in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged above and below, and a light receiving unit in which a plurality of light receiving elements opposed to the light emitting elements of the light emitting unit are arranged vertically are opposed to each other in the width direction of the automobile; In a vehicle shape detection device comprising: a vehicle shape control unit that detects the presence or absence of a vehicle body by translucency / light shielding of an optical axis formed between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the vehicle body detection device;
A horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element in the light emitting unit and a horizontally opposed light receiving element, and a light receiving element spaced two or more upwards from the light receiving element horizontally opposed to one light emitting element in the light emitting unit Forming an upper inclined optical axis formed between the light receiving element and a lower inclined optical axis formed between the light receiving element horizontally spaced from the light receiving element horizontally opposed to the light receiving element by two or more. And a vehicle-shaped control unit that detects a vehicle body by repeating a unit detection operation in which one light emitting element emits light and is received by a corresponding one light receiving element for each light axis and each light emitting element,
The vehicle shape control unit is a logical product or logical sum of the vehicle body detection result of the upper tilt optical axis and the vehicle body detection result of the lower tilt optical axis that intersects the horizontal optical axis with respect to the horizontal optical axis that has detected the vehicle body. A vehicle shape detection apparatus comprising a function of determining a left and right position of a vehicle body detected on a horizontal optical axis.
A car wash machine having a car wash processing device such as a cleaning brush, a drying nozzle, etc., and a vehicle body detection device at a position preceding the car wash processing device, in a car wash machine body formed in a gate shape,
The vehicle body detection device opposes a light emitting section in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged above and below and a light receiving section in which a plurality of light receiving elements opposed to the light emitting elements of the light emitting section are arranged in the vehicle width direction. And is controlled by a vehicle shape control unit that detects the presence or absence of a vehicle body from light transmission / light shielding of an optical axis formed between each element of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit,
The vehicle-shaped control unit includes a horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element in the light emitting unit and the light receiving element that horizontally faces, and a light receiving element that is horizontally opposed to one light emitting element in the light emitting unit. The unit detection operation in which one light emitting element emits light and is received by one corresponding light receiving element with an inclined optical axis formed between the light receiving elements separated by one, and each optical axis and each light emitting element The first vehicle body detection for detecting the vehicle body repeatedly, the horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element in the light emitting unit and the light receiving element facing horizontally, and one light emitting element in the light emitting unit horizontally facing A unit detection operation in which one light emitting element emits light and is received by one corresponding light receiving element, with an inclined optical axis formed between the light receiving elements two or more apart from the upper and lower sides of the light receiving element. Repeat the body for each optical axis and each light emitting element Run a second vehicle detector for detecting detects the upper surface contour of the vehicle body on the basis of the first vehicle detector, car washing machine and detecting the lateral position of the vehicle body on the basis of the second body detection.
In the second vehicle body detection, the vehicle shape control unit includes a horizontal optical axis formed between one light emitting element in the light emitting unit and a horizontally opposed light receiving element, and one horizontal light emitting element in the light emitting unit. An upper inclined optical axis formed between a light receiving element two or more upward from the opposing light receiving element, and a light receiving element two or more downward from a light receiving element horizontally facing one light emitting element in the light emitting portion; A unit detection operation in which a light emitting element emits light and is received by a corresponding one light receiving element is repeated for each light axis and each light emitting element to detect the vehicle body. For the horizontal optical axis where the vehicle body is detected, detection is performed on the horizontal optical axis by the logical product or logical sum of the vehicle body detection result of the upper tilt optical axis and the vehicle body detection result of the lower tilt optical axis that intersects the horizontal optical axis. Equipped with a function to determine the left and right position of the body Car wash machine of the claim 2, wherein the door.

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