JPH0220461B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Object of the Invention (1) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a washing method using a mobile car wash machine.

(2) Conventional technology A gate-shaped frame that can straddle the vehicle to be washed and move back and forth along the front and rear directions of the vehicle, a top brush that can move up and down along the top surface of the vehicle, and a gate-shaped frame that moves back and forth over the top brush. Vehicles are automatically washed using a car wash machine that is equipped with a pair of side brushes that are placed at the rear of the vehicle and can move from side to side of the vehicle, and whose gate-shaped frame moves back and forth during the cleaning process. Methods for doing so are conventionally known.

(3) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Conventionally, when using such a car wash machine to wash a vehicle equipped with door mirrors, a large surface pressure is applied from the side brushes to the door mirrors that protrude to the sides of the vehicle. As a result, the door mirrors were sometimes damaged due to the side brushes.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above, and it is possible to prevent the side brush from being damaged by the side brush by automatically moving the side brush toward the outside of the vehicle at the side mirror portion.
The purpose is to provide a washing method using a car wash machine.

B. Structure of the invention (1) Means for solving the problem In order to achieve the above object, the first invention provides a top brush that contacts the windshield surface of the vehicle and rises to a predetermined height while the gate-shaped frame is moving. Sometimes,
The second invention is characterized in that each side brush is moved away from the side of the vehicle, and when the gate-shaped frame moves a predetermined distance, each side brush is moved close to the side of the vehicle. While traveling, when the top brush contacts the windshield surface of the vehicle and rises to a predetermined height, and the gate-shaped frame moves a first predetermined amount, each side brush is moved away from the side of the vehicle, and the gate-shaped frame moves away from the side of the vehicle. 2
The feature is that each side brush is moved close to the side of the vehicle when the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance.

(2) Effect According to the above configuration, by utilizing the fact that the top brush is upwardly displaced to a predetermined height by contact with the vehicle windshield surface, the side brush approaches the door mirror located at a position that is approximately in line with the windshield surface. When the side brush passes the door mirror, the side brush can be automatically moved away from the side of the vehicle.
The side brush can be moved as far away from the door mirror as possible.

Particularly, according to the configuration of the second invention, when the gate-shaped frame moves by the first predetermined amount from the time when the top brush comes into contact with the windshield surface of the vehicle and rises to a predetermined height while the gate-shaped frame is traveling, each Since the side brushes are moved away from the side of the vehicle, by appropriately setting the first predetermined amount according to the deviation in the arrangement positions of the top brush and the side brushes,
The start time of the avoidance operation of the side brush against the door mirror can be delayed as much as possible within a range that does not interfere with the effect of preventing damage to the door mirror as described above.

(3) Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG. A pair of front and rear wheels 3
is a rail 4 extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
One of the wheels 3 is rotationally driven by a traveling drive device M. Therefore, the gate-shaped frame 2 can move back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The portal frame 2 is provided with a rotating brush device B, a drying device D, and other processing devices (not shown), and the operation of the traveling drive device M, the rotating brush device B, the drying device D, and other processing devices is as follows. It is controlled by an electronic circuit (not shown) in a control panel 5 provided in the gate-shaped frame 2.

Referring also to FIG. 2, rotating brush device B
is equipped with a top brush 6 that can be raised and lowered, and a pair of left and right side brushes 7 that are movable in the left and right directions of the vehicle V. (See FIG. 1).

The top brush 6 is supported on a horizontal shaft 9 rotatably supported by the gate-shaped frame 2 via a swing arm 10 so as to be swingable up and down. On one swing arm 10,
A prime mover 11 is provided at the upper part of the movable body 11, and the top brush 6 is rotationally driven from the prime mover 11 via a transmission mechanism within the swing arm 10. A sprocket 12 is fixed to the horizontal shaft 9 that supports the other swinging arm 10, and a gate-shaped frame 2 is attached to the side of the horizontal shaft 9.
A drive shaft 13 is rotatably supported on the drive shaft 13, and another sprocket 14 is fixed to the drive shaft 13. An endless chain 15 is suspended between both sprockets 12 and 14. The drive shaft 13 includes an air cylinder 17 whose lower end is supported by the portal frame 2.
A piston rod 18 is connected to the piston rod 18. Therefore, if the air cylinder 17 is driven to extend, the top brush 6
can be held in the upper retracted position as shown by the dashed-double line. Furthermore, when the air cylinder 17 is inactive, the top brush 6 can freely swing around the horizontal axis 9 between the upper retracted position and the lower limit position hanging down from the horizontal axis 9. During the cleaning process, the top brush 6 comes into contact with the top surface of the vehicle and swings up and down depending on the shape of the top surface of the vehicle.

An arm 19 is fixed in the middle of the horizontal shaft 9, and projects toward the traveling direction 8 when the top brush 6 is at the lower limit position, and a magnet 20 is fixed to the tip of this arm 19. On the other hand, a contact element 21 that operates as a switch when facing the magnet 20 is fixedly disposed on the gate-shaped frame 2, and this contact element 21 is arranged so that the top brush 6 moves in the forward direction from its lower limit position. It is disposed at a position facing the magnet 20 when it is angularly displaced by a certain amount toward the rear side along line 8. The magnet 20 and the contact element 21 are activated when the top brush 6 comes into contact with the windshield surface F of the vehicle V (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and rises to a predetermined height, that is, at a position substantially coincident with the windshield surface F. This is for detecting that the side brush 7 approaches the existing door mirror DM, and the detection signal is input to the electronic circuit in the control panel 5.

The rotating shafts 22 of the pair of side brushes 7 are held by a holding cylinder 23 that extends vertically.
3 is fixed to the moving frame 24. The movable frame 24 is slidably engaged with a guide rail 25 that extends horizontally on the gate-shaped frame 2, and is driven in the left-right direction of the rail by a drive means (not shown). Both ends of the guide rail 25 are rotatably supported by the portal frame 2 via a support shaft 26, so that the guide rail 25 and the movable frame 2
4. The holding cylinder 23, the rotating shaft 22, and the side brush 7 are swingable along the traveling direction of the gate-shaped frame 2 using the supporting shaft 26 as a fulcrum. Also, the moving frame 24
A prime mover 27 is supported on the prime mover 27, and a sprocket 28 is fixed to the output shaft of the prime mover 27.
Sprocket 29 fixed to the end of rotating shaft 22
An endless chain 30 is suspended between the motors 2 and 2.
7 rotates the side brush 7.

The drying device D includes a pair of side air blowing nozzles 31 that open inward on both sides of the gate-shaped frame 2, and a top air blowing nozzle 32 that opens downward at the top, which are connected to a blower 33. The blower nozzle 32 is moved up and down by an up/down operation means (not shown) in accordance with the height of the vehicle to be dried.

Next, the operation of the rotary brush device B during the cleaning process will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. During the cleaning process, the portal frame 2 travels in the forward direction 8, Thus, the cleaning process of the vehicle V is completed.

When the gate-shaped frame 2 starts moving, both side brushes 7 are located at the innermost position, and the gate-shaped frame 2
When the side brush 7 reaches a position where it comes into sliding contact with the front surface of the vehicle V, the forward motion of the gate-shaped frame 2 is temporarily stopped, and the side brush 7 temporarily moves outward while cleaning the front surface of the vehicle V. Next, the forward movement of the gate-shaped frame 3 is resumed, and the side brushes 7 move inward to clean the side surfaces of the vehicle V. Position 7 where this side brush 7 approaches the door mirror DM
When it comes to point A, the top brush 6 is at point 6 in Fig. 3.
At the position indicated by A, it contacts the windshield surface F of the vehicle V and rotates to rise to a predetermined height, the magnet 20 faces the contact element 21, and a detection signal is input to the electronic circuit. When this detection signal is input, or after the first set time T ₁ has elapsed from the input point, the gate-shaped frame 2 is in the first position.
When the side brush 7 moves by a predetermined amount, that is, when the side brush 7 comes to the position 7B, the side brush 7 starts moving outward and separates from the side surface of the vehicle V. Next, when the second set time T ₂ has elapsed since the start of the separation operation and the portal frame 2 has moved by a second predetermined amount, the side brush 7 starts an approach operation toward the vehicle V.

Here, the first set time _T1 is determined depending on the positional deviation between the top brush 6 and the side brush 7. The time it takes for door mirror 7 to come to a position close to door mirror DM is set based on the traveling speed of portal frame 2. Further, the second set time T ₂ is preset as a time sufficient for the side brush 7 to separate from and pass the door mirror DM.

After the second set time _T2 has elapsed, the side brush 7 comes close to the side surface of the vehicle V and cleans the side surface.
When the gate-shaped frame 2 passes the vehicle V, 7
The closed position shown by C is reached, and the cleaning process is completed.

In this way, by utilizing the upward displacement of the top brush 6 to a predetermined height due to contact with the windshield surface F, it is detected that the side brush 7 approaches the door mirror DM located at a position substantially coincident with the windshield surface F. In addition, since the side brush 7 can be automatically moved away from the side of the vehicle, when the side brush 7 passes the door mirror DM, the side brush 7 can be moved as far away from the door mirror DM as possible. , damage to the door mirror DM is prevented.

In addition, by appropriately setting the first set time _T1 according to the deviation in the arrangement positions of the top brush 6 and the side brushes 7, the time at which the side brush 7 starts to avoid the door mirror DM can be adjusted to prevent damage to the door mirror as described above. Since this can be made as slow as possible without hindering the achievement of the prevention effect, the cleaning effect of the side brush 7 on the side surface of the vehicle can be increased accordingly.

C. Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, when the top brush comes into contact with the windshield surface of the vehicle and rises to a predetermined height while the portal frame is moving, each side brush is moved away from the side of the vehicle. When the portal frame moves a predetermined distance, each side brush moves close to the side of the vehicle, so the top brush moves upward to a predetermined height by contact with the windshield surface. It is possible to detect when a side brush approaches a door mirror that is positioned approximately in line with the glass surface, and automatically move the side brush away from the side of the vehicle.Therefore, when the side brush passes the door mirror, The side brush can be kept as far away from the door mirror as possible, and damage to the door mirror can be effectively prevented.

Particularly, according to the second invention, when the gate frame moves by a first predetermined amount from the time when the top brush comes into contact with the windshield surface of the vehicle and rises to a predetermined height while the gate frame is moving, each of the side brushes Since it was made to move away from the side of the vehicle,
By appropriately setting the first predetermined amount according to the deviation in the arrangement positions of the top brush and the side brushes, the timing at which the avoidance operation of the side brushes with respect to the door mirrors is started can be set without interfering with the above-mentioned damage prevention effect on the door mirrors. The speed can be made as slow as possible within the range, and the cleaning effect of the side brush on the side of the vehicle can be increased accordingly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a simplified vertical side view of a car wash machine, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the top brush drive mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a view of the gate-shaped frame when it is traveling. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the locus of the side brush during forward movement. 1...Car wash machine, 2...Gate frame, 6...Top brush, 7...Side brush, 8...Going direction, F...Windshield surface, V...Vehicle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A top brush 6 that can move up and down along the upper surface of the vehicle V is mounted on a gate-shaped frame 2 that can straddle the vehicle V to be cleaned and can reciprocate along the front and rear directions of the vehicle V.
and a pair of side brushes 7 which are disposed on the rear side of the top brush 6 in the traveling direction of the portal frame 2 and can move in the left-right direction of the vehicle V. When the top brush 6 comes into contact with the windshield surface F of the vehicle V and rises to a predetermined height while the gate-shaped frame 2 is moving in the car wash machine, the side brushes 7 are moved away from the side surface of the vehicle V. . A washing method using a car wash machine, characterized in that each side brush 7 is moved close to the side surface of the vehicle V when the gate-shaped frame 2 moves a predetermined distance. 2. A top brush 6 that can move up and down along the top surface of the vehicle V is mounted on a gate-shaped frame 2 that can straddle the vehicle V to be cleaned and can reciprocate along the front and rear directions of the vehicle V.
and a pair of side brushes 7 which are disposed on the rear side of the top brush 6 in the traveling direction of the portal frame 2 and can move in the left-right direction of the vehicle V. In a car wash machine running, when the gate frame 1 moves by a first predetermined amount from the time when the top brush 6 comes into contact with the windshield surface F of the vehicle V and rises to a predetermined height while the gate frame 2 is moving back and forth, Each of the side brushes 7 is moved away from the side surface of the vehicle V, and when the gate-shaped frame 2 moves a second predetermined distance, each side brush 7 is moved closer to the side surface of the vehicle V. How to wash using a car wash machine.