JPH04306156A - Device for judging car rear configuration in car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To precisely discriminate between the rear configuration of a passenger car type vehicle and that of a van type vehicle in order to control the vertical movement of a top nozzle provided to a traveling frame. CONSTITUTION:A traveling frame 1 is provided with a detection means 51 for the rear end of a car and a vertical movement stopping means 56 for stopping a top nozzle 28 at predetermined height, and the top nozzle 28 is provided with rear face detection means 52L, 52U for detecting the rear face of the car. As the traveling frame 1 comes close to the rear end portion of the car with the top nozzle stopped at the predetermined height, a judging device judges the vehicle to be a passenger car type having a low rear configuration when the rear end detection means 51 is actuated earlier than the rear face detection means 52L, 52U, while the device judges the vehicle to be a van type having a high rear configuration when the rear face detection means 52L, 52U are actuated earlier than the rear end detection means 51.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention controls the raising and lowering of a top nozzle for drying the top surface of a car body, such as a top nozzle for drying the top surface of a car body, to an appropriate height depending on the shape of the various rear parts of the car. The present invention relates to an automobile rear shape determination device.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a photoelectric switch installed in the top nozzle of a car wash machine detects the top surface of a car body, and by moving the top nozzle along the shape of the top surface of the car, the top surface of the car body can be cleaned without contact after being brushed. A drying method is known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1-178050).

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, the shape of the rear of an automobile can be roughly divided into a passenger car type with a trunk and a relatively small slope of the rear, and a van type without a trunk and a nearly vertical slope of the rear. In the conventional method described above, when a photoelectric switch is placed in a position suitable for efficiently drying a passenger car type vehicle, the top nozzle does not rise in time when drying a van type vehicle, and the top nozzle is placed on the rear of the vehicle body. There was a problem with contact.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to accurately determine the shape of the rear part of an automobile and to reliably avoid contact between the top nozzle or other means for treating the upper surface of the automobile body and the automobile body. do.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vehicle rear shape determining device in the car wash machine of the present invention raises and lowers a vehicle body top surface processing means provided on a running frame along the top surface shape of the vehicle. In the car wash machine, the vehicle body upper surface processing means is provided with a lifting stop means for stopping the vehicle body upper surface processing means at a predetermined height for determining the rear shape of the vehicle, a rear end detection means for detecting the rear end of the vehicle, and a rear end detection means for detecting the rear end of the vehicle. a rear surface detection means for detecting the rear surface of the vehicle, and an output signal of the rear surface detection means and an output signal of the rear end detection means when the lifting stop means stops the vehicle body upper surface processing means; The vehicle is characterized by comprising a rear shape determining means for determining the shape.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the car wash machine includes a running frame 1 that straddles an automobile (not shown), and a pair of front and rear wheels 2 provided on this running frame 1 move along the longitudinal direction of the automobile. It is supported on extending rails 3. A pair of wheels 2 on the front side are rotationally driven by a prime mover 4,
As a result, the traveling frame 1 is self-propelled along the longitudinal direction of the automobile.

The running frame 1 is provided with a top brush 5 that can be raised and lowered for brushing and cleaning the top surface of the vehicle, and a pair of left and right side brushes 6 that brushing and cleaning the front and rear surfaces and both left and right sides of the vehicle. Top brush 5 is
A horizontal shaft 7 rotatably supported on the traveling frame 1 is supported via a pair of right and left swinging arms 8, and a motor 9 is provided inside the swinging arm 8. They are connected and rotationally driven by a transmission mechanism. An endless chain 13 is wound around a sprocket 10 fixed to a horizontal shaft 7 supporting the other swinging arm 8 and a sprocket 12 fixed to a drive shaft 11 supported by a traveling frame 1. It is connected to a cylinder 14 provided on the traveling frame 1 and is rotationally driven. Therefore, by driving the cylinder 14 to extend, the top brush 5 is held at the upper storage position shown by the two-dot chain line. When the cylinder 14 is inactive, the top brush 5 freely swings back and forth with respect to the traveling frame 1 about the horizontal axis 7 between the upper retracted position and the lower limit position suspended from the horizontal axis 7. In the cleaning process, the top brush 5 swings up and down in accordance with the shape of the top surface of the vehicle body.

The rotating shafts 15 of the pair of side brushes 6 are supported by a holding cylinder 16 that extends vertically, and this holding cylinder 16 runs along a guide rail 17 that extends horizontally on the traveling frame 1 by a driving means (not shown). It is fixed to a pair of moving frames 18. Further, the sprocket 21 of the prime mover 20 attached to the holding cylinder 16 via the bracket 19 is connected to the sprocket 22 fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 15 by an endless chain 23, so that the side brush 6 can be moved together with the rotating shaft 15. Rotationally driven.

[0010] Air blowers 2 are installed on both the left and right sides of the traveling frame 1.
A pair of left and right side nozzles 25 are provided which are integrally provided with the air blower 4 and open inward, and a top nozzle 28 is provided at the top of the traveling frame 1, which is connected to a pair of left and right blowers 26 via a duct 27. . The top nozzle 28 is supported in a vertically movable manner by a pair of left and right support members 31 equipped with rollers 30 that engage with guide rails 29 provided on both left and right sides of the traveling frame 1, and is connected to a drive shaft 32 that is rotationally driven. Both ends of the chain 36 wound around the sprockets 34 provided at both ends of the support member 33 and the sprocket 35 provided at the lower end of the support member 31 are connected to the support member 3.
1, it is driven up and down.

A vehicle height detection means 50 consisting of a light emitter La and a light receiver Ka is provided at the top of the traveling frame 1, and a rear end detection means 51 consisting of a light emitter Lb and a light receiver Kb is provided below. Further, the support member 31 of the top nozzle 28 has a lower upper surface detection means 52L consisting of a light emitter Lc and a light receiver Kc, and an upper upper surface detection means 52U consisting of a light emitter Ld and a light receiver Kd, which are slightly different in height. It will be established.

The top nozzle 28 is mounted on the traveling frame 1.
Three reed switches operated by magnets 53 provided on the support member 31 are arranged at different heights. Each of the reed switches includes, in order from the upper side to the lower side, an upper limit detection means 54 for the top nozzle 28, and an elevation stop means 56 for stopping the height of the top nozzle 28 at a position for determining the rear shape of the automobile V. , and constitutes the lower limit detection means 57 of the top nozzle 28.

A control device 41 is disposed inside a control panel 40 provided on the traveling frame 1, and the control device 41 includes a traveling position detecting means 58, a rear shape determining means 59, and a timer 60. The running position detection means 58 detects the running position based on the output signal of a start position detection switch 62 that is activated by contacting a cam 61 fixed to the floor surface, and the pulse output from the rotary encoder 63 provided on the driving motor 4. The traveling distance L of the frame 1 from the start position is detected. Further, the rear shape determining means 59 determines whether the automobile V is drying.
is a passenger car type vehicle Vs or a van type vehicle V
It is determined from the shape of its rear part whether it is V or not. Further, the control panel 40 is provided with a start button 42 for starting the washing of the automobile.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention described above will be explained based on the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 4 and the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 to 8.

In FIG. 3, the top nozzle 28 is raised to the upper limit position where the upper limit detection means 54 operates, and
Move the running frame 1 to the start position detection switch 62 (Fig. 1
) is activated at the left end start position, and the vehicle V is stopped so that its front wheels are at a predetermined position. When a start button 42 provided on a control panel 40 is pressed, the wheels 2 are driven by the prime mover 4, and the traveling frame 1 starts moving to the right.

While the traveling frame 1 is traveling, the front and rear surfaces and both left and right sides of the automobile V are cleaned by the opening and closing operations of the pair of side brushes 6 rotated by the prime mover 20, and the top brush 5 rotated by the prime mover 9 is cleaned. Automobile V due to lifting and lowering movement
The top surface of the is cleaned.

When the brushing cleaning by forward movement is completed and the drying process is started (step S1), both brushes 5 and 6
The rotation of the top nozzle 28 is stopped and moved to the storage position, and the blowers 24 and 26 are operated to move the top nozzle 28 from the upper limit position 28A to the determination position 2 where the lifting stop means 56 is activated.
8B, and the traveling frame 1 is made to go back (step S2). If the vehicle V is a passenger car type vehicle Vs, the rear end detection means 51 first detects the rear end of the vehicle V as the traveling frame 1 returns (step S3), and detects the detection of the rear end and the current state at that time. Traveling position L1 of traveling frame 1
is stored in the control device 41 (step S4). The running position L1 is detected by counting the number of output pulses of the rotary encoder 63 after the start position detection switch 62 is activated.

On the other hand, if the automobile V is a van-type vehicle Vv, the lower upper surface detecting means 52L or the upper upper surface detecting means 52U is activated before the rear end detecting means 51 is activated in step S3. S5), the traveling frame 1 stops going back (step S6). In this case, since the rear end storage in step S4 is not performed (step S7), the top nozzle 28 is raised from the 28C position and stopped when the upper surface detection means 52U does not detect it.

When the upper surface detection means 52U becomes non-detectable (step S14), the traveling frame 1 resumes its return journey, and the top nozzle 28 is controlled to ascend and descend based on the flowchart (2) in FIG. 7 (step S15). )
. That is, in FIG. 7, when the upper surface detection means 52U detects the vehicle body, it raises the top nozzle 28 (steps S31, S33), and when it does not detect the vehicle body, it raises the top nozzle 28.
is stopped (steps S31, S32). As a result, the top nozzle 28 moves along the rear upper surface of the van-type vehicle Vv.

When the traveling position L of the traveling frame 1 becomes half of L1 and the top nozzle 28 reaches the ceiling surface (step S16), the elevation control of the top nozzle 28 is started based on the flowchart (2) in FIG. Step S17
). That is, in FIG. 8, the upper upper surface detection means 52U
detects the vehicle body, it raises the top nozzle 28, and when the upper upper surface detection means 52U detects no detection and the lower upper surface detection means 52L detects the vehicle body, the top nozzle 28 is stopped, and both upper surface detection means 52L and 52U both When no detection is detected, the top nozzle 28 is lowered (step S3
4-S38). Through the above control, the top nozzle 28 moves along the front upper surface of the vehicle Vs, and when the traveling frame 1 returns to the starting position, the drying process ends.

On the other hand, the vehicle V is a passenger car type vehicle Vs
If so, the rear end is stored in step S7 because the lower upper surface detection means 52L or the upper upper surface detection means 52U detects the rear glass portion in step S5 after detecting the rear end in step S3. In that case,
While the traveling frame 1 is moved back and forth, the control for raising and lowering the top nozzle 28 is started based on the flowchart (2) in FIG. 6 (step S9).

Next, details of step S9 will be explained with reference to the operational diagram of FIG. 4 and the flowchart (2) of FIG. As the portal frame 1 moves back and forth, the top nozzle 28 moves as shown in Fig. 4.
When moving rightward from the 28D position, at the 28D position, the upper upper surface detection means 52U provided on the top nozzle 28
has detected the vehicle body, the top nozzle 28 rises (steps S20, S22, S26). When both upper surface detection means 52L, 52U become non-detection, the timer 60 is activated (steps S20, S21, S24, S
25, S26). When the count time T of the timer 60 reaches a constant T1, that is, the time required for the top nozzle 28 to pass the position where the lower upper surface detection means 52L is not detected, the top nozzle 28 descends (step S26).
, S27, S28, S29).

When the upper surface detection means 52U detects the vehicle body due to the lowering of the top nozzle 28, the top nozzle 2
No. 8 stops descending, and resumes descending when no detection occurs (steps S27, S28, S29, S30). As a result, while the lower upper surface detecting means 52L is not detecting the detection, the upper upper surface detecting means 52U is detecting or not detecting the top nozzle 2.
8. Prevents chattering when rising and falling. When the top nozzle 28 reaches the trunk surface, the lower upper surface detection means 52L
When detecting the vehicle body, the timer T is deactivated and reset to zero, and the top nozzle 28 is stopped (steps S27, S20, S21, S23, S26).

Upper surface detection means 52U on the trunk surface
When detecting the vehicle body, the top nozzle 28 rises (steps S20, S22, S26). Then, when the upper surface detecting means 52U becomes undetectable, the top nozzle 28 stops (steps S20, S21, S23, S26). Further, when both the upper surface detection means 52L and 52U become non-detective, the timer 60 is activated (step S20,
S21, S24, S25, S26). When the count time T of the timer 60 reaches T1, the top nozzle 28 descends, and when the lower upper surface detection means 52L detects the vehicle body, the top nozzle 28 stops (steps S26 and S27).
, S28, S29, S27, S20, S21, S23,
S26).

When the top nozzle 28 reaches the rear end of the trunk and both upper surface detection means 52L and 52U become non-detectable, the timer 60 is activated (steps S20 and S2).
1, S24, S25, S26). When the count time T of the timer 60 reaches T1, the top nozzle 28 descends (steps S26, S27, S28, S29). This avoids interference between the top nozzle 28 and the vehicle body when the rear end of the vehicle body is raised in a convex shape. When the upper surface detection means 52U detects the vehicle body due to the lowering of the top nozzle 28, the top nozzle 28 stops lowering, and when no detection is detected, resumes lowering (steps S27, S28, S29).
, S30), the lowering stops when the top nozzle 28 reaches its lower limit.

Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 5 again, when the traveling distance L of the traveling frame 1 reaches L2 (step S1
0), make the running frame 1 go back (step S11)
. L2 is expressed as L1 +X, and the constant X is the travel distance of the traveling frame 1 until the top nozzle 28 passes the rear bumper and reaches the lower limit. Then, when the upper surface detection means 52U detects the vehicle body due to the go-around of the traveling frame 1, the go-around is stopped and the top nozzle 28 is raised (
Steps S12, S13). Thereafter, the top surface of the vehicle body is dried in the same manner as in the case of the van-type vehicle Vv described above (steps S14 to S17).

Note that instead of operating the blowers 24 and 26 in step S2, it may be performed in step S6, and then step S8 or step S9 may be performed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Furthermore, the top nozzle 28 and the rear end detection means 5
Instead of determining whether there is a trailing end memory in step S7 based on the positional relationship of No. 1, it is also possible to make a determination based on whether the travel position L due to the go-around of travel frame 1 satisfies L≦L3. It is. Here, L3 = L1 - Y, and Y
is a constant determined by the positional relationship between the top nozzle 28 and the rear end detection means 51.

Furthermore, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the rear end storage in step S4 is not performed, and step S
When the rear end is detected in step 3 and it is determined that the vehicle is a passenger car type vehicle Vs, the process may immediately proceed to step S6→step S9→step S10, and so on. In this case, in step S5 following step S3, the van-type vehicle V
If it is determined that the vehicle is a passenger car type vehicle V
As in the case of s, the process moves to step S6→step S8→step S14, etc. without determining whether the rear end is stored.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various small modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention described in the claims. Design changes are possible.

For example, in the embodiment, the top nozzle 28 for drying the top surface of the car body is used as an example of the top nozzle 28 for drying the top surface of the car body. It may also be a cleaning nozzle that cleans the upper surface. Also. The lift stop means 56 may be a rotary encoder connected to the drive shaft 33 of the top nozzle 28, and detects the height of the top nozzle 28 in terms of time by adding when the top nozzle 28 descends and subtracting when it rises. It may also be a timer. Further, the traveling position detection means 58 may be a timer, and the timer can be activated when the traveling frame 1 is at a predetermined traveling position, and the subsequent position of the traveling frame 1 can be determined over time.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, by stopping the vehicle body upper surface processing means at a predetermined height and causing the traveling frame to travel, the rear end detecting means provided on the traveling frame detects the rear end of the vehicle body. The rear shape of the automobile can be reliably determined based on whether or not the rear surface detection means provided in the vehicle body upper surface processing means detects the rear surface of the vehicle upon detection. This makes it possible to avoid the inconvenience of the top nozzle coming into contact with the rear part of the vehicle when drying a van-type vehicle.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Overall side view of car wash machine

[Figure 2] Overall front view of car wash machine

[Figure 3] Explanatory diagram of action

[Figure 4] Explanatory diagram of action

[Figure 5] Flowchart of the example

[Figure 6] Subroutine of the flowchart in Figure 5

[Figure 7]
Subroutine of flowchart in Figure 5

[Figure 8] Subroutine of the flowchart in Figure 5

[Figure 9] Modified example of the flowchart in Figure 5

[Explanation of symbols]

1... Traveling frame 28... Top nozzle (vehicle body upper surface processing means) 51...
・Rear end detection means 52L ・・Top surface detection means (rear surface detection means) 52U ・
・Top surface detection means (rear surface detection means) 56...Elevation stop means 59...Rear shape determination means V...Automobile

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A car wash machine in which a vehicle body top surface treatment means (28) provided on a running frame (1) is raised and lowered along the shape of the top surface of an automobile (V), wherein the vehicle body top surface treatment means (28)
) for stopping the vehicle (V) at a predetermined height for determining the rear shape of the vehicle (V), a rear end detection means (51) for detecting the rear end of the vehicle (V), and the vehicle body upper surface treatment. rear surface detection means (52L, 52U) provided in the means (28) to detect the rear surface of the vehicle (V); Rear surface detection means (52L, 52U
) and rear end shape determination means (59) for determining the rear shape of the vehicle (V) based on the output signal of the rear end detection means (51). rear shape determination device.