JPH05116598A - Car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a car washing machine which can sufficiently dry the inclined face of the windshield portion or rear window portion of a vehicle. CONSTITUTION:A car washing machine main body is provided with a top nozzle 8 which freely rises and a freely rotating flap 27 is provided at the lower end portion of the top nozzle 8 and an ejection hole 28 is formed at the lower end of the flap 27. A rotary driving unit 38 is provided at the upper end portion of the top nozzle 8 and the flap 27 is connected to the rotary driving unit 38 by a link mechanism 56. The rotary driving unit 38 is actuated to rotate the flap 27 longitudinally via the link mechanism 56. Thereby the flap 27 is tilted at a predetermined angle gamma to a windshield portion 74 and a rear window portion 75 and air from the ejection hole 28 is blown to the inclined face of the windshield portion 74 or the rear window portion 75 at an optimum angle for drying.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car washing machine having a top nozzle which is installed at a gas station and self-propels to wash the car to dry the upper surface of the car body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a car wash machine of this type shown in FIG. That is, 81 is a car wash main body that can travel in the front-rear direction, and a sonic sensor 82 that detects the vehicle height is provided on the front surface of the main body. Behind the sonic sensor 82, a top nozzle 85 supported by a first arm 83 and a second arm 84 so as to be vertically movable is provided. A jet port 86 is formed downward at the tip of the top nozzle 85.

The vehicle 88 is washed with a brush (not shown) while the car wash main body 81 is traveling forward 87. At this time,
The sonic sensor 82 detects each vehicle height of the vehicle 88, and the vehicle body shape of the vehicle 88 is recognized based on each vehicle height value and the traveling distance value of the car wash machine body 81 corresponding to each vehicle height value.

Then, the top nozzle 85 is moved up and down along the recognized vehicle body shape while the car wash machine body 81 is traveling backward 89. As a result, the wind blown from the ejection port 86 hits the upper surface of the vehicle 88 and dries the upper surface of the vehicle 88.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the jet nozzle 86 of the top nozzle 85 is formed so as to be fixed downward, the blown-out air is generated by the wind blown from the front window portion 90 and the rear window portion of the vehicle 88. Since it always hits the inclined surface such as 91 only downward, the drying efficiency of the front window portion 90 and the rear window portion 91 is lowered, and there is a problem that sufficient drying cannot be performed.

The present invention solves the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a car washing machine capable of sufficiently drying inclined surfaces such as a front window portion and a rear window portion of a vehicle.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, a car washing machine according to the present invention is provided with a traveling distance detecting means for detecting a traveling distance of the car washing machine body in a car washing machine body, and a front side of the car washing machine body is provided. A vehicle height detecting means for detecting a vehicle height of a vehicle to be washed is provided, and a vertically movable top nozzle for blowing air to the vehicle upper surface and an elevator drive device for vertically moving the top nozzle are provided inside the vehicle washing machine body, A jet outlet that is rotatable in the front-rear direction is provided at the lower end of the top nozzle, a rotary drive device is provided at the upper end of the top nozzle, and the jet outlet and the rotary drive device are linked and linked by a link mechanism. The vehicle body shape of the vehicle is recognized and stored based on the traveling distance value detected by the traveling distance detecting means and the vehicle height value detected by the vehicle height detecting means, and the lifting drive device is operated to operate the topping. While the nozzle is moved up and down along the vehicle body shape, is provided with a control device for a predetermined angle inclined relative to the vehicle body upper surface said spout by actuating the rotary drive device.

[0008]

[Operation] With the above structure, the car washing machine body travels forward,
The vehicle height detecting means detects the vehicle height of the vehicle, and the traveling distance detecting means detects the traveling distance of the car wash machine body. The control device recognizes and stores the vehicle body shape of the vehicle based on the detected traveling distance value and vehicle height value.

Then, the main body of the car wash machine travels backward, and the control device actuates the lifting drive device and the rotation drive device. That is, the top drive nozzle is moved up and down along the stored vehicle body shape by the operation of the lifting drive device, and the ejection port is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vehicle body upper surface through the link mechanism by the operation of the rotation drive device. As a result, the wind blown from the ejection port always strikes the upper surface of the vehicle body at an angle most suitable for drying.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the car wash machine body 1 is supported by wheels 2 provided in the front, rear, left and right directions, and can reciprocate in the front and rear direction. One of these wheels 2 is provided with a pulse encoder 3 and a counter 4, which are an example of a traveling distance detecting means for detecting the traveling distance of the car wash machine body 1.

A sonic sensor 7 is provided on the front surface of the car wash machine body 1 as an example of vehicle height detecting means for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle 6 to be washed. A top nozzle 8 that blows air to the upper surface of the vehicle 6 is provided inside the car wash machine body 1 behind the sonic sensor 7.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, in the top nozzle 8, the front surface 9 and the rear surface 10 are narrowed downward, and the left and right side surfaces 11 are expanded outward. On the upper surface 12 of the top nozzle 8, one end of a blower tube 13 is connected in communication with the inside of the top nozzle 8, and the other end of the blower tube 13 is connected to a blower device (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, a pair of left and right guide rails 15 are provided in the car wash machine body 1 in the vertical direction, and an elevating body 16 is guided by these guide rails 15 via a traveling roller 17 to ascend and descend. It is provided freely. A support pipe 18 connects between the two lifting bodies 16, and an upper surface 12 of the top nozzle 8 is connected to a support arm 19 which is continuous from the support pipe 18 to the rear. As a result, the top nozzle 8 can be moved up and down together with the lifting body 16.

The car washing machine body 1 is provided with a lifting drive device 20 for lifting the top nozzle 8. The lifting drive device 20 includes sprockets 21A to 21D provided at the upper and lower ends of the guide rails 15, a drive shaft 22 that links and interlocks the upper sprockets 21A and 21B, and a facing upper and lower sprockets 21A. , 21C and 21B, 21D, and a motor 23 that is interlockingly connected to one upper sprocket 21A. As shown in FIG. 12, one end of the chain 23 is connected to the upper end of the lift 16 and the other end of the chain 23 is connected to the lower end of the lift 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, a rotatable flap 27 is provided at the lower end of the top nozzle 8, and a jet outlet 28 is formed at the lower end of the flap 27. As shown in FIG. 4, the flap 27 is formed of a front plate 29 and a rear plate 30 that are gradually reduced toward the lower side, and a fan-shaped side plate 31 that connects the left and right ends of the front and rear plates 29, 30. This flap 27
Inside, a joint material 32 is provided for connecting and reinforcing the front and rear plates 29, 30. A plate-shaped bracket 35 protruding rearward is provided on the outer surface of the central portion of the rear plate 30. The front and rear plates 29 and 30, the side plate 31, the joint material 32, and the bracket 35 are connected by rivets 33. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper ends of the side plates 31 of the flap 27 are provided with support pins 34 in the left-right direction.
Is connected to the lower end portions of both side surfaces 11 of the top nozzle 8 via. As a result, the flap 27 is rotatable in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the top nozzle 8
A rotation drive device 38 is provided in the center of the upper surface 12 of the. That is, this rotation drive device 38 is a motor with a reducer.
39, a rotary shaft 40 in the left-right direction that is interlockingly connected to the motor with reduction gear 39, and a housing 42 that supports the rotary shaft 40 via a bearing 41 so as to be rotatable around the shaft center. ing. One end of the rotating shaft 40 is fitted into the speed reducer 39a of the motor 39 with a speed reducer and is connected via the parallel key 43. The motor 39 with reduction gear is attached to the housing 42 via the bolt 44.
It is connected to one side. The housing 42 is mounted on a base plate 45 provided on the upper surface 12 of the top nozzle 8 and is connected via bolts and nuts 46.

The other end of the rotary shaft 40 projects outward from the other side surface of the housing 42, and a fan-shaped shield plate 49 is attached to the other end. A pair of proximity switches 50 and 51 are provided on the front and rear of the other end of the rotary shaft 40.
The shield plate 49 is attached to the upper surface 12 side of the top nozzle 8 via the, and can be inserted into and withdrawn from the detection portions of the proximity switches 50 and 51 with the rotation of the rotation shaft 40.

A flange portion 53 bent upward is formed at the front and rear ends of the base plate 45, and a cover 54 for covering the rotation drive device 38 is detachably attached to the flange portion 53 via a bolt 55. There is.

The rotary drive device 38 and the flap 27 are interlockingly connected by a link mechanism 56. That is, the link mechanism
56 has a link 58 whose base end is provided between the housing 42 and the shield plate 49 and which is externally fitted to the rotary shaft 40 and connected by a parallel key 57, and one end of which has the link 58 via a bolt 59.
The rod 61 is rotatably connected to the free end and has the other end rotatably connected to the bracket 35 of the flap 27 via bolts and nuts 60. The rod 61 is provided in the top nozzle 8, one end of which protrudes upward from an upper hole 62 formed in the upper surface 12 of the top nozzle 8 and the base plate 45, and the other end of which is formed in the rear surface 10 of the top nozzle 8. The lower hole 63 projects downward.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, a rubber touch sensor protection sheet 66 is attached to the lower end of the front plate 29 of the flap 27 in the left-right direction via rivets 66a. There is. A hollow portion 67 having an upper end opening is vertically formed in the protective sheet 66, and a tape switch 68 is inserted in each hollow portion 67.

As shown in FIG. 9, 69 is a control device,
Based on the traveling distance detected by the pulse encoder 3 and the counter 4 and the vehicle height detected by the sonic sensor 7, the lifting drive device 20 and the rotation drive device 38 are drive-controlled. Further, the control device 69 is the proximity switch.
The rotation drive device 38 is drive-controlled by the detection signals of 50 and 51, and the lift drive device 20 is drive-controlled by the detection signal of the tape switch 68.

The operation of the above structure will be described below.
First, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 13, the car wash main body 1 is moved forward 70 from the home position A, and a brush (not shown) is used.
The vehicle to be washed 6 is washed by. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle height values H1, H of the bonnet portion 71, the ceiling portion 72, and the rear trunk portion 73 of the vehicle 6 are measured by the sonic sensor 7.
2, H3 are detected and input to the control device 69.

The counter 4 counts the pulses emitted by the encoder 3, and the count value is input to the control device 69. The control device 69 determines that the wheel 2
Is calculated, and the traveling distance of the car wash machine body 1 from the home position A is calculated based on the calculated rotation speed.
As a result, the travel distances from the home position A to the points P1 to P6 on the upper surface of the vehicle 6 can be obtained, so that the distances (lengths) L1, L2, L3, L4, L of the respective parts 71 to 75 of the vehicle 6 are obtained.
5 is calculated.

Of these, since the front window portion 74 and the rear window portion 75 are inclined, the sonic sensor 7 cannot detect the reflected wave 77, and the vehicle height value cannot be detected. At this time, the sonic sensor 7 has the height H1 of the starting point P2 of the front window portion 74 and the end point P3 of the front window portion 74.
The encoder 3 and the counter 4 detect the traveling distance D1 from the home position A to the starting point P2 and the traveling distance D2 from the home position A to the ending point P3.

As a result, the control device 69 causes the height difference H from the start point P2 to the end point P3 (that is, H = H2-H1).
And the difference L2 in running distance (that is, L2 = D2-D1), the tilt angle α of the front window portion 74 is calculated (that is, α = tan ⁻¹ (H / L2)). further,
The inclination angle β of the rear window part 75 is calculated in the same manner.

As described above, the control device 69 recognizes the vehicle body shape by the vehicle heights H1 to H3 of each part of the vehicle 6 and the traveling distances L1 to L5 with respect to the vehicle heights H1 to H3, and stores the recognized vehicle body shape. To do.

Next, as shown by the virtual line (a) in FIG.
When the car wash machine body 1 is moved backward 76, the control device 69 drives and controls the electric motor 24 based on the stored vehicle body shape. As a result, the sprockets 21A to 21D rotate and the chain 23
Is rotated, the elevating body 16 is guided by the guide rails 15 to ascend / descend, and the top nozzle 8 ascends / descends along the upper surface of the vehicle 6. That is, as shown in FIG. 14, the top nozzle 8 is positioned at a height obtained by adding a constant distance S to the vehicle height H3, and moves backward 76 from the point P6 by a distance L5 to reach the point P5.
Further, while going up along the rear window portion 75 at the inclination angle β, the vehicle moves backward 76 by the distance L4. Then, the vehicle is positioned at a height obtained by adding a certain distance S to the vehicle height H2, moves backward 76 from a point P4 by a distance L3, reaches a point P3, and further descends along the front window portion 74 at an inclination angle α to a distance. L2 backwards
76. The top nozzle 8 has a constant height S1 at the vehicle height H1.
It is located at the height that is added with the
76 and the P1 point is reached, and the drying process ends.

As shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the top nozzle 8
Is moving on the bonnet portion 71, the ceiling portion 72, and the rear trunk portion 73, the flap 27 is inclined at a predetermined angle γ. As a result, the wind blown out from the ejection port 28 strikes the top surfaces of the bonnet portion 71, the ceiling portion 72, and the rear trunk portion 73 at an angle suitable for drying.

The top nozzle 8 has a rear window portion 75.
If moving above, the calculated rear window section 75
The motor 39 with a reducer is rotated forward based on the inclination angle β of. As a result, as shown by the virtual line (b) in FIG.
The link mechanism 56 moves upward, the flap 27 rotates, and the flap 27 tilts backward with respect to the rear window portion 75 at a predetermined angle γ. Therefore,
The wind blown from the jet 28 hits the inclined surface of the rear window part 75 at an angle suitable for drying.

Similarly, when the top nozzle 8 is moving on the front window portion 74, the motor with reduction gear 39 is based on the calculated inclination angle α of the front window portion 74.
Rotate in reverse. As a result, the link mechanism 56 moves downward and the flap 27 rotates and tilts forward with respect to the front window portion 74 by a predetermined angle γ, as shown by the phantom line (c) in FIG. 1. As a result, the wind blown from the spout 28 is
It hits the inclined surface of the front wind part 74 at the most suitable angle for drying.

When the flap 27 is tilted forward as much as possible,
As shown by the solid line (d) in FIG. 6, the shield plate 49 rotates together with the rotating shaft 40 and rushes into the detection portion of one proximity switch 50. As a result, the control device from one proximity switch 50
A detection signal is sent to 69, and the control device 69 stops the motor 39. Similarly, when the flap 27 is maximally tilted rearward, as shown by the phantom line (e) in FIG. 6, the shield plate 49 plunges into the detection portion of the other proximity switch 51, causing the control device 69 to move to the motor. Stop 39. This allows the flap
The front-back rotation range of 27 can be accurately regulated.

When the descending top nozzle 8 tries to collide with the upper surface of the vehicle 6 due to a failure of the sonic sensor 7 or the like, prior to this collision, the protective sheet 66
The tape switch 68 protected by is brought into contact with the upper surface of the vehicle 6. As a result, the tape switch 68 to the controller 69
The control device 69 causes the electric motor 24 to rotate in the reverse direction to raise the top nozzle 8 urgently. This allows
It is possible to automatically prevent the top nozzle 8 from colliding with the upper surface of the vehicle 6.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the elevation drive device is operated to raise and lower the top nozzle along the shape of the vehicle body, while the rotation drive device is operated to cause the ejection port to face the upper surface of the vehicle body. By inclining at a predetermined angle, the wind blown from the ejection port always hits the upper surface of the vehicle body at an angle optimum for drying. As a result, the drying efficiency on the inclined surfaces such as the front window portion and the rear window portion of the vehicle is improved, and sufficient drying can be performed.

The wind direction can be changed in a small space by rotating only the ejection port while maintaining the posture of the top nozzle. Furthermore, a rotation drive device for rotating the ejection port is provided at the upper end portion of the top nozzle, and by interlocking connection with a link mechanism, the front and rear space of the top nozzle is not disturbed by the rotation drive device. It can be used effectively.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a link mechanism portion provided in a top nozzle of a car wash machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the link mechanism portion.

FIG. 3 is a view on arrow AA in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a flap.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view showing a connecting portion between a flap and a top nozzle.

FIG. 6 is a view as seen from the arrow BB in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a protective sheet.

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged front view of the protective sheet.

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway side view of the car wash machine body.

FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view of the car wash machine body.

11 is a view taken along the line CC in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a view on arrow DD in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing the movement of the car wash machine body when detecting the vehicle height and the traveling distance.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing the movement of the top nozzle when the vehicle is dried.

FIG. 15 is a side view showing a conventional movement of a car wash machine body and a top nozzle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Car Wash Machine Main Body 3 Pulse Encoder (Mileage Detecting Means) 4 Counter (Mileage Detecting Means) 6 Vehicle 7 Sonic Sensor (Vehicle Height Detecting Means) 8 Top Nozzle 20 Lift Drive 28 Spout 38 Rotation Drive 56 Link Mechanism 69 Control device γ Predetermined angle

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A car wash main body is provided with a travel distance detecting means for detecting a travel distance of the car wash main body, and a vehicle height detecting means for detecting a vehicle height of a vehicle to be washed is provided on a front surface of the car wash machine main body. Inside the machine body, a vertically movable top nozzle that blows air to the upper surface of the vehicle and a vertically movable drive device that vertically moves the top nozzle are provided, and a jet port that is rotatable in the front-rear direction is provided at the lower end of the top nozzle. A rotation drive device is provided at the upper end of the top nozzle, and the ejection port and the rotation drive device are linked and linked by a link mechanism, and the travel distance value detected by the travel distance detection means and the vehicle height detection means are used. While recognizing and storing the vehicle body shape of the vehicle based on the detected vehicle height value, and operating the lifting drive device to move the top nozzle up and down along the vehicle body shape,
A car washing machine comprising a control device for activating a rotation drive device to incline the ejection port with respect to an upper surface of a vehicle body by a predetermined angle.