JPH06298049A - Car washing spray unit and car washing device therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attach a spray means onto an existing gantry car washing device of such a type as is formed into a gantry shape, travels so as to straddle an automobile and brush-wash the body of the automobile, and conduct spray- washing prior to the brush-washing. CONSTITUTION:A gantry frame 10 is installed onto the rear end of a gantry car washing device 1, and the gantry frame 10 is provided with an upper surface spray unit 11 which is liftably-guided at the frame 10 and has a downward injection nozzle, and a side spray unit 27 which is supported on both sides of the gantry frame and has a sideway injection nozzle at the top end of a lifting arm whose top part is protruded forward (to gantry car washing device 1 side).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is provided with various brushes in a main body of a device which is formed in a gate shape and runs across an automobile.
The present invention relates to a car wash device of the type that cleans the body of an automobile with a brush, and to a device that can perform spray cleaning prior to brush cleaning.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-46745, a gate-type car wash device for brush-cleaning an automobile body is provided with means for high-pressure spraying on the upper and side surfaces of the vehicle body.
There is known a device capable of performing spray cleaning prior to brush cleaning. By the way, since this type of device is a system in which the spraying means is incorporated in the main body of the gate type device, a relatively large main body that secures an installation space in advance is required, and an existing gate type car washing device of the type that exclusively performs brush cleaning. I couldn't add spraying means later.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the object of the present invention is to add spray means to an existing gate-type car wash device of the type that exclusively performs brush cleaning, so that spray cleaning is performed prior to brush cleaning. The point is whether it can be done.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a gate-shaped frame which is formed in a gate shape and which can be mounted on a rear end portion of a car wash device which runs across a car and brush-cleans the car body. An upper surface spray unit that is vertically guided by the portal frame and has downward spray nozzles; and a side surface that has lateral spray nozzles at the tip of an elevator arm that is supported on both sides of the portal frame and has its tip protruding forward. A car wash spray unit characterized in that a spray unit is provided to solve the above problems.

In particular, in a car wash device which is formed in a gate shape and runs across an automobile to brush-clean the vehicle body of the automobile, the rear end portion of the car wash device is configured such that the side spray unit is projected into the car wash device. The above-mentioned problem can be solved by attaching the gate-shaped frame to and operating the top and side spray units based on a signal from the vehicle body detection means provided in the car wash device.

[0006]

As a result, by mounting the gate-shaped frame on the rear end of the car wash device, the car wash device can be run to spray and wash the top and side surfaces of the car. The top spray unit is guided up and down by a gate-shaped frame, and the side spray unit is made to project toward the front car wash device side so that the positions of the top spray and the side spray are shifted back and forth to prevent the sprays from interfering with each other.

Further, the car wash spray unit thus constructed is attached to the rear end portion of the car wash device such that the side spray unit projects into the car wash device, so that the working space required by the side spray unit is increased. It is absorbed into the car wash device and the entire device does not become extremely large even if a spray unit is attached. In addition, the spray unit is operated based on the signal from the vehicle body detection means provided in the car wash device, and effective spray cleaning can be performed by applying spray only to the automobile.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a car wash device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the same. Reference numeral 1 denotes a car-washing device body which is formed in a gate shape and travels on the rails 2.2, and reciprocates so as to straddle a car stopped between the rails 2.2. This car wash device body 1 is provided with an upper surface brush 3 for brushing the upper surface of an automatic hand 3, a pair of side surface brushes 4 for brushing the same side surface, a vehicle body drying device (not shown), and a spraying device for water, detergent, etc. There is.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an encoder attached to the output shaft of the traveling motor 5 of the car wash apparatus body 1, which outputs a pulse signal every time the motor 5 is driven and the body 1 travels a unit distance. Reference numerals 7a to 7c denote vehicle body detection photoelectric switches provided in front of the car wash device main body 1. The light emitting element and the light receiving element are opposed to each other across the car wash space, and the beam signal transmitted and received between the two is blocked by the automobile. To detect
Here, three sets of switches having different mounting heights are provided. The first photoelectric switch 7a is located at a low position corresponding to the bumper position of the automobile and mainly detects the front and rear end positions of the vehicle body. The second photoelectric switch 7b is located at an intermediate height position and detects the front and rear window portions of the automobile. The third photoelectric switch 7c is located at a position higher than the height of the roof of an ordinary passenger car and detects a vehicle with a high vehicle height such as a wagon vehicle.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a car wash spray unit attached to the rear end of the car wash apparatus body 1. The details of the car wash spray unit will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Reference numeral 10 denotes a gate-shaped frame, which is formed in a gate shape in conformity with the shape of the car wash apparatus body 1, and is fixed to the rear end surface of the body 1 with bolts or the like.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an upper surface spray unit, which is axially supported between a pair of carriers 13 and 13 which move up and down along rails 12 and 12 formed on both sides of the gate frame 8.
It is provided so as to be able to move up and down in the gate frame 8. 14 is a carrier 13 via a chain 9 ₁ and a sprocket 9 _2.
A well-known brake mechanism 14a is an air cylinder that moves 13 up and down, and thereby raises and lowers the upper spray unit 8.
And the upper surface spray unit 11 can be stopped at an appropriate height.

The upper surface spray unit 11 includes spray nozzles 15 for spraying cleaning water downward, and the spray nozzle 1.
A guide rail 16 for guiding the 5.15 so as to be linearly movable in the width direction of the automobile, and a reciprocating operation mechanism 1 for reciprocating the injection nozzles 15, 15 along the guide rail 16.
7 and 7. The reciprocating mechanism 17 includes a chain 19 that forms an endless loop that is hung between the sprockets 18, and a motor 20 that drives the chain 19 in a certain direction.
And a disc-shaped chain follower 21 fixed to the connecting pin of the chain 19 and the injection nozzles 15 and 15 which are integrally attached to the chain follower 21 by sliding contact with the chain follower 21.
1 includes an engaging body 22 that moves the nozzles 15 in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction).

An air cylinder 23 is supported by one carrier 13 and has its piston rod tip connected to the upper surface spray unit 11.
By changing the inclination in the front-rear direction, the injection from the injection nozzles 15 can take a direction a toward the lower front and a direction b toward the lower rear. Reference numerals 24a to 24d are detection switches that are opened and closed as the carrier 13 is moved up and down, and detect that the upper surface spray unit 11 is at a predetermined height to be controlled to move up and down. The switches 24a and 24d are at upper and lower limit positions, respectively. The switch 24b mainly detects a predetermined position for cleaning the roof of the automobile, and the switch 24c mainly detects a predetermined position for cleaning the hood of the automobile. 25 ・ 25 ・ 26 ・ 2
Reference numeral 6 is a vertical stopper for the carriers 13 and 13.

Reference numeral 27, 27 is a side spray unit, which is an elevating arm 28.2 pivotally supported on the side of the gate frame 10.
8, spray nozzles 29 ₁ , 29 ₂ for spraying cleaning water laterally inward on the tips of the lifting arms 28, 28, and the lifting arm 2
Air cylinders 30 ₁ and 30 ₂ for raising and lowering 8.28,
It is composed of springs 31 and 31 for urging the elevating arms 28 in a direction of raising it, and is provided on both sides (a total of 4 sets) of the gate-shaped frame 10 in two sets each having different heights.

In each of the side surface spray units 27, the elevating arm 28 is projected toward the car wash device body 1 side to position the injection nozzle 29 in front of the side surface brushes 4, 4 and the air cylinder 30 is periodically extended and contracted. By doing so, the nozzle 29 is moved up and down, and a cleaning area within a certain range is shared above and below respectively.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the injection nozzles 15 and 29 used in the car wash spray unit 8 using the rotary direct type nozzle as shown. The injection nozzles 15 and 29 have a substantially cannonball-shaped outer shape and a casing 35 that forms an internal space S having a substantially trapezoidal cross section. A shaped rotor 36 is housed therein. The casing 35 is connected to the hose 37 at the base B, and the cleaning water pumped by the high-pressure pump 43 described later is spouted from the nozzle N into the internal space S. The water jetted from the nozzle portion N acts on the blades I to rotate the rotor 36, which causes the rotor 36 to rotate.
It rolls in contact with the inner wall of the rotor 5, rotates, and revolves around the tip of the rotor 36. The washing water filled in the casing 35 is discharged from the fountain port 38 through the water conduit P of the rotor 36.

As a result, the cleaning water discharged from the jet nozzles 15 and 29 is radiated toward the end in a ring-shaped trajectory in accordance with the rotation of the rotor 36. Here, the instantaneous jets from the nozzles 15 and 29 are both discharged as a straight flow without diffusion, so that even if the object to be cleaned is separated from the nozzle, the cleaning water is operated at a high pressure with a small pressure loss. It is possible to exert high cleaning power.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the washing water pipe in the car wash spray nozzle 8. A washing water tank 40 is supplied with water at a constant water level from a water source 41 and is sent to the car wash apparatus body 1 by an underwater pump 42. 43 is a high-pressure pump that absorbs water from the wash-water tank 40 and pressure-feeds the wash water to the injection nozzles 15 and 29, and 44 is a discharge side conduit of the high-pressure pump 43 and has a predetermined pressure (30 to 50 kg / cm ^{2 in} this example) Pressure regulating valve for sending the washing water of the above to the downstream side and returning the surplus to the suction side of the pump 43, 45-47 opening and closing the branch pipe lines 48 ₁ -48 ₃ for sending the washing water to the injection nozzles 15, 29 ₁ , 29 ₂ respectively. It is a solenoid valve.

Thus, if the high pressure pump 43 is operated and the solenoid valves 45 to 47 are opened as required, the injection nozzles 15.2.
Spray cleaning according to No. 9 can be performed. It should be noted that although the amount of cleaning water to be sprayed varies depending on the open / close state of each solenoid valve 45 to 47, the spray pressure from the nozzles 15 and 29 can be kept substantially constant by the action of the pressure regulating valve 44. .

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the control system of the embodiment. Reference numeral 50 is a control unit of the car wash apparatus body 1, and in response to an operation input on an operation panel 51 provided on the front surface of the body 1, the car wash apparatus body 1 and the car wash spray unit are relayed via the body relay board 52 and the spray unit relay board 53. 8 is activated. Reference numeral 54 is a sensor group including the encoder 6 and photoelectric switches 7a to 7c and the like provided in the car wash apparatus body, and 55 is a sensor group including the detection switches 24a to 24d and the like provided in the car wash spray unit.

The operation panel 51 mainly includes the car wash device body 1
The course selection key 56 for selecting a desired course from the car wash courses A to C that can be executed in step S, the spray key 57 for designating whether or not the spray washing by the car wash spray unit 8 is performed, and the car wash start input are performed. And a start key 58. Therefore, if a desired course is selected with the course selection key 56, and if spray cleaning is desired, the spray key 57 is pressed and then the start key 58 is pressed, so that the car wash with the spray cleaning by the car wash spray unit 8 can be executed. it can. If only the spray key 58 is pressed to start without selecting a course, only spray cleaning can be executed. If "spray cleaning + drying operation" or a combination of spray cleaning and each car wash course is programmed in advance in correspondence with the course selection key 56, spray cleaning can be performed without designating spray cleaning with the spray key 57. Car wash including can be performed.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Normally, the upper surface spray unit 11 waits at the upper limit position given by the detection switch 24a, and the side surface spray unit 27 extends the air cylinder 30 to extend the nozzle 29.
Is placed at the bottom position. A car A to be car-washed enters the front of the main body 1 between the rails 2 and 2 and is stopped in front of the main body 1. Here, if there is an input operation of a car wash accompanied by spray cleaning on the operation panel 51, first the car wash apparatus body 1 is reciprocated to perform spray cleaning, and then the car wash course selected by the course selection key 56 is executed. become.

When the car wash is started, first, the car wash device body 1
Goes forward, and the control unit 50 counts the pulse signal from the encoder 6 in the counter CR (+1 count when going forward, -1 count when going backward).
The traveling position of the main body 1 is constantly detected from the distance from the traveling start position. Further, when the first photoelectric switch 7a detects the front end position of the automobile A as the vehicle travels, the control unit 50 stores the value of the counter CR at this time as the stored value M1, and similarly detects from the photoelectric switches 7a and 7b. The front window part M2, the rear window part M3, and the rear end M4 of the vehicle are sequentially stored based on the signal.

Hereinafter, the side spray unit 27 and the top spray unit 11 when the car wash device body 1 goes out.
Each operation will be described. It should be noted that when going forward, the cleaning is performed first by the side spray unit 27 with the nozzle positioned forward.

As the operation body 1 of the side spray unit travels, the value of the counter CR is set based on the stored vehicle front end position M1 and the distance D1 from the photoelectric switch 7 to the side spray nozzle 29. When the control position M1 + D1-a is reached, the electromagnetic valve 46 is opened, the high pressure pump 43 is driven to inject the cleaning water from the injection nozzle 29 ₁ , and the air cylinder 30 ₁ is expanded and contracted to start the cleaning of the lower side surface of the automobile A. . The cleaning range by the spray nozzle 29 ₁ thus performed is shown as a shaded portion X in FIG.

After that, when the value of the counter CR reaches the control value M2 + D1-a based on the front window portion M2, the solenoid valve 47 is opened and the air cylinder 30 ₂ is expanded and contracted to clean the upper side surface of the automobile by the injection nozzle 29 _2. Start. Subsequently, if the counter CR reaches the control value M3 + D1 + a based on the rear window part M3, the above cleaning of the vehicle side surface is stopped, and if the counter CR further reaches the control value M4 + D1 + a based on the vehicle rear end M4, the above vehicle side surface lower cleaning. To stop. The injection nozzle 29 ₂ thus performed
The washing range by is shown as a shaded portion Y in FIG.

Operation of Top Spray Unit The top spray unit 11 is usually an air cylinder 23.
Is contracted and placed at a position a on the lower front side shown in FIG.
When the car wash is started, it is lowered to the lower limit position given by the detection switch 24d. When the value of the counter CR reaches the control position M1 + D2-b set based on the stored vehicle front end position M1 and the distance D2 from the photoelectric switch 7 to the injection nozzle 15 for upper surface spraying as the main body 1 travels,
The electromagnetic valve 45 is opened and the cleaning water is sprayed from the spray nozzle 15, the motor 20 is driven to start the spray cleaning, and the air cylinder 14 is operated to raise the upper surface spray unit 11 to a position given by the detection switch 24c. Clean the bonnet from the front of car A.

After that, when the value of the counter CR reaches the control value M2 + D2-b based on the front window portion M2, the air cylinder 14 is further operated to raise the upper surface spray unit 11 to a position provided by the detection switch 24b, Clean from the front window of the car to the roof. Subsequently, when the counter CR reaches the control value M3 + D2-c (c> b) based on the rear window part M3, the air cylinder 23 is extended to switch to the position b on the lower rear side shown in FIG. 4, and further the control value M3 + D2 + b. '
When (b '<b) is reached, the air cylinder 14 is operated to lower the upper surface spray unit 11 to a position where the detection switch 24c is provided, and washing is performed from the rear window of the automobile to the trunk.

Finally, when the value of the counter CR reaches the control value M4 + D2 + b 'based on the rear end M4 of the vehicle, the air cylinder 14 is operated to lower the upper surface spray unit 11 to the lower limit position given by the detection switch 24d, and the vehicle is driven. When the rear surface is washed and it is confirmed that it has dropped to the lower limit position, the high pressure pump 43 is stopped, the electromagnetic valve 45 is closed to stop the washing, and then the forward movement of the main body 1 is stopped.

When the spray cleaning is completed in this way, the main body 1 is returned to the side spray unit 2 this time.
7 performs spray cleaning in the same range as the cleaning range X and Y, and the upper surface spray unit 11 moves up and down along the substantially same locus as shown in FIG. 8 to perform spray cleaning. When the spray cleaning by one round trip is completed, the brush 3
A known car wash operation using 4.4 or the like will be provided.

As described above, according to this embodiment, by attaching the car wash spray unit 8 to the car wash apparatus body 1, mainly the upper surface and the side surfaces of the automobile A can be spray-washed prior to the brush washing, and the adherence can be achieved. By brushing the car body after removing the sand and mud, it is possible to wash the car safely and effectively without damaging the car body.

[0032]

The present invention has the above-mentioned structure, and by mounting the gate type frame on the rear end portion of the existing car washing device, it becomes possible to perform the spray washing prior to the brush washing by the car washing device. Also, by guiding the top spray unit up and down on the portal frame and projecting the side spray unit toward the front car wash device side, the positions of the top spray and side spray do not shift back and forth, and the sprays do not interfere with each other. Therefore, highly effective spray cleaning can be performed.

In the second aspect, the side spray unit is attached to the rear end portion of the car wash device so that the side spray unit projects into the car wash device, so that the working space required by the side spray unit is absorbed by the car wash device, and the spray unit is sprayed. Even if it is attached, the entire device does not become extremely large. In addition, the spray unit is operated based on the signal from the vehicle body detection means provided in the car wash device, and effective spray cleaning can be performed by applying spray only to the automobile.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front explanatory view of a car wash device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a car washing device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front explanatory view of a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an injection nozzle used in an example.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a main part of the cleaning water pipe line according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a control system of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car wash device main body 3 Upper surface brush 4 4 Side surface brush 7a-7c Photoelectric switch which is a vehicle body detection means 8 Car wash spray unit 10 Gate type frame 11 Top surface spray unit 15 Injection nozzle 27 Side spray unit 29 Injection nozzle 43 High pressure pump 50 Control part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A gate-shaped frame which is formed in a gate shape and is configured to be mounted on a rear end portion of a car wash device that runs across a car and that cleans the car body of the car with a brush. And an upper surface spray unit having a downward spray nozzle and a side spray unit having a horizontal spray nozzle at the end of an elevating arm that is supported on both sides of the portal frame and has its tip protruding forward. A characteristic car wash spray unit. 2. A car-washing device, which is formed in a gate shape and runs across an automobile to brush-wash the vehicle body of the automobile, wherein a rear end portion of the car-washing device is configured such that the side spray unit is projected into the car-washing device. 2. The car wash apparatus with a car wash spray unit according to claim 1, wherein the gate-shaped frame is attached to the vehicle, and the top and side spray units are operated based on a signal from a vehicle body detection means provided in the car wash apparatus.