JPH0687412A - Car washer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a car washer, evading inconvenience in the case of a jeep, by automatically judging whether the kind od a vehicle is a jeep or not. CONSTITUTION:A sonic sensor 17, for detecting vehicle height, is provided on the front surface upper side of a car washer main body. On the car washer main body, a control device 31 is provided, in which a vehicle height signal i5 inputted from the sonic sensor 17, and when the height of the bonnet part of a vehicle is in the range of height higher than that of the bonnet part of a passenger car, and the height of a ceiling part is higher than that of the ceiling part of the passenger car; the kind of the vehicle is judged as a jeep, and car washing control is made according to the jeep. Consequently the load of an operator setting a vehicle kind can be reduced by automatically judging the vehicle kind as a jeep, and moreover the occurrence of inconvenience, such as damage to a jeep body by brushes 14-16 caused by a jeep, can be prevented by performing car washing control according to the jeep.

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 which is self-propelled and performs car washing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional car wash machine, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the same car wash machine. In FIGS. 4 and 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a gate-type car wash machine that straddles a vehicle 2 to be washed and travels in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 2 on a rail 5 laid on a floor 4 via a plurality of wheels 3. It is the main body, and in this gate-type car wash machine main body 1,
First wash water arch 6, first wax arch 7, second
The wash water arch 8, the second wax arch 9, and the detergent arch 10 are arranged in this order, and the first wash water arch 6
A pair of left and right side nozzles 11 for drying, a top nozzle 12, and a pair of left and right blower devices 13 for simultaneously supplying air to both nozzles 11 and 12 are provided at the location of the above, and are vertically movable so that the Top brush for cleaning the top surface
A pair of side brushes 14 and a pair of side brushes 15 that can traverse the vehicle washing machine body 1 at right angles to the traveling direction (right and left direction) and wash the front and rear surfaces and both side surfaces of the vehicle 2 are respectively swingable arms (not shown). A pair of left and right rocker brushes 16 are attached to the lower portions on both sides so that they can move toward and away from each other in the left-right direction. Further, a sonic sensor 17 for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle 2 is provided at the upper front end of the car wash machine body 1, and an operation panel 18 is provided on the front side portion of the car wash machine body 1. This operation panel 18 has a start / stop switch, a car wash course setting key for setting the car wash course with one touch,
A manual / option operation key for setting addition or removal of a function such as raising the top brush 14 according to the car wash situation, and for setting a vehicle type and characteristics of the vehicle 2 such as a jeep is provided. In FIG. 4, 19 is a spare tire of the vehicle 2 and 20 is a tire mounted on the vehicle 2.

When the vehicle 2 to be washed is a jeep as shown in FIG. 4, the tire house 2E is high and the rear surface of the vehicle 2 is high.
Since a spare tire 19 is often attached to 2D,
In the case of cleaning with the normal brushes 14 to 16, a problem as shown in FIG. 6 occurs.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), since the front window portion 2B is located higher than the axis A position of the top brush 14, the top brush 14 is caught at the front window portion 2B of the vehicle 2 and rises. There is a problem that it disappears, and as shown in Figure 6 (b), the rocker brush
The arm 16A of 16 goes into the tire house 2E of the jeep, causing a problem that the tire house 2E is hooked and damaged. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the side brush 15 is attached to the rear surface 2D of the vehicle 2. There is a problem that the spare tire 19 is caught.

In the above structure, the operation and action of the brushes 14 to 16 for cleaning when the vehicle 2 to be cleaned is a jeep will be described. First, when performing cleaning, the operation panel
Use the 18 manual / option operation keys to select the jeep, the car wash course setting key to select the car wash course, and the start / stop switch to select start. Car wash machine body 1
A control device (not shown) built in the vehicle, while causing the car wash main body 1 to move forward in response to the operation of the operation panel 18, causes the vehicle 2 to wash water arches 6, 8 and the detergent arch 10 through the detergent, Further, cleaning water is sprayed, the top brush 14 is driven to clean the upper surface of the vehicle 2, and the side brush 15 is driven to clean the front surface and both side surfaces of the vehicle 2. At this time, in order to avoid the above-mentioned problem, the top brush 14 is forcedly raised at the front window portion 2B of the vehicle 2,
Separate the rocker brush 16 to lock its rotary drive,
A special method is used to control the side brushes 15 so that the rear surface 2D of the vehicle 2 is not cleaned.

[0006]

As described above, in the conventional car wash machine, a special control method is used for cleaning the jeep, but due to a mistake made by the operator, the manual / option operation key of the operation panel 18 is used. If the jeep is not selected by the control device, the control device performs the normal cleaning, resulting in the problem described above.

The present invention solves the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide a car wash machine that automatically determines whether the vehicle type of the vehicle is a jeep and avoids a problem caused by the jeep.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a car washing machine of the present invention detects the vehicle height of a vehicle above the front surface of a main body of a gate type car washing machine that travels back and forth across the vehicle. And a vehicle height detection means for inputting a vehicle height signal from the vehicle height detection means to the car wash machine body to detect a hood portion and a ceiling portion of the vehicle, and the height of the hood portion is a hood of a passenger car. When the height of the ceiling is higher than the height of the passenger car and the height of the ceiling is higher than the height of the ceiling of the passenger car, the vehicle type of the vehicle is determined to be a jeep, and a control means for performing car wash control according to the jeep is provided. It is characterized by having.

[0009]

With the above construction, the bonnet portion and the ceiling portion of the vehicle are detected by the vehicle height signal from the vehicle height detecting means, and the height of the bonnet portion is larger than the height of the hood portion of the passenger car, for example, 1200. When the height of the ceiling part is ˜1300 mm and the height of the ceiling part is larger than the height of the ceiling part of the passenger car, for example, 1500 mm, the vehicle type of the vehicle is determined to be the jeep, and the car wash control according to the jeep is performed.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same configurations as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a car wash machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control system of the car wash machine is built in the car wash machine body 1, and includes a control device 31 including a microcomputer, the operation panel 18, a sensor system 32 including the sonic sensor 17, a traveling motor including a traveling motor of the car wash machine body 1, and the like. Device 33, top brush (driving device) 14, side brush (driving device) 15, rocker brush (driving device)
16, a cleaning water supply device 34 including a pump and a solenoid for supplying the cleaning water to the first cleaning water arch 6 and the second cleaning water arch 8, a pump for supplying the cleaning agent to the detergent arch 10 and a detergent supplying device including a solenoid Drive system 3 consisting of 35 etc.
6 and a power supply 37, the control device 31
The operation signal from the operation panel 18 and the detection signal of the sensor system 32 are input and stored, and the drive system is selected according to the operation signal and the selection signal.
36 controls the operation of the car wash machine body 1 as a whole.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle height detection signal of the vehicle 2 from the sonic sensor 17 becomes zero because the sound reflection is oblique at the front window portion 2B of the vehicle 2 and the vehicle height cannot be detected. . Therefore, from the above phenomenon, the vehicle height detection signal suddenly becomes zero from the vehicle height value h ₁ of the bonnet portion 2A (this point is set to P point), and the vehicle height detection signal is restored, and the vehicle height value h _{2 at} this time is the bonnet. When the vehicle height value h ₁ of the portion 2A is larger than the front edge of the ceiling portion 2C of the vehicle 2 (this point is designated as Q point), the vehicle height value h becomes zero. Let the point be the R point).

A method of determining whether the vehicle 2 is a jeep in the control device 31, which is an essential part of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. It is assumed that an operation signal for cleaning the brushes 14 to 16 of the vehicle 2 is input from the operation panel 18 to the control device 31, and the points P and Q are detected by the above method.

First, it is necessary to check whether the car wash machine body 1 is being washed.
(Step-1), and if the car is not being washed
Parameter h₁, H₂, Flag J is initialized (step
-2), ended, and during washing, point P was detected
(Step-3), if point P is detected, the vehicle
The vehicle height h immediately before the high reaches zero is h₁Memorized in
-4), and then this vehicle height h₁Is 1200 mm to 1300 mm
Range (1200mm <h ₁<1300mm) Check if
(Step-5). Vehicle height h₁Is not in range
If it is within the range and it is finished, check if the Q point is detected.
After confirming (Step-6), when the Q point is detected, the Q point
The vehicle height value h immediately after being detected is h₂(Step-
7), and then this vehicle price h₂Is greater than 1500 mm (15
00mm <h₂) Is confirmed (step-8). Vehicle price
h₂When is small, it ends; when it is large, it is a jeep
Jeep judgment flag J is set (J = 1)
Then (step-9), the process ends.

Since the vehicle height value h ₁ of the bonnet portion 2A is higher than that of the passenger vehicle and within a predetermined height range, and the vehicle height value h ₂ of the ceiling portion 2C of the jeep is higher than that of the passenger vehicle, according to the above method,
The vehicle height value h ₁ of the bonnet portion 2A is, for example, 1200 mm to 13
In the range of 300 mm, and vehicle height value h ₂ of the ceiling portion 2C 1500
When it is larger than mm, it can be determined that the vehicle type is a jeep.

When it is determined that the vehicle type is a Jeep (J
= 1), the brush 14 to be implemented by the controller 31 ~
The 16 special control methods will be described. Top brush 14 When the rotating brush of the top brush 14 reaches the point P, the forced rising control is performed, and when the rotating brush reaches the position of the point Q,
It descends and returns to the normal cleaning operation of the ceiling portion 2C.

Side brush 15 When the rotary brush of the side brush 15 reaches the point R, it is separated (opened) in the left-right direction, the rotational drive of the rotary brush is stopped, and the cleaning is stopped.

Rocker brush 16 A pair of rocker brushes 16 are separated (opened) in the left-right direction and fixed, the rotational drive of the rotary brush is stopped, and the cleaning is stopped.

In this way, the control device 31 can automatically determine whether the vehicle type of the vehicle 2 is a jeep,
Therefore, the worker does not need to set the vehicle type, the burden on the worker who sets the vehicle type can be reduced, and the jeep body is damaged by the brushes 14 to 16 caused by the jeep due to the setting error of the worker. The occurrence of defects can be prevented.

In the present embodiment, the sonic sensor 17 is used as the vehicle height detecting means. However, it is possible to detect the vehicle height by a plurality of optoelectronic switches installed facing each other across the vehicle 2 at a predetermined height interval. Is also possible.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not the vehicle type of the vehicle is a jeep by the vehicle height signal from the vehicle height detection means, so that the worker sets the vehicle type. Since it is not necessary to do so, the burden on the worker who sets the vehicle type can be reduced, and by performing the car wash control according to this determination, it is possible to prevent a defect caused by the vehicle type being a jeep.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of a car wash machine showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram of a sonic sensor of the car wash machine.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a vehicle type determination by a control device of the car wash machine.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional car wash machine.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a conventional car wash machine.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a problem that occurs when the vehicle type is a jeep by a conventional car wash machine.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 Car wash machine body 2 Vehicle 14 Top brush 15 Side brush 16 Rocker brush 17 Sonic sensor (vehicle height detection means) 18 Operation panel 31 Control device 32 Travel drive device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle height detecting means for detecting a vehicle height of the vehicle is provided above a front surface of a gate-type car washing machine body that straddles a vehicle and travels back and forth between the vehicle and the vehicle body. The vehicle height signal is input from the height detecting means to detect the bonnet portion and the ceiling portion of the vehicle, and the height of the bonnet portion is in a range higher than the height of the bonnet portion of the passenger car, and the height of the ceiling portion is high. When the vehicle height is greater than the height of the ceiling of the passenger car, the vehicle type is determined to be a jeep, and a vehicle washing machine is provided with control means for performing car wash control according to the jeep.