JPH07186900A - Car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure safety of a subsequent vehicle to be washed when a trouble occurs to a preceding vehicle to be washed by providing a control device to reversely drive the drive device of a division conveyance device in a car height detecting position and the drive of the division conveying device connected to the aforesaid division conveying device. CONSTITUTION:When a detecting car height exceeds a given value, a car height abnormality detecting part 43 is operated, and a flip flop 39 and the flip flop 40 are reset. Thus, a front conveyor and an intermediate conveyor are brought into a stop. Right after the stop, a reverie drive signal (q) is outputted by means of an output pulse signal (n) from a timer 45 and the front conveyor and the intermediate conveyor are reversely driven. Since a vehicle to be washed is conveyed in a reverse direction and separated away from a car washing machine body, a trouble, such as collision of the upper end part of the vehicle to be washed, having a car height exceeding the given value, with the upper part of the car washing machine is prevented from occurring.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car wash machine for cleaning a vehicle to be cleaned while it is being carried by a carrying device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of car wash machine, there is one disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-90456. That is, the car wash main body is installed on the floor, and a vehicle transfer device for transferring the vehicle to be cleaned from the entrance to the exit is installed in the car wash main body.

The above-described vehicle transport apparatus has a first sprocket provided on the entrance side, a second sprocket provided on the exit side, a motor for rotationally driving the second sprocket, and first and second A chain wound between the sprockets, a vehicle transport roller disposed at a constant interval in the chain and rotatably abutting on a wheel of the vehicle to be cleaned to advance the vehicle, and the vehicle transport roller includes the second sprocket. Roller storage means for storing the vehicle transport roller below the floor surface before reaching the above.

According to this method, after the front wheels of the vehicle to be cleaned are positioned on the wheel guide path, the vehicle transport device is driven. As a result, the chain rotates and the vehicle conveyance roller contacts the front wheel and pushes the front wheel, so that the front wheel and the rear wheel of the vehicle to be washed idle and the vehicle to be washed advances. In this way, the vehicle to be washed is washed while advancing inside the car wash machine body. Then, when the vehicle to be washed reaches the exit of the car wash machine body, the vehicle conveying roller that has pushed the front wheel is separated from the front wheel and is housed in the space of the roller storing means.

In such a car wash, a trouble occurs in the preceding vehicle to be washed while simultaneously carrying two vehicles to be washed in the main body of the car washing machine while transporting the vehicles to be washed in order to improve the efficiency of the vehicle wash. In this case, after the worker makes an emergency stop between the vehicle carrier and the car wash machine to handle the trouble, the vehicle carrier and the car wash machine are restarted, and the preceding vehicle to be washed and the subsequent vehicle to be washed are cleaned. I was carrying it out from the inside of the car wash machine.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional type, while the trouble of the preceding vehicle to be washed is being dealt with, the succeeding vehicle to be washed remains left in the car washing machine body. , There was a risk that the driver in the vehicle to be washed subsequently would go out of the car carelessly. Further, when the above-mentioned trouble occurs, there is a problem that the car wash efficiency is significantly reduced.

The present invention solves the above problems. When a trouble occurs in a preceding vehicle to be washed, the safety of the following vehicle to be washed can be ensured, and a decrease in car washing efficiency due to the trouble can be minimized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a car wash machine that can be used.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the car wash machine according to the first aspect of the present invention is such that a stationary car wash main body and a vehicle to be cleaned are carried into the car wash main body from the front on the floor surface. A transport device for carrying out the car wash machine from the rear is provided, the transport device is divided into a plurality of divided transport devices in the transport path direction, and the divided transport devices are respectively driven to forward and reverse. Parts are provided.

Further, in the car washing machine according to the second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle height detecting device for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle to be washed is provided at the front end of the car washing machine body, and the vehicle height detected by the vehicle height detecting device is predetermined. When the value is higher than the value, a control device is provided to drive the drive unit of the divisional conveyance device at the vehicle height detection position and the drive unit of the divisional conveyance device connected to the starting end side of the division conveyance device in reverse. .

[0010]

According to the structure of the first aspect of the invention, the vehicle to be cleaned is washed in the main body of the car washing machine while being conveyed by the conveying device by the normal drive of the drive unit of each divided conveying device. At this time, in order to improve the car washing efficiency, two vehicles to be cleaned are transported by the transport device. However, if a problem occurs in the preceding vehicle to be washed, the transport device will stop immediately and then the vehicle to be washed subsequent to the vehicle will be stopped. The driving unit of the supporting unit and the driving unit of the supporting unit connected to the start end side of the supporting unit are driven in reverse. Therefore, the following vehicle to be cleaned is transported in the opposite direction and returned from the inside of the car wash machine body to the start end of the transport device. Therefore, while the trouble of the preceding vehicle to be cleaned is being dealt with, the subsequent vehicle to be cleaned can be made to stand by at the start end of the transport device, so that the driver can get out of the vehicle from the vehicle to be cleaned subsequently. Is also safe. Also,
After the trouble is dealt with, the drive unit of each of the divided transfer devices is normally driven, so that the subsequent vehicle to be cleaned is washed by the transfer device again while being washed in the car body.
It is possible to minimize the decrease in car washing efficiency due to troubles.

According to the structure of the second aspect of the invention, the vehicle to be washed, which has got into the starting end portion of the transport device, is transported toward the car wash machine main body by the drive portion of each divided transport device being positively driven. When the vehicle to be cleaned is eventually conveyed to the front end of the car wash machine body, the vehicle height detection device detects the vehicle height of the vehicle to be cleaned. If the detected vehicle height is higher than the predetermined value,
It is judged that the height of the vehicle to be washed exceeds the car wash allowable range,
The control unit drives the drive unit of the divisional conveyance device at the vehicle height detection position and the drive unit of the divisional conveyance device connected to the start end side of the division conveyance device in reverse. As a result, the vehicle to be cleaned is conveyed in the opposite direction and separated from the car wash machine body, so that an accident in which the upper end portion of the vehicle to be cleaned that exceeds the vehicle height collides with the upper part of the car wash machine body is avoided.

Therefore, in order to improve the car washing efficiency, two vehicles to be cleaned are transported by the transport device, and when the vehicle height of the following vehicle to be washed exceeds the vehicle height, the divided transport device at the vehicle height detection position is used. By driving the drive unit and the drive unit of the divisional conveyance device connected to the start end side of the divisional conveyance device in reverse, the succeeding vehicle to be washed is returned to the start end portion of the conveyance device and collides with the car wash machine body. In addition to avoiding the above, the preceding vehicle to be washed is continuously conveyed and washed in the main body of the car wash machine.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a stationary car wash main body formed in a front view gate shape, and the car wash main body 1 is installed on a floor surface 2. A sonic sensor 4 (an example of a vehicle height detection device) that detects the vehicle height of the vehicle to be washed 3 is provided at the front end of the car wash machine body 1. Also,
Inside the car wash machine body 1, a top brush 5 for cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle to be cleaned 3, a pair of left and right side brushes 6 for cleaning both side surfaces and front and rear surfaces, and a pair of left and right side surfaces for cleaning lower side surfaces and side surfaces of wheels. The rocker brush 7, the top brush 8 and the rocker brush 9 for wax application, the top nozzle 10 and the side nozzle 11 for drying are provided.

A pair of left and right roller conveyors 12a, 12b which penetrate the inside of the car wash machine body 1 to carry the vehicle 3 to be washed into the car wash machine body 1 from the front and carry it out from the car wash machine body 1 to the rear ( An example of the transfer device) is arranged in parallel on the floor surface 2. Of these rollers, one roller conveyor 12a supports and conveys wheels on one side of the vehicle 3 to be cleaned, and the other roller conveyor 12b supports and conveys wheels on the other side of the vehicle 3 to be cleaned. .

These two roller conveyors 12a and 12b are, in the direction of the transport path 14, a pair of front conveyors 15a and 15b (an example of a split transport device) into which the vehicle 3 to be cleaned is loaded, and a pair of intermediate conveyors. 16a, 16b (an example of a divisional conveying device) and a pair of rear conveyors 17a, 17b (an example of a divisional conveying device) to which the vehicle to be cleaned 3 is carried out are divided into three.

The front conveyor 15a on one side and the front conveyor 15b on the other side are chain drive type, and are connected to each other by a drive shaft 18 in an interlocking manner. One of the front conveyors 15a is connected to both front conveyors 15a through the drive shaft 18.
A drive unit 20 including a motor 19 that can normally and reversely rotate a and 15b is provided.

Similarly, the intermediate conveyor 16a on one side and the intermediate conveyor 16b on the other side are also chain drive type and are interlockingly connected by a drive shaft 18. On the other hand, the intermediate conveyor 16a is provided with a drive unit 21 including a motor 19 and the like which can rotate forward and backward. Further, the one rear conveyor 17a and the other rear conveyor 17b are also of chain drive type, and are interlockingly connected to each other by a drive shaft 18. On the other hand, the rear conveyor 17a is provided with a drive unit 22 including a motor 19 that can rotate in the normal and reverse directions.

Below the sonic sensor 4, the front parts of the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16b are located. Also,
The front conveyors 15a, 15b are provided with vehicle-mounted limit switches 24 for detecting entry of the vehicle 3 to be cleaned. Further, a trouble detecting device 25 (photoelectric switch or the like) for detecting a trouble of the vehicle to be washed 3 is provided at the rear portion of the car wash machine body 1. The trouble detection device 25 is carried out when the vehicle 3 to be cleaned is transported from the rear conveyors 17a and 17b and becomes unable to escape, or when the vehicle 3 is transported to the floor 2 with the front wheels locked. In addition, the case where the vehicle to be cleaned 3 is not pushed out in the transport direction any more is detected.

Further, an operation panel 26 for inputting a car wash course, a vehicle type, etc. is provided on the front surface of the car wash machine body 1. The operation panel 26 has a car wash start switch 27, as shown in FIG. A car wash stop switch 28 and a reverse switch 29 for reversely driving the front conveyors 15a, 15b and the intermediate conveyors 16a, 16b are provided. Further, the car wash machine body 1 has a control device 30 and an alarm device 31 for notifying that a trouble has occurred in the vehicle 3 to be washed.
(Such as siren and indicator light) are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 30 includes an input interface section 33, an output interface section 34,
It is composed of a microcomputer having a memory section 35 and a control control section 36. This controller 30
Includes a sensor system including the operation panel 26, a sonic sensor 4, a trouble detection device 25, an on-vehicle limit switch 24, and the drive units 20, 21, 22 of the conveyors 15a to 17a and 15b to 17b, and the respective conveyors. A drive system including a drive unit 37 of the brushes 5 to 9 and an alarm device 31 is connected.

Next, the main part of the control device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The drive units 20 to 22 of the conveyors 15a to 17a are used to drive and stop these conveyors forwardly, respectively.
-S flip-flops 39, 40, 41 are provided to provide an alarm device.
An RS flip-flop 42 is provided at 31 and a relay (RY) 1 operated by a start signal a of a start switch 27 of the operation panel 26 and a stop signal b of a stop switch 28.
And a relay (RY) 2 which is operated by.

Further, a vehicle height abnormality detecting section 43 for detecting a vehicle height abnormality based on the vehicle height detection signal of the sonic sensor 4 is provided, and when the vehicle height abnormality is detected, a pulse signal c is output from the vehicle height abnormality detecting section 43. It Further, a relay (RY) 3 which is operated by the pulse signal d from the trouble detecting device 25 and a relay (RY) 4 which is operated by the pulse signal d and the activation signal e of the reverse rotation switch 29 are provided.

For the flip-flop 39 for the front conveyors 15a and 15b, this flip-flop 39 is used.
AND (AND) the inversion (NOT) signal of the output signal f of
A hold circuit for the start signal a is provided, and the output signal g of this hold circuit and the vehicle-mounted limit switch 24
And the detection signal h thereof are taken to form a positive drive set circuit. Further, the logical sum of the operation signal i of the contact point of RY2, the operation signal j of the contact point of RY3, and the pulse signal c from the vehicle height abnormality detecting section 43 is taken to form a positive drive reset circuit. Output signal f of this flip-flop 39
Is output to the drive unit 20 of the front conveyors 15a and 15b.

For the flip-flop 40 for the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16b, a positive drive set circuit is constituted by the operation signal k of the contact point of RY1, and the operation signal i of the contact point of RY2 and the operation of the contact point of RY3. A theoretical sum of the signal j and the pulse signal c from the vehicle height abnormality detecting section 43 is taken to form a positive drive reset circuit.

For the flip-flops 41 for the rear conveyors 17a and 17b, a positive drive set circuit is constituted by the operation signal k of the contact point of RY1, and the operation signal i of the contact point of RY2 and the operation signal of the contact point of RY3. The theoretical sum with j is taken to form a positive drive reset circuit.

Further, for the flip-flop 42 for the alarm device 31, a set circuit is constituted by an output pulse signal m of a pulse generator 44 which generates one pulse when RY3 operates, and a start signal of the reversing switch 29. The reset circuit is configured by e.

Further, the pulse signal c from the vehicle height abnormality detecting section 43
The theoretical sum of the output pulse signal n output from the timer 45 after a certain time and the operation signal p of the contact of RY4 is obtained, and the drive unit of the front conveyor 13a and the drive unit of the intermediate conveyor 14a are driven in reverse. The reverse drive signal q is output.

Next, mainly based on FIG. 5, each division conveyor
The operation of 15a to 17a and 15b to 17b will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the driver moves the vehicle to be cleaned 3 to the front conveyors 15a and 15b.
After getting on, stop. As a result, the vehicle-mounted limit switch 24 is operated, and then the worker operates the start switch 27 of the operation panel 26, whereby the RY1 is operated, each flip-flop 39 to 41 is set, and each drive unit 20 to A start command is output to 22 and the front conveyor 15a,
15b and intermediate conveyor 16a, 16b and rear conveyor 17a,
17b and positive drive. As a result, the vehicle to be cleaned 3 is washed in the car wash main body 1 while being conveyed by all the conveyors 15a to 17a and 15b to 17b. Prior to this, the car wash machine body 1
The sonic sensor 4 operates at the front end of the vehicle to detect the vehicle height.

At this time, when the detected vehicle height exceeds a predetermined value (car wash allowable range), the vehicle height abnormality detecting section 43 operates and the flip-flop 39 and the flip-flop 40 are reset, so that the front conveyor 15a, 15b and intermediate conveyor 16
Immediately after that, the reverse drive signal q is output by the output pulse signal n from the timer 45, and the front conveyors 15a and 15b and the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16b are reversely driven.

As a result, the vehicle to be cleaned 3 is conveyed in the opposite direction and separated from the car wash machine body 1, so that an accident in which the upper end of the vehicle 3 to be cleaned collides with the upper part of the car wash machine body 1 is avoided. To be done. When the vehicle to be cleaned 3 is conveyed in the opposite direction and the sonic sensor 4 no longer detects the vehicle height, the front conveyors 15a and 15b and the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16a.
b and stop.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the two front and rear vehicles to be cleaned 3 are conveyed by the roller conveyors 12a and 12b in order to improve the car washing efficiency, and the vehicle height of the succeeding vehicle to be cleaned 3 is exceeded. , The front conveyors 15a, 15 as described above.
By driving b and the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16b in reverse, the succeeding vehicle 3 to be cleaned does not collide with the upper portion of the car wash machine body 1 as shown by the phantom line in FIG.
While the vehicle to be cleaned 46 continues to be conveyed by the rear conveyors 17a and 17b, it is washed in the car wash machine main body 1 and carried out to the rear of the rear conveyors 17a and 17b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the preceding vehicle to be cleaned 46 has a trouble in the rear portion of the car wash machine body 1 while the two vehicles to be cleaned 3, 46 are being conveyed. , The trouble detection device 25 detects a trouble and RY3 operates,
The respective flip-flops 39, 40, 41 are reset so that the front conveyors 15a, 15b, the intermediate conveyors 16a, 16b and the rear conveyors 17a, 17b are brought to an emergency stop. At the same time, one pulse m is generated from the pulse generator 44, the flip-flop 42 is set, the alarm device 31 is activated, and an alarm is issued.

As a result, the worker notices that a trouble has occurred, and then operates the reverse rotation switch 29. Therefore, the RY4 operates, the front conveyors 15a and 15b and the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16b are driven in reverse, and the flip-flop 42 is reset to stop the alarm. As a result, the succeeding vehicle 3 to be cleaned is conveyed in the opposite direction by the front conveyors 15a, 15b and the intermediate conveyors 16a, 16b, and is conveyed from the inside of the car wash machine body 1 to the front conveyor 15 as shown by the phantom line in FIG.
a, 15b returned to the top. When the worker stops operating the reverse switch 29, the front conveyors 15a, 15b
And the intermediate conveyors 16a and 16b stop. Therefore, while dealing with the trouble of the preceding vehicle to be cleaned 46,
Since the succeeding vehicle to be cleaned 3 can be kept on standby on the front conveyors 15a and 15b, it is safe for the driver to get out of the vehicle from the succeeding vehicle to be cleaned 3.

After the trouble is dealt with, the operator operates the start switch 27 so that the front conveyor 15
a, 15b and intermediate conveyors 16a, 16b and rear conveyor 17
Since a and 17b are positively driven and the following vehicle to be cleaned 3 is newly conveyed and washed in the car wash main body 1, a decrease in car washing efficiency due to a trouble can be minimized.

In the above embodiment, as an example of the transfer device, 2
Although the two roller conveyors 12a and 12b are provided side by side, one roller conveyor having a width wider than the vehicle width may be used.
Further, the belt conveyor or the chain conveyor is not limited to the roller conveyor.

In the above embodiment, the roller conveyors 12a, 12
b is the front conveyors 15a, 15b and the intermediate conveyors 16a, 16
Although it is divided into three parts, b and the rear conveyors 17a and 17b, this may be divided into two or four or more.

In the above embodiment, the trouble detecting device 25 is provided at one location on the rear portion of the car wash machine body 1, but it may be provided at a plurality of locations. It may also be provided at the end of the rear conveyors 17a and 17b.

[0038]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in order to increase the efficiency of car washing, two vehicles to be cleaned are transported by the carrier device, and when a trouble occurs in the preceding vehicle to be cleaned, The transport device stops in an emergency, and then the drive unit of the divided transport device supporting the following vehicle to be cleaned and the drive unit of the split transport device connected to the start end side of this split transport device are driven in reverse. . Therefore, the following vehicle to be cleaned is transported in the opposite direction and returned from the inside of the car wash machine body to the start end of the transport device. This allows the following vehicle to be cleaned to be on standby at the start end of the transport device while the preceding vehicle to be cleaned is being treated for trouble. Is safe. In addition, after the trouble is dealt with, the drive unit of each of the divided conveying devices is normally driven, so that the succeeding vehicle to be washed is washed by the conveying device again while being washed in the main body of the car washing machine. The drop can be minimized.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the vehicle to be cleaned that has entered the starting end portion of the transport device is transported toward the car wash machine main body by the drive portion of each divided transport device being positively driven.
When the vehicle to be cleaned is eventually conveyed to the front end of the car wash machine body, the vehicle height detection device detects the vehicle height of the vehicle to be cleaned. If the detected vehicle height is higher than a predetermined value, it is determined that the vehicle height of the vehicle to be washed exceeds the car wash allowable range, and the control device drives the drive unit of the division conveyance device at the vehicle height detection position and the division conveyance device. The drive unit of the divisional transport device connected to the start end side of the drive unit reversely drives. As a result, the vehicle to be cleaned is conveyed in the opposite direction and separated from the car wash machine body, so that an accident in which the upper end portion of the vehicle to be cleaned that exceeds the vehicle height collides with the upper part of the car wash machine body is avoided.

Therefore, in order to improve the car washing efficiency, two vehicles to be cleaned are transported by the transport device, and when the vehicle height of the following vehicle to be washed exceeds this, the divided transport device at the vehicle height detection position is used. By driving the drive unit and the drive unit of the divisional conveyance device connected to the start end side of this divisional conveyance device in reverse, the subsequent vehicle to be washed is returned to the start end of the conveyance device and collides with the car wash machine body. In addition to avoiding the above, the preceding vehicle to be washed is continuously conveyed and washed in the main body of the car wash machine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an internal configuration of a car wash machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an internal configuration of a car wash machine.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an operation panel of a car wash machine.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the car wash machine.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conveyor control unit of the control device.

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the operation of the conveyor.

FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the operation of the conveyor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Car wash main body 2 Floor surface 3 Vehicle to be cleaned 4 Sonic sensor (vehicle height detection device) 12a, 12b Roller conveyor (transport device) 14 Transport paths 15a, 15b Front conveyor (divided transport device) 16a, 16b Intermediate conveyor ( Divided transport device) 17a, 17b Rear conveyor (divided transport device) 20, 21, 22 Drive unit 30 Control device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A floor-mounted car wash machine main body, and a transfer device for loading a vehicle to be washed into the car wash machine main body from the front and unloading the car wash machine rearward from the car wash machine main body. A car washing machine, characterized in that it is divided into a plurality of divided conveyance devices in the path direction, and each divided conveyance device is provided with a drive section for separately driving the divided conveyance devices forward and backward. 2. A vehicle height detection device for detecting a vehicle height of a vehicle to be washed is provided at a front end of a car wash machine body, and the vehicle height is detected when the vehicle height detected by the vehicle height detection device is higher than a predetermined value. 2. The car wash machine according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that reversely drives the drive unit of the divisional transport device at the detection position and the drive unit of the divisional transport device connected to the start end side of the division transport device. .