JPH0752765A - Washing method of car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a car washing machine controlling method that enables automatic washing by means of a top brush on a windshield part of a station waggon and is usable even for a continuous car washing machine. CONSTITUTION:In the case where a washed car is a station wagon 7', an arm 31 of a top brush 13 is lowered up to a horizontal position, while a rotary brush 32 is rotated in a direction (arrow E direction) where it hits on this wagon 7' from the upside, and when height of this brush 32 becomes more than the specified one attending on a movement of the wagon, the arm 31 is forcibly made to go up to the upper limit position, making a rotational direction of the rotary brush 32 into the reverse direction (arrow D direction), and thereby it is lowered to a ceiling surface of the wagon 7'. With this constitution, in time of contact with a windshield part A, the brush 32 is rotated in the arrow E direction, thereby making push-up force exert itself on the brush 32, whereby this windshield part A is automatically washable as raising the brush 32 upward along this part A and, what is more, such an accident that this brush 32 is hitched on the windshield part A is thus preventable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of cleaning a car washing machine, in which a vehicle to be cleaned and a car washing machine body are moved relative to each other to clean an upper surface of the vehicle to be cleaned, and more particularly to a method of cleaning a wagon car.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method for cleaning a wagon with a car wash machine will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, a brush 63 that rotates at one end of an arm 62 and a balance weight 64 at the other end are attached to a car wash main body 61 that can freely reciprocate on a fixed path, and the brush is centered around a rotation fulcrum X of the arm 62. Top brush that moves 63 up and down to wash the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed with the brush 63
66 is disposed, and when cleaning the upper surface of the wagon wheel 65, the brush 63 is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow D, and the car washer body 61 is allowed to self-propel in the forward direction as indicated by the arrow F, which is indicated by a chain double-dashed line. Like the trail, the front window part A of the wagon car 65
In order not to cause the accident of hooking the brush 63 on the front side, avoid the front window part A, and then rotate the arm 62 to control the brush 63 up and down to appropriately contact the tip of the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle 65, The upper surface is cleaned from this ceiling surface in accordance with the shape of the wagon wheel 65.

The top brush 66 is designed so that the upper surface of the vehicle to be cleaned can be optimally cleaned according to the shape of the upper surface (cleaning surface) of the vehicle.
As a method of controlling, the method of controlling the repulsion balance between the weight of the brush 63 and the cleaning surface due to the rotation of the brush 63, or the method of detecting the angle change of the arm 62 with a sensor and controlling it is used.

Further, the car wash main body 61 has a function of detecting a vehicle to be washed, and each of a pair of rotary shafts 67 that move symmetrically in the left-right direction (direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the car wash main body 61). A side brush 69 to which a brush 68 is attached is arranged. The pair of side brushes 69 cleans the lower front portion B, both side surfaces, and the lower rear portion of the wagon wheel 65.

[0005]

However, in this conventional method for cleaning a wagon vehicle, since the unwashed portion can be left unwashed on the front window portion A of the wagon vehicle 65, the washing work must be performed by hand washing after the washing is completed. There was a problem that it took time and effort.

In order to solve such a problem, as shown in FIG. 9, a cleaning method for a car washer that can automatically clean the front window portion A has been considered. That is, as indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 9, when the car washer body 61 is self-propelled in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F and the vehicle to be cleaned is determined to be the wagon car 65, the top brush 66 is temporarily lifted. When the side brush 69 detects the vehicle body while avoiding contact with the front window portion A while moving forward, the top brush 66 is moved to the wagon wheel 65.
The car washer body 61 is moved backward to lower the front window portion A of the wagon car 65 from the ceiling surface to the lower part for cleaning, and after this cleaning is completed, the car washer body 61 is advanced to move the top brush. 66 is raised again to avoid contact with the front window part A during forward movement, and after a predetermined time, it is lowered to the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle 65 to restart cleaning with the brush 63.

However, in this method, since the car wash machine body 61 has to be moved backward once, there is a problem that the control becomes complicated. Furthermore, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-9045
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6, in a car wash machine for continuously washing a vehicle while the vehicle to be washed is conveyed by the vehicle carrier (hereinafter, referred to as a continuous car washer), a vehicle to be washed following is placed on the vehicle carrier. Therefore, when the vehicle to be cleaned is moved backward by the top brush by the vehicle carrier so that the locus indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 9 is reached, the following vehicle to be cleaned will descend from the vehicle carrier. There was a problem.

The present invention solves the above problems,
Prevents accidents when the brush of the top brush is caught on the front window of a wagon car, and automatically cleans the front window of the wagon car with the top brush. It is intended to provide a method.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method of cleaning a car wash according to the present invention comprises a rotating brush rotating around a horizontal axis in one end of a vertically swingable arm in a car wash body. A cleaning method for a car wash machine, in which a top brush formed by mounting is disposed, the vehicle to be cleaned and the main body are relatively moved, and the top surface of the vehicle to be cleaned is cleaned by the top brush,
When the vehicle to be washed is a wagon vehicle, the arm of the top brush is held in a horizontal position, the rotary brush is rotated in a direction in which the brush hits the wagon vehicle from above, and the height of the rotary brush increases as the wagon vehicle moves. Is above a certain height,
It is characterized in that the arm is forcibly raised to the upper limit position, and the rotation direction of the rotary brush is opposite to the rotation direction, and the arm is lowered to the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle.

[0010]

With the above cleaning method, the arm of the top brush is held in the horizontal position, the rotating brush is rotated in the direction in which the brush hits the wagon wheel from above, and the height of the rotating brush reaches a predetermined height as the wagon wheel moves. When the above is reached, the arm is forcibly raised to the upper limit position. Therefore, the front window portion of the wagon vehicle is automatically washed, and the accident of catching the top brush with the front window portion of the wagon vehicle is prevented.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an internal configuration of a car wash using a car wash method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an internal configuration of the car wash machine.

As shown in the figure, a stationary car wash main body 2 and a pair of left and right roller conveyors (vehicle moving device) 3 that penetrate the car wash main body 2 from the front to the rear are installed on the floor 1. Has been done. The car wash main body 2 is formed in a gate shape, and inside the car wash main body 2, a washing part 4, a wax applying part 5, and a drying part 6 are formed in order from the front part. Further, a sonic sensor 8 for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned is attached to the front end of the car wash machine body 2, and operation panels 9 and 10 are provided on the front and rear surfaces, respectively.

Among the roller conveyors 3, the roller conveyor 3a on the right side (abbreviated as right side) of the vehicle to be cleaned 7 in the conveying direction.
Is for supporting and transporting the front and rear wheels 11a, 11b on the right side of the vehicle to be cleaned 7, and the roller conveyor 3b on the left side of the vehicle to be cleaned 7 (abbreviated to the left) is the front and rear of the vehicle to be cleaned 7 on the left. The wheels 11c and 11d are supported and conveyed. The width W1 of the conveying surface of the roller conveyor 3a on the right side is formed narrow, and the position of the right side surface of the vehicle to be cleaned 7 is set to a substantially constant position regardless of the vehicle type, and the right side surface of the vehicle to be cleaned 7 and the car wash main body 2 Is constant, and the width W2 of the conveying surface of the roller conveyor 3b on the right side is formed to be wide so that various vehicle widths can be accommodated.

The cleaning unit 4 includes a pair of left and right cleaning side / rocker brushes 12 for cleaning lower side surfaces of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned and side surfaces of the front and rear wheels 9, and a cleaning top for cleaning the upper surface of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned. The brush 13 and a pair of left and right side brushes 14 for cleaning the front surface, rear surface, and both side surfaces of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned.
A cleaning water arch 15 for spraying cleaning water and a detergent arch 16 for spraying detergent. Further, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1, the cleaning side and rocker brush on the right side
12a is fixed to the car wash machine body 2 and is swingable in the front-rear direction.
As shown by the phantom line in FIG. 2, b is attached to the cleaning side / rocker brush 12a on the right side via a swing arm 12c so as to be close to and away from it, and swingable in the front-back direction. The right side brush 14a is fixed to the car wash main body 2, and the left side brush 14b has a drive mechanism for moving the front surface, the left side surface, and the rear surface of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned.

The wax coating section 5 is a wax top brush for coating the upper surface of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned with wax.
17, a pair of right and left wax side / rocker brushes 18 for applying wax to both side surfaces of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned and the side surface of the wheel 11, and a wax arch 19 for injecting liquid wax.
And wax base arch 20 to spray wax base agent
And a Fluoro Coat Arch 21 for injecting the Fluoro Coat agent.

The drying unit 6 is a vertically movable top nozzle 24 for drying the upper surface of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned and a vertically movable upper nozzle for forming an air curtain provided between the top nozzle 24 and the wax rocker brush 18. With a sub-top nozzle 25,
A pair of left and right side nozzles 26 provided behind the top nozzle 24 for drying both side surfaces of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned, and a pair of left and right sub side nozzles 27 for drying the upper side surface of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned, and a top nozzle 24. A pair of left and right first blower devices 28 for supplying air to the side nozzles 26 and the sub side nozzles 27.
And a second pair of left and right supplying air to the sub-top nozzle 25
It is formed from a blower device 29.

An example of the structure of the cleaning top brush 13 and its drive system is shown in FIG. The top brush 13 has a brush 32 that rotates around a horizontal axis at one end of the arm 31 and a balancing weight 33 at the other end, and the brush 32 is moved up and down around the rotation fulcrum X of the arm 31 to remove the cleaning target of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned. The upper surface of the brush 32 is cleaned by a brush 32. The brush 32 has a sprocket 35 fixed to the horizontal axis of the brush 32 by a rotational force of a motor 34 mounted between a weight 33 of the arm 31 and a rotation fulcrum X. It is rotated by being transmitted through a chain 36 stretched between the two.

The top brush 13 is raised and lowered by supplying and discharging oil from the first and second oil tanks 37 and 38 to the cylinder 39. When the top brush 13 is raised, a changeover switch is used. Both the solenoid A of 40 and the solenoid B of the changeover switch 41 are turned off, and the first oil tank is passed from the compressor 42 through the silencer 43.
When air is supplied to 37, the oil in the first oil tank 37 is pressure-extruded to supply the oil to the cylinder 39, and when the oil is held (locking up and down), the solenoid A is turned on,
When it is further lowered, the solenoid A is turned off and the solenoid B is turned on to discharge the air in the first oil tank 37 from the exhaust nozzle 46 through the check valve 44 and the silencer 45, and the cylinder 39 to the first oil tank. Returning oil to 37. Further, when the solenoid A is turned on and the ascending / descending state is locked, a check valve 47 is provided to suck the outside air and lighten the movement of the cylinder 39 when the force of pushing the top brush 13 upward acts. Further brush 32
The torque detection device 48 is provided. The torque detecting device 48 of the brush 32 detects torque by the current of the motor 34 that drives the brush 32, and detects the weight of the brush 32 and the brush 32.
The repulsion balance with the cleaning surface of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned due to the rotation of is detected. Further, a lower limit position detection device 49 for detecting the lower limit position of the arm 31, a horizontal position detection device 50 for detecting the horizontal position of the arm 31, and a predetermined position detection device 51 for detecting a predetermined height position of the arm 31 described later. An upper limit position detection device 52 that detects the upper limit position of the arm 31 is provided. These position detecting devices 49 to 52 are composed of, for example, proximity sensors and photoelectric switches. Also, the torque detection device 48
And the position detection signals of the position detection devices 49 to 52 are input to the control device 30.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the control system of the car wash machine of this embodiment. The car wash machine has a large control system, and the car wash machine body 2
The control device 30 including an input interface section 30a, an output interface section 30b, a memory section 30c for storing data and programs, and a control control section 30d, which is built in the computer, the operation panel 9,
10, a sensor system 53 including a sonic sensor 8, a torque detection device 48, position detection devices 49 to 52, a motor (conveyor motor) 54 for driving the conveyor 3, a solenoid A of the changeover switch 40 and a solenoid B of the changeover switch 41, brush
The control system 30 is composed of a drive system 55 including 32 rotation motors 34 and the like.
Input and store operation signals such as stop and detection signals of the sensor system 53, and according to the operation signals and detection signals, the drive system
55 is controlled to control the overall operation of the car wash machine body 2.

A method of driving the top brush 13 by the control device 30 when the vehicle 7 to be cleaned is a wagon vehicle 7'is shown in FIG.
Details will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The operation panel 9 is set to operate the cleaning unit 4 of the vehicle 7 to be cleaned, and the vehicle height detection signal of the sonic sensor 8 determines that the vehicle 7 to be cleaned is a wagon vehicle 7 ', that is, it is input first. When the vehicle height is equal to or higher than the set value corresponding to the vehicle height of the wagon vehicle 7 ', it is determined to be the wagon vehicle 7',
Further, it is assumed that the wagon wheel 7'is conveyed by the conveyor 3 at a constant speed.

First, a rotation drive signal is output to the motor 34 of the top brush 13 in the clockwise direction (the direction in which the brush 32 contacts the wagon wheel 7'from above) to rotate the brush 32 in the clockwise direction ( Step-1) Next, the solenoid A is turned off, the solenoid B is turned on to lower the brush 32 (step-2), and when the operation of the horizontal position detecting device 50 is confirmed (step-3), the solenoid A is turned on and the brush is turned on. Hold position 32 (lock up / down) (step-4).

When the brush 32 comes into contact with the front window portion A of the wagon vehicle 7'in this state, a force for pushing the brush 32 upward acts, and the weight of the brush 32 and the fishing force along the front window portion A of the wagon vehicle 7'and the fishing. Rise to a suitable height,
The predetermined position detecting device 51 installed at this height operates.

Next, when the operation of the predetermined position detector 51 is confirmed (step-5), both the solenoid A and the solenoid B are turned off to raise the brush 32 (step-6).
A stop signal is output to the motor 34 to stop the brush 32 (step-7) and a timer is operated (step-).
8). When the timer reaches a predetermined time (time is up) (step-9), the motor 34 is rotated counterclockwise (arrow D).
The brush 32 is rotated counterclockwise by outputting a rotation driving signal in the direction indicated by the arrow (step -10) to
Torque constant control is performed so that 32 comes into optimum contact with the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle 7 '(step-11). When the lower limit position detection device 49 operates (step-12), a stop signal is output to the motor 34 to stop the brush 32 (step-1).
3) Then, both the solenoid A and the solenoid B are turned off to raise the brush 32 (step-14). When the upper limit position detector 52 operates (step-15), the solenoid A is turned on to hold the position of the brush 32 (step-16), and the timer is reset (step-1).
7), end.

The constant torque control method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. That confirms the torque detection signal of the torque detection device 48 (step -S1), if torque J is within a certain range (J _A ≦ J ≦ J _B), retains the solenoid A as an on (to lift lock ) (step -S2), the torque J reduced (J <J _A),
The brush A is turned off and the solenoid B is turned on so that the brush 32 is pressed against the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle 7 '.
Lower (step-S3) and when the torque increases (J _B <J), both solenoids A and B are turned off so that the brush 32 is separated from the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle 7 ′.
Increase 32 (step-S4).

When it is determined that the vehicle 7 to be cleaned is a wagon vehicle 7'by driving the top brush 13 by the control device 30, the top brush 13 is moved as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. While rotating the brush 32 in the clockwise direction, the arm 31 descends to a horizontal position and comes into contact with the front window portion A of the wagon vehicle 7'moving forward by the drive of the conveyor 3 so that the brush 32 and its own weight are balanced. When it goes up, the rotation of the brush 32 is stopped and it is forcibly raised, and after the timer time has elapsed, while rotating the brush 32 counterclockwise, the torque is constantly controlled to the ceiling surface of the wagon vehicle 7 '. It descends and restarts the cleaning with the brush 32.

As described above, when the brush 32 is brought into contact with the front window portion A, the brush 32 is rotated in the clockwise direction (the direction in which it hits the wagon wheel 7'from above) to exert a force for pushing the brush 32 upward. Can be automatically washed while being raised along the front window portion A, and an accident in which the brush 32 is caught on the front window portion A can be prevented. Furthermore, when the brush 32 is lifted along the front window portion A of the wagon 7'to a height that balances with the own weight of the brush 32, the brush 32 is forcibly lifted to prevent the brush 32 from being caught on the front window portion A thereafter.

On the ceiling surface of the wagon wheel 7 ', optimum cleaning can be performed by rotating the brush 32 counterclockwise and performing constant torque control. In this example,
Although the method of cleaning the top brush 13 is applied to the continuous car wash machine, it can also be applied to the car wash machine in which the vehicle to be cleaned is cleaned with the top brush while moving the car wash body. Although the vehicle height detection signal of the sonic sensor 8 determines whether the vehicle type of the vehicle 7 to be washed is a wagon vehicle 7 ', the vehicle type input signal from the operation panel 9 determines whether the vehicle type of the vehicle 7 to be washed is It is also possible to judge that the vehicle is a wagon vehicle 7'and perform the above control.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the arm of the top brush is held in the horizontal position, the rotary brush is rotated in the direction in which the brush hits the wagon wheel from above, and the rotation is caused by the contact with the wagon wheel. When the height of the brush exceeds a certain height, the arm can be forcibly raised to the upper limit position to automatically wash the front window of the wagon, and the brush of the top brush can be hooked on the front window of the wagon. Accidents can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to improve the work efficiency by eliminating the labor and time for washing the front window portion of the wagon by hand washing after washing as in the conventional case. Further, unlike the conventional case, since the vehicle is not moved backward, it can be applied to a continuous car wash machine in which a vehicle to be cleaned is continuously conveyed while being conveyed by a vehicle conveying device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an internal configuration of a car wash using a car wash method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 3 is a view showing a structure of a top brush of the car wash machine and a drive system thereof.

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

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of top brush control by the control device of the car wash machine.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of top brush control by the control device of the car wash machine.

FIG. 7 is a locus diagram of the top brush at the time of cleaning a vehicle to be cleaned of the car washing machine.

FIG. 8 is a locus diagram of a top brush when cleaning a conventional vehicle to be cleaned.

FIG. 9 is a locus diagram of a top brush when cleaning a conventional vehicle to be cleaned.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Floor Surface 2 Car Wash Machine Main Body 3 Roller Conveyor 4 Washing Section 5 Wax Applying Section 6 Drying Section 7'Wagon Vehicle 8 Sonic Sensor 9 Front Operation Panel 10 Rear Operation Panel 13 Top Brush 30 Controller 31 Arm 32 Brush 33 Weight 34 Rotation Motor 37, 38 Oil tank 39 Cylinder 40, 41 Changeover switch 42 Compressor 48 Torque detector 49 Lower limit position detector 50 Horizontal position detector 51 Predetermined position detector 52 Upper limit position detector A Front window of wagon D Counterclock of brush Direction of rotation E Direction of clockwise rotation of brush (direction of hitting wagon car from above) F Movement direction of wagon car X Rotation fulcrum

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A top brush formed by attaching a rotating brush rotating around a horizontal axis to one end of a vertically swingable arm in a car wash machine body, and relatively moving the vehicle to be cleaned and the body. A method of cleaning a car wash machine for cleaning an upper surface of a vehicle to be cleaned with a top brush, comprising: when the vehicle to be cleaned is a wagon vehicle, holding an arm of the top brush in a horizontal position and rotating the rotating brush to a wagon vehicle. The brush is rotated from above to the direction in which it hits, and when the wagon wheel moves, the height of the rotating brush exceeds a predetermined height,
A method for cleaning a car washing machine, which comprises forcibly raising an arm to an upper limit position and lowering the rotation direction of a rotating brush in the opposite direction to the ceiling surface of a wagon car.