Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
  • B60S3/002—Vehicle drying apparatus
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
  • B60S3/04—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles
  • B60S3/06—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle
  • B60S3/063—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle the axis of rotation being approximately vertical
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
  • B60S3/04—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles
  • B60S3/06—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle
  • B60S3/066—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle the axis of rotation being approximately horizontal

Definitions

• the automatic vehicle washers such as vehicle washers in the prior art comprise a carrier frame (bridge), which is set on a track and is capable to perform a back and forth motion parallel to the floor; preferably a horizontal brush, which is coupled so as to move together with this carrier frame and is capable to rotate around its own axis and to perform an upward vertical motion; and preferably two vertical brushes, which are also capable to rotate around their own axes and to move horizontally.
• a carrier frame bridge
• a horizontal brush which is coupled so as to move together with this carrier frame and is capable to rotate around its own axis and to perform an upward vertical motion
• two vertical brushes which are also capable to rotate around their own axes and to move horizontally.
• the present invention relates to a novel automatic-brush vehicle washing machine designed to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.
• a trigger belted vehicle driving mechanism ensures the horizontal-axis movement of each vertical brush.
• this mechanism comprises a trigger belt, which extends along the bridge part of carrier frame, and a coupling piece, which is coupled with this belt and couples the vertical brush to the bridge part.
• This coupling piece accommodates a gear, which is coupled with said trigger belt, a vertical brush driving motor, which drives this gear, and wheels positioned into vertical displacement channels formed on the bridge part in order to have this coupling piece easily move on said bridge part. Thanks to this embodiment, the vertical brush is easily moved on the bridge part with the rotation of the driving motor and this motion is extremely sensitively controlled by a control system to be described hereunder.
• a horizontal drying means is realized in order to further perform a drying operation after a washing operation.
• this drying means is coupled through wheels with separate vertical displacement channels formed on each supportive leg of carrier frame and is moved up- and downwards in this channel.
• a motor-reducer-chain mechanism is employed to realize such up- and downward motions of said drying means with a structure identical with the one that is used with the horizontal brush.
• said horizontal and vertical brushes are operated idle before a washing operation to determine their power consumptions and the ideal contact power rate intervals are adjusted in accordance with this reference.
• Figure 4b gives a close view of the points where the horizontal brush is assembled to the carrier frame.
• Figure 5c gives a top view of the vertical brush coupled to the bridge's surface.
• Figure 4a gives an idea as to how the horizontal brush (4) is coupled with the supportive legs (1.1 ) of carrier frame.
• said horizontal brush (4) is coupled by both of its end with vertical displacement channels formed upwardly along mutual supportive legs (1.1) through a horizontal brush coupling piece (10) and an roller-bearing-like element coupled to this piece.
• conical coupling pulleys (10.1 ) are employed as roller-bearing-like elements.
• a horizontal brush rotating motor (9) is positioned on one of these coupling points in order to let the horizontal brush (4) to rotate around its own axis.
• vertical drying means are also employed -besides said horizontal drying means (11 )- on supportive legs (1.1 ) to control air flow by means of flaps.
• FIGs 5a and 5b are given to elaborate the vertical brush (3) embodiment employed under the present invention.
• the vertical brush (3) is coupled to the supportive leg's bridge part (1.2) via a coupling head (20).
• a novelty is brought forth here on the connection point between said coupling head (20) and vertical brush (3).
• the vertical brush (3) is jointed to said coupling head by means of a vertical brush joint (19) and besides, at least one plastic bumper (20.3) or alternatively, another plastic-based or impact- absorbing material is positioned in the free site between said coupling piece and the upper face of vertical brush. Thanks to this, if the vertical brush (3) swings during operation, noises likely to occur when this brush hits the lower surface of said coupling head (20) are avoided in order to provide a noiseless operation.
• This mechanism further comprises limit switches, though not shown under this Figure, to report the control unit if said carrier frame (1) has moved to the start or end of said displacement track (2).
• This group is assembled on a plate-like assembly plate (21 ), whereas this assembly plate (21 ) is placed to the carrier frame's supportive leg's base (1.3) so as to first contact with a number of protruding detents formed on this base and then fixed to said base (1.3) by means of fixation screws (25).
• said assembly plate (21) has the form of a rectangular plate, which has extensions on its mutual sides to produce a T-like form.
• a three- detent group (24.1 ), which is formed to contact externally to the flat lower side of this assembly plate (21 ), and a two-detent group (24.2), which is formed to contact the inward of extending or protruding parts at the opposite side of said assembly plate (21), are embodied on the base of such supportive leg (1.1). Though illustrated so, this placement and the number of detents can be altered as desired in alternative embodiments of the present invention.
• This preferred embodiment of the present invention further employs brushes with polyethylene-made brush hairs in horizontal and vertical brushes. More elaborately, such brushes incorporate water-conveying channels made from 100% polyethylene material with an X cross-section and with specifically haired tips, and are particularly manufactured for vehicle wash with different colors and with UV resistance.
• a user programs such PLC by selecting the desired washing mode via a user interface to direct said PLC to operate so.
• Many alternatives can be produced for the cleaning mode with the following examples: wash with drying; wash without drying; wash at entry plus drying at exit; wash at one entry-exit and drying at next entry-exit; pre-wash mode with only water and detergent flush at entry (without brush) and with brush application at exit; dance wash mode with vertical brushes moving jointly to left and right on only a vehicle's front and rear to clean particularly dirty license plates, for instance.
• the vertical brushes if the power consumed by the rotating motor (18) of vertical brush is a rate exceeding said rate interval, it moves the vertical brush (3) towards the supportive leg (1.1 ) it is connected to or it takes away the vertical brush from the vehicle; and if the power consumed by the rotating motor of said vertical brush is a rate below said interval, it moves it downwards to bring it close to the vehicle. Once the desired ideal pressure power rate interval is achieved, it stops the driving motor (17) of the vertical brush (3) to maintain its position.
• the horizontal brush (4) Whilst the carrier frame (1) keeps progressing on the car, the horizontal brush (4) shall arrive at the front hood of the car after a while. While it passes from the front to this roof region, the contact between the horizontal brush (4) and the car will quite weaken on the roof region, since said brush shall move upwards due to the vertical surface on the front. Therefore the power consumed by the rotating motor of horizontal brush (9) shall decrease and fall under the determined ideal pressure power rate interval.
• the PLC shall activate again at this point and change the direction of rotation of the driving motor of said horizontal brush to move said brush downwards, namely, to move it closer to the front roof of said car.
• the horizontal brush will start to contact with the front roof of such car after a certain position and the power consumed by the rotating motor (9) and after a certain while, will enter into the determined ideal pressure power rate interval.
• the PLC will detect this desired condition at this point and will stop the driving motor (6) of such horizontal brush.
• the carrier frame shall progress and come to the driver region of such car, the pressure force and thus the power consumed by the rotating motor (9) will increase during the pass between the roof region and the driver region due to the vertical surface, and the horizontal brush (4) shall be moved upwards as was the case indicated in the former paragraph.
• the contact of the horizontal brush with the car shall start to decrease and the power rate of the rotating motor (9) shall fall below such determined rate interval. Having detected this fall, the PLC shall immediately take control of the driving motor (6) of horizontal brush in order to move downward said horizontal brush (4) as described above.
• the PLC deactivates the carrier frame driving motor (22), when there is no contact between one of such horizontal and vertical brushes and the car. Thanks to this, the risk of an unwashed spot on such cars is avoided.
• a blank power rate interval is maintained for any rotating motor within the memory of PLC in relation to power rates consumed when a brush connected to such rotating motor does not contact with such car surface. Thanks to this, the PLC determines the lack of contact when the power rate consumed by any rotating motors enters into such interval.
• the PLC saves the data, which are received from the displacement motor's encoder, as to how much the carrier frame is moved, and from the horizontal brush driving motor's encoder, as to how long and how much the horizontal brush has moved towards which direction, and forms the entire profile of such car by making use of such data. Thanks to this, the drying means (11 ) is moved according to this profile in a drying operation.
• Another function of the PLC employed under the present invention is to detect any failures, which are occurring during an automatic vehicle washing machine and to report a user with such data. Accordingly, the PLC continuously controls all aforesaid photocells and sensors, limit switches, communication cables between the PLC and speed control unit, security keys, encoders in connection with the driving motors all employed in the present washing machine, and in a case of malfunctioning or of receipt of a signal indicating an illogical position (for example, if the carrier frame is moving, but the relevant encoder is not transmitting a signal accordingly; this indicates a failure in the relevant encoder), such conditions are immediately displayed by means of a user monitor.
• a signal indicating an illogical position for example, if the carrier frame is moving, but the relevant encoder is not transmitting a signal accordingly; this indicates a failure in the relevant encoder

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vehicle Cleaning, Maintenance, Repair, Refitting, And Outriggers (AREA)
• Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=33157603

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (9)

Citations (9)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2003
  • 2003-04-07 TR TR2003/00450A patent/TR200300450A2/tr unknown
• 2004
  • 2004-04-07 WO PCT/TR2004/000023 patent/WO2004089708A2/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (9)

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