WO2020240507A1

WO2020240507A1 - Mobile automotive repair shop and service unit

Info

Publication number: WO2020240507A1
Application number: PCT/IB2020/055139
Authority: WO
Inventors: Farzad PEIRAVI ESFAHANI; Mahnaz RAFIEI SHAHRAKI; Abtin PEIRAVI ESFAHANI; Azindokht PEIRAVI ESFAHANI
Original assignee: Peiravi Esfahani Farzad; Rafiei Shahraki Mahnaz
Priority date: 2019-05-31
Filing date: 2020-05-29
Publication date: 2020-12-03

Abstract

The invention has been designed in a way to provide all repairs and services semi- automatically, with the least human intervention to adjust tire air pressure, exchange the consumed oil and also all filters of the car. The costumer selects and registers his required services from the installed monitor on service unit which is equipped with digital audio guidance system. Invoice's total amount will be screened on the LCD and costumer pays it by his cash card using the smart payment system connected to it, then waits for his turn. After car's entry into the cabin, the selected services will be done based on costumer's request. The sludge will be transferred to a collecting tank. By using the benefits of this invention, the customer can call the services to his/her place through smart phone apps or online websites. This invention is capable of connecting to auto drive and smart vehicles.

Description

MOBILE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP AND SERVICE UNIT

The basic field of this invention is designing mechanical systems and machines for automotive repair shop, care and service unit, using tractor units and mini trucks with containers capable of changing capacity and equipped with ramps, in order to provide the possibility of entering costumer’s cars within. It provides all maintenance services required to be done in car care centers and all repairing needs for different type of cars capable of changing height and width based on size of the car. The repair shop can be ordered on customer’s place using online apps.

Most of the related inventions under title of “car service center or repair shop or oil change unit” are systems which were invented to be used in workshops that costumers could go with their own vehicle for receiving services.

Patent application US08/622,220 discloses a “mobile automotive servicing facility” equipped with all requirements of a car service center. It is also equipped with an extended floor to mount the car. It also includes multiple lifts to provide services for automobile.

Patent application US359683A discloses a mobile service station unit comprising a fix transportable container capable of providing all requirements. The capacity of the container isn't adjustable and there is nothing predicted for make a more intelligent sand the is nothing predicted for make a more intelligent system.

The present invention is a mobile automotive repair shop and service unit equipped with a workshop capable of entering costumer’s car within and more importantly travelling to any selected location that costumer desires. Hence this invention is totally different from other previous similar projects. In order to make it movable in the city, a kind of cargo bed has been used which is capable of changing its capacity and volume while provided with a mechanized ramp and automatic tire air pressure adjusting system and lubritorium.

automotive repair shop and service unit can move to any place based on costumer’s request or the costumer himself can go where the automotive repair shop and service unit is. The costumer can personally select desired tire air pressure services from the monitor or “LCD” installed in inner part of automotive repair shop and service unit and then pays the specified price for selected services by smart payment system; afterwards the air pressure nuzzle box will get open and the customer can adjust the tire air pressure and then put the nuzzle on its own place and then he or she can receive his credit card. One of the objects of the present invention is to lessen the initial investment by eliminating the necessity to provide a workshop land comparing to other inventions, further achievements of this invention are: possibility of moving to costumer’s indicated place and providing services faster and easier, applicable for all types of cars considering full safety of them, providing all kind of services as usual like air pressure adjustment automatically and without human intervention or any operator, considering costumer’s time and economic situation, increasing efficiency through benefiting from a non-complicated mechanism requiring less effort for repairing and preserving, conforming to environmental standards by capability of using solar cells. The invented system is capable of connecting to auto driving intelligent vehicles and can be send to the vehicle place based on the information that is received automatically from auto driving system that indicate that there is a need for a kind of services or repairs.

Detailed description of the invention

Designing and manufacturing automotive repair shop and service vehicle includes two basic parts, firstly a repair shop and service unit having the ability of changing capacity, secondly a repair shop and service unit system with collecting oil system. For designing the repair shop and service container, calculations and assessments should be done considering consequences of the pressure made by entrance of costumer’s car into it such as weight and stroke in each car entrance and exit that the repair shop and service unit room shall tolerate. Afterwards, based on the capacity it needs in order to tolerate the incoming force, a modeling of main chamber is done in structural analysis and designing software. The required calculations will be done for measuring generated forces made by entered cars’ weight, tanks, and other equipment, and then the appropriate type of metal structure will be designed.

Considering the results of structural analysis by the software, the main frame chamber shell structure of surrounding walls, ramp structure (Fig. 1) and proper hydraulic system will be designed. Specifications of metal sections, cover sheet of chamber, hydraulic hinge and jack will be determined and accordingly assembly operation will be done.

For assembly operation, primarily chamber’s profile of metal chassis will be cut out. Chamber’s column (5, 6) will get equipped by telescopic jack (10). This operation allows vertical displacement of the chassis attached under the ceiling. In upper part of each of these columns and under the ceiling, one horizontal and lateral hollow square section (HSS), as a part of main frame of chamber with a solid connection, will be installed.

The hollow square section includes a shell (3) and an inner part (4) in a way that each one of the hollow square sections includes two nested profiles with hollow rectangular section. On side surfaces of inner profile (4) different bearings (48) are stated in vertical plate that allows its slider movement. This feature causes control over vibrating of the two nested profiles (3,4) in vertical direction (3,4) while extending the hollow square section, at the same time the lateral forces to hydraulic jack is lessened and reaches zero to tolerate only axial forces. Therefore; The bending moment in each section is fully controlled and in order to be able to enlarge chamber’s width. Besides on upper and lower levels of inner profile (4) and on horizontal plate, different bearings (49) are installed aiming to control probable side shakings of nested profiles.

Each of these hollow square sections hollow square section (3,4) is attached from one side to the chamber’s column (6) and equipped with telescopic jack.

In calculations and designing of main structure of chamber, a telescopic jack having enough resistance to bear incoming forces is considered.

This jack (9) is responsible for supplying lateral force to move and distance chamber’s structure from the car and moving it back inside.

The main structure of chamber can be designed with four or more columns. Since the jacks are located inside the hollow square section’s hollow square section shell (3) and ceiling shell is attached to the hollow square section’s shell, the ceiling shell on hollow square section will stay still in its place.

Also at bottom ends of abovementioned columns (5,6), telescopic jacks will be located horizontally inside the hollow square sections under chamber’s floor.

Expanding width from right or left or both sides of the car depends on repair shop and service vehicle positioning, which will be selected by the user through specified option screened on monitor or “LCD”. Simultaneous oil injection to horizontal set of jacks (9) located in one side of the chamber that stands in upper and lower parts of all columns, causes telescopic jacks to open and hollow square section’s inner section (4) to come out. Consequently, the columns (5,6) attached to that side of car will move and get pushed aside. Hence lateral dimension increment of the chassis will happen in this side of car. At this stage the other side is still and according to the steadiness of hollow square section’s shell, no force is applied to the ceiling. Four smaller jacks (11) are attached to four angles of ceiling and upper end of columns in order to maintain horizontal balance of the ceiling. Providing the balance and controlling any horizontal movement of the ceiling, to both jacks attached to ceiling’s shell and chassis at the same side of car, oil is injected at the same time as expanding jacks’ lengths which lean to upper ends of same side columns, therefore any stumble will be controlled. At next stage, for the other side of the car the same process will be applied.

When the mobile side chassis comes out, simultaneously the chamber’s side wall’s cover (24) that is attached to it also comes out.

Ceiling’s shell (22) locates on its inferior structure (7) and stands as chamber’s cover which transports incoming forces caused by tanks to the inferior chassis.

Through column’s jack (10) moving up or down, ceiling’s height will change. By selecting the option of “increment in height of chamber” through monitor, oil will be injected to all telescopic jacks installed on columns (5), (6) for vertical displacement of ceiling chassis (3,4), ceiling, columns and increases length of jacks and height of ceiling’s chassis.

Due to the steadiness of dimensions of side wall, floor and ceiling, after expanding the chamber, width of ceiling (22), floor (20) and the front side (26) of chamber will remain steady and incomplete. When increasing height of ceiling, upper parts of side walls (24) and front side (26) need complete coverage because their height stands still.

In order to widen chamber’s floor (20) in both sides, considering required width, at least one plate (21) with the same width and length of repair shop and service unit hinges in accordance to chamber’s floor on side body. In designing of this segment, the incoming forces have been taken into account and near to its two endings two jacks (15) are attached to the chamber’s body. After injecting oils to these jacks (15), this plate (21) leans horizontally on profile and floor completes which is capable of closing and opening. This plate instead of having the ability to attach to the chamber’s bodies also able to attach to floor’s edges (20).

Being able to widen the ceiling (22), folding plates (23) are installed that from one side reach to ceiling edge and from the other one to outer edge (4) of inner hollow square section. After widening the chamber and receding the shaft towards outside, these plates get open and fill the empty surface.

Similarly, for widening the front side (26) of the chamber, folding plates (27,28) with the same required width and even height are installed, which are attached from one side to the edge of lateral part (24) and from the other side to edge of the opposite (26) and front side. While the chamber is widening, the folding plates (27) are expanded and fill the surface, this process also happens when chamber’s width is decreasing.

After ceiling’s heightening, in order to balance chamber’s walls, on front side (26) and each folding plate (27); another folding plate (28) has been installed. This folding plate is attached to upper edge of plate (26,27) and outer edge of ceiling (22).

Completing the cover of sides (24) of chamber after heightening, folding plates (28) have been installed which are attached to upper edge of wall and outer edge of the inner profile (4) in ceiling’s hollow square section. After heightening the chamber, ceiling leans toward outside and then the folding plates get opened and fill the empty surface.

Back door (29) of the chamber is hinged to the upper edge of ceiling (22) as a kind of cover, it is equipped with two hydraulic jacks (12) that conceals the folding ramp (33, 34, 35) attached to chamber's bottom edge. After issuing the order from LCD, the door (29) will be opened and stayed up as a horizontal console.

Plates (30) widen the console which is hinged to it and opens and closes by two small jacks (17).

In order to reach the standard slope and required length for fluent motion and easy entrance of cars into repair shop and service unit, aforementioned ramp is designed as three parts (33, 34, 35) hinged to each other and floor’s edge (20), also equipped with a hydraulic jack (14) and able to be folded on each other.

After car’s entry to the chamber, the first part of ramp (33) that is attached to chamber’s body, will change from aslant status to horizontal one, accordingly it increases chamber's length.

Since ramp’s width is equal to the least width of chamber’s internal entry, the possibility of widening the ramp with designed plate (36) attached to ramp’s side edges that are equipped with two hydraulic jacks (16) is provided. Therefore, after widening and increasing chamber’s capacity, the ramp also widens equally to provide enough space for cars entry.

For facilitating people’s entry to chamber and exit, on first piece of ramp (33) and its side edge, a retractable staircase equipped with a small hydraulic jack (19) is attached. When the ramp got fully opened, the staircase also opens. In the time of ramp’s closure, firstly the staircase will fold on the ramp and the ramp will fold into the chamber.

In chamber’s entry place and under the console (29), there is no lateral part; hence to increase chamber’s length, a lengthening plate (25) is installed. It slides out of chamber and a part emerges near to the first part of the ramp (33). On this part (25) a complementary sliding plate (51) with two small jacks (17) is installed.

In order to close repair shop and service unit door at working time, a door (31) is hinged to the bottom edge of console (29) and is opened by two hydraulic jacks (13) and while closing fits exactly on inferior surface of console (26). Plates (32) that lengthen this temporary door (31) are hinged to it and get opened and closed by two jacks (17).

On repair shop and service unit floor, a gutter (37) with swab (38) are installed for collecting and exiting swage and other waste liquids. A small tank (39) is located under the floor for collecting swage that transfers from gutter into it. Four tanks are installed on the repair shop and service roof, a tank for saving water (43), raw sewage (44), storing waste oil (45) and keeping special tools and equipment (46). Using a pipe system exchanged oil and waste water can be pumped to its related tank.

The tank under the floor (39) is equipped with a main electrical pump and a reserved pump for transferring sewage and exchanged oil into related tank located on the roof.

All the required equipment and tools that are necessary to fix technical problems which may happen for vehicles mechanical and electrical system are installed in the container, more specially four hydraulic jacks (57) which make vertical and even horizontal movement possible.

The automatic air pressure adjustment equipment (50) is also designed in a special space (41) at the end of the repair shop and service unit; it has been separated from repair shop and service unit space by a wall (40). The container is equipped with air conditioning system and fire alarm system and all other security and safety equipment.

Under repair shop and service unit’s roof, a pair of rails (42) has been designed and installed to locate diagnosing and monitoring equipment.

In the private space (41), the energy supply, inverter, air compressor services are located. The required energy will transfer to specified parts and systems through plug wires.

The tanks on the roof for collecting waste oil and waste water (43,44,45) are equipped with an electrical valve that are used for disposal. Considering biological standards, it will be disposed and pumped with a systemic command. In clean water tank (43), a sucker pump for dewatering has been allocated which is capable of dewatering from above.

At the end of the container, a winch (56) is installed to pull inside the vehicle whenever it can’t enter to the service space itself.

In condition of using a truck to pull the container, it is possible to have a metal box that is designed in a way to expand using an accordion mechanism (58) acting as a service box which is initially placed inside the container and the depth of pit can increase automatically by hydraulic jacks (60), therefore the repairman has some room to work. At the end, pushing the Accordion Lever (59) cause contracting the box when the repair is finished.

In order to keep safety of Under repair shop and service unit, in front of the chamber and on the separating wall (40) a plastic bumper has been installed and a sensor notifies stop command by showing a red light and vocal announcement. This will protect the chamber against any stroke. As soon as car’s fixing into the chamber, a sensor issues the command to start operations.

Two cameras have also been stated at the front and bottom of Under repair shop and service unit to take photos or videos from entered cars. The monitor or “LCD” is attached to the first column repair shop and service unit’s entrance, so the costumer can use it easily and select any of the before mentioned operations. This LCD is connected to smart payment system resulting to fully automatic operations. In this system a processor is needed to connect LCD to other systems, one in the LCD itself and another one in the main system to program all processors (AVR, FPCE). Consequently; service selection, service confirmation, prices calculation, total amount and finally commanding to other systems are applicable. The connection between selecting system and devices can be wireless or through cables. In case of wireless status, a sender and receiver is needed but in case of cable the data will be transferred as a serial to the devices.

Folding plates (23, 25, 27, 28) are interchangeable to flexible, rolling or shuttering plates and also capable of replacement with slider plates equipped with small hydraulic jack or electromotor.

Instead of door (31), a structure can be used which comes down automatically and blows by the compressor to close chamber’s entry. Ultimately, it will discharge through air suction and goes up. For cars entrance and starting the operation, first of all repair shop and service unit should be expanded. 1) User can move out lateral balancing jacks by remote control. 2) in order to heighten the repair shop and service unit for the operations, he can activate all jacks underneath the ceiling (10) to go up by ordering to oil pumps using the remote control. At the same time body heightening plates (28) also open. 3) After fixing chamber’s ceiling, the back door (29) will get opened. It will open by hinges from upper edge of the chamber and stand as a horizontal console. 4) The ramp will get opened (33, 34, 35) so at the beginning, the middle piece (34) opens from the hinge in edge of first piece (33) by hydraulic jacks (14). Then the last part (35) of ramp which is external will get opened by jack from its own hinge. The ramp (33) that is attached to vehicle’s room will be opened by related jacks (14), these three together create an inclined ramp for entry. 5) Depending on user’s request the chamber will widen from one side or both. Hence all jacks (9) attached to structure’s frame in each side or both will be opened. Then the side body of chamber gets away comparing to its first position and widens the chamber. Simultaneously ceiling’s widening plates (23) and the opposite body plates (27, 28) will open and the body’s coverage completes. Floor widening plates (21) will open by jacks (15) to make it wider. Repair shop and service unit owner can increase chamber’s width from each side or both through related option. On chamber’s sides and under the main chassis, four balancing jacks are installed that open first and before any of the above activities.

Repair shop and service vehicle services to the costumer performs in two ways. In the first method, costumer goes to the application installed on his mobile device and requests for repair shop and service vehicle, so the application gives him information of nearest one and estimated time to come. In second method the costumer checks the application in order to get informed of nearest repair shop and service vehicle and he himself goes there to receive the services.

The costumer uses the menu of LCD, which is equipped with an audio digital guidance system. He enters his car’s model and marquee (as prices are different) and his vehicle registration plate (optional) and then the type of repair shop and service vehicle services will be selected and confirmed. The bill will be shown on the LCD and paid by the payment system connected to it; costumer receives the receipt and stands in the row for his turn.

After seeing his turn number on the LCD or hearing it, enters repair shop and service vehicle. After entering, the temporary door (31) will be closed and photos will be taken by two cameras from the front and back of the car, after finishing the repairing operation process also photos will be taken to be saved in the system. When the car stand in correct position, the starting time of operation and the whole operation will be recorded. In private space (41) instruments like wheel balance system and tire air pressure adjustment system are located. At the end the door (31) will open and go up so the car can move out.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2: The entering ramp and door and bottom plate of the repair shop and service unit

Fig.3: Side walls of the repair shop and service unit

Fig.4 and Fig. 5: The main frame and hydraulic or pneumatic jacks

Other figures show the procedure of changing width and height of the container.
(1): the metal hollow square section under the floor as a pod
(2): inner metal profile of hollow square section under the floor
(3): metal hollow square section under the ceiling as a pod
(4): inner metal profile of hollow square section under the ceiling
(5): metal column as a pod
(6): inner metal profile of column
(7): the bearer profile of ceiling and hollow square sections connections
(8): connecting profile of floor’s hollow square sections
(9): horizontal jack in hollow square sections
(10): vertical jack in columns
(11): balancing ceiling’s jack
(12): jack of opening and closing console
(13): jack of opening and closing temporary door
(14): jack of opening and closing ramp parts
(15): jack of opening and closing floor’s widening plate
(16): jack of side body’s sliding and lengthening plate, near to the entry
(17): jack of opening and closing slider widening plate of console and temporary door
(18): jack of opening and closing slider widening plate of ramp console
(19): jack of opening and closing ladder
(20): repair shop and service chamber’s floor
(21): the plate of widening repair shop and service unit’s floor
(22): repair shop and service unit chamber’s ceiling
(23): the plate of widening repair shop and service unit’s ceiling
(24): side body of repair shop and service unit
(25): lengthening plate of repair shop and service unit’s side body
(26): the end and opposite plate of repair shop and service unit.
(27): widening plate of the opposite body of repair shop and service unit.
(28): heightening plate of the opposite body of repair shop and service unit.
(29): console plate
(30): console widening plate
(31): temporary door
(32): widening plate of temporary door
(33), (34), (35): main and folding plates of ramp
(36): widening plate of ramp
(37): gutter
(38): floor drain
(39): the tank for initial collection of sewage
(40): the wall for separating repair shop and service unit space from equipment store
(41): specified space for equipment and automatic air pressure adjustment system
(42): rail for locating repair shop and service unit device’s stand on the roof
(43): the tank for clean water
(44): the tank for raw sewage
(45): the tank for exchanged oil.
(46): store box for different materials.
(47): bearings stated on the vertical plate of column
(48): bearings stated on the vertical plate of hollow square section
(49): bearings stated on the horizontal plate of hollow square section
(50): automatic air pressure adjustment system
(51): heightening plate of the body 25
(52): jack of opening and closing the slider plate 51
(53): Air pressure adjustment panel
(54): automatic opening of the panel
(55): Air nuzzle equipped with a gage
(56): Winch
(57): Lifting jacks
(58): Pit
(59): Accordion Lever
(60): Pit jack
(61): Smart Payment System

Claims

What is claimed is a semi–automated mobile repair shop and service unit to provide services at the nearest location to customer's place comprising:
- A container further comprising a main frame, four surrounding wall forming the repairing and servicing chamber, several cover plates to rectify incomplete areas, a foldable ramps or a lifting mechanism and an automatic entrance door used for entering and exiting of the car into repairing and servicing chamber, a metal box that is designed in a way to expand using an accordion mechanism (58) acting as a service box to prepare space for man, at least two hydraulic jacks capable of lifting the car from the floor of the container whereas the said container volume is changeable based on the dimensions of the car using several pneumatic or hydraulic jacks;
- A truck connectable to the container using a suitable connection type to move it from one place to another;
- An air pressure adjusting system and its related pipelines and nuzzles;
- An electronic control system and its related software equipped with a wireless or WIFI module letting the user to select the servicing program and payment method by any input device and monitor the controllable process using an output device;
- A plurality of digital cameras capable of observing different dimensions of the car and the license plate whereas all data can be processed and the dimensions of repairing and servicing chamber change automatically;
- An electrical intelligent panel to do the appropriate settings for air pressure adjustment, steering wheel and tire angles adjustments, etc.;
- A winch and its related cable for pulling the car into the container whenever it is necessary;
- A fire alarm and firefighting system, air conditioning system, a power supply system;
- Suitable tanks for saving different liquids, a first aid box and a number of boxes to keep equipment and tools;
According to claim 1, the main frame is formed by two or three main longitudinal beams on the bottom and two longitudinal beams on the top whereas three pair of latitudinal forked structures pass through beams.
According to claim 2, each of forked structures which have a semi-square shape is made of two horizontal and one vertical hollow square section (HSS) that an inner beam can move inside them in the prescribed direction by a number of rolling or roller bearings using hydraulic or pneumatic jack forces.
According to claim 1, the surrounding walls on top, bottom and sides of container are fixed to the hollow square sections.
According to claim 1, in order to cover the top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right corners of the container which remains open after moving of the inner beams inside the hollow square sections, a number of cover plates are designed which are hinged to the main frame or surrounding walls in one side and open by the force of pneumatic or hydraulic jacks or hydraulic motors on the other side.
According to claim 5, the surrounding walls can also complete themselves in folded, slider, reactionary, hinge format that is done by flexible, hydraulic, gearwheels or electromotor.
According to claim 1, each of the surrounding walls of the repair shop and service unit can be designed in two interior and exterior parts whereas interior part can move inside exterior part at the time of changing width or height of container to complete its body.
According to claim 1, in order to increase the width of entering ramps while the width of container has increased, two foldable plates are considered to open up or close down on the edge of each ramp.
According to claim 1, in order to enter the car into repairing and servicing chamber and exit from it, a lifting mechanism can be replaced by the said ramps.
According to claim 1, in order to perform required services underneath the car, a metal box that is designed in a way to expand using an accordion mechanism (58) is designed on the floor of the container.
According to claim 1, a number of hydraulic jacks are designed inside the container to lift up the car whenever using the gate or going underneath the car is physically impossible.
According to claim 1, the clean oil is supplied from the store box in a predetermined place and the sludge will finally pump to the reservoir on the top of the repair shop through pipelines.
According to claim 1, the collecting oil system sucks the dirty oil from its tank under the car and then sends it firstly to a tank below the repair shop and service unit to settle sediments and secondly pumps the oil into another tank on the top.
According to claim 1, the repair shop and service unit procedure and method of payment is designed to be done completely by least human interference, therefore the type of the services can be chosen by user on phone or by a computer system that is installed in control room.
According to claim 1, the entering door mechanisms can be changed so that the door can be opened by winch and electromotor mechanism and so on.
What is claimed is the process of using repair shop and other mechanical services in the nearest possible place to the customer whereas the customer can choose the type of servicing online and pay the bill after or before the services using credit cards or online payment methods.