JPH04314659A - Upper surface processing device for car washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a top nozzle, provided in a running frame to serve as an upper surface processing means, from coming into contact with a fender mirror. CONSTITUTION:In a running position detecting means 58, a running position of a running frame 1 is detected from output signals of a start position detecting switch 62 and a rotary encoder 63 provided in a running prime mover 4. In a drying process by returning the running frame 1, a top nozzle 28 reaching above a bonnet of an automobile, that is, approaching a position before a fender mirror is detected by the before-mentioned running position detecting means 58. After the detection in the above, detection, when it is performed by an upper surface detecting means 52U consisting of a photoswitch provided in the top nozzle 28, is judged by presence of the fender mirror, and the top nozzle 28 rises for avoiding contact with the fender mirror.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a top surface treatment device for a car wash machine, which allows the top surface treatment means to conform to the shape of the top surface of an automobile body while moving the vehicle and the top surface treatment means relative to each other.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a top surface treatment device for such a car wash, a photoelectric switch provided on a top nozzle detects the top surface of a car body, and the top nozzle is moved along the shape of the top surface of the car body (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-303
960 Publication), or one that detects the top surface of the car body using the vertical movement of the top brush or an ultrasonic detection device provided on the top of the running frame, and moves the top nozzle along the shape of the top surface of the car body (for example, JP-A-1-
190546) is known.

0003

However, with the above-mentioned conventional device, there is a problem in that when the top nozzle is moved along the top surface of the hood of an automobile, it comes into contact with the fender mirror that protrudes upward from the top surface of the hood.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to reliably prevent contact between the upper surface treatment means of a car wash machine and the fender mirror of an automobile.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a car wash machine which allows the upper surface treatment means to follow the shape of the upper surface of the vehicle body while moving the vehicle and the upper surface treatment means relative to each other. In the upper surface processing device, a protrusion detection means is provided in the upper surface processing means and is capable of detecting protrusions on the upper surface of the vehicle body including a fender mirror of the automobile, and a position for detecting that the upper surface processing means has reached a predetermined position on the automobile. A detection means and a control means for causing the upper surface treatment means to perform an avoidance operation based on the output signals of the protrusion detection means and the position detection means so that the upper surface treatment means does not come into contact with the fender mirror of the automobile. It is characterized by

[0006]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the car wash machine includes a running frame 1 that straddles an automobile (not shown), and a pair of front and rear wheels 2 provided on this running frame 1 move along the longitudinal direction of the automobile. It is supported on extending rails 3. A pair of wheels 2 on the front side are rotationally driven by a prime mover 4,
As a result, the traveling frame 1 is self-propelled along the longitudinal direction of the automobile. The prime mover 4 is connected to an inverter or the like, and the traveling speed of the traveling frame 1 is made variable.

The running frame 1 is provided with a top brush 5 that can be raised and lowered for brushing and cleaning the top surface of the vehicle, and a pair of left and right side brushes 6 that brushing and cleaning the front and rear surfaces and both left and right sides of the vehicle. Top brush 5 is
A horizontal shaft 7 rotatably supported on the traveling frame 1 is supported via a pair of right and left swinging arms 8, and a motor 9 is provided inside the swinging arm 8. They are connected and rotationally driven by a transmission mechanism. An endless chain 13 is wound around a sprocket 10 fixed to a horizontal shaft 7 supporting the other swinging arm 8 and a sprocket 12 fixed to a drive shaft 11 supported by a traveling frame 1. It is connected to a cylinder 14 provided on the traveling frame 1 and is rotationally driven. Therefore, by driving the cylinder 14 to extend, the top brush 5 is held at the upper storage position shown by the two-dot chain line. When the cylinder 14 is inactive, the top brush 5 freely swings back and forth with respect to the traveling frame 1 about the horizontal axis 7 between the upper retracted position and the lower limit position suspended from the horizontal axis 7. In the cleaning process, the top brush 5 swings up and down in accordance with the shape of the top surface of the vehicle body.

The rotating shafts 15 of the pair of side brushes 6 are supported by a holding cylinder 16 that extends vertically, and this holding cylinder 16 runs along a guide rail 17 that extends horizontally on the traveling frame 1 by a driving means (not shown). It is fixed to a pair of moving frames 18. Further, the sprocket 21 of the prime mover 20 attached to the holding cylinder 16 via the bracket 19 is connected to the sprocket 22 fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 15 by an endless chain 23, so that the side brush 6 can be moved together with the rotating shaft 15. Rotationally driven.

[0010] Air blowers 2 are installed on both the left and right sides of the traveling frame 1.
A pair of left and right side nozzles 25 are provided which are integrally provided with the air blower 4 and open inward, and a top nozzle 28 is provided at the top of the traveling frame 1, which is connected to a pair of left and right blowers 26 via a duct 27. . The top nozzle 28 is supported in a vertically movable manner by a pair of left and right support members 31 equipped with rollers 30 that engage with guide rails 29 provided on both left and right sides of the traveling frame 1, and is connected to a drive shaft 32 that is rotationally driven. Both ends of the chain 36 wound around the sprockets 34 provided at both ends of the support member 33 and the sprocket 35 provided at the lower end of the support member 31 are connected to the support member 3.
1, it is driven up and down.

A vehicle height detection means 50 consisting of a light emitter La and a light receiver Ka is provided at the top of the traveling frame 1, and a rear end detection means 51 consisting of a light emitter Lb and a light receiver Kb is provided below. Further, the support member 31 of the top nozzle 28 has a lower upper surface detection means 52L consisting of a light emitter Lc and a light receiver Kc, and an upper upper surface detection means 52U consisting of a light emitter Ld and a light receiver Kd, which are slightly different in height. The upper surface detection means 52U also functions as a protrusion detection means for detecting the fender mirror F.

The top nozzle 28 is mounted on the traveling frame 1.
Two reed switches operated by magnets 53 provided on the support member 31 are arranged at different heights, the upper reed switch is operated by the upper limit detection means 54 of the top nozzle 28, and the lower reed switch is operated by the upper limit detection means 54 of the top nozzle 28. Lower limit detection means 5
7.

A control device 41 is provided inside a control panel 40 provided on the traveling frame 1, and a control device 41 is provided inside the control panel 40, which is connected to each of the detection means and 3.
The driving of the traveling frame 1, top brush 5, side brush 6, side nozzle 25, top nozzle 28, etc. is controlled by the output signals of the timers A, B, and C. The control device 41 is provided with a travel position detection means 58, and the travel distance L of the travel frame 1 from the start position is determined as an output signal of a start position detection switch 62 that is activated by contacting a cam 61 fixed to the floor surface. , is detected based on pulses output from a rotary encoder 63 provided in the driving motor 4. Further, the control panel 40 is provided with a start button 42 for starting the washing of the automobile.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention described above will be explained based on the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 4 and the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 to 7.

The traveling frame 1 is stopped at the leftmost start position where the start position detection switch 62 (see FIG. 1) is activated, and the automobile V is stopped so that its front wheels are at a predetermined position. When the start button 42 provided on the control panel 40 is pressed, all three timers A, B, and C are reset to zero, and the traveling frame 1 starts moving to the right. While the traveling frame 1 moves back and forth, the top brush 5 and the side brushes 6 perform brushing cleaning of the automobile V.

When the brushing cleaning by moving the traveling frame 1 is completed, the rotation of both brushes 5 and 6 is stopped and the brushes are placed in the retracted position, and then the blowers 24 and 26 are operated to move the top nozzle 28 from the upper limit position 28A to the lower limit. The traveling frame 1 is lowered to position 28B and returned at high speed, and the drying process is started (step S1).

When the traveling position L of the traveling frame 1 is equal to or higher than L1 (step S2), the upper surface detecting means 52U
When detects the rear end of the vehicle body (step S3), the go-around speed of the traveling frame 1 is switched to low speed and the top nozzle 28 is raised (step S4). At this time, the top nozzle 28 is at the 28C position. In addition, the traveling position L
1, the top nozzle 28 is placed 28D on the ceiling of the car V.
This is the traveling position of the traveling frame 1 reaching the position, and the starting position detection switch 62 is detected in the traveling position detecting means 58.
This is detected by counting the number of output pulses of the rotary encoder 63 after the rotary encoder 63 becomes inactive.

When the upper surface detection means 52U becomes non-detective due to the rise of the top nozzle 28 (step S5),
The top nozzle 28 is stopped from rising and the timer A is activated (step S6). When the count time of timer A reaches the predetermined time T1 (step S7), the go-around speed of traveling frame 1 is switched to high speed again (step S8).
).

If the upper surface detection means 52U detects the vehicle body in step S3 before the count time of timer A reaches T1 in step S7, the low-speed go-around of the running frame 1 is continued in step S4, and the top nozzle 28 At the same time, timer A is deactivated and reset to zero. As a result, while the top nozzle 28 is drying the rear glass surface of the automobile V, the return speed of the traveling frame 1 is maintained at a low speed.

[0020] The running position L of the running frame 1 is the above-mentioned L1.
After the top nozzle 28 reaches the position 28D on the ceiling surface of the automobile V (step S2), when the top nozzle 28 reaches the windshield surface and the lower upper surface detection means 52L does not detect ( Steps S9, S10, S
11), the top nozzle 28 is lowered and the go-around speed is switched to low speed (step S12). When the lower upper surface detection means 52L detects the lower surface due to the lowering of the top nozzle 28, the lowering of the top nozzle 28 is stopped and the timer A is activated.
(Steps S13, S14, S15). When the count time of timer A reaches T1 (step S16), the go-around speed of traveling frame 1 is switched from low speed to high speed (step S17).

If the lower upper surface detection means 52L becomes non-detectable in step S11 before the count time of timer A reaches T1 in step S16, step S12
Continue the low-speed go-around of traveling frame 1, and top nozzle 2
8 is lowered and timer A is deactivated and reset to zero. As a result, while the windshield surface of the automobile V is being dried by the top nozzle 28, the return speed of the traveling frame 1 is maintained at a low speed.

When the upper surface detection means 52U is detected in step S10, the top nozzle 28 is raised and the go-around speed of the traveling frame 1 is switched to a low speed, and the timer A is deactivated and reset to zero (step S10). S18, S19). When the upper surface detection means 52U becomes undetectable due to the rise of the top nozzle 28 (step S20), the rise of the top nozzle 28 is stopped and the timer A is activated (step S21). When the count time of timer A reaches T1 (step S16), the go-around speed of traveling frame 1 is switched from low speed to high speed (
Step S17).

When the upper surface detection means 52U detects the fender mirror F of the automobile V after the traveling position L of the traveling frame 1 becomes below L2, the top nozzle 28 is raised to switch the go-around speed to a low speed, and the timer is activated. A is deactivated and reset to zero, and timer B and timer C are activated (steps S18 and S22). L2 is a traveling position where the top nozzle 28 reaches a position 28E in front of the fender mirror F of the automobile V.

The upper surface detection means 52U is 52 in FIG.
When the fender mirror F of the car V is detected at the UF position, the top nozzle 28 is at the 28F position;
The top nozzle 28 that has risen from the position stops at the 28G position when the count time of the timer B reaches the predetermined time T2 (steps S23 and 24). When the top nozzle 28 stops rising, the top nozzle 28 moves horizontally, and when the count time of the timer C reaches the predetermined time T3 (
Step S25), timers B and C are deactivated and reset to zero (Step S26). At this time, the top nozzle 28 avoids contact with the fender mirror F and reaches the 28H position. As described above, when the upper surface detection means 52U detects the detection after the traveling position L of the traveling frame 1 becomes L2 or less, it is determined that this is due to the presence of the fender mirror F, and the top nozzle 28 is appropriately It is possible to perform avoidance actions.

When the top nozzle 28 avoids the fender mirror F, the process returns to step S11, and the top nozzle 28 dries the upper surface of the front end of the automobile V. Running frame 1
When it reaches the start position (step S9), the traveling frame 1 is stopped, the blowers 24 and 26 are deactivated, and the top nozzle 28 is raised to the upper limit position to end the drying process (step S27).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention described in the claims. Design changes are possible.

For example, the upper surface processing means is the top nozzle 28.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other processing means such as a nozzle that ejects a cleaning agent may be used.

Furthermore, the detection of the running positions L1 and L2 by the running position detecting means 58 is performed based on the output signal of the means for detecting the front end of the automobile V or the windshield surface, as described in (1) below.
This can be done as shown in ~■. ■ A switch is provided that is activated when the side brush 6 comes into contact with the front end of the vehicle V, and L is calculated by subtracting the constant X from the traveling position L3 of the traveling frame 1 when the switch is activated.
2 (L2 = L3 - X), and add a constant Y to L3 to obtain L1 (L1 = L3 + Y). ■ A switch is provided that is activated when the top brush 5 is cleaning the windshield surface of the automobile V, and a constant E is subtracted from the traveling position L4 of the traveling frame 1 when the switch is activated to obtain L2 (L2 = L4 - E), L
4 and the constant F to obtain L1 (L1=L4 +F
). ■ Provide a switch that operates when the top nozzle 28 descends to a predetermined position on the windshield surface of the automobile V, and subtract a constant G from the traveling position L5 of the traveling frame 1 when the switch is activated to obtain L2 (L2 =L
5-G). In this case, G may be zero.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a position detecting means for detecting that the upper surface processing means has reached a predetermined position of the automobile, and a position detecting means provided on the upper surface processing means for detecting the fender mirror of the automobile. Since the fender mirror is detected using both output signals of the protrusion detection means obtained, the fender mirror can be reliably identified from other protrusions such as an air spoiler protruding from the surface of the car, and It becomes possible to cause the upper surface processing means to perform an appropriate avoidance operation to avoid contact.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Overall side view of car wash machine

[Figure 2] Overall front view of car wash machine

[Figure 3] Explanatory diagram of action

[Figure 4] Explanatory diagram of action

FIG. 5: Flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

28...Top nozzle (upper surface processing means) 52U...
Top surface detection means (projection detection means) 58... Traveling position detection means (position detection means) 41... Control device (control means) F... Fender mirror V... Automobile

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] Vehicle (V) and upper surface treatment means (28)
In the top surface treatment device for a car wash machine, the top surface treatment means (28) is made to follow the shape of the top surface of the vehicle (V) while moving the top surface treatment means (28) relative to the top surface of the vehicle (V). Protrusion detection means (52U) capable of detecting protrusions on the top surface of the vehicle body including the fender mirror (F)
), a position detecting means (58) for detecting that the upper surface processing means (28) has reached a predetermined position of the vehicle (V), and output signals of the protrusion detecting means (52U) and the position detecting means (58). Based on the above, the upper surface processing means (28)
control means (41) for causing the upper surface treatment means (28) to perform an avoidance operation so as not to contact the fender mirror (F) of the
) A top surface treatment device for a car wash machine.