JPH10315930A - Car washer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To wash various types of automobiles properly. SOLUTION: A travelling frame 10 constituted by assembling right and left side frames 11, 11 and an upper frame 16 in a portal shape, right and left side nozzles 21, 21 which are mounted on each side frame 11, and an upper nozzle 26 mounted on the upper frame 16 are provided. The side nozzles 21, 21 adjust horizontal positions through a drive rod 23, respectively, and the upper nozzle 26 adjusts height positions through a drive rod 28, respectively, thereby holding and operating a car washer at the optimum position for the surface of an automobile C.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car washing apparatus capable of accurately washing various automobiles with a simple structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional car washing apparatus is a so-called rotary brush type, in which a nozzle that sprays a cleaning liquid such as water or detergent in a mist state and a rotary brush that rotates while contacting the surface of an automobile have a gate-shaped running. It is built into the frame. In addition, the rotating brush incorporated in the upper portion of the traveling frame is incorporated in the traveling frame so as to be movable up and down in order to change the height position. Therefore, this system can automatically clean the entire surface of the vehicle by storing the vehicle in the traveling frame and moving the traveling frame back and forth while operating the nozzle and the rotating brush.

[0003]

According to the prior art, the rotating brush rotates while contacting the surface of the automobile, so that the painted surface of the automobile is easily scratched.
Because the cleaning range is limited by the size of the rotating brush,
There is a problem in that the vehicle width, the vehicle height, etc. of the vehicle that can be washed are limited, and the type and size of the applicable vehicle are limited. In addition, there is a problem that a plurality of rotating brushes need to be incorporated in order to correspond to each part of the automobile, and furthermore, since the upper rotating brush is moved up and down, the entire structure becomes extremely complicated.

In view of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to simplify the overall structure by employing a side nozzle whose horizontal position can be adjusted and an upper nozzle whose height can be adjusted. Another object of the present invention is to provide a car washing apparatus capable of properly washing various automobiles.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a moving frame having left and right side frames and an upper frame assembled in a gate shape, and a left and right side mounted on each side frame inward. Of the side nozzle,
The upper frame is provided with an upper nozzle mounted downward, and the gist is that the horizontal position and the height position of each of the side nozzles and the upper nozzle can be adjusted.

[0006] Each side nozzle can be reciprocated up and down along the side frame, and the upper nozzle can be reciprocated right and left along the upper frame.

[0007] Each side nozzle is based on distance data to the surface of the vehicle which is measured and stored in the front-rear direction and height direction of the vehicle, and the upper nozzle is a vehicle which is measured and stored in the front-rear direction and width direction of the vehicle. Based on the distance data to the surface of the vehicle, each of them can be operated while being kept at the optimum position with respect to the surface of the vehicle.

Further, each side nozzle and upper nozzle are
Via a common feed pump, each can be switched to one or both of a water tank and a wax tank.

[0009]

According to the structure of the present invention, the movable frame is constructed by assembling the left and right side frames and the upper frame into a gate shape, and the side nozzle having a horizontally adjustable position is mounted on the side frame, and the height position can be adjusted. The upper nozzle is mounted on the upper frame. Therefore, the moving frame reciprocates in the front-rear direction of the car to be stored, and adjusts the horizontal position of each side nozzle and the height position of the upper nozzle so as to reduce the distance between each side nozzle, the upper nozzle and the surface of the car. The car can be washed by injecting high-pressure jet water from each side nozzle and upper nozzle while maintaining the optimum. In addition, the jet water flow from the side nozzle and the upper nozzle has an injection pressure of several tens to several hundreds of atmospheres during cleaning, and particularly preferably 70 to 200 atmospheres. If the injection pressure is insufficient, the cleaning effect is insufficient, while the excessive injection pressure is difficult to handle, and the power required for the pump may be excessive.

When the side nozzles and the upper nozzle are reciprocated up and down, left and right, respectively, the side nozzles and the upper nozzle exert a wide range of cleaning effect by the jet water flow, and can uniformly clean the entire surface of the automobile. In addition, the amount of water required for washing can be minimized.

Each of the side nozzles and the upper nozzles are operated while being maintained at an optimum position with respect to the surface of the vehicle based on distance data measured and stored in advance, thereby minimizing uneven cleaning and realizing a good cleaning effect. can do. For each side nozzle, the distance data is measured and stored in the front-rear direction and height direction of the vehicle, and for the upper nozzle, the distance data is measured and stored in the front-rear direction and width direction of the vehicle. It is possible to always achieve a uniform cleaning effect even when the parking position of the vehicle is not constant, as well as the size.

If the side nozzle and the upper nozzle are connected to one or both of the water tank and the wax tank, the side nozzle and the upper nozzle can be connected to the water tank without preparing separate nozzles for water and wax. And spray water,
A high-concentration wax liquid can be sprayed by connecting to a wax tank, and a wax liquid diluted to a predetermined concentration by water can be sprayed by connecting to both a water tank and a wax tank.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The car washing apparatus comprises the moving frame 10, the side nozzles 21, 21, and the upper nozzle 26 as main members (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The movable frame 10 is assembled into a building B by assembling left and right side frames 11, 11 and an upper frame 16 into a gate shape. However, the building B is formed by providing a roof B2 above the left and right pillars B1, B1,. The movable frame 10 is provided on both outer sides of the side frames 11, 11 with support brackets 14, 1 with respect to upper and lower guide rails 13, 13 attached to the pillars B1, B1,.
4 so as to be movable back and forth.

Each guide rail 13 is a long material having a T-shaped guide groove 13a formed on each surface (FIGS. 2 and 3).
It is attached to the middle of the column B1 via the bracket 13b. On the other hand, on the lower surface of the tip of each support bracket 14,
A hook member 14a is slidably engaged with the guide groove 13a on the upper surface of the guide rail 13 (FIGS. 3 and 4), and a reinforcing plate 14b,
14b is attached. Upper support bracket 14,
14 are connected to both ends of a drive chain 15 via reinforcing plates 14b, 14b, respectively (FIGS. 2 and 4), and each chain 15 is provided with a sprocket disposed before and after the upper guide rail 13. It is wound around 15a, 15b. Reinforcement plates 14b, 14b of support bracket 14
Are formed with connecting points 14b1 for the chains 15, respectively (FIG. 3).

The rear sprockets 15b, 15b are connected to a common drive shaft 15c (FIG. 2). The drive shaft 15c includes a sprocket 15c1, a chain 15
d, connected to a drive motor 15e via a sprocket 15e1. Therefore, the moving frame 10 rotates the drive motor 15e in the forward and reverse directions to thereby rotate the chain 1
Through the guide rails 5, 15, the guide rails 13, 13,...

The side frames 11, 11 are formed by combining guide rails 11a, 11a each having a T-shaped guide groove 11a1 on each surface via connecting plates 11b, 11b... (FIGS. 4, 5). ). However, each guide rail 11a has the same structure as the guide rail 13. Each connecting plate 11b is screwed with a set screw 11a3 into a plate nut 11a2 to be inserted into the guide groove 11a1 via a washer 11a4.
It is screwed to 1a, 11a. Note that the connection plates 11b, 11b,.
Are provided outside the guide rails 11a, 11a, and the lower connecting plate 11b is connected to the guide rails 11a, 11a.
a. Each support bracket 14 also
Guide rails 11a, 11a in the same manner as connecting plate 11b
It is screwed to.

The left and right side frames 11, 11 are connected to the front guide rails 11a, 11a via connecting members 11c.
Are connected at the upper end. The connecting member 11c is formed in the same structure as the guide rail 11a, and the guide rails 11a, 11c1 are provided via brackets 11c1, 11c1 at both ends.
1a.

On each side frame 11, a chain 12 with a drive pin 12a is disposed between the guide rails 11a, 11a via upper and lower sprockets 12b, 12b. The upper sprocket 12b is
The drive motor 12c is fixed to a base plate 12c1 attached to the guide rails 11a, 11a. The lower sprocket 12b is
The base plate 12d is rotatably mounted on the guide rail 1 via the reinforcing plates 12d1 and 12d1 on both sides.
1a and 11a. Also, the base plate 12d
Is connected to the guide rail 1 via the tension bolt 12e1.
It is connected to an angle member 12e attached to the lowermost part of 1a, 11a. The base plates 12c1 and 12d and the angle member 12e are screwed to the guide rails 11a and 11a in the same manner as the connecting plate 11b.

Brackets 1 are provided on the vertical portions of the intermediate connecting plates 11b and 11b and the upper support bracket 14, respectively.
Guide members 12f, 12f are additionally provided via 2f1, 12f1. The guide members 12f can guide the chain 12 traveling up and down. That is, the chain 12 is driven to rotate up and down along the guide rails 11a and 11a by operating the drive motor 12c.
2 can be loaded with an appropriate tension.

A drive base 22 that reciprocates up and down by a chain 12 is mounted on the side frame 11. The drive base 22 has a horizontally elongated hole 22a with which the drive pin 12a of the chain 12 is engaged. However, the drive pin 12a has a drive base 2
2 is formed so as not to protrude from the front surface. On the rear surface of the drive base 22, a pair of left and right hook members 22b, 22
b, and the hook members 22b, 22b are provided with guide grooves 11a1, 11a1 of the guide rails 11a, 11a.
Are slidably engaged with. Meanwhile, the side frame 11
, Stoppers 11d, 11d made of an elastic material are screwed above and below each guide rail 11a.

A drive motor 23a for driving the drive rod 23 in a horizontal direction is mounted on the drive base 22 via an L-shaped bracket 22c (FIGS. 5 and 6). The side nozzle 21 is mounted inward via the mounting plate 21a. The drive rod 23 has racks 23c, 23c,..., And the reduction gear mechanism 23b of the drive motor 23a has racks 23c, 23c,.
23c. Are incorporated. In addition,
The mounting plate 21a is connected to the drive rod 23 via the boss 21a1.
It is fixed to the tip of. A guide rod 21c that is parallel to the drive rod 23 is provided upright on the back side of the mounting plate 21a.
and a guide block 22d attached to the lower surface of c. The side nozzle 21 has a U bolt 21b,
21b, and is fixed to the mounting plate 21a via
A distance sensor 21d such as an ultrasonic sensor is mounted on the mounting plate 21a.
Is also installed.

Therefore, the left and right side nozzles 21, 21
Are driven by rotating the chain 12 in one direction via a drive motor 12c, respectively.
Through the drive base 22, it is possible to reciprocate up and down along the side frame 11. The drive pin 12a attached to the chain 12 is engaged with the long hole 22a of the drive base 22.
The drive base 22 is reciprocated right and left in the long hole 22a.
Can be driven up and down. Each side nozzle 21 and the distance sensor 21d are connected to a drive motor 23.
The horizontal position can be arbitrarily adjusted by moving the drive rod 23 in the axial direction via the line a.

The upper frame 16 includes a bracket 11e,
It is attached to the upper end of the guide rail 11a, 11a behind each of the side frames 11, 11 via 11e (FIGS. 1, 7). The upper frame 16 includes a connecting plate 16b,
Guide rails 16a, 16a each having a guide groove 16a1 on each surface are connected via the bases 16b. In addition, the guide rail 16a is the guide rail 13, 11a.
Are formed in the same structure.

In the upper frame 16, a chain 17 with a drive pin 17a is incorporated between the guide rails 16a, 16a via left and right sprockets 17b, 17b, and the drive is slidably assembled to the guide rails 16a, 16a. A drive rod 28, an upper nozzle 26, and a distance sensor 26d are mounted downward via a base 27 and a bracket 27c. The upper nozzle 26 and the distance sensor 26d can reciprocate right and left via a drive base 27 by rotating the chain 17 in one direction via a drive motor 17c, and can be driven via a drive motor 28a. By moving the rod 28 in the axial direction,
The height position can be adjusted arbitrarily. That is, reference numerals 16, 16a, 16b, 16d, 17, 26 to 28 in FIG.
Correspond to the reference numerals 11, 11a, 11b, 11d, 12, 21 to 23 in FIGS. 4 to 6 including the respective suffixes.

Side nozzles 21, 21, upper nozzle 26
Are connected to a water tank 32 and a wax tank 33 via a common supply pump 31 (FIG. 8). Water tank 3
2 is connected to the supply pump 31 via a strainer 32a, and the wax tank 33 is connected to the strainer 33a.
a, it is connected to the supply pump 31 via the flow control valve 33b and the opening / closing valve 33c. The outlet side of the supply pump 31
The side nozzle 2 is provided via the on-off valves 34a, 34b, 34c.
1, 21 and the upper nozzle 26 is branched and connected. Therefore, the side nozzles 21 and 21 and the upper nozzle 26 open the on-off valves 34a, 34b and 34c, respectively.
The water W1 from the water tank 32 can be injected at high pressure,
By opening the on-off valve 33c together, the wax liquid W2 from the wax tank 33 can be injected as a wax liquid having a predetermined concentration. That is, each side nozzle 2
1. The upper nozzle 26 can be switched and connected to one or both of the water tank 32 and the wax tank 33 to operate as a water nozzle and a wax nozzle, respectively.

An encoder 15f is connected to a drive motor 15e for driving the moving frame 10 back and forth (FIG. 9). In addition, drive bases 22, 22 on which the side nozzles 21, 21, and the distance sensors 21d, 21d are mounted,
An encoder 22e is attached to each of them, and an encoder 27e is attached to a drive base 27 on which the upper nozzle 26 and the distance sensor 26d are mounted. Encoder 1
The output of 5f is branched and connected to control units 41, 41,... Disposed corresponding to the drive motors 23a, 23a, 28a, and in each control unit 41, branched to a memory 41a and a controller 41b. The outputs of the encoders 22e, 22e, and 27e are stored in the memory 41a of the corresponding control unit 41 and the controller 4 respectively.
1b, the distance sensors 21d, 21d, 26
Each output of d is connected to the corresponding memory 41a of the control unit 41. The output of the memory 41a is connected to the controller 41b, and the output of each controller 41b is the corresponding drive motor 23a, 23a,
28a. The controller 41b is provided with a setting device 41c for setting the optimum distance do.

When moving the moving frame 10 back and forth via the drive motor 15f, the encoder 15f can detect the position x from the retreat limit of the moving frame 10 (FIG. 10). On the other hand, when each encoder 22e drives the side nozzles 21 up and down reciprocally via the drive motors 12c and 12c, the height y of each side nozzle 21
1 and y2 can be detected ((A) in the figure), and the encoder 27e drives the upper nozzle 2 via the drive motor 17c.
6 is reciprocated right and left, the position y of the upper nozzle 26
3 can be detected (FIG. 4B).

In such a car washing apparatus, the moving frame 10 is made to stand by at the retreat limit, the side nozzles 21 and the distance sensor 21d are made to stand by at the retreat limit closest to the side frame 11, and the upper nozzle 26 and the distance sensor 26b are set to the ascending limit. The vehicle C can be automatically washed by stopping the vehicle C within the moving range in front of the moving frame 10.

That is, when a start switch (not shown) is operated, the entire apparatus enters a scan mode and starts.

That is, the moving frame 10 moves forward via the drive motor 15e, and the side nozzles 21, 21 and the distance sensors 21d, 21 via the drive motors 12c, 12c.
d reciprocates up and down, and the upper nozzle 26 and the distance sensor 26d reciprocate left and right via the drive motor 17c. Therefore, the memory 41 of each control unit 41
are the distance x from the position x of the moving frame 10 from the encoder 15f, the heights y1, y2 of the side nozzles 21, 21 from the encoders 22e, 22e, the position y3 of the upper nozzle 26 from the encoder 27e, respectively. By reading the distances d1, d2 and d3 to the surface of the car C detected by the sensors 21d, 21d and 26d,
It can be stored as distance data Di = f (x, yi) (i = 1, 2, 3). However, the distance data D1,
D2 is a distance d in the front-back direction and the height direction of the car C.
1 and d2 are measured and stored, and the distance data D3 is obtained by measuring and storing the distance d3 in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the car C.

When the moving frame 10 reaches the forward limit,
The whole is in the cleaning mode. That is, the moving frame 10
Starts retreating from the forward limit, starts the supply pump 31 and opens the on-off valve 34a, thereby injecting a high-pressure jet water flow from one side nozzle 21 to wash one side of the automobile C. At this time,
The control unit 41 corresponding to the operating side nozzle 21
Can control the drive motor 23a via the controller 41b to maintain the side nozzle 21 at the optimum distance do with respect to the surface of the vehicle C. That is, the controller 41b transmits the moving frame 1 from the encoder 15f.
The distance data D1 = (x, y1) is read from the memory 41e in accordance with the position x of 0 and the height y1 of the side nozzle 21, and the distance d from the side nozzle 21 to the surface of the vehicle C is read.
= Do, the side nozzle 21 is advanced by the advance distance da = D1 -do via the drive motor 23a (FIG. 11). Therefore, the side nozzle 21 at this time is
The horizontal position can be adjusted according to the surface shape of the vehicle C, and can be maintained at the optimum position with respect to the surface of the vehicle C.

When the moving frame 10 reaches the retreat limit,
The moving frame 10 turns forward and closes the on-off valve 34a and opens the on-off valve 34b, thereby operating the other side nozzle 21 to clean the other side of the automobile C. At this time, the control unit 41 corresponding to the operating side nozzle 21 similarly advances the side nozzle 21 by a forward distance db = D2−do = f (x, y2) −do, and At the optimum position with respect to the surface of the vehicle C.

When the moving frame 10 reaches the forward limit,
By opening the on-off valve 34c and operating the upper nozzle 26, the upper surface of the vehicle C is washed while the moving frame 10 is retracted. At this time, the control unit 41 corresponding to the upper nozzle 26 also moves the upper nozzle 26 forward distance dc = D3 -do.
And the upper nozzle 26 can be held at the optimum position.

That is, the side nozzles 21, 21 and the upper nozzle 26 can operate while always maintaining the optimum distance do in accordance with the surface shape of the vehicle C, and regardless of the type and size of the vehicle C, Even if the vehicle C is shifted or inclined to one of the side frames 11 and 11 in the moving frame 10, the vehicle C can be washed properly. However, in FIG. 11, the distance sensors 21d, 21d, 26d are disposed sufficiently close to the corresponding side nozzles 21, 21, and the upper nozzle 26, respectively. Detection distance d1, d2
, D3 are the side nozzles 21, 21 and the upper nozzle 26
From the vehicle C to the car C.

When each surface of the automobile C is cleaned in this way and the moving frame 10 returns to the retreat limit, the whole becomes the wax mode. That is, the moving frame 10 starts moving forward again and injects the wax liquid simultaneously from the side nozzles 21, 21 and the upper nozzle 26 by opening the on-off valves 33c, 34a, 34b, 34c. When the moving frame 10 reaches the forward limit, the whole is in the finishing mode, and only the on-off valve 33c is closed to move the moving frame 10 backward. That is, the side nozzles 21 and 21 and the upper nozzle 26 simultaneously jet a jet stream, and the vehicle C
The surplus wax on the surface of the glass can be washed away. In the wax mode and the finishing mode, the control units 41, 41,... Operate simultaneously to hold the side nozzles 21, 21, and the upper nozzle 26 at optimal positions.

When the moving frame 10 reaches the retreat limit in the finishing mode, the supply pump 31 is stopped, and the on-off valves 34a, 34b.
c, 12c, 17c are stopped, and each side nozzle 21,
The upper nozzle 26 is returned to the retreat limit and the ascending limit, respectively, and the entire process is completed. The above operation steps are collectively shown in FIG.

In the above description, each control unit 41
May set different optimum distances do for the cleaning mode, the wax mode, and the finishing mode, respectively.

The control units 41 may feedback control the forward distances da, db, dc of the side nozzles 21 and the upper nozzle 26 by connecting an encoder to the drive motors 23a, 23a, 28a.

Further, each control unit 41 uses distance sensors 21d, 21d and 26d which can correctly detect the distances d1, d2 and d3 to the surface of the automobile C even when each side nozzle 21 and the upper nozzle 26 are operating. By doing so, it is possible to delete the memory 41a and control the side nozzles 21 and the upper nozzles 26 to be maintained at the optimum positions based on the distances d1, d2, and d3 without going through the scan mode. is there. However, even in this case, by providing the memory 41a and preparing the scan mode, it is possible to prevent each control unit 41 from danger of the side nozzles 21 and the upper nozzles 26 coming into contact with the surface of the vehicle C. Protection range can be set.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, by mounting the side nozzle and the upper nozzle whose horizontal position and height position are adjustable on the moving frame, the moving frame can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. It can reciprocate and spray high-pressure jets of water while maintaining the side nozzle and upper nozzle at the optimum position with respect to the surface of the car, and can wash the car. In addition, since a rotating brush is not used, there is an excellent effect that the entire structure can be extremely simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view of the entire configuration.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main part.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a main part (1).

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a main part (2).

FIG. 8 Piping system diagram

FIG. 9 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view (1).

FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory view (2).

FIG. 12 is an operation explanatory view (3).

[Explanation of symbols]

 C: Car Di (i = 1, 2,...) Distance data 10: Moving frame 11: Side frame 16: Upper frame 21: Side nozzle 26: Upper nozzle 31: Supply pump 32: Water tank 33: Wax tank

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A moving frame in which left and right side frames and an upper frame are assembled in a gate shape, left and right side nozzles mounted inward on each of the side frames, and an upper nozzle mounted downward on the upper frame. Wherein the horizontal position and the height position of each of the side nozzles and the upper nozzle are adjustable. 2. The car washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the side nozzles reciprocates up and down along the side frame. 3. The car washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper nozzle reciprocates right and left along the upper frame. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the side nozzles is operated while being maintained at an optimum position with respect to the vehicle surface based on distance data to the vehicle surface measured and stored in the front-rear direction and the height direction of the vehicle. The car washing device according to claim 2, wherein 5. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the upper nozzle is provided in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.
4. The car washing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is operated while being maintained at an optimum position with respect to the vehicle surface, based on distance data to the vehicle surface measured and stored in the width direction. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the side nozzles and the upper nozzle is selectively connected to one or both of a water tank and a wax tank via a common supply pump. The car wash device as described.