4332results about "Cleaning apparatus for vehicle exteriors" patented technology

A correlator system for automatic car wash has roller assemblies for supporting the front left and right wheels of a vehicle entering a car wash line. A set of guide rails or bars cooperate with the roller assemblies to adjust axial displacement and angular misalignment between the vehicle's front end and a conveyor track transporting the vehicle through the car wash facility. The rollers in the roller assembly rotate freely with minimal friction, axially displacing the front end of the vehicle and adjusting the angular misalignment of the front wheels. The low friction, easy-to-rotate rollers are provided with a plurality of braking elements that generate friction against the rollers, retarding their rotation when a worker steps thereon. The friction generated by the braking elements is insufficient to prevent roller rotation during alignment of the front end with the conveyor track. Injuries to car wash personnel caused by loss of balance when stepping on the rollers are virtually eliminated, and an accurate alignment of the vehicle's front end with the car wash conveyor track is reliably achieved.

An external lens washing system has an aiming fixture configured to support and constrain an external lens which is exposed to the elements and apt to become soiled with debris. A nozzle assembly is configured to be supported and aimed toward the external lens by the aiming fixture and has at least one laterally offset washing nozzle projecting from the aiming fixture to a spray washing fluid toward the external lens surface, spraying at a shallow, glancing spray aiming angle to impinge upon and wash the lens external surface. Optionally, an integrated image sensor and lens washing assembly is configured for use with a remote control method for cleaning an exterior objective lens surface and includes a sealed image sensor housing assembly including an integral, remotely controllable lens cleaning system with an optimized configuration for aiming one or more cleansing sprays from one or more laterally offset fluidic oscillators.

An incentive-based grocery cart washing and disinfecting system including a consumer special-offer coupon applying apparatus, for use in a batch or continuous process comprising a housing having at least one pipe manifold with nozzles positioned therein to provide at least one treatment zone selected from pre-wash, wash, disinfecting, and rinse zones. In addition, blown air water-stripping/drying zones may be provided, with a heating source to assist drying. Following drying, a strip of specially adapted grocery coupons is optionally applied to the grocery cart handle, so that the coupons can be redeemed by customers during their subsequent shopping. The housing is generally a linear tunnel permitting access of soiled carts at one end and removal of the clean, disinfected carts at the other end. A cart pusher system may be employed to transport the carts through the tunnel either singly or in nested groups. A convenient antimicrobial disinfecting solution is a water solution of hypochlorite. A single zone system is disclosed in which in a selected, optionally preprogrammed, sequence of application of pre-wash, wash, rinse, and disinfecting fluids are delivered to selected surfaces of the cart, followed by blown air, preferably heated, for stripping/drying,. The coupon strip comprises a leader portion and a coupon portion, and the leader can be wrapped and fixed around the grocery cart handle manually or by means of the automated machinery described. The system of the invention may be a fixed or mobile system, with the use preferably being on site at stores.

This patent discloses a cleaning system for shopping carts. The cleaning system may include a prewash station, a wash station, a rinse station, a drying station, a physical disinfecting station, a conveyor, and a recovery tank. The wash station may include brushes. The drying station may include a fan configured to blow a thin sheet of air downward and onto the shopping cart. The physical disinfecting station may include an ultraviolet light generator. The conveyor may include a track system having hooks attached to chains that are configured to be moved by a conveyor motor. A frame may surround and support the stations. The cleaning system additionally may include a water recovery/supply system and an external spray wash hose attached to a reservoir to pre-prewash the shopping carts.

The present invention is a hand-held device that integrates and enables one or more or a combination of functions of spraying, cleaning, drying, waxing, polishing and shining of a floor or a surface including that of a vehicle. The present invention has one or more brushes rotated by one or more electric motors powered by a power source or a built-in and/or removable and/or rechargeable battery pack or by water pressure and is capable of discharging, dispersing or spraying one or more or a combination of air, water, steam, compressed air, pressurized water, pressurized steam, hot air, detergent, waxing agent and polishing agent. The discharging, dispersing or spraying of one or more or a combination of these materials through select nozzles along with the rotation of the brush or brushes enables multiple functions to be accomplished in a single pass of the device over the surface.

A carwash includes a single thru-beam or retroreflective photoelectric sensor that can determine the position of a vehicle's left side, right side, front end and back end. To accomplish this, the sensor is coupled to a spray arch that travels around the vehicle while spray washing the vehicle's exterior. In some embodiments, the sensor responds to a beam projected from an emitter that also travels with the spray arch, whereby the emitter, the sensor and the spray arch move in unison. The beam is preferably projected at an acute angle to a horizontal plane so that the sensor can detect the presence of the vehicle without the spray arch having to get too close. To avoid over twisting the sensor's electrical cable, the arch alternately rotates CW and CCW to limit cumulative rotation in any one direction. In some cases, the single sensor responds to beams from multiple emitters.

A shopping cart sanitizing apparatus and method is provided that uses a wash tunnel to automatically dispense sanitizing agents onto shopping carts. The wash tunnel uses a conveyor or other means for moving shopping carts into the apparatus, where sanitizing agents are automatically dispensed onto the shopping carts. Suitable sanitizing agents include soap and water, chemical agents, or a combination of disinfecting fluids.

An integrated carwash client service management system receives a customer's carwash request, and schedules, coordinates, and manages a car parking facility-based hand carwash service. The integrated carwash client service management system includes an integrated carwash service management application executed in a computer server, an integrated carwash customer order application executed in a customer's electronic device, an integrated carwash order processing application executed in a carwash technician device, and an integrated carwash kiosk application executed in an electronic kiosk machine. A client service management database is managed and operated by the integrated carwash service management application executed in the computer server. This system provides an interactive electronic platform to schedule, view, and share a current progress of the carwash with before and after photos, messages, and status updates between the carwash technicians and the customer. The interactive electronic platform also accommodates carwash and auto detailing sales transactions.

A method of controlling wash equipment in an automated vehicle wash system having a conveyor includes, measuring one or more contours of a vehicle as the vehicle moves thorough an entry area of the automated vehicle wash system on the conveyor; tracking the distance a fixed point relative to the conveyor moves; associating the one or more contours of the vehicle with the position of the fixed point; determining, based on the one or more contours of the vehicle and the position of the fixed point, commands for operating the wash equipment; delivering the commands to the wash equipment; and operating the wash equipment in accordance with the commands.

The invention discloses hydraulic automatic water-saving vehicle cleaning equipment, which relates to vehicle cleaning equipment and comprises a water saving device, a hydraulic device and an inductive control device. The water saving device consists of a middle water tank, a clean water tank, an accumulated water tank, a self-priming pump, a hydraulic tank, a nanometer filter screen, a hydraulicvalve, an automatic interchange valve, an automatic water pumping valve and an internal automatic blow-off valve. The hydraulic device consists of a rough cleaning workshop, an agent spraying workshop, a spray-washing workshop, a throw-drying workshop, a wax spraying workshop, a polishing workshop, a hydraulic nozzle, a self-inductive nozzle, throw-drying equipment and polishing equipment, and the inductive control device comprises an automatic control device and a remote control device. A vehicle is firstly roughly cleaned in the rough cleaning workshop, cleaning agent is sprayed on the vehicle entering the agent spraying workshop, then the vehicle enters the spray-cleaning workshop to be thoroughly cleaned in a spraying manner, is in a throw-drying process in the throw-drying workshop and enters the wax spraying workshop, wax agent is sprayed on the vehicle, then the vehicle is polished in the polishing workshop, accordingly, cleaning and maintenance of the vehicle are completed, and comprehensive water conservation and efficacy enhancement are synchronously realized. The hydraulic automatic water-saving vehicle cleaning equipment has the advantages of exquisite structure, multiple functions, wide applicability, high grade and efficiency, energy conservation, environmental protection, convenience in carrying and utilization, small occupied area, low manufacturing cost, high comprehensive cost performance and the like.

The invention relates to a wiper lever (10) with a driven wiper arm (12) and a wiper blade (16) linked to it to clean windows, in particular of motor vehicles, which is provided with a band-like, long-stretched-out, elastic supporting element (30) that is curved over its band surfaces, which features a long-stretched-out, rubber elastic wiper strip (24) on its concave curved band surface (31), on whose upper, convex curved band surface (29), in particular in the longitudinal mid-range of the supporting element, a coupling part (32) sits to connect the wiper blade (16) to the wiper arm (12) and wind deflector strip sections (52) extending towards the ends of the supporting element are arranged in particular on both sides of the coupling part and a cap (60) to cover the connecting area between the wiper blade and the wiper arm belongs to the wiper lever, which cap can be locked on the supporting element (30) of the wiper blade and is provided with elastically deflectable locking means (74). Assembly of the cap on the wiper blade in its correct position on the wiper blade is achieved in a simple manner if the supporting element is provided with at least two limit stops (82) each pointing in opposite longitudinal directions of the wiper blade (16) to which corresponding counter limit stops (84) of the cap (60) are assigned.

A vehicle wash apparatus including a carriage assembly is supported above a vehicle. A pair of opposed shuttle assemblies are operatively supported by the carriage assembly and moveable generally transverse to the carriage assembly. A pair of spray manifold assemblies are operatively supported by one of the opposed shuttle assemblies, and each of the spray manifold assemblies includes a vertical manifold. Each of the pair of spray manifold assemblies are moveable rectilinearly with the carriage assembly, transversely with the shuttle assemblies, and pivotally about the vertical manifold to allow the pair of spray manifold assemblies to move toward and away from one another and to circumscribe the vehicle.

An automatic steam car washing system is provided. The automatic steam car washing system according to current application is comprised of a moving station and 10 metal beams that comprise a frame. Car to be washed stays inside of the frame. Pluralities of steam spraying nozzles, a vacuum nozzle, and a towel are installed in a moving station and moves along the surface of the car. Pluralities of steam generators are installed inside of the moving station and connected to the steam spraying nozzles. Tip of the steam spraying nozzle oscillates horizontally with an angle to the surface of the car. The distance between the spraying nozzle and the surface of the car is maintained constant irrespective of the surface geometry. The automatic steam car washing system according to current application realize a no water spill automatic car washing system and protects the air by collecting the dusts that comes out from the contaminated car surface. By making a steam car wash system automatic, it also protects workers from contaminated working environment. No detergent is used.

The invention relates to equipment and a method for intelligently automatically cleaning vehicles. The equipment comprises a pull guide rail. The pull guide rail is arranged on a side of a ground grid, a first upright column is vertically mounted at the right end of the ground grid, a first transverse beam is fixedly connected with the top of the first upright column, a second upright column is mounted at the rear of the first upright column, a second transverse beam is fixedly connected with the top of the second upright column, longitudinal beams are mounted between the first transverse beam and the second transverse beam, and a third transverse beam is mounted at the tail ends of the longitudinal beams. A second water spray pipe and a water wax spray pipe are arranged between the first transverse beam and the second transverse beam, and a top brush device is mounted on the second upright column. A vertical brush device is mounted on the third transverse beam. Wheel brush devices are symmetrically mounted on the side surfaces of the pull guide rail and are positioned between the first upright column and the second upright column. The equipment and the method have the advantages that mechanical structures can be simplified, power consumption and water consumption can be reduced, failure rates of machinery can be decreased, and the later-stage maintenance cost can be saved; the equipment is additionally provided with an automatic control system, accordingly, the vehicles can be fully automatically cleaned, and the work efficiency can be improved.

A rotatable vehicle laundry brush comprising a center shaft and a plurality of axially stacked hollow blow-molded spacers which are pinned and clamped together with felt discs sandwiched between the spacers and extending radially outwardly therefrom so as to translate in an edgewise manner when the brush rotates. The felt discs are made up from pie-shaped or rectangular brush elements the outer peripheries of which are subdivided into sample and/or compound fingers by a pattern of long and short slits. Brush elements are also provided which translate in a facewise manner. Brush material is minimized and reconstruction of the brush is made more efficient.

A hardware and software method, system and apparatus comprising an autonomous all weather outdoor cleaning robot designed to identify, and clean various outdoor household objects including but not limited to personal automobiles and other vehicles. The robot autonomously navigates to a designated area and scans the vehicle or object to determine the optimum cleaning routine. The robot learns its working environment by comparing scanned vehicles and outdoor objects with its existing database for future reference. The robot also compares and stores navigation data, which correlate to areas previously visited to increase efficiency for future work by reducing travel and scanning times. The Present Invention focuses on autonomous outdoor cleaning multi-purpose robots. The robots utilize microprocessors to control cleaning, navigation and perception. More specifically, the robots use multi-segmented arms to perform needful chores. Even more specifically, a robot can adapt and learn from its environment while performing useful tasks.