Vehicle washing device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle washing device (1), which comprises: a cylinder block (8) including a cylinder block pipe (10) supplied with a washing fluid; a piston (12) including a piston pipe (20) movably inserted into the cylinder block pipe (10) and open at both ends; and a nozzle (14) mounted at a front end in an extending direction of the piston pipe (20) protruding from the cylinder block pipe (10). The nozzle (14) is configured to spray the washing fluid supplied inside the piston pipe (20) toward an object to be washed. The outer periphery of the nozzle (14) is fitted to the inner periphery of the piston pipe (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle washing device. Background Art

[0002] There are known vehicle washing devices having nozzles protruding to the outside through openings formed in a vehicle body or a bumper, and washing an object to be washed such as a headlight by ejecting a fluid from the nozzles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Since the accommodation space inside the vehicle body or behind the bumper is limited, it is desired to reduce the total length of the vehicle washing device in the nozzle moving direction.

[0004] The present invention has been devised under these circumstances, and one illustrative object of one aspect of the present invention is to reduce the total length of the vehicle washing device.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle washing device. The vehicle washing device includes: a cylinder body including a cylinder tube into which a washing fluid is supplied; a piston including a piston tube movably inserted into the cylinder tube and having openings at both ends; and a nozzle mounted at a front end in an extending direction of the piston tube protruding from the cylinder tube. The nozzle is configured to eject the washing fluid supplied through the inside of the piston tube toward the object to be washed. The outer periphery of the nozzle is fitted to the inner periphery of the piston tube.

[0006] Any combination of the above-described components, and aspects of the present invention including components that can be interchanged therebetween, such as methods, devices, systems, etc., are also possible.

[0007] The above configuration can reduce the total length of the vehicle washing device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle washing device according to an embodiment;

[0010] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle washing device according to the embodiment;

[0011] Figure 3 is a perspective sectional view of the vehicle washing device according to the embodiment;

[0012] Figure 4A shows Figure 1 the assembly steps of the vehicle washing device;

[0013] Figure 4B is a view showing Figure 1 the assembly steps of the vehicle washing device;

[0014] Figure 4C is a view showing Figure 1 the assembly steps of the vehicle washing device;

[0015] Figure 4D is a view showing Figure 1 the assembly steps of the vehicle washing device;

[0016] Figure 5A is a view explaining Figure 1 the advantages of the vehicle washing device;

[0017] Figure 5B is a view explaining Figure 1 the advantages of the vehicle washing device. Detailed Embodiment

[0018] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. This embodiment is not intended to limit but only to illustrate the present invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in this embodiment are not necessarily essential for the present invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0019] Figures 1 to 3 is a view showing the vehicle washing device 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle washing device 1. Figure 2 and Figure 3 are a longitudinal sectional view and a perspective sectional view of the vehicle washing device 1 taken along a vertical section including the central axis of the cylinder tube 10.

[0020] The vehicle washing device 1 includes a cylinder body 8, a piston 12 slidably inserted into the cylinder body 8, and a nozzle 14 mounted at the front end 12a of the piston 12 (i.e., the front end of the piston tube 20) and spraying a cleaning fluid (e.g., cleaning liquid) F toward the object to be cleaned.

[0021] The vehicle washing device 1 is accommodated inside the vehicle body or behind the bumper. When cleaning the object to be cleaned, the vehicle washing device 1 extends the nozzle 14 from the vehicle body or the bumper to the outside and sprays the cleaning fluid F from the nozzle 14 to clean the object to be cleaned. The object to be cleaned may be, for example, a housing cover including at least one of a lighting unit, a camera, and a sensor (e.g., a lidar sensor), or may also be, for example, a vehicle body, a window, or a rearview mirror.

[0022] Hereinafter, the direction in which the cylinder tube 10 of the cylinder block 8 and the piston tube 20 of the piston 12 extend is referred to as the axial direction A. The direction passing through the central axes of the cylinder tube 10 and the piston tube 20 and perpendicular to these central axes (i.e., the direction orthogonal to the axial direction A and thus orthogonal to the extending direction of the cylinder tube 10 and the piston tube 20) is referred to as the radial direction B. The side of the piston tube 20 where the nozzle 14 is provided in the axial direction A is referred to as the front side, and the side opposite to the front side (i.e., the side opposite to the nozzle) is referred to as the rear side. The axial direction A corresponds to the direction in which the piston 12 and the nozzle 14 move. These designations do not limit the posture of using the vehicle washing device 1, and the vehicle washing device 1 can be used in any posture.

[0023] The cylinder block 8 includes: a cylindrical cylinder tube 10; a cylindrical coupling portion 18 that is coupled to the outer periphery near the rear end of the cylinder tube 10 and extends vertically upward therefrom (i.e., in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction A); and a spring support 19 that is provided on the rear end side inside the cylinder tube 10. In the illustrated example, the coupling portion 18 is coupled to the outer periphery of the rear end of the cylinder tube 10.

[0024] The cylinder tube 10 is open at both ends in the axial direction A. An inflow opening 10g that opens into the inside of the coupling portion 18 is formed on the outer periphery of the cylinder tube 10. The inside of the cylinder tube 10 and the inside of the coupling portion 18 communicate with each other through the inflow opening 10g. The inflow opening 10g has an opening area S2 that is smaller than the flow path area S1 of the flow path 18a inside the coupling portion 18. The flow path area S1 refers to the cross-sectional area in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction that is the extending direction of the coupling portion 18. The inflow opening opens near the rear side inside the coupling portion 18. The cylinder tube 10 has an opposing portion 10h that opposes the front side in the width direction of the flow path 18a extending in the vertical direction.

[0025] A tube (not shown) is coupled to the coupling portion 18. This tube is coupled to a cleaning fluid storage tank (not shown) provided inside the vehicle body. The cleaning fluid F emitted from the cleaning fluid storage tank passes through this tube and the coupling portion 18 and flows into the cylinder tube 10 through the inflow opening 10g. As described above, in the present embodiment, the coupling portion 18 extends from the outer periphery of the cylinder tube 10 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction A. Therefore, compared with the case where the coupling portion extends from the rear end of the cylinder tube in the axial direction toward the rear side in a conventional vehicle washing device, the total length of the vehicle washing device 1 in the axial direction A can be reduced without reducing the stroke length of the piston 12.

[0026] The spring support 19 includes a spring support portion 19a that projects radially inward from the rear end side inside the cylinder tube 10, and a spring fitting portion 19b that extends axially toward the rear side from the radially inner side of the spring support portion 19a. When viewed from the axial direction A, the spring support portion 19a has a semi-circular shape. The spring fitting portion 19b has a substantially semi-cylindrical shape.

[0027] The piston 12 includes: a cylindrical piston tube 20; an annular flange 22 that projects radially outward from a position on the rear end side of the piston tube 20; and a spring hook 23 that projects toward the inside of the piston tube 20 on the front end side of the piston tube 20. The piston tube 20 is movably inserted into the cylinder tube 10. The piston tube 20 is open at both ends in the axial direction A. The piston tube 20 is an angular tube having a polygonal (here, hexagonal) cross-section, but may alternatively be a circular tube having a circular cross-section.

[0028] The spring 24 is accommodated inside the piston tube 20. The spring 24 is a helical tension spring. The spring 24 has a main body 24a wound around a fixed diameter, a hook portion 24b formed in a hook shape on the front end side of the main body 24a, and an annular engagement portion 24c formed on the rear end side of the main body 24a and wound around a diameter larger than that of the main body 24a.

[0029] The spring 24 is inserted into the piston tube 20 from the rear side through the opening 10e at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10. The hook portion 24b engages with the spring hook 23 by hanging on the spring hook 23 of the piston 12. The annular engagement portion 24c fits around the spring fitting portion 19b of the spring support 19 of the cylinder 8 and rests on the spring support portion 19a. Accordingly, the front end of the spring 24 is fixed to the piston 12, and the rear end is fixed to the cylinder 8. Accordingly, the spring 24 urges the piston 12 rearward relative to the cylinder 8 in the axial direction, that is, in the direction in which the piston 12 is accommodated in the cylinder tube 10.

[0030] The opening 10e at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10 is closed by a first lid 15. The first lid 15 includes a disk portion 15a and an annular projection 15b that projects axially forward from the front surface of the disk portion 15a. The annular projection 15b surrounds the spring fitting portion 19b and the annular engagement portion 24c. The first lid 15 restricts the rearward movement of the annular engagement portion 24c to prevent the annular engagement portion 24c from coming off the spring support 19.

[0031] When the vehicle washing device 1 is not performing washing, the piston 12 is held at its rear end of movement by the urging force of the spring 24 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2position). The position of the piston 12 in this state is also referred to as the accommodation position. Further, when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the front end portion of the piston tube 20 projects forward in the axial direction through the opening 10f at the front end of the cylinder tube 10, that is, it is located outside the cylinder tube 10. The cleaning fluid F that has flowed into the cylinder tube 10 flows into the piston tube 20.

[0032] A ring-shaped sealing member 26 is attached to the rear side of the flange 22. The sealing member 26 is made of an elastically deformable material such as a rubber material. The sealing member 26 is externally fitted on the piston tube 20 and moves together with the piston tube 20. The outer diameter of the sealing member 26 is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cylinder tube 10, and the outer periphery of the sealing member 26 is tightly fitted on the inner peripheral surface 10a of the cylinder tube 10. Therefore, when the cleaning fluid F is supplied to the cylinder tube 10, the cleaning fluid F is prevented from flowing from the sealing member 26 into the gap G1 in the radial direction B between the cylinder tube 10 and the piston tube 20 located on the front side.

[0033] The gap G2 between the cylinder tube 10 and the piston tube 20 in the opening 10f at the front end of the cylinder tube 10 is closed by the second lid 16. The second lid 16 includes a ring-shaped portion 30 and a tubular portion 32 extending rearward in the axial direction from the ring-shaped portion 30. The ring-shaped portion 30 is externally fitted on the piston tube 20. The outer diameter of the ring-shaped portion 30 is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the cylinder tube 10. The second lid 16 closes the gap G2 between the cylinder tube 10 and the piston tube 20 in the opening of the cylinder tube 10 by being mounted so that the ring-shaped portion 30 contacts the front end of the cylinder tube 10.

[0034] The tubular portion 32 of the second lid 16 is located inside the cylinder tube 10 so as to surround the piston tube 20. The tubular portion 32 of the second lid 16 is externally fitted on the piston tube 20. The outer diameter of the tubular portion 32 of the second lid 16 is set to be equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder tube 10. During cleaning, the piston 12 moves forward in the axial direction until the flange 22 contacts the rear end 32a of the tubular portion 32 of the second lid 16.

[0035] The cylinder tube 10 has an air hole 10b on the front end side, and the gap G1 between the cylinder tube 10 and the piston tube 20 communicates with the outside of the cylinder tube 10 through the air hole. In the illustrated example, the air hole 10b is a cutout hole, but it may be replaced with a through hole. The air hole 10b is provided to allow air to enter and exit the gap G1, which allows the piston 12 to move.

[0036] A sealing member 36 is mounted on the front side of the second lid 16. The sealing member 36 is made of an elastically deformable material such as a rubber material. The sealing member 36 has an annular shape, and the inner peripheral surface 36a of the sealing member 36 is closely fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the piston tube 20. Thus, a seal is formed between the second lid 16 and the piston tube 20, thereby preventing dust, moisture, etc. from entering the cylinder tube 10 and preventing the cleaning fluid F from leaking out of the cylinder tube 10.

[0037] When the piston 12 is in the accommodation position and the joint portion 18 is viewed from the radial direction B, the rear end portion 20b of the piston tube 20 overlaps with the flow path 18a of the cleaning fluid F in the joint portion 18. In the illustrated example, the rear end portion 20b of the piston tube 20 also overlaps with the inflow opening 10g. Thus, when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the rear end portion 20b of the piston tube 20 is located inside the flow path 18a in the radial direction B, and in the illustrated example, is also located inside the inflow opening 10g in the radial direction B. In this case, when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the length of the piston tube 20 protruding from the cylinder tube 10 in the axial direction A is short, so that the total length of the vehicle cleaning device 1 in the axial direction A when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position is reduced.

[0038] When the piston 12 is in the accommodation position and the joint portion 18 is viewed from the radial direction B, the sealing member 26 overlaps with the opposed portion 10h and also overlaps with the flow path 18a. This means that when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the sealing member 26 is located inside the opposed portion 10h in the radial direction B and further inside the flow path 18a. In this case, when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the flange 22 can be arranged to be located on the relatively rear side. Thus, when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the distance S in the axial direction A between the front end 22a of the flange 22 and the rear end 32a of the tubular portion 32, that is, the stroke length of the piston 12 can be increased. When the opposed portion 10h extends further rearward in the axial direction, the sealing member 26 can be located at a further rear position in the axial direction. However, as the opposed portion 10h extends further rearward in the axial direction, the opening area S2 of the inflow opening 10g becomes smaller. Therefore, the opening area S2 of the inflow opening 10g and the length of the opposed portion 10h in the axial direction should be determined such that a desired inflow rate can be achieved.

[0039] When viewing the coupling portion 18 from the radial direction B, the annular engaging portion 24c of the spring 24 overlaps with the flow path 18a of the coupling portion 18. This means that the annular engaging portion 24c is located inside the flow path 18a in the radial direction B. In the illustrated example, the rear end 24d of the annular engaging portion 24c is located behind the inflow opening 10g in the axial direction. The annular protrusion 15b of the first lid 15 that encloses the spring fitting portion 19b and the annular engaging portion 24c is located inside the flow path 18a of the coupling portion 18 in the radial direction B. The front end 15c of the annular protrusion 15b is located inside the inflow opening 10g in the radial direction B. In these cases, the annular engaging portion 24c of the spring 24 inserted through the opening 10e at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10 is fixed to the cylinder tube 10 at a position near the rear end of the cylinder tube 10, so that the annular engaging portion 24c can be fixed relatively easily.

[0040] The nozzle 14 includes a valve 37, two nozzle brackets 40, and two nozzles 42. The valve 37 controls the flow of the cleaning fluid from the piston tube 20 to the nozzle 14. The valve 37 includes a valve housing 38 and a valve body 39. The valve housing 38 has a tubular shape. The rear end of the valve housing 38 is press-fitted into the piston tube 20 on the front end side of the piston tube 20. Specifically, the outer periphery 38f on the rear end side of the valve housing 38 is fitted on the inner periphery 20a on the front end side of the piston tube 20 so that the rear end 38e of the valve housing 38 is located inside the piston tube 20. In the illustrated example, when the piston 12 is in the receiving position, the rear end 38e of the valve housing 38 reaches the radial inside of the cylinder tube 10. Therefore, when viewed from the radial direction B, the rear end of the valve housing 38 overlaps with the second lid 16 and the sealing member 36.

[0041] Inside the valve housing 38, a valve chamber 38a and a valve hole 38b continuously provided on the rear side of the valve chamber 38a in the axial direction are formed. The diameter of the valve hole 38b is smaller than the diameter of the valve chamber 38a. The rear end side of the inner wall surface of the valve chamber 38a is tapered, and the rear end portion of the tapered surface 38g constitutes a valve seat 38c on which the valve body 39 is placed. In the present embodiment, the valve seat 38c is located on the radial inside of the front end side of the piston tube 20. In addition, in the illustrated example, when the piston 12 is in the receiving position, the valve seat 38c is located on the radial inside of the sealing member 36. The valve seat 38c can be located more on the rear side than in the illustrated example in the axial direction, and when the piston 12 is in the receiving position, the valve seat 38c can be located on the radial inside of the second lid 16 or on the radial inside of the cylinder tube 10.

[0042] The valve housing 38 has a restricting portion 38d that projects inwardly at the rear end of the valve housing 38. The restricting portion 38d can contact the hooking portion 24b of the spring 24 from the front side, or there can be a small gap between the restricting portion 38d and the hooking portion 24b as shown in the drawing. In the present embodiment, the restricting portion 38d faces the spring hook 23 in the axial direction A, but is not particularly limited to this example. The restricting portion 38d restricts the movement of the hooking portion 24b in the axial direction toward the front side to prevent the hooking portion 24b and the spring hook 23 from separating from each other, that is, to prevent the hooking portion 24b from detaching from the spring hook 23.

[0043] The valve body 39 is made of, for example, an elastically deformable rubber material. The valve body 39 includes a valve main body 39a disposed in the valve chamber 38a and having a spherical rear end, and a projecting portion 39b that projects rearward in the axial direction from the valve main body 39a and enters the valve hole 38b. The valve body 39 is urged rearward in the axial direction by a spring (not shown), which is, for example, a helical compression spring. Under the urging force of the spring, the valve main body 39a rests on the valve seat 38c. Thus, the valve 37 is closed. Then, the valve chamber 38a (and by extension, the nozzle bracket 40) is isolated from the valve hole 38b (and by extension, the piston tube 20). (The communication between the former and the latter is blocked.)

[0044] When the cleaning fluid F that has flowed into the piston tube 20 is supplied to the valve hole 38b and the pressure of the cleaning fluid F acting on the valve body 39 exceeds the urging force of the spring that urges the valve body 39, the valve body 39 moves away from the valve seat 38c against the urging force of the spring. Thus, the valve 37 opens. Then, the valve chamber 38a (and by extension, the nozzle bracket 40) communicates with the valve hole 38b (and by extension, the piston tube 20), allowing the cleaning fluid F to flow into the nozzle bracket 40.

[0045] The nozzle bracket 40 is rotatably supported on the lateral sides (left and right) of the valve housing 38. Each nozzle bracket 40 supports a nozzle 42. The cleaning fluid F that has flowed into the nozzle bracket 40 is ejected through the ejection opening 42a of the nozzle 42.

[0046] A cover (not shown) is mounted on the front side of the nozzle 14. When the vehicle washing device 1 is not performing washing (i.e., when the piston 12 is in the receiving position), the cover closes the opening of the vehicle body or the bumper.

[0047] The basic structure of the vehicle washing device 1 has been described above. Next, the operation of the vehicle washing device 1 will be described.

[0048] When the cleaning fluid F is supplied from the cleaning fluid storage tank to the cylinder tube 10 through the connection part 18, the cleaning fluid F flows into the piston tube 20. Since the flange 22 is pressured by the cleaning fluid F, the piston 12 moves forward in the axial direction while stretching the tension spring 24 from the accommodation position. The nozzle 14 moves forward in the axial direction together with the piston 12 and protrudes to the outside through the opening of the vehicle body or bumper. When the piston 12 has moved to the end of its forward movement in the axial direction, specifically, when the flange 22 of the piston 12 touches the second cover 16, the forward movement of the piston 12 and the nozzle 14 in the axial direction stops. When the forward movement of the piston 12 and the nozzle 14 in the axial direction stops, as the cleaning fluid F is further supplied, the pressure of the cleaning fluid F inside the piston tube 20 increases. Therefore, the valve 37 opens, the cleaning fluid F flows into the nozzle bracket 40, and the cleaning fluid F is sprayed toward the object to be cleaned through the spray opening 42a of the nozzle 42.

[0049] When the supply of the cleaning fluid F from the cleaning fluid storage tank stops, the pressure of the cleaning fluid F acting on the valve body 39 decreases. Therefore, the valve 37 closes, the cleaning fluid F stops flowing into the nozzle bracket 40, and thus the spraying of the cleaning fluid F from the nozzle 42 stops. When the pressure of the cleaning fluid F further decreases, the piston 12 and the nozzle 14 move backward in the axial direction due to the driving force of the spring 24, and the piston 12 returns to the accommodation position.

[0050] Next, a method of assembling the vehicle cleaning device 1 will be described.

[0051] Figures 4A to 4D is a diagram showing the assembly steps of the vehicle cleaning device 1. As Figure 4A shown, the piston 12 is inserted into the cylinder tube 10 through the opening 10f at the front end of the cylinder tube 10.

[0052] As Figure 4B shown, the spring 24 is inserted into the piston tube 20 inside the cylinder tube 10 through the opening 10e at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10, and the hook part 24b of the spring 24 is engaged with the spring hook 23 ( Figures 4A to 4D not shown in the figure) of the piston 12, and the ring-shaped engagement part 24c is engaged with the spring support 19 ( Figures 4A to 4D not shown in the figure) of the cylinder 8. In this way, the spring 24 is inserted into the piston tube 20, and the front end and the rear end of the spring 24 are respectively fixed to the piston 12 and the cylinder 8.

[0053] As Figure 4C shown, the first cover 15 is installed at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10 to close the opening 10e at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10. In addition, the second cover 16 and the seal member 36 are installed at the front end of the cylinder tube 10 to close the opening 10f at the front end of the cylinder tube 10.

[0054] As Figure 4D shown, the nozzle 14 is installed on the front end side of the piston 12. Specifically, the rear end of the valve housing 38 of the nozzle 14 is press-fitted and engaged on the inner circumference of the piston tube 20.

[0055] Next, the advantages provided by the present embodiment will be described.

[0056] Figure 5A and Figure 5B are diagrams for explaining the advantages of the vehicle washing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle washing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, Figure 5B and is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle washing apparatus 101 according to the comparative example.

[0057] In the vehicle washing apparatus 101 according to the comparative example, the inner circumference of the rear end side of the valve housing 138 of the valve 137 is fitted on the outside of the front end side of the piston tube 20. In this case, the boundary 140 between the piston tube 20 and the valve housing 138 is exposed on the outer circumference of the piston tube 20. The piston tube 20 is configured such that the sealing member 36 does not cross this boundary.

[0058] In contrast, in the vehicle washing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the outer circumference of the rear end side of the valve housing 38 is fitted on the inner circumference of the front end side of the piston tube 20. Therefore, different from the comparative example, the boundary between the piston tube 20 and the valve housing 38 is not exposed on the outer circumference of the piston tube 20. Therefore, the piston tube 20 can be accommodated in the cylinder tube 10 until the sealing member 36 is located at a point close to the front end of the piston tube 20. Therefore, when the stroke length of the piston 12 is the same as that in the comparative example, the total length of the vehicle washing apparatus 1 in the axial direction A can be reduced.

[0059] In the vehicle washing apparatus 101 according to the comparative example, the valve seat 138c is located outside the piston tube 20 (on the front side in its axial direction). In this case, the length by which the nozzle 14 protrudes forward in the axial direction from the piston tube 20 is long, and when the piston 12 is in the accommodation position, the total length of the vehicle washing apparatus 1 in the axial direction A is also long.

[0060] In contrast, in the vehicle washing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the valve seat 38c is located inside the piston tube 20. The valve seat 38c may be located radially inward of the sealing member 36 or may be located rearward in the axial direction of the sealing member 36 when the piston 12 is in the retracted position. That is, the valve seat 38c may be located radially inward of the sealing member 36, the second lid 16, or the cylinder tube 10. In these cases, the length by which the nozzle 14 protrudes forward from the piston tube 20 is reduced as compared with the comparative example. Therefore, when the stroke length of the piston 12 is kept the same as in the comparative example, the overall length of the vehicle washing device 1 in the axial direction A can be reduced when the piston 12 is in the retracted position.

[0061] In the vehicle washing device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the piston 12 is in the retracted position, the rear end portion 20b of the piston tube 20 is located inside the flow path 18a of the connecting portion 18 in the radial direction B. The rear end portion 20b of the piston tube 20 may be located inside the inflow opening 10g in the radial direction B. In these cases, the length of the piston tube 20 in the axial direction A protruding from the cylinder tube 10 when the piston 12 is in the retracted position is short, and thus the overall length of the vehicle washing device 1 in the axial direction A can be reduced when the piston 12 is in the retracted position.

[0062] In the vehicle washing device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the piston 12 is in the retracted position, the sealing member 26 is located inside the flow path 18a of the connecting portion 18 in the radial direction B. In this case, the flange 22 can be provided to be located relatively rearward when the piston 12 is in the retracted position, which can increase the stroke length of the piston 12.

[0063] In the vehicle washing device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the connecting portion 18 is viewed from the radial direction B, the annular engaging portion 24c of the spring 24 is located inside the flow path 18a in the radial direction B. The rear end 24d of the annular engaging portion 24c may be located rearward of the inflow opening 10g in the axial direction. In these cases, the annular engaging portion 24c of the spring 24 inserted through the opening 10e at the rear end of the cylinder tube 10 is fixed to the cylinder tube 10 at a position close to the rear end of the cylinder tube 10, and thus the annular engaging portion 24c can be fixed relatively easily.

[0064] The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. As those skilled in the art will understand, since the embodiments are illustrative, various modification examples can be obtained in terms of the combination of the components and processes of the embodiments, and these modification examples are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle washing device (1), characterized in that it includes: A cylinder block (8), the cylinder block (8) includes a cylinder block tube (10), a cleaning fluid is supplied to the cylinder block tube, and an inflow opening (10g) is formed on the outer periphery of the cylinder block tube (10), and the cleaning fluid flows into the cylinder block tube (10) through the inflow opening (10g); A piston (12), the piston (12) includes a piston tube (20) that is movably inserted into the cylinder block tube (10) and has openings at both ends; and A nozzle (14), the nozzle (14) is installed at the front end in the extending direction of the piston tube (20) protruding from the cylinder block tube (10), and the nozzle (14) is configured to spray the cleaning fluid supplied inside the piston tube (20) toward the object to be cleaned, where the outer periphery of the nozzle (14) is fitted on the inner periphery of the piston tube (20); the nozzle (14) includes a valve (37), and the valve (37) is configured to control the flow of the cleaning fluid from the piston tube (20) to the nozzle (14); the valve (37) includes a tubular valve housing (38) with one end fitted into the piston tube (20), and a valve seat (38c) formed on the inner wall surface of the valve housing (38); the valve seat (38c) is located inside the piston (12); the cylinder block tube (10) has an opening that opens toward the nozzle (14) in the extending direction of the cylinder block tube (10), and includes a cover that closes the gap between the cylinder block tube (10) and the piston tube (20) in the opening, and a sealing member (36) that forms a seal between the piston tube (20) and the cover; and when the piston (12) is in the receiving position, the valve seat (38c) is located inside at least one of the sealing member (36), the cover, and the piston (12).

2. The vehicle washing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further includes a spring (24), the spring (24) is accommodated inside the piston tube (20) and urges the piston (12) toward the side opposite to the nozzle, where: the spring (24) is fixed at the first end on the side of the cylinder block tube (10) opposite to the nozzle, and a hook-shaped hooking portion (24b) is provided at the second end; the hooking portion (24b) is engaged with the spring hook (23) by hanging on the spring hook (23) provided inside the piston tube (20); and the nozzle (14) is provided with a restricting portion (38d), and the restricting portion (38d) is configured to restrict the displacement of the hooking portion (24b) toward the nozzle to prevent the hooking portion (24b) and the spring hook (23) from disengaging from each other.

Images