Self-service car washing machine foam intelligent liquid supplement system

Abstract

This utility model discloses an intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines, comprising a foam mixing tank and a foam concentrate tank. The inner cavity of the foam mixing tank is divided into an upper foam mixing chamber and a lower foam storage chamber by a partition structure. The foam mixing chamber is equipped with a high / low level gauge, a clean water pipe, and a foam concentrate input pipe. The high-level float of the high / low level gauge is located at the highest liquid level in the foam mixing chamber, and the low-level float is located at the lowest liquid level. One end of the clean water pipe is a porous drain pipe located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber. One end of the foam concentrate input pipe is a porous foam concentrate discharge pipe located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber. The liquid at the lowest level of the foam mixing tank submerges the porous drain pipe and the porous foam concentrate discharge pipe. This utility model can effectively improve the mixing quality of the foam liquid while significantly reducing foam generation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of car wash machine technology, and more specifically, to a self-service car wash machine foam liquid intelligent replenishment system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of society and the economy and the accelerated pace of life, the number of cars owned is increasing year by year, and traditional manual car washing methods can no longer meet the growing demand. Self-service car wash machines, as a new type of car washing equipment, are gradually gaining popularity among car owners due to their convenience, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. In the self-service car wash process, foam liquid is a key cleaning medium, playing a role in reducing friction, preventing scratches, improving cleaning efficiency, and providing a protective coating. However, currently, most self-service car wash machines still use traditional manual foam liquid replenishment methods. Operators need to regularly inspect each car wash machine, determining whether replenishment is needed by observing the level gauge or opening the foam liquid tank. This method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also prone to untimely or excessive replenishment, leading to foam liquid waste or machine malfunction. Furthermore, the overall performance of current self-service car wash foam liquid replenishment devices on the market is still lacking in areas such as mixing and monitoring, resulting in unstable foam liquid quality, poor user experience, and hindering the development of the self-service car wash industry. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the above deficiencies, this utility model provides a smart foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines. The system divides the foam mixing tank into a foam mixing chamber and a foam storage chamber, and sets up a porous drain pipe and a porous foam concentrate drain pipe submerged in the foam mixing chamber at the lowest liquid level. While ensuring normal car washing for users, it effectively improves the mixing quality of the foam liquid and significantly reduces foam generation.

[0004] This utility model provides an intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines, which includes a foam mixing tank;

[0005] The foam mixing box includes a box body and a partition structure disposed inside the box body, which divides the inner cavity of the box body into an upper foam mixing cavity and a lower foam storage cavity. An electric underwater sealing valve is provided on the partition structure.

[0006] The foam mixing chamber is equipped with:

[0007] The high and low level gauges are configured such that the high-level float is located at the highest level of the foam mixing chamber and the low-level float is located at the lowest level of the foam mixing chamber.

[0008] A water pipe, one end of which is connected to a water supply solenoid valve, and the other end extends downward and bends into a first L-shaped pipe. The horizontal part of the first L-shaped pipe is a porous drainage pipe located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber.

[0009] A foam concentrate input pipe, one end of which is connected to a foam diaphragm pump, and the other end extends downward and bends into a second L-shaped pipe. The horizontal tube of the second L-shaped pipe is a porous foam concentrate discharge tube located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber.

[0010] The lowest liquid level in the foam mixing chamber is higher than the pipe body and opening of the porous drainage pipe and the porous foam raw liquid discharge pipe; a columnar channel is provided on one side of the foam mixing box, which leads directly to the lower foam storage chamber, and the columnar channel is isolated from the foam mixing chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, the electric underwater sealing valve is electrically connected to the control board of the self-service car wash machine.

[0012] Furthermore, the lower part of the foam storage cavity is connected to the foam mixture outlet pipe through the outlet.

[0013] Furthermore, the self-service car wash machine's intelligent foam liquid replenishment system also includes a foam concentrate tank.

[0014] Furthermore, the foam raw material tank includes a raw material tank body and a low liquid level gauge disposed within the raw material tank body, wherein the float of the low liquid level gauge is disposed at the lowest liquid level of the foam raw material tank.

[0015] Furthermore, one end of the foam diaphragm pump is connected to the foam concentrate output pipe, and the other end of the foam concentrate output pipe opens into the bottom of the inner cavity of the foam concentrate tank.

[0016] Furthermore, the lowest liquid level in the foam concentrate tank submerges the inlet of the foam concentrate output pipe.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0018] 1. This utility model is equipped with high and low level gauges in the foam mixing tank to monitor the foam mixture level in real time, and auxiliary control main board to control the foam mixing process to ensure the foam mixing quality; and a low level gauge is equipped in the foam concentrate tank to monitor the foam concentrate level in real time to ensure timely replenishment of foam concentrate and ensure the normal operation of the self-service car wash machine.

[0019] 2. This utility model divides the foam mixing box into a foam mixing chamber and a foam storage chamber, and sets up a porous drainage pipe and a porous foam concentrate drain pipe submerged in the foam mixing chamber at the lowest liquid level, so that the water and foam concentrate replenishment are always inside the liquid, effectively reducing contact with air, thereby greatly reducing the generation of foam during the mixing process.

[0020] 3. This utility model discharges clean water at the lowest liquid level through a multi-hole drainage pipe and discharges foam concentrate at the lowest liquid level through a multi-hole foam concentrate discharge pipe. By using an alternating discharge mode to mix the foam concentrate and clean water, the mixing quality of the foam concentrate is effectively improved, thus enhancing the user experience of the car wash machine. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a self-service car wash machine foam liquid intelligent replenishment system according to this utility model.

[0022] In the picture:

[0023] 100-Foam mixing tank; 101-Separation structure; 102-Foam mixing chamber; 103-Foam storage chamber; 104-Electric underwater sealing valve; 105-Columnar channel; 106-High and low level gauges; 107-Clear water pipe; 108-Foam concentrate input pipe; 109-High-level float; 120-Low-level float; 121-Porous long pipe for discharging foam concentrate; 122-Porous long pipe for draining water; 200-Foam concentrate tank; 201-Low level gauge; 202-Float of the low level gauge; 203-Foam concentrate output pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, further explanation is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or car wash machine that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or car wash machine.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the car wash machine or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0027] As a specific implementation example, see attached Figure 1 As shown, this utility model provides a self-service car wash machine foam liquid intelligent replenishment system, which includes a foam mixing tank 100 and a foam concentrate tank 200.

[0028] The foam mixing tank 100 includes a tank body and a partition structure 101 disposed within the tank body. The partition structure 101 divides the inner cavity of the tank body into an upper foam mixing chamber 102 and a lower foam storage chamber 103. An electric underwater sealing valve 104 is installed on the partition structure 101, and the electric underwater sealing valve 104 is electrically connected to the control main board of the self-service car wash machine. An independent columnar channel 105 is provided on one side or at one corner of the foam mixing tank 100, leading directly to the lower foam storage chamber 103. This channel is not connected to the foam mixing chamber 102, and the independent columnar channel 105 opens above the highest water level line of the foam mixing chamber 102.

[0029] The foam mixing chamber 102 is equipped with a high / low level gauge 106, a clean water pipe 107, and a foam concentrate input pipe 108. The high / low level gauge 106 is fixed inside the foam mixing chamber 102 by a fixing device on the chamber wall. The high-level float 109 of the high / low level gauge 106 is located above the highest liquid level in the foam mixing chamber 102, and the low-level float 120 is located at the lowest liquid level in the foam mixing chamber 102. One end of the clean water pipe 107 extends out of the foam mixing chamber 102 and is connected to a water supply solenoid valve. The water supply solenoid valve is designed with an anti-backflow function. The other end of the clean water pipe 107 extends downward and bends into a first L-shaped pipe. The horizontal pipe of the first L-shaped pipe is a multi-hole drainage pipe 122, which is located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber 102. The other end of the water supply solenoid valve is connected to a tap water pipe, which is equipped with a flow meter to control the amount of clean water entering the chamber. A foam concentrate inlet pipe 108 extends out of the foam mixing chamber 102 and connects to a foam diaphragm pump. The foam diaphragm pump is designed with an anti-backflow function. The other end of the foam concentrate inlet pipe 108 extends downward and bends into a second L-shaped pipe. The horizontal pipe of the second L-shaped pipe is a porous foam concentrate outlet pipe 121, which is located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber 102. The liquid at the lowest level submerges both the porous drain pipe 122 and the porous foam concentrate outlet pipe 121. Furthermore, the porous foam concentrate outlet pipe 121 is positioned slightly higher than the porous drain pipe 122, which is beneficial for the dilution of foam concentrate molecules by water molecules.

[0030] The lower part of the foam storage chamber 103 is provided with a liquid outlet, which is connected to a foam mixture outlet pipe. The foam mixture outlet pipe is connected in sequence to a foam solenoid valve, a throttle valve, and then to a high-pressure pump. The throttle valve can be used to slightly adjust the actual amount of foam entering the high-pressure pump according to actual needs, thereby adjusting the concentration of foam sprayed by the foam gun.

[0031] The foam concentrate tank 200 includes a concentrate tank body and a low-level gauge 201 installed inside the concentrate tank body. The float 202 of the low-level gauge is located at the lowest liquid level in the foam concentrate tank 200, and the liquid at the lowest level in the foam concentrate tank 200 submerges the opening of the foam concentrate output pipe 203. One end of the foam concentrate output pipe 203 is connected to a foam diaphragm pump, and the other end extends into the foam concentrate tank 200, opening at the bottom of the inner cavity of the foam concentrate container. Filter devices are installed at both the opening of the foam concentrate output pipe 203 and the outlet of the foam storage chamber 103 to filter impurities in the liquid.

[0032] The control board is electrically connected to the flow meter, water replenishment solenoid valve, high and low level gauges 106 and 201, foam diaphragm pump, and other electrical control components of the self-service car wash machine.

[0033] The lower outlet of the electric underwater sealing valve 104 is connected to a flow guiding structure. Furthermore, the flow guiding structure can be a flow guiding hose. The other end of the flow guiding hose opens at the bottom of the foam storage chamber 103. Under normal use, the lowest liquid level of the foam storage chamber 103 submerges the other end opening of the flow guiding hose.

[0034] Furthermore, the partition structure 101 is fixed with multiple needle-like spikes pointing downwards on the bottom surface of the top of the foam storage cavity 103, and multiple needle-like spikes pointing obliquely downwards are fixed on the side wall of the foam mixing cavity 102 and the columnar channel 105. These structures are used to eliminate foam that may be generated by the foam liquid during the mixing and adding process. When the foam rises with the liquid and touches the needle-like spikes, the foam will break, thereby playing a further defoaming role. In other words, this utility model adopts a dual defoaming technique.

[0035] The specific usage process is as follows:

[0036] When the user uses the clean water function, the foam solenoid valve on the foam mixture outlet pipe is closed, and only clean water from the tap is drawn into the high-pressure pump. When the user uses the foam function, the foam solenoid valve on the foam mixture outlet pipe is also open, and both clean water and foam mixture are drawn into the high-pressure pump. Under these circumstances, if the foam mixture is not replenished, one tank of foam mixture will typically only last about 10 days. For maintenance personnel of self-service car wash machines serving multiple locations with multiple machines per location, manually replenishing the foam mixture is frequent and labor-intensive, and can also lead to untimely replenishment and affect user experience.

[0037] After applying the intelligent foam liquid replenishment system of this utility model for self-service car wash machines, when the foam mixture in the foam mixing tank 100 reaches the low level of the float 120 of the high and low level gauge 106, the main board issues a command to close the electric underwater sealing valve 104, and the foam mixing chamber 102 and the foam storage chamber 103 become two isolated chambers. The foam mixture in the foam storage chamber 103 continues to be used by users (the amount of foam mixture in the foam storage chamber 103 is generally enough to ensure the continued use of several users, which is sufficient to end the mixing process in the foam mixing chamber 102), and the foam mixture replenishment process begins in the foam mixing chamber 102.

[0038] First, the foam diaphragm pump draws a certain amount of raw foam solution from the foam raw solution tank at a set time, and outputs it through the porous foam raw solution discharge pipe 121 to the foam mixing chamber 102, which still contains a certain amount of mixed solution. The pumping time t of the foam diaphragm pump is calculated and sent to the control main board. The porous foam raw solution discharge pipe 121 is a porous liquid discharge device, which can evenly disperse the foam raw solution into the liquid in the foam mixing tank 100 through the porous pipe.

[0039] Next, the foam diaphragm pump is shut off, and the water supply solenoid valve is opened. Clean water is then injected into the bottom of the foam mixing tank 100 through the porous drain pipe 122. The amount injected is calculated by the control board based on the ratio of the extracted stock solution to the required foam mixture. The porous drain pipe 122 is a porous drainage device. Because the porous foam stock solution drain pipe 121 is positioned slightly higher than the porous drain pipe 122, the porous drain pipe 122 facilitates further dilution of the foam stock solution molecules by the water flow. Under the flushing and stirring of the clean water, the foam stock solution completes its first uniform mixing.

[0040] This design utilizes the principle of porous jets to allow the foam concentrate and water to mix thoroughly over a larger contact area, thereby improving mixing efficiency.

[0041] Then, the water replenishment solenoid valve is closed, and the foam diaphragm pump is reopened to inject the foam concentrate. The pumping time t1 is calculated and sent to the control board. Then, the water replenishment solenoid valve is reopened again to inject the required amount of clean water into the bottom of the foam mixing tank 100 through the porous drain pipe 122. The principle of porous jetting is used to accelerate the further dilution of the foam concentrate by the clean water. Under the flushing and stirring of the clean water, the foam concentrate completes its second uniform mixing. The process of closing the water replenishment solenoid valve, opening the foam diaphragm pump, and pumping in the foam concentrate is repeated. In other words, this invention employs both a porous drainage device and a method of intermittently adding and mixing the foam concentrate and clean water. These two techniques are combined to generate the foam mixture in the foam mixing chamber 102.

[0042] The method of adding water and foam concentrate in stages, compared to mixing them all at once, has the advantages and benefits mainly in the following aspects:

[0043] 1. Improve mixing uniformity: Adding a large amount of foam concentrate to water at once can easily cause localized areas to have excessively high concentrations of foam concentrate, while other areas will have relatively low concentrations. Adding it in stages can avoid this situation, allowing the foam concentrate to be more evenly dispersed in the water;

[0044] 2. Improved mixing efficiency: Although adding the solution in stages may seem to increase the number of steps, in reality, because the amount of stock solution mixed each time is smaller, the mixing process can be completed more quickly. Adding the solution in stages allows the foam stock solution molecules to combine more fully with the water molecules, thereby improving the fluidity of the foam stock solution molecules and making it easier to disperse evenly throughout the water.

[0045] 3. Reduce residue: Adding a large amount of foam concentrate at once may cause some of it to adhere to the container walls, making it difficult to mix evenly and resulting in waste. Adding it in stages can effectively reduce this situation, allowing for better control of the mixing process and thus obtaining a higher quality foam concentrate product.

[0046] For the foam mixing chamber 102, the total amount of liquid added from the low level to the required level is calibrated. Based on the required concentration of the foam mixture, the total amount of clean water and foam concentrate needed can be calculated. Following the calibrated number of additions, the required amount of clean water and foam concentrate for each addition can be calculated. The clean water volume is controlled by a flow meter, and the foam concentrate volume is controlled by a foam diaphragm pump according to the extraction time. The main control board controls the alternating addition of foam concentrate and clean water according to the calibrated number of additions. After mixing, the main control board opens the electric underwater sealing valve 104, and the foam mixture flows into the foam storage chamber 103 through the guide hose, continuing to supply the user for car washing. This completes the replenishment of the mixture.

[0047] As a special case, because the amount of foam concentrate manually added may not always be standard—sometimes more, sometimes less—it might happen on a specific occasion among the calibrated additions. When the foam diaphragm pump has added half the concentrate, the low-level alarm sounds, and the pump stops drawing concentrate. At this point, the extraction time sent to the control board is t. k， Then control the motherboard press and extraction time t k Based on the amount of foam concentrate pumped in, the required amount of clean water is calculated for the current wash. Clean water is added by controlling the clean water flow meter and the water replenishment solenoid valve to ensure the overall mixing ratio of the foam mixture in the foam mixing chamber 102 is up to standard. After mixing, the control board opens the electric underwater sealing valve 104, allowing the mixture to flow into the foam storage chamber 103 for continued supply to the user for car washing. This completes the foam concentrate replenishment process.

[0048] Each time the foam mixing tank 100 reaches a low level, the above process is automatically repeated until the foam concentrate tank reaches a low level. When the concentrate in the foam concentrate tank 200 reaches the minimum level, the low level indicator 201 sends an alarm to the control board, and the foam diaphragm pump stops pumping concentrate, awaiting replenishment by maintenance personnel. If maintenance personnel fail to replenish the concentrate in time, when the foam mixing tank 100 also reaches the low level, the high / low level indicator 106 sends an alarm to the control board. The two alarms combined trigger the control board to temporarily stop the self-service car wash machine until maintenance personnel replenish the concentrate, at which point the machine resumes operation. Thus, when the foam concentrate level is low, the system sends a message to the administrator via the backend, allowing for manual replenishment, significantly extending the refill cycle and saving manpower.

[0049] Furthermore, in this invention, the lowest liquid level of the foam mixing chamber 102 submerges the porous drainage pipe 122 and the porous foam concentrate discharge pipe 121, and the lowest liquid level of the foam concentrate tank 200 submerges the inlet of the foam concentrate output pipe 203. This structural design ensures that during the addition of water and foam concentrate, all inlets and outlets are always submerged in liquid, thus preventing air from being trapped during mixing and significantly reducing foam generation. Additionally, the partition structure 101 has multiple downward-pointing needle-like spikes fixed to its bottom surface at the top of the foam storage chamber 103, and multiple downward-pointing needle-like spikes are fixed to the side walls of the foam mixing chamber 102 and the columnar channel 105. This design is also very effective in eliminating small amounts of foam that may be generated during mixing and adding liquid. When a small amount of foam rises with the liquid and touches the needle-like spikes, the foam will break, thus achieving defoaming.

[0050] The high-low level gauge 106 has a high-level float 109 positioned above the highest liquid level (maximum water level line) after the foam mixing chamber 102 is fully replenished. This position monitors the status of each component. Under normal operating conditions, the liquid level will not exceed the maximum level. When the liquid level reaches the high-level float 109, it indicates a problem with a component in the system. The high-low level gauge 106 then sends an alarm to the control board, which stops the addition of clean water and foam concentrate, notifies management personnel for inspection and repair, and stops the car wash service after the current user finishes washing their car. Furthermore, an overflow port is installed on the side wall of the tank at the height of the high-level float 109. This overflow port connects to an external outlet pipe opening outside the car wash machine to prevent liquid overflow under abnormal conditions, which could damage internal components of the self-service car wash machine.

[0051] The flow meter on the outlet pipe of the clean water tank is used to protect the high-pressure pump. When the water flow rate is lower than the set value, the motor will be automatically shut off to prevent the high-pressure pump plunger and sealing components from dry friction.

[0052] This utility model provides an intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines. It effectively improves the mixing quality of foam liquid while significantly reducing foam generation during the mixing process. By monitoring the foam concentrate level in real time, it ensures timely replenishment of the foam concentrate, guarantees the normal operation of the self-service car wash machine, and improves the user experience of the car wash machine.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0054] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above. This description is not restrictive, and the accompanying drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. In conclusion, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the inventive spirit of the present invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart foam liquid replenishment system for a self-service car wash machine, characterized in that, It includes a foam mixing box; The foam mixing box includes a box body and a partition structure disposed inside the box body, which divides the inner cavity of the box body into an upper foam mixing cavity and a lower foam storage cavity. An electric underwater sealing valve is provided on the partition structure. The foam mixing chamber is equipped with: The high and low level gauges are configured such that the high-level float is located at the highest level of the foam mixing chamber and the low-level float is located at the lowest level of the foam mixing chamber. A water pipe, one end of which is connected to a water supply solenoid valve, and the other end extends downward and bends into a first L-shaped pipe. The horizontal pipe of the first L-shaped pipe is a multi-hole drainage pipe located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber. A foam concentrate input pipe, one end of which is connected to a foam diaphragm pump, and the other end extends downward and bends into a second L-shaped pipe. The horizontal tube of the second L-shaped pipe is a porous foam concentrate discharge tube located at the bottom of the foam mixing chamber. The lowest liquid level in the foam mixing chamber is higher than the pipe body and opening of the porous drainage pipe and the porous foam raw liquid discharge pipe; a columnar channel is provided on one side of the foam mixing box, which leads directly to the lower foam storage chamber, and the columnar channel is isolated from the foam mixing chamber.

2. The intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric underwater sealing valve is electrically connected to the control board of the self-service car wash machine.

3. The intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower part of the foam storage chamber is connected to the foam mixture outlet pipe through the outlet.

4. The intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-service car wash machine's intelligent foam liquid replenishment system also includes a foam concentrate tank.

5. The intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines according to claim 4, characterized in that, The foam raw material tank includes a raw material tank body and a low liquid level gauge installed inside the raw material tank body. The float of the low liquid level gauge is located at the lowest liquid level in the foam raw material tank.

6. The intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines according to claim 5, characterized in that, The foam diaphragm pump is connected to one end of the foam concentrate output pipe, and the other end of the foam concentrate output pipe opens into the bottom of the inner cavity of the foam concentrate tank.

7. The intelligent foam liquid replenishment system for self-service car wash machines according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lowest liquid level in the foam concentrate tank submerges the outlet of the foam concentrate output pipe.

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