Car wash for one vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a washing system (1) for a vehicle, comprising a water extraction system (4) for extracting water (5) from at least one vehicle component, a first container (2) for storing water or a washing fluid (3) comprising water and a cleaning agent and / or antifreeze, and a washing unit (8). According to the invention, the washing system (1) is designed to use the water (5) obtained by means of the water extraction system (4) at least partially for washing. The invention further relates to a vehicle having a washing system (1) according to the invention.

Description

The present invention relates to a washing installation for a vehicle and to a vehicle having a washing installation according to the invention.Such washing systems are usually used for cleaning vehicle windows, in particular the windshield or the rear window of a vehicle, but also for cleaning transparent covers for a lighting system of the vehicle or for cleaning viewing windows for various sensors of the vehicle, in particular environment detection sensors such as cameras or LIDAR sensors. Typically, a washing installation for a vehicle comprises a tank for storing a washing fluid, optionally one or more windscreen wipers and one or more pumps and nozzles and washing fluid lines.As the automation of the vehicles increases, the number of vehicle sensors required, in particular the environment detection sensors, increases. The demand for washing fluid for cleaning the various vehicle parts mentioned also increases steadily as a result. It is to be understood that future vehicles must be able to clean up to 20 sensors, in particular environment detection sensors, wherein approximately 10-30 ml of washing fluid per sensor may be required for each cleaning process. As a result of this increased liquid requirement for cleaning, larger storage containers or containers are required for storing the washing fluid. This disadvantageously leads to an increased energy consumption of the vehicles and to an additional volume which has to be accommodated in the vehicle, or the storage containers or containers have to be filled up more frequently, which in turn disadvantageously increases the maintenance effort on the vehicle.The object of the present invention is therefore to specify a washing installation for a vehicle which does not have the disadvantages mentioned and is simultaneously capable of cleaning a large number of vehicle parts, in particular windows, covers and viewing windows.This object is achieved by the washing installation according to claim 1 and by the vehicle according to claim 11.With regard to the washing installation, the object on which the invention is based is achieved by a washing installation for a vehicle. The washing system is used in particular for washing a windshield, a rear window, a lighting system, in particular a cover of a headlight, or for cleaning a sensor, in particular a viewing window for the sensor, and comprises:a water extraction installation for extracting water from at least one vehicle component,a first container for storing water or a washing fluid comprising water and a cleaning agent and / or antifreeze, anda washing unit.According to the invention, the washing plant is designed to use the water obtained by means of the water extraction plant at least partially for washing.The washing unit is fluidically connected to the first container, i.e. water or the washing fluid is guided from the container into the washing unit.This procedure offers the advantage that water which is already present in the area of the vehicle or is produced by other processes in the vehicle can be reused for the washing installation. In this way, the increased requirement for water or washing fluid for cleaning a wide variety of vehicle parts can be counteracted without the need to enlarge the container for storing the water or washing fluid or to increase a filling frequency for filling the container.According to one configuration of the washer system, the vehicle component is an air conditioning system of the vehicle and / or a fuel cell of the vehicle.Typical vehicle air conditioners include cooling elements for cooling the warm air. The condensation water thus formed is typically not used further by the vehicle, but rather is merely discharged. In the context of the present invention, this condensation water is collected or obtained and used at least partially for washing different vehicle parts by means of the washing plant according to the invention. The condensation water is collected, for example, in a suitable container and then fed to the washing plant.In the case of fuel cells, an exothermic conversion of hydrogen and oxygen into water takes place. The resulting mixture of liquid water and water vapor is typically released to the vehicle environment. In the context of the present invention, the mixture of water and water vapor is instead collected or obtained and used at least partially for washing different vehicle parts by means of the washing plant according to the invention. For example, a suitable container for collecting the water and / or a cooling element for converting the water vapor into water can be used for this purpose.The invention thus advantageously makes use of water which is present or arises in any case in the region of the vehicle and which would otherwise be discharged to the environment.It is advantageous if the washing unit comprises at least one water pump and at least one nozzle. In addition, the washing unit comprises suitable lines for conveying the water or washing fluid to the respective vehicle parts to be cleaned.In an advantageous embodiment, the washing plant is configured to supply the water obtained by means of the water extraction plant to the first container. Here, it is conceivable, on the one hand, for the water obtained to be conveyed directly, for example by means of suitable lines, into the first container.However, it is also possible for water obtained to first be collected in a separate container. Thus, a further advantageous embodiment includes that the washing plant comprises a second container for storing the water obtained by means of the water extraction plant. The second container can optionally also be part of the water extraction plant.In addition, in a further advantageous embodiment, the washing plant comprises a third container for storing a cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent. The third container can ensure that, if a washing fluid comprising water and cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent is used for the washing installation, sufficient cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent is always present and can be mixed with the water from the first and / or second container.In this respect, it is advantageous if the washing plant comprises at least one first control valve with at least two valve inputs and one valve output. The control valve can be controllable, in particular electrically controllable. Preferably, this is a mixing valve. In a first embodiment comprising the first control valve, the first container is fluidically connected to a first valve inlet of the first control valve and the third container is fluidically connected to a second valve inlet of the first control valve, wherein the valve outlet is fluidically connected to the washing unit. The washing unit is thus always operated with a washing fluid in a suitable ratio that can be adjusted by means of the first control valve. Alternatively, a second configuration includes that the third container is fluidically connected to a first valve inlet of the first control valve and the second container is fluidically connected to a second valve inlet of the first control valve, and wherein the valve outlet is fluidically connected to the first container. In this case, the first container constitutes a storage container for the respective washing fluid.In a further advantageous embodiment, in a first variant, the first control valve has at least three valve inputs and one valve output, wherein one container each is fluidically connected to one valve input. In a second variant, on the other hand, the washing system has a second control valve with two valve inputs and one valve output, wherein a first valve input of the second control valve is fluidically connected to the first container, and wherein a second valve input of the second control valve is fluidically connected to the valve output of the first control valve. In this case, the valve outlet of the second control valve is connected fluidically to the washing unit.In yet another preferred embodiment of the washing system according to the invention, at least one of the containers comprises at least one fill level sensor for detecting a fill level in the first, second and / or third container, wherein the first and / or second control valve is / are controlled or regulated in particular as a function of a fill level in the first, second and / or third container. Preferably, a control or regulating specification for the first and / or second control valve can include that water from the water extraction installation is preferably used in order to minimize manual filling of the washing installation with water, cleaning and / or frost protection agent and / or washing fluid.It is also advantageous if at least one of the containers has an opening for external filling. It is conceivable that only one or also two or all three containers each have an opening.It is furthermore advantageous if the washing installation has at least one pump for pumping water, cleaning and / or antifreeze agents, and / or washing fluid from one container into another container or to the washing unit or for pumping water or washing fluid from one of the containers to an actuating valve or vice versa. Preferably, the at least one pump can also be regulated or controlled as a function of a determined fill level in at least one of the containers.Finally, it is also advantageous if at least one of the containers of the washing installation comprises an overflow in order to discharge too much water obtained to the environment.The object on which the invention is based is furthermore achieved by a vehicle comprising a washing installation according to one of the described embodiments. It should be pointed out here that the configurations disclosed in connection with the washing installation are also applicable mutatively to the vehicle according to the invention.The invention and its advantageous embodiments are explained in more detail below. It shows: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of the washing plant according to the invention; FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of the washing plant according to the invention; FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a third embodiment of the washing plant according to the invention; and FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a fourth embodiment of the washing plant according to the invention.In the figures, identical elements are always provided with the same reference sign. In addition, it should be pointed out that the components of the washing installation 1 present in the configurations described below can also be combined with one another in other ways and that, in addition to the configurations described, further configurations of the washing installation 1 according to the invention are possible.FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first configuration for a washing installation 1 according to the invention. The washing installation 1 further comprises a water extraction installation 4 for extracting water 5 from at least one vehicle component, for example an air conditioning system or fuel cell of the vehicle [not shown separately]. The water 5 obtained is supplied directly to the first container 2 for the embodiment shown here. Thus, the obtained water 5 can be used here for washing various vehicle parts.The first container 2 here additionally optionally comprises an opening 6 for its external filling with water or washing fluid, and an optional fill level sensor 7, which for the embodiment shown here is arranged in a lower region of the container 2. In other embodiments, the fill level sensor 7 can also be arranged in other regions of the container 2 or a plurality of fill level sensors can also be provided.The water or washing fluid 3 and the obtained water 5 supplied to the first container 2 pass from the first container 2 to the washing unit 8, which for the embodiment shown comprises a pump 8 aand a nozzle 8 b. However, in other embodiments, the washing plant 1 can also have a plurality of washing units 8.A further exemplary embodiment for a washing installation 1 according to the invention is the subject matter of FIG. 2 In addition to the components of the washing installation 1 in the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 1, the washing installation 1 according to FIG. 2 has a third container 9, in which the cleaning agent and / or antifreeze 10 is stored, and a first control valve 11 having two valve inputs 11 aand 11 band a valve output 11 c. The first valve inlet 11 ais fluidically connected to the first container 2 and the second valve inlet 11 bis fluidically connected to the third container 9. No fill level sensor 7 is shown in FIG. 2 ; however, the use of at least one such fill level sensor 7 is possible for both containers 2, 9.The valve outlet 11 cis connected to the washing unit 8. By using a separate container 9 for storing cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent 10, it can be ensured that the washing plant 1 can always be operated with a washing fluid having a sufficient concentration of cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent. When using only one container 2, as shown in FIG. 1, although the detergent and / or antifreeze 10 may be manually filled into the first container 2, for example, through the opening 6, the concentration may vary depending on the amount of recovered water 5 supplied to the first container 2, for example, by the concentration of the detergent and / or antifreeze decreasing over the course of the operation time of the washer 1.In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the washing plant 1 additionally comprises a second container 12 for storing the water 5 obtained and an optional pump 13. In this embodiment, the first container 2 serves as a storage container for the water or washing fluid 3, which is obtainable from the water 5 from the second container 12 and optionally from the cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent 10 from the third container 9. The optional pump 13 serves for pumping the water or washing fluid 3 from the valve outlet 11 cto the first container 2. In addition, also in the embodiment according to FIG. 3, openings 6 can be provided in the containers 2, 9 or 12, or fill level sensors 7.A last exemplary embodiment for a washing plant 1 is shown in FIG. 4. Here, the washing plant 1 comprises, in addition to the embodiment according to FIG. 3, a second control valve 14, likewise having two valve inputs 14 aand 14 band one valve output. In contrast to the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 3, in the case of FIG. 4 the valve outlet 11 cof the first control valve 11 is fluidically connected to the second valve inlet 14 bof the second control valve 14. The first valve inlet 14 aof the second control valve 14 is connected to the first container 2 and the valve outlet 14 cof the second control valve 14 is connected to the washing unit 8.

Claims

Washing installation (1) for a vehicle, comprising - a water recovery installation (4) for recovering water (5) from at least one vehicle component, - a first container (2) for storing water or a washing fluid (3) comprising water and a cleaning agent and / or antifreeze agent, and - a washing unit (8), wherein the washing installation (1) is configured to use the water (5) obtained by means of the water recovery installation (4) at least partially for washing.Washing installation (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is an air conditioning system of the vehicle and / or a fuel cell of the vehicle.The washer (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the washer unit (8) comprises at least one water pump (8a) and at least one nozzle (8b).Washing plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which is designed to feed the water (5) obtained by means of the water extraction plant (4) to the first container (2).Washing plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a second container (12) for storing the water (5) recovered by means of the water recovery plant (4).Washing installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a third container (9) for storing a cleaning agent and / or antifreeze (10).Washing plant (1) according to claim 6, comprising at least one first control valve (11) with at least two valve inputs (11a, 11b) and a valve output (11c), wherein the first container (2) is fluidically connected to a first valve input (11a) of the first control valve (11) and the third container (9) is fluidically connected to a second valve input (11b) of the first control valve (11), and wherein the valve output (11c) is fluidically connected to the washing unit (8), or wherein the third container (9) is fluidically connected to a first valve input (11a) of the first control valve (11) and the second container (12) is fluidically connected to a second valve input (11b) of the first control valve (11), and wherein the valve output (11c) is fluidically connected to the first container (2).Washing installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first control valve (11) has at least three valve inputs and a valve output, wherein in each case one container (2, 9, 12) is fluidically connected to a valve input, or wherein the washing installation (1) has a second control valve (14) having two valve inputs (14a, 14b) and a valve output (14c), wherein a first valve input (14a) of the second control valve is fluidically connected to the first container (2), and wherein a second valve input (14b) of the second control valve (14) is fluidically connected to the valve output (11c) of the first control valve (11).Washing system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the containers (2, 9, 12) comprises at least one fill level sensor (7) for detecting a fill level in the first (2), second (12) and / or third container (9), and wherein the first (11) and / or second control valve (14) is / are controlled or regulated in particular as a function of a fill level in the first (2), second (12) and / or third container (9).Washing installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the containers (2, 9, 12) has an opening (6) for external filling.Vehicle comprising a washer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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