Cleaning element for machine car washing, which has a lamellar shape, is used for the production of washing brushes and is used in machine car washing systems such as gantry washing systems and car wash tunnels

Abstract

Cleaning element for mechanical vehicle washing, which has a lamellar shape, is used for the production of rotating washing brushes and is used in mechanical vehicle washing systems such as gantry washing systems and car washes, characterized in that it consists of a carrier made of chloroprene rubber (CR) and the carrier is fully laminated on both sides with a textile material, wherein the textile material has the cleaning function and the lamination is carried out by adhesive bonding.

Description

[0001] The present invention comprises a cleaning element having a lamellar shape, used for the manufacture of rotating washing brushes and employed in mechanical vehicle washing systems such as gantry car washes and conveyor car washes.

[0002] In automated car washes for the exterior cleaning of vehicles, rotating brushes are typically used, consisting of a cylindrical support element (usually an aluminum shaft). Several adjacent lamellar cleaning elements are attached to the surface of the support element, arranged perpendicular to the surface of the support element at one end.

[0003] The washing process is carried out by rotating these brushes, whereby the flexible cleaning elements are pressed against the vehicle surface by centrifugal force. Water or washing solution is used in this process.

[0004] Conventional cleaning elements consist of textile, foamed foam, or a hybrid material.

[0005] The textile cleaning elements are made from felted plastic threads. These offer good cleaning performance. However, the rather rough texture of the textile regularly causes barely perceptible micro-scratches in the vehicle's paintwork. Furthermore, textile cleaning elements tend to absorb a high amount of water and, consequently, dirt. This significantly increases the weight of the cleaning elements, causing several technical problems. Compared to foamed plastic, there is a higher mechanical load on the car wash and its drive components (geared motor, boom, etc.). There is also a comparatively higher mechanical load on the vehicles, especially on their add-on parts (mirrors, antennas, spoilers, etc.). Additionally, the increased weight requires more energy to power the brushes.The increased mechanical stress on the vehicles also results in a significant increase in noise during the washing process. The textile has a relatively rigid shape, making it difficult to optimally clean complex vehicle geometries. The textile is not flexible enough to adapt to the varying, complex contours of a vehicle. Vehicles have irregular surfaces such as recesses, edges, curves, and protruding parts, which the textile cleaning elements cannot fully clean because effective contact between the cleaning elements and the corresponding areas of the vehicle cannot be established.

[0006] Foamed plastics, such as polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate, are lighter and quieter than the textiles mentioned above. They are well-suited for complex vehicle geometries because they can be cut very finely and are elastic. Since they absorb little liquid, there is less mechanical stress on the vehicle and the brush. However, they offer significantly weaker cleaning performance than textile cleaning elements, which considerably reduces the quality of the car wash. Furthermore, a high rotational speed is necessary; otherwise, there is insufficient support between the support element (the aluminum shaft) and the vehicle, and the brush would penetrate too deeply.

[0007] When using hybrid materials that combine textile and foam, the two materials are glued or otherwise bonded together. One side consists of the textile, and the other of the foamed plastic. This means that only one side of the cleaning element provides effective cleaning, while the other side is weak. Therefore, it is only practical to use it on brushes that do not change direction during vehicle washing. The weight is reduced, but only to a maximum extent by the amount of foam, so a higher mechanical stress is still exerted on the vehicle. The combination of the two materials results in a rather stiff material, so optimal cleaning results are not achieved on vehicles with complex geometries.Therefore, cleaning elements made of hybrid material are now predominantly used for the upper surface and roof area of ​​the vehicle. The geometries of vehicles in these areas are typically simple, and no change in the direction of rotation is necessary.

[0008] As of today, there is no cleaning element that combines the positive properties of both textile and foam car washes. The invention addresses the problem of providing high-quality cleaning performance from a vehicle cleaning system while ensuring energy-efficient operation and gentle handling of both the system and the vehicles being cleaned.

[0009] The object of the invention is a cleaning element that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. The invention aims to provide a cleaning element that combines high cleaning performance, low mechanical stress on the car wash and vehicles, adaptability to complex vehicle geometries, low water absorption and thus reduced susceptibility to dirt, uniform and direction-independent cleaning, low noise levels, and lower energy consumption.

[0010] According to the invention, this objective is achieved by a lamellar cleaning element for the production of rotating brushes for vehicle wash systems. The cleaning element according to the invention consists of a chloroprene rubber (CR) carrier, which is fully laminated on both sides with a textile material and is thus suitable for use in machine car washes.

[0011] The features of the invention are described in detail below. The description includes a preferred, but not exhaustive, embodiment of the invention. The lamellar cleaning element according to the invention consists of a flexible, plate-shaped carrier made of chloroprene rubber (CR). The thickness of the CR carrier is 1–8 mm. The carrier weighs between 2–6 kg / m². 3 The substrate is characterized by a smooth surface structure into which virtually no or only negligible amounts of liquid can penetrate. Its density ranges from 50 to 350 kg / m³. 3 .

[0012] The substrate is fully laminated on both sides with a textile material, preferably an elastic polyester or polyamide fabric suitable for cleaning. The material density is 70–500 g / m². 2The textile material can have various structures and is flatter than the support. The volume of the cleaning element is therefore predominantly determined by the support, accounting for 50-90%.

[0013] The lamination is done using a solvent-based, viscous adhesive.

[0014] The cleaning element has an elongated shape, along whose longitudinal axis numerous cuts are made, resulting in a lamellar element. The size and shape of the cleaning element can vary depending on the implementation of the invention.

[0015] The cleaning elements are mounted side by side on a rotating support element (usually an aluminum shaft) in a car wash at one end perpendicular to the surface of the support element, so that the lamellae come into contact with the body of the vehicle during rotation due to centrifugal force.

[0016] The cleaning element according to the invention achieves the desired goals.

[0017] The high cleaning performance is ensured by the textile material. The cleaning quality is comparable to car washes using cleaning elements made of matted plastic threads. The use of the fine textile material reduces so-called micro-scratches in the vehicle's paintwork.

[0018] The carrier has the special property that the smooth surface structure of the chloroprene rubber virtually prevents liquid penetration. Thus, the invention achieves a minimal liquid absorption by the cleaning element. The absorbed liquid remains almost exclusively in the layers of textile material, which, due to their flat structure, absorb significantly less liquid than textile cleaning elements. As a result, the cleaning element according to the invention, while offering superior cleaning performance, is considerably lighter than textile cleaning elements, and consequently, the mechanical stress on car washes and vehicles is reduced.

[0019] The low weight of the invention reduces the inertia of the brushes. This results in lower mechanical stress on the brush drive. This reduced stress on the drive can have a positive effect on the service life.

[0020] The invention's lower weight reduces the stress on vehicles because the contact force between the cleaning elements and the vehicle surface is lower. The lower mass at the same acceleration results in less force being exerted. Consequently, the risk of damage to vehicle components (mirrors, antennas, spoilers, etc.) is significantly reduced.

[0021] Chloroprene rubber is significantly more elastic than conventional foamed plastics, so that despite double-sided lamination, the cleaning element according to the invention is considerably more flexible than any conventional cleaning element. Unlike conventional hybrid materials, this flexibility is maintained despite the double-sided lamination due to the flat, elastic textile material. The flexibility of the cleaning element allows for optimal adaptation to the vehicle's contours. It is therefore better suited to reaching and cleaning complex vehicle geometries. The invention also offers a high restoring force. Even after repeated rotation and adaptation to vehicle contours, the invention retains its original flat shape.

[0022] Due to the smooth surface structure of the carrier, the cleaning element absorbs significantly less dirt. This improves cleaning performance because the vehicles come into contact with fewer dirt particles left over from previous uses of the cleaning elements. Furthermore, the reduced dirt absorption means less stress on the vehicle surface, especially the paintwork.

[0023] Due to the flat textile material, the cleaning element can be laminated on both sides. This allows it to be mounted on brushes that can rotate in both directions, providing excellent, consistent cleaning performance in both directions.

[0024] The invention enables vehicles to be cleaned more quietly than before, despite high cleaning performance. The lower weight results in reduced noise during cleaning.

[0025] Reducing the mass lowers the energy required to operate the rotating brushes. A lower mass results in a smaller moment of inertia, meaning less energy is needed to accelerate the brushes to the necessary speed. This enables more energy-efficient operation.

Claims

[1] Cleaning element for machine car washing, having a lamellar shape, used for the manufacture of rotating washing brushes and employed in machine car washes such as gantry car washes and conveyor car washes, characterized by that it consists of a carrier made of chloroprene rubber (CR) and the carrier is laminated on both sides over its entire surface with a textile material, the textile material having the cleaning function and the lamination being carried out by bonding. [2] Cleaning element according to claim 1, characterized by , that the carrier has a smooth surface structure into which virtually no or only minimal amounts of liquid can penetrate. [3] Cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the carrier has a thickness of 1-8 mm. [4] Cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the density of the carrier is 50 - 350 kg / m³3 amounts. [5] Cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by The textile material is made of polyester or polyamide fiber fabric. The density of the materials is 70–500 g / m². 2 . [6] Cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the textile material is flatter than the carrier and that the volume of the cleaning element is therefore predominantly made up of the carrier, by 50-90%. [7] Cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that full-surface bonding is achieved using a solvent-based, viscous adhesive. [8] Use of the cleaning element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that it is used in a machine car wash.