Cleaning unit

Abstract

To reduce a possibility that a failure may occur in a drive part of a cleaning device due to a scattering object during car washing.SOLUTION: A cleaning unit (1) includes: a nozzle (11) which jets a cleaning fluid to a vehicle; a drive mechanism (30) which drives the nozzle (11); and a cover member (50). When a direction in which water is injected from the nozzle (11) is referred to as a first direction, the drive mechanism (30) is located spaced apart from an extended line in the first direction and the cover member (50) is located at the vehicle side of the drive mechanism (30).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a washing unit. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a garbage collection vehicle washing facility having a vehicle interior washing device that sprays washing liquid from the rear of the garbage collection vehicle (compact vehicle) to wash the inside of a hopper into which garbage is dumped and a garbage collection box that holds the garbage dumped from the hopper. The vehicle interior washing device includes a swing arm and a water-discharging nozzle body attached to the tip of the arm. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-158148 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in vehicles such as garbage trucks, the garbage (contents) or dirt attached to the vehicle often scatters during cleaning. Therefore, the scattered garbage may adhere to the cleaning device body, and this garbage may cause the drive unit to break down, the parts to corrode, etc.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to reduce the possibility of malfunctions occurring in a drive unit of a washing device due to debris flying during a car wash. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a cleaning unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a nozzle that sprays cleaning liquid toward a vehicle, a drive mechanism that drives the nozzle, and a cover member, and when the direction in which water is sprayed from the nozzle is defined as a first direction, the drive mechanism is located away from an extension of the first direction, and the cover member is located on the vehicle side of the drive mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the possibility of malfunctions occurring in the drive unit of a washing device due to debris flying during a car wash. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view of a cleaning device including a cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the cleaning unit with a portion of the cover removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the cleaning unit with a portion of the cover removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (Embodiment) <Overview of cleaning equipment> Hereinafter, a description will be given of a cleaning unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a cleaning apparatus 500 including the cleaning unit 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus 500 as viewed from the front.

[0010] For ease of explanation, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction are defined as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1 etc. The front direction is the direction in which the vehicle to be washed is parked relative to the washing device 100. The front-rear direction is the vehicle length direction of the vehicle, the left-right direction is the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the up-down direction is the vehicle height direction of the vehicle. Note that in this embodiment, the up-down direction is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction is a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0011] The washing device 500 washes a vehicle (not shown) located in front of the washing device 500. The washing device 500 may perform washing in various modes based on the operation of an operation panel (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the washing device 500 may be a U-shaped washing device when viewed from the front-rear direction. The washing device 500 includes a support pillar 510 and a washing unit 1.

[0012] A pair of support pillars 510 are provided, standing on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle. The height of the support pillars 510 in the vertical direction may be approximately the same as the vehicle height of the vehicle. The height of the support pillars 510 may be lower than the vehicle height of the vehicle, or may be higher than the vehicle height of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of support pillars 510 may be connected by a connecting wall 515. As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of support pillars 510 support the washing unit 1. That is, the support pillars 510 are standing on both sides in the left-right direction of the washing unit 1.

[0013] <Cleaning unit> The washing unit 1 sprays a washing liquid onto a vehicle to be washed. The vehicle may be a truck or a specialized vehicle such as a garbage collection compactor. The washing unit 1 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction relative to a pair of support columns 510. When washing a vehicle, the washing unit 1 can be raised and lowered to widen the washing range of the vehicle, improving the efficiency of washing.

[0014] The cleaning unit 1 may be tiltable forward or backward with respect to the support 510. When the cleaning unit 1 tilts forward, the cleaning liquid can be sprayed from the nozzle 11 in a forward and downward direction. When the cleaning unit 1 tilts backward, the cleaning liquid can be sprayed from the nozzle 11 in a forward and upward direction.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a front view of the cleaning unit 1 with a part of the cover removed to facilitate description of the internal structure. Fig. 4 is a top view of the cleaning unit 1 with a part of the cover removed to facilitate description of the internal structure. Fig. 4 shows a state in which multiple nozzles are oscillating in the left-right direction.

[0016] 2 to 5, axes indicating front / rear, left / right, and up / down are described, and the axes shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 indicate the front / rear, left / right, and up / down of the cleaning unit 1. In the cleaning unit 1, the long axis direction is defined as the left / right direction, the spray direction from the nozzle 11 is defined as the forward direction, and the direction opposite to the spray direction is defined as the rearward direction. The up / down direction is a direction perpendicular to the left / right direction and the front / rear direction. Please note that when the cleaning unit 1 is in a forward or backward tilted state, it does not necessarily coincide with the axes indicating the front / rear, left / right, and up / down shown in FIG. 1.

[0017] The washing unit 1 includes a plurality of nozzles 11, a drive mechanism 30 that is mechanically connected to each nozzle 11 and drives each nozzle 11, and a cover 50 (cover member) that covers each nozzle 11 and the drive mechanism 30. The washing unit 1 sprays washing liquid from each nozzle 11 to wash a vehicle (not shown) located in front of the washing unit 1.

[0018] If the vehicle is a compactor, the washing unit 1 can wash the rear of the compactor and the inside of the compactor with the rear lid open. If the vehicle is a truck, the washing unit 1 can wash the rear of the vehicle and the loading platform.

[0019] (nozzle) The cleaning unit 1 includes a first nozzle 111, a second nozzle 112, and a third nozzle 113. The first nozzle 111, the second nozzle 112, and the third nozzle 113 may be collectively referred to as the nozzle 11.

[0020] The first nozzle 111, the second nozzle 112, and the third nozzle 113 are arranged in this order in the left-right direction. The first nozzle 111 and the third nozzle 113 are the nozzles located at the left end and the right end, respectively, of the multiple nozzles located in a row, and may be referred to as outer nozzles. The second nozzle is a nozzle located between the outer nozzles, and may be referred to as inner nozzle. The number of nozzles provided in the cleaning unit 1 is not limited to three, and may be set appropriately depending on the size of the cleaning unit and the performance of the nozzles.

[0021] The first nozzle 111 is connected to a first hose 121, and the third nozzle 113 is connected to a third hose 123, each by a joint 17. The first hose 121 and the third hose 123 are each connected to a first pipe 13. The first pipe 13 is connected from the left side surface of the cleaning unit 1 to a pipe outside the cleaning unit.

[0022] The second nozzle 112 is connected to a second hose 122. The second hose 122 is connected to a second pipe 14. The second pipe 14 is connected to a pipe outside the cleaning unit from the right side surface of the cleaning unit 1. Known joints may be used to connect each nozzle, each hose, and each pipe.

[0023] By connecting the outer nozzle and the inner nozzle to separate pipes, the cleaning liquid can be sprayed from the outer nozzle and the inner nozzle at different water pressures.

[0024] The nozzle 11 has a first end 101 having an injection port, and a second end 102 connected to a joint 17. The nozzle 11 may be configured from a single member from the first end 101 to the second end 102, or may be configured by combining a plurality of members. The nozzle 11 according to this embodiment has a crank shape with three bent portions.

[0025] (Drive mechanism 30) 5 is a front view of the drive mechanism 30. The drive mechanism 30 is a mechanism for driving the nozzles 11, and includes a motor 31 and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive power of the motor 31. Each nozzle 11 is mechanically connected to the power transmission mechanism in the vicinity of the second end 102.

[0026] The motor 31 is a power source of the drive mechanism 30. The power transmission mechanism includes a plurality of shafts and a plurality of drive plates. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism includes a first shaft 36, a second shaft 37, a third shaft 38, a first drive plate 41, a second drive plate 42, and a third drive plate 43. The power transmission mechanism converts the rotational drive force of the motor 31 into a reciprocating drive force for swinging the nozzle 11 in the left-right direction and transmits the converted force.

[0027] The right end of the first shaft 36 is mechanically connected to the motor 31, and the left end is mechanically connected to the first drive plate 41 and the right end of the second shaft 37. The left end of the second shaft 37 is mechanically connected to the second drive plate 42 and the right end of the third shaft 38. The left end of the third shaft 38 is mechanically connected to the third drive plate 43. The first shaft 36, the second shaft 37, and the third shaft 38 each have a rod end at both ends. Each shaft and each drive plate may be connected via a bolt.

[0028] The first driving plate 41 mechanically connects the first shaft 36 to the first nozzle 111 and transmits the driving force of the shaft to the first nozzle 111. The second driving plate 42 mechanically connects the second shaft 37 to the second nozzle 112 and transmits the driving force of the shaft to the second nozzle 112. The third driving plate 43 mechanically connects the third shaft 38 to the third nozzle 113 and transmits the driving force of the shaft to the third nozzle 113.

[0029] The drive plate can rotate around a bolt perpendicular to the main surface of the drive plate as a rotation axis. When each shaft is driven by the motor 31 to move, for example, leftward, each drive plate rotates clockwise around the rotation axis. When each drive plate rotates clockwise, the nozzle 11 connected to the drive plate also rotates, and the jetting direction of the nozzle 11 faces to the right. When the shaft moves to the right, the jetting direction of the nozzle 11 faces to the left. In this way, the drive mechanism 30 can drive the nozzle 11 in the left-right direction. The rotation angle of the nozzle 11 may be set appropriately.

[0030] (Cover 50) The cover 50 (cover member) protects the drive mechanism 30 and the like from dirt or debris that may fly off during vehicle washing. The cover 50 has a roof portion 51 located above the nozzle 11 and the drive mechanism 30 and having an upwardly convex shape, a front surface 55 whose upper end is connected to the front end of the roof portion 51, and a back surface 59 whose upper end is connected to the rear end of the roof portion 51. The cover 50 also has a bottom portion 58 that has a downwardly convex shape. The rear end of the bottom portion 58 is connected to the lower end of the back surface 59.

[0031] Furthermore, the cover 50 has a first surface 56 that connects the lower end of the front surface 55 and the front end of the bottom surface 58. The first surface 56 is located above the bottom surface of the bottom surface 58. The first surface 56 has an opening 70 for inserting the nozzle 11. The opening 70 may be a slit-shaped opening extending in the left-right direction, or may be a circular or rectangular opening that is provided in accordance with the position of the nozzle 11. The cover 50 further has side surfaces 60 that are arranged on the left and right sides of the cleaning unit 1. The side surfaces 60 are connected to the roof portion 51, the front surface 55, the back surface 59, and the bottom surface 58.

[0032] Roof portion 51 has a first inclined surface 52, a second inclined surface 53, and a top surface 54. First inclined surface 52 is connected to front surface 55 and is a surface located in the front of roof portion 51. First inclined surface 52 has a slope that slopes downward toward the front.

[0033] The second inclined surface 53 is connected to the back surface 59 and is a surface located rearward in the roof portion 51. The second inclined surface 53 has a downward inclination toward the rear. The top surface 54 is a surface that connects the first inclined surface 52 and the second inclined surface 53.

[0034] Since the cover 50 has an inclined surface, accumulation of scattered objects falling from above in the cleaning unit 1 can be reduced.

[0035] The nozzle 11 and the drive mechanism 30 are housed inside the cover 50. The crank-shaped nozzle 11 is positioned relative to the cover 50 such that an L-shaped portion including an injection port is located outside the cover 50. The second end 102 of the nozzle 11 is located higher than the first end 101. The drive mechanism 30 connected near the second end 102 is also located higher than the first end 101.

[0036] When the direction in which cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 11 is defined as a first direction, the drive mechanism 30 is positioned away from the extension line of the first direction, and the front surface 55 and the first inclined surface 52 of the cover 50 are positioned on the vehicle side (forward) of the drive mechanism 30.

[0037] For example, if the vehicle is washed without the cover 50 being placed in front of the drive mechanism 30, scattered debris and other debris may adhere to the drive mechanism 30, which may cause the drive mechanism 30 to malfunction and the parts to corrode.

[0038] The cleaning unit 1 of the present disclosure has the cover 50, which can protect the drive mechanism 30 and reduce the possibility of malfunction of the drive mechanism 30 caused by contents scattered during cleaning.

[0039] The cover 50 has an opening 70 below the drive mechanism 30, through which the nozzle 11 is inserted to the outside.

[0040] During cleaning, scattered dust and other debris may enter through the opening 70. By arranging the opening 70 below the drive mechanism 30, the possibility that scattered dust and other debris will reach the drive mechanism 30 can be reduced.

[0041] The drive mechanism 30 is accommodated in an accommodation space defined by at least a part of the cover member. More specifically, the drive mechanism 30 is accommodated in an accommodation space 71 surrounded by the roof portion 51, the front surface 55, and the rear surface 59 of the cover 50. The first surface 56 is provided so as to be substantially parallel to the jetting direction of the nozzle 11, and defines the lower end of the accommodation space 71. The opening 70 provided in the first surface 56 is formed facing downward from the accommodation space 71.

[0042] The accommodation space 71 is a space protected from flying debris by the cover 50. As shown in Fig. 1, the inside of the accommodation space 71 may accommodate the drive mechanism 30, at least a part of the nozzle 11, the hoses 121, 122, and 123, at least a part of the first piping 13, and at least a part of the second piping 14. By covering many of the parts included in the cleaning unit 1 with the cover 50 and limiting the parts exposed to flying debris, the frequency of maintenance can be reduced.

[0043] In particular, since the drive mechanism 30 is housed in the cover member 50, the possibility of contamination, deterioration, malfunction, etc. of the drive mechanism 30 is reduced. Furthermore, since the opening 70 is formed facing downward, it becomes even more difficult for cleaning liquid, scattered debris, etc. to enter through the opening.

[0044] The nozzle 11 has a crank shape. The crank shape of the nozzle 11 allows the drive mechanism 30 to be provided at a position away from the extension line of the spray direction with a simple structure. Also, the crank shape allows the opening 70 through which the nozzle 11 that sprays the cleaning liquid forward is inserted into the outside of the cover 50 to be provided facing downward.

[0045] (summary) The cleaning unit according to aspect 1 of the present disclosure comprises a nozzle for spraying cleaning liquid onto a vehicle, a drive mechanism for driving the nozzle, and a cover member, and when the direction in which water is sprayed from the nozzle is defined as a first direction, the drive mechanism is positioned away from an extension of the first direction, and the cover member is positioned on the vehicle side of the drive mechanism.

[0046] According to the washing unit of the first aspect, the driving mechanism is protected by the cover member, so that the possibility of malfunctions occurring in the driving part of the washing device due to scattered objects during car washing can be reduced.

[0047] A cleaning unit according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the cleaning unit of the first aspect, wherein the nozzle has a crank shape.

[0048] This configuration makes it possible to provide the drive mechanism at a position away from the extension line of the ejection direction with a simple structure.

[0049] A cleaning unit according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the cleaning unit of the first or second aspect, wherein the cover member has an opening below the driving mechanism through which the nozzle is inserted to the outside.

[0050] By positioning the opening below the drive mechanism, the possibility of cleaning liquid, scattered particles, etc. entering through the opening reaching the drive mechanism can be reduced.

[0051] A cleaning unit according to aspect 4 of the present disclosure is any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the driving mechanism is accommodated in a storage space defined by at least a portion of the cover member, and the opening is formed facing downward from the storage space.

[0052] By housing the drive mechanism in the cover member, the possibility of contamination and deterioration is reduced, and by forming the opening facing downward, it is more difficult for cleaning liquid, splashed debris, etc. to enter through the opening.

[0053] A cleaning device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes the cleaning unit according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0054] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 500 Cleaning Equipment 1 Cleaning unit 111 No. 1 nozzle (nozzle) 112 No. 2 nozzle (nozzle) 113 3rd nozzle (nozzle) 30 Drive mechanism 50 Cover (cover material) 51 Roof part (cover member) 52 first inclined surface (cover member) 53 Second inclined surface (cover member) 54 Top surface (cover part) 55 Front (cover part) 56 1st surface (cover member) 58 Bottom 59 Back 60 Side 70 aperture 71 Containment Space

Claims

1. A nozzle for spraying a cleaning liquid onto a vehicle; A drive mechanism for driving the nozzle; A cover member, A cleaning unit, wherein when the spray direction of cleaning liquid from the nozzle is defined as a first direction, the drive mechanism is located away from the extension line of the first direction, and the cover member is located on the vehicle side of the drive mechanism.

2. The washing unit of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle has a crank shape.

3. The cleaning unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member has an opening, below the driving mechanism, through which the nozzle is inserted to the outside.

4. the drive mechanism is accommodated in an accommodation space defined by at least a portion of the cover member, The cleaning unit according to claim 3 , wherein the opening is formed facing downward from the storage space.

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