Vehicle processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique that improves a cleaning effect using pure water.SOLUTION: A vehicle washer (10) as a vehicle processing apparatus includes: a body part (11) which is erected on the ground (G) and moves in a front-rear direction (y direction) relative to a vehicle (C); and a jetting part (30) which is provided on the body part (11) to jet a fluid. The jetting part (30) is provided so as to jet pure water onto side face windows (SW) of the vehicle (C), and a jetting center shaft (35a) has a side part nozzle (35) that is obliquely upward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a technique that is effective when applied to a car wash apparatus having a function of performing a pure water washing process on the side windows of a vehicle (vehicle body) to be treated. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-260824 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 1") describes a process for producing pure water to prevent water spots (also called "ion deposits") from forming on a vehicle body. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-188938 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 2") describes a technique for allowing pure water to fall naturally from above a car wash device onto the vehicle body by opening a nozzle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-260824 A (particularly, FIG. 1 thereof) [Patent Document 2] JP 2010-188938 A (particularly, paragraph

[0017] thereof) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even if the pure water described in Patent Document 1 is used and the technology described in Patent Document 2 is applied, there is a risk that the supply of pure water to the vehicle window will be insufficient. For example, even if rinsing with pure water is performed as the final car wash process before the blowing process, the pure water sprayed on the side windows, which have a larger inclination than the front and rear windows, will quickly flow down, resulting in insufficient cleaning with pure water and the formation of ion deposits. This is because if silica, which dissolves in an ionic form, remains as dirt on the glass that constitutes the window, it will easily appear as cloudy dirt due to bonding with the glass.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the cleaning effect with pure water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle treatment device according to one solution includes a main body that stands on the ground and moves in the front-rear direction relative to the vehicle, and a spray unit that is provided on the main body and sprays liquid. Here, the spray unit is preferably provided to spray pure water onto a side window of the vehicle and has a side nozzle with a spray center axis that faces diagonally upward. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one solution, the cleaning effect with pure water can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a front view of a vehicle processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic side view of the vehicle processing device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle shape detection result of the vehicle processing device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of a pipeline configuration of the vehicle processing device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a pipeline configuration of a vehicle processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0009] In the following embodiments of the present invention, the description will be divided into a plurality of sections, etc., as necessary. In principle, they are not unrelated to each other, and one is a partial or complete modification, detail, etc., of the other. For this reason, in all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for members having the same functions, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the number of components (including the number, numerical value, amount, range, etc.) is not limited to a specific number, except when specifically stated or when it is clearly limited to a specific number in principle, and may be more than or less than a specific number. In addition, when referring to the shape of a component, etc., it includes those that are substantially similar or similar to that shape, etc., except when specifically stated or when it is clearly not considered to be the case in principle.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) In the first embodiment of the present invention, a case where the present invention is applied to a car wash apparatus as a vehicle treatment apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of a front view and a side view of a car wash apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a detection result of a vehicle shape detection unit 20 of the car wash apparatus 10. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a pipeline configuration of the car wash apparatus 10. Note that in Figs. 1 and 2, some parts are omitted or shown in perspective in order to clarify the explanation of the car wash apparatus 10. Also, the drawings may show the car wash apparatus 10 in an xyz coordinate space.

[0011] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the car wash apparatus 10 includes a main body 11 (also referred to as a "main body") that stands on the ground G (laying surface) and moves in the front-rear direction relative to the vehicle C to be treated. The main body 11 is configured as a gate-shaped frame (housing) that straddles the vehicle C. For this reason, the main body 11 has a pair of leg frames 11A that stand up from the ground G, and a beam frame 11B that hangs on the pair of leg frames 11A. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the x direction is the direction between the pair of leg frames 11A of the main body 11 (the width direction of the vehicle C), the y direction is the front-rear direction in which the main body 11 moves (the length direction of the vehicle C), and the z direction is the direction in which the main body 11 stands up (the height direction of the vehicle C).

[0012] The car wash apparatus 10 also includes rails 12 and wheels 13 and 14. The pair of rails 12 are provided on the ground G, extending parallel to each other. The wheels 13 and 14 are provided on the bottoms of the pair of leg frames 11A. In the car wash apparatus 10, the wheels 13 are driven by a motor (not shown) capable of rotating forward and backward, and the wheels 14 are driven by the motor. The car wash apparatus 10 also includes an encoder (not shown) connected to the motor output shaft on one side of the leg frame 11A, which detects the running position of the main body 11 on the rails 12. Thus, in the car wash apparatus 10, with the vehicle C parked between the pair of rails 12, the main body 11 moves back and forth (travels back and forth) on the pair of rails 12 via the wheels 13 and 14 (four wheels in total).

[0013] The car wash device 10 also includes a vehicle detection unit 15. The vehicle detection unit 15 is provided on each of the pair of leg frames 11A of the main body 11. The vehicle detection unit 15 includes a linear body 16, a support unit 17, and an operating unit 18. The linear body 16 extends in the height direction from the ground G and is located in front of the leg frames 11A and between the pair of leg frames 11A. The support unit 17 is provided on the leg frames 11A. The support unit 17 supports the upper part of the linear body 16 so that the upper part of the linear body 16 is free. The operating unit 18 is provided on the leg frames 11A. The operating unit 18 has an arm 18A and a switch 18S that detects the movement of the arm 18A. The operating unit 18 can detect the movement of the linear body 16 by the switch 18S via the arm 18 connected to the lower part of the linear body 16. Therefore, the vehicle detection unit 15 can detect the vehicle C when the linear body 16 comes into contact with the door mirror DM of the vehicle C. The detection range of the vehicle C (particularly the door mirror DM) can be adjusted by the length of the linear body 16. For the technology related to the vehicle detection unit 15, for example, JP 2023-071039 A can be referred to.

[0014] The car wash device 10 is also provided with a detection unit 20 that is provided in the main body 11 and detects the shape of the vehicle C. The detection unit 20 includes a light emitting unit (having a plurality of light emitting elements) provided on one of the pair of leg frames 11A and a light receiving unit (having a plurality of light receiving elements) provided on the other, and is configured to detect the vehicle C between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. The light emitting unit has a plurality of light emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) arranged at equal intervals along the standing direction of the main body 11. The light receiving unit has a plurality of light receiving elements (e.g., photodiodes) arranged at equal intervals along the standing direction of the main body 11. The detection unit 20 functions as a transmission type photoelectric sensor, and an optical axis is formed by transmitting and receiving optical signals (e.g., infrared rays) between the light emitting element and the light receiving element. Based on the light passing / blocking of this optical axis, the detection unit 20 can detect the presence or absence of the vehicle C and obtain various data. In addition, the car wash device 10 is equipped with a control unit having various processing units (processing means) composed of electronic components such as a CPU, and can detect the top surface shape of the vehicle C by operating the drive unit using a pulse signal from the encoder of the main body unit 11.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the detection unit 20 can obtain a vehicle-shaped image as data showing the shape of the vehicle C from the side, based on binary data in which the transmitted light axis is converted to 1 and the blocked light axis is converted to 0. In the vehicle-shaped image in FIG. 3, the light axis is assumed to pass through the side window SW of the vehicle C due to the threshold (sensitivity) setting when obtaining the binary data. Here, the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are provided along the upright direction of the main body 11, so the detection unit 20 can estimate the height of the vehicle C from the ground G and the height of the side window SW based on the installation height of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element that detected the vehicle C. Note that even if the light axis is blocked by the side window SW due to the threshold setting, the height of the side window SW can be estimated by calculating the boundary B between the bonnet and the front window from the inclination of these elements, for example, and assuming that the side window SW is located at a level higher than the boundary B from the ground G.

[0016] In addition, the car wash device 10 includes a top brush 21 and a pair of side brushes 22 provided on the main body 11. The top brush 21 (rotating brush) has the direction in which the rotation axis extends as the x direction, and is housed in the upper opening side (beam frame 11B side) of the portal-shaped main body 11 during standby. This top brush 21 can move up and down in the z direction while rotating as the main body 11 moves as a movable part, and can mainly brush the upper surface of the vehicle C. Also, the pair of side brushes 22 (rotating brushes) have the direction in which the rotation axis extends as the z direction, and are housed in the side opening sides (respective leg frame 11A sides) of the portal-shaped main body 11 during standby. The pair of side brushes 22 can perform an opening and closing operation (an operation of approaching or separating from each other) in the x direction while rotating as the main body 11 moves as a movable part, and can mainly brush the front, side, and rear surfaces of the vehicle C.

[0017] In addition, the car wash device 10 is provided on the main body 11 and includes an injection unit 30 that injects liquid. The injection unit 30 has pipes 31, 32, 33, 34. The pipe 31 has a plurality of nozzles 31N provided to inject tap water or groundwater (which refers to water that is not pure water in this embodiment and is hereinafter referred to as "general water") into the vehicle C. Also, the pipe 32 has a nozzle 32N provided to inject a chemical liquid (chemical agent) into the vehicle C. Also, the pipe 33 has a nozzle 33N provided to inject a cleaning liquid (detergent) into the vehicle C. Also, the pipe 34 has a nozzle 34N provided to inject cleaning foam (foaming agent) into the vehicle C.

[0018] The car wash apparatus 10 also includes a tank 38, a pump 39, and pipelines 41, 42, 43, and 44. The tank 38 stores general water. The pump 39 is, for example, a submersible pump (low-pressure pump) provided in the tank 38, and supplies general water to the nozzles 31N, 32N, 33N, and 34N. The pipeline 41 extends from the pump 39 to the pipe 31. The pipeline 42 branches off from the pipeline 41 and extends to the pipe 32. The pipeline 43 branches off from the pipeline 41 and extends to the pipe 33. The pipeline 44 branches off from the pipeline 41 and extends to the pipe 44.

[0019] The car wash device 10 also includes a tank 42T, a pipe 42R, a tube pump 42P, a mixer 42M, and an electromagnetic valve 42V. The tank 42T stores a chemical agent. The pipe 42R communicates with the tank 42T and is connected to the pipe 42 via the mixer 42M. The tube pump 42P is provided midway through the pipe 42R. The pipe 42 upstream of the mixer 42M is provided with an electromagnetic valve 42V. A fixed amount of chemical agent is supplied (pumped up) from the tank 42T to the pipe 42R by the function of the tube pump 42. The mixer 42M functions to mix the chemical agent from the pipe 42R with the general water in the pipe 42, forming a chemical liquid. With this configuration, when the electromagnetic valve 42V is opened, the chemical liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 32N of the pipe 32, and when the electromagnetic valve 42V is closed, the spraying of the chemical liquid is stopped.

[0020] The car wash device 10 also includes a tank 43T, a pipe 43R, a tube pump 43P, a mixer 43M, and an electromagnetic valve 43V. Detergent is stored in the tank 43T. A pipe 43R communicating with the tank 43T is connected to the pipe 43 via the mixer 43M. A tube pump 43P is provided midway through the pipe 43R. An electromagnetic valve 43V is provided in the pipe 43 upstream of the mixer 43M. A fixed amount of detergent is supplied (sucked up) from the tank 43T to the pipe 43R by the function of the tube pump 43. The detergent from the pipe 43R is mixed with the general water in the pipe 43 by the function of the mixer 43M to become the cleaning liquid. With this configuration, when the electromagnetic valve 43V is opened, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 33N of the pipe 33, and when the electromagnetic valve 43V is closed, the spraying of the cleaning liquid is stopped.

[0021] The car wash device 10 also includes a tank 44T, a pipe 44R, a tube pump 44P, a mixer 44M, an electromagnetic valve 44V, a compressor 58, an air supply pipe 59, a mixer 60, a foaming device 61, and an electromagnetic valve 62. A foaming agent is stored in the tank 44T. A pipe 44R communicating with the tank 44T is connected to the pipe 44 via the mixer 44M. A tube pump 44P is provided midway through the pipe 44R. An electromagnetic valve 44V is provided in the pipe 44 upstream of the mixer 44M. A fixed amount of foaming agent is supplied (sucked up) from the tank 44T to the pipe 44R by the function of the tube pump 44. The foaming agent from the pipe 44R is mixed with the general water in the pipe 44 by the function of the mixer 44M to become a foaming liquid.

[0022] Furthermore, an air intake pipe 59 communicating with a compressor 58 is connected to the pipe 44 downstream of the mixer 44M via a mixer 60. A solenoid valve 62 is provided in the air intake pipe 59, and the opening and closing of the air intake pipe 59 is controlled by the solenoid valve 62. Furthermore, a foamer 61 that generates cleaning foam by generating turbulence in the flow of foaming liquid is provided in the pipe 44 downstream of the mixer 60. With this configuration, cleaning foam is sprayed from the nozzle 34N of the pipe 34 when the solenoid valve 44V is opened, and spraying of cleaning foam is stopped when the solenoid valve 44V is closed.

[0023] The spray unit 30 also has a side nozzle 35. The side nozzle 35 is provided on the leg frame 11A of the main body 11 so as to spray pure water onto the side window SW of the vehicle C, and a spray central axis 35a faces obliquely upward. The side nozzle 35 may be, for example, a fan-shaped nozzle having the spray central axis 35a.

[0024] The car wash device 10 also includes a tank 70, a pump 71, a pipeline 72, and an electromagnetic valve 73. The tank 70 stores pure water. The pump 71 is, for example, a high-pressure pump that draws up the pure water in the tank 70 and supplies the pure water to the side nozzle 35, the upper nozzle 36, and the lower nozzle 37. The pipeline 72 branches off from the pump 71 and leads to the side nozzle 35, the upper nozzle 36, and the lower nozzle 37. An electromagnetic valve 73 is provided midway through the pipeline 72 before the branch. When the electromagnetic valve 73 is opened, pure water is simultaneously supplied to the side nozzle 35, the upper nozzle 36, and the lower nozzle 37, and when the electromagnetic valve 73 is closed, the supply is stopped.

[0025] Incidentally, in the car washing process, even if ordinary water is sprayed onto the vehicle C to rinse it after washing the vehicle C with a cleaning solution or the like using the pipes 31-34, the ordinary water contains many impurities and may cause ion deposits. Moreover, simply spraying pure water onto the vehicle C for rinsing causes the pure water to naturally fall downward, making it difficult to obtain a cleaning effect as a rinse.

[0026] Therefore, in this embodiment, the side nozzle 35 is provided at a position where the pure water reaches the side window SW of the vehicle C, and the central jet axis 35a is oriented obliquely upward from the horizontal (xy direction). This allows the pure water jetted from the side nozzle 35 to resist natural falling within the surface of the side window SW, increasing the amount of water that stays within the surface of the side window SW, and by thoroughly rinsing, the cleaning effect of the pure water can be improved. In particular, when washing a vehicle C equipped with a side visor, since the central jet axis 35a is oriented obliquely upward, the pure water can hit the inside of the side visor, which cannot be achieved by natural falling rinsing, and the cleaning effect can be further improved.

[0027] As described above, the vehicle detection unit 15 can detect whether the position of the door mirror DM of the vehicle C is appropriate or not. The side nozzles 35 are provided so that the height of the side nozzles 35 from the ground G is within the detection range of the linear body 36 of the vehicle detection unit 15. Therefore, even if the side nozzles 35 protrude to the inside of the leg frame 11A, when the vehicle C is not detected by the linear body 36, pure water can be sprayed from the side nozzles 35 to the side window SW while avoiding contact with the door mirror DM close to the side window SW.

[0028] In addition, the side nozzles 35 and the vehicle shape detection unit 20 are provided on the main body 11 with a gap between them in the front-rear direction (y direction). As described above, the vehicle shape detection unit 20 can estimate the height of the side window SW of the vehicle C, and by comparing this with the installation height of the side nozzles 35, it is possible to increase the reliability of spraying pure water from the side nozzles 35 toward the side window SW. If the estimated height of the side window SW is outside the range of spray from the side nozzles 35, it is possible to save energy by not spraying pure water.

[0029] 2, the jet central axis 35a of the side nozzle 35 faces away from the vehicle shape detection unit 20 in the front-rear direction (y direction) and faces obliquely upward. This configuration reduces the influence on the vehicle detection unit 20 of the pure water jetted from the side nozzle 35 and the pure water splashed from the vehicle C. This makes it possible to maintain the cleaning effect even when car washing processes are performed consecutively.

[0030] The spray unit 30 also has an upper nozzle 36. The upper nozzle 36 is provided at a height higher than the side nozzle 35 from the ground G so as to spray pure water onto the side window SW of the vehicle C, and the spray central axis 36a faces diagonally downward. By spraying pure water from the side nozzle 35 and the upper nozzle 36 simultaneously, the entire vehicle C can be rinsed with pure water more efficiently.

[0031] The spray unit 30 also has a lower nozzle 37. The lower nozzle 37 is provided lower than the side nozzle 35 in height from the ground G so as to spray pure water onto the side of the vehicle C that is lower than the side window SW of the vehicle C, and the spray central axis 37a faces diagonally downward. By spraying pure water simultaneously from the side nozzle 35 and the lower nozzle 37, the entire vehicle C can be rinsed with pure water more efficiently.

[0032] The car wash device 10 also includes a top nozzle 24 (blower nozzle) and a pair of side nozzles 25 (blower nozzles) provided on the main body 11. The top nozzle 24 is accommodated in the opening upper side (beam frame 11B side) of the gate-shaped main body 11 during standby. The top nozzle 24, as a movable part, moves up and down without contacting the vehicle C while blowing air in accordance with the movement of the main body 11, and can mainly dry the upper surface of the vehicle C. The pair of side nozzles 25 are accommodated in the opening side side (pair of leg frames 11A side) of the gate-shaped main body 11 during standby. The pair of side nozzles 25, as a movable part, perform opening and closing operations (movements of approaching and moving away from each other) without contacting the vehicle C while blowing air in accordance with the movement of the main body 11, and can mainly dry the side surfaces of the vehicle C.

[0033] The side nozzle 35 and the top nozzle 24 and the side nozzle 25 are provided on the main body 11 with a gap between them in the front-to-rear direction (y direction), and the car wash apparatus 10 is equipped with an air blowing section having the top nozzle 24 and the side nozzle 25. In this embodiment, pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle 35, so that the main body 11 moves in a direction from the air blowing section side to the side nozzle 35 side, and thus the spray from the side nozzle 35 and the air blowing from the air blowing section are performed simultaneously, thereby enabling the washing process to be performed efficiently.

[0034] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, the case where there is one side nozzle 35 has been described. However, it is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of side nozzles 35 may be provided in order in the height direction (z direction) from the ground G. For example, based on the height of the side window SW of the estimated vehicle C by the vehicle shape detection unit 20, pure water can be sprayed from the one selected by the solenoid valve 74 according to the installation height among the plurality of side nozzles 35. Thereby, the certainty that pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle 35 toward the side window SW can be enhanced. Further, if the estimated height of the side window SW is outside the spray of the side nozzle 35, it is also possible to save water by not spraying pure water.

[0035] As described above, the present invention has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the vehicle processing apparatus in which the main body moves with respect to the vehicle parked on the ground has been described. However, it is not limited to this. For example, when the vehicle is mounted on a carrier (conveyor) that can move in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle with respect to the main body fixed to the ground and the vehicle moves or self-propels, or when both the vehicle and the main body move, it may be the case. Therefore, the present invention includes a relationship in which the main body moves relative to the vehicle to be processed.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0037] 10 car wash device, 11 main body, 30 injection unit, 35 side nozzle.

Claims

1. A main body that stands on the ground and moves in a front-rear direction relative to the vehicle; an ejection unit provided in the main body and configured to eject a liquid; The spray unit is provided to spray pure water onto a side window of the vehicle, and has a side nozzle with a spray central axis directed obliquely upward. A vehicle processing device comprising:

2. a detection unit provided in the main body unit to detect a shape of the vehicle; a height of a side window of the vehicle from the ground is estimated by the detection unit, and pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle; The vehicle processing device of claim 1.

3. A plurality of the side nozzles are provided in sequence in a height direction from the ground, spraying pure water from a selected one of the side nozzles based on the estimated height of the side window of the vehicle; 3. The vehicle processing device of claim 2.

4. The central jet axis of the side nozzle faces the opposite side to the detection unit in the front-rear direction and faces obliquely upward.

4. The vehicle processing device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. a linear body provided on the main body, extending in a height direction from the ground, and detecting the vehicle by contacting a door mirror of the vehicle; the height of the side nozzle from the ground is within a detection range of the linear body, When the vehicle is not detected by the linear body, pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle. The vehicle processing device of claim 1.

6. the spray unit has an upper nozzle that is disposed higher than the side nozzles from the ground so as to spray pure water onto a side window of the vehicle and has a spray central axis that faces obliquely downward; Pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle and the top nozzle simultaneously. The vehicle processing device of claim 1.

7. the jetting unit has a lower nozzle that is disposed lower than the side nozzles from the ground so as to jet pure water onto a side surface of the vehicle that is lower than a side window of the vehicle, and has a jetting central axis that faces obliquely downward; Pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle and the bottom nozzle simultaneously. The vehicle processing device of claim 1.

8. a blower section that is provided on the main body section and spaced apart from the side nozzle in the front-rear direction and that blows air toward the vehicle; While the main body moves in a direction from the blower side to the side nozzle side, the spray from the side nozzle and the blower side are simultaneously performed. The vehicle processing device of claim 1.

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