Car wash machine

Abstract

To reduce a possibility that a liquid is dropped from a cutwater part to a vehicle and reduce work hours of a worker.SOLUTION: A cover member (50) includes: a cover main part (51) which covers a second frame included in a car washing machine; and a cutwater part (52) which is provided continuously over an area from the left side to the right side of the cover main part (51) and extends downward from a lower end of the cover main part (51). The cover main part (51) is integrally formed with the cutwater part (52).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a car washer.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a car washer provided with a water drainage member for discharging water droplets scattered from a top brush or a side brush and adhering to a portal frame to both left and right sides of a vehicle. The water drainage member is attached below a cover provided on the front surface of the portal frame. The water drainage member is formed with guide grooves that gently incline downward from the central portion toward both left and right sides.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a car washer, it is not desirable for liquid to drop from the car washer onto the vehicle after washing. Also, reduction of the man-hours of workers manufacturing the car washer is desired.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to reduce the risk of liquid dropping from the water drainage part onto the vehicle and to reduce the man-hours of workers.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a car wash machine according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a pair of first frames positioned at intervals for vehicles to pass through and extending in the vertical direction, a second frame connecting the pair of first frames at the upper part of the pair of first frames, and a cover member located in front of the second frame, wherein the cover member includes a cover body portion that covers the second frame, and a water drain portion that is continuously provided over an area from the left end to the right end of the cover body portion and extends downward from the lower end of the cover body portion, and the cover body portion and the water drain portion are integrally formed.

[0007] With the above configuration, the drainage section is continuously provided across the area from the left end to the right end of the cover member, so no gap is formed in the central part of the drainage section. Therefore, it becomes difficult for liquid to drip downward from the drainage section. This reduces the risk of liquid dripping onto the vehicle from the drainage section. In addition, the cover body and the drainage section are formed integrally. Therefore, there is no need to attach a separately prepared drainage section to the cover member. This reduces the amount of work required by the operator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the risk of liquid dripping from the central portion of the drainage section of the cover member is reduced, and the amount of work required for the operator is also reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a schematic side view of the car wash machine body and remote panel, and a schematic front view of the car wash machine body, as provided by this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the cover component. [Figure 3] This is a right side view of the cover component. [Figure 4] This is a rear view of the cover component. [Figure 5] This is a plan view of the cover component. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view of the cover component. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Embodiment] <Overview of the car wash machine> First, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic side view 2S of the car wash machine body 4 and remote panel 6, and a schematic front view 4F of the car wash machine body 4, which are included in the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment. For the sake of explanation, the vertical, vertical, front-rear, and left-right directions are defined with respect to the car wash machine body 4, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, etc. The front direction is the direction in which the vehicle X to be washed is parked relative to the car wash machine body 4, which is positioned in the waiting position before washing. The left-right direction is also based on the front direction of the car wash machine body 4. That is, the left direction indicates the left side of the car wash machine body 4, and the right direction indicates the right side of the car wash machine body 4. The front-rear direction is the length direction of the vehicle X, the left-right direction is the width direction of the vehicle X, and the vertical direction is the height direction of the vehicle X. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions, and the front-rear direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment includes a car wash machine body 4 that washes a vehicle X, which is the vehicle to be washed. The car wash machine 2 may also include a remote panel 6 that acquires the car wash conditions of the vehicle X by the car wash machine body 4. In the schematic side view 2S of the car wash machine 2 in Figure 1, the outline of the vehicle X is shown with a dotted line to indicate that the vehicle X is located to the left of the remote panel 6 (towards the back of the page).

[0012] As shown in the schematic front view 4F of the car wash machine body 4 in Figure 1, the car wash machine body 4 has a pair of first frames 8 and a second frame 10. Each of the first frames 8 is a frame that extends in the vertical direction. The pair of first frames 8 are positioned with a gap between them in the left-right direction that allows a vehicle X to pass through. A cover member (not shown) is attached to each of the first frames 8.

[0013] The second frame 10 connects the pair of first frames 8 at their upper ends. More specifically, the second frame 10 connects the upper ends of the pair of first frames 8. Note that the second frame 10 is not limited to being installed across the upper ends of the pair of first frames 8; it is sufficient to connect the pair of first frames 8 at their upper ends. The second frame 10 is a frame that extends in the left-right direction. A cover member 50 is attached to the front of the second frame 10. Details of the cover member 50 will be described later.

[0014] The car wash machine body 4 has a structure that allows a vehicle X to pass through the space 4S enclosed by the first frame 8 and the second frame 10 along the vehicle X's entry direction DA, as shown in the schematic side view 2S of the car wash machine 2 in Figure 1. In this specification, the entry direction DA is the direction from the front to the rear of the car wash machine body 4.

[0015] The car wash machine body 4 has, for example, wheels 12 at the bottom of each of the first frames 8, and rotates these wheels 12 by a drive unit (not shown), thereby moving relative to the vehicle X in the longitudinal direction along rails R arranged on the ground G. The rails R are formed, for example, along the entry direction DA. While moving relative to the vehicle X, the car wash machine body 4 performs washing on the vehicle X in the space 4S.

[0016] The car wash machine body 4 is equipped with multiple rotating brushes that slide and brush over the vehicle X as one of its cleaning components. For example, the rotating brushes attached to the car wash machine body 4 include a top brush 14, side brushes 16, and rocker brushes 18, each rotated by a rotary motor (not shown). The top brush 14 moves along the top surface of the vehicle X and cleans the top surface of the vehicle X. The side brushes 16 and rocker brushes 18 clean both sides of the vehicle X. In particular, the rocker brushes 18 are positioned below the side brushes 16 and clean the lower sides of the vehicle X.

[0017] On the side of the car wash machine main body 4, a tank storage part 20 for storing a plurality of liquid storage tanks (not shown) storing various liquid agents including detergents or waxes is arranged. Above the tank storage part 20, a distribution pipe part 22 for distributing water containing city water or liquid agents from each liquid storage tank is provided. In the distribution pipe part 22, a first clean water nozzle 24, a second clean water nozzle 26, a first detergent nozzle 28, a second detergent nozzle 30, a water repellent coating nozzle 32, and a wax nozzle 34 included in the cleaning part are respectively led out via solenoid valves (not shown).

[0018] The first clean water nozzle 24 and the second clean water nozzle 26 are respectively arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash machine main body 4, and inject water containing city water onto the vehicle X. The first detergent nozzle 28 and the second detergent nozzle 30 are respectively arranged on the front side and the back side of the car wash machine main body 4, and inject a cleaning liquid containing shampoo or the like onto the vehicle X. The water repellent coating nozzle 32 and the wax nozzle 34 are arranged on the rear surface of the car wash machine main body 4. The water repellent coating nozzle 32 injects a liquid agent of a water repellent coating agent onto the vehicle X. The wax nozzle 34 injects wax onto the vehicle X.

[0019] Also, a blower 36 for generating an air flow to dry the vehicle X is provided in the car wash machine main body 4. A top blowing nozzle 38 and a side blowing nozzle 40 are connected to the blower 36. The top blowing nozzle 38 is provided at the upper center of the car wash machine main body 4 and blows air toward the ceiling surface of the vehicle X. The side blowing nozzle 40 is provided at both side parts of the car wash machine main body 4 and blows air toward the side surface of the vehicle X. The car wash machine main body 4 dries the washed vehicle X by the blowing of the top blowing nozzle 38 and the side blowing nozzle 40.

[0020] In addition, in FIG. 1, for the sake of simplicity of illustration, the illustration of each device for washing the vehicle X provided in the above-described car wash machine main body 4 may be omitted. Also, each device provided in the car wash machine main body 4 shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and the car wash machine main body 4 may include, in addition to the above-described devices, devices for washing the vehicle X including conventionally known configurations and devices for assisting the washing in the first frame 8 or the second frame 10.

[0021] An operation panel 42 is arranged on the front surface of one of the first frames 8 of the car wash machine main body 4. The operation panel 42 includes operation buttons (not shown) for setting car wash conditions, and accepts car wash or sets car wash conditions by the operation of a user or the like who has got off the vehicle X.

[0022] Furthermore, the car wash machine 2 includes a control unit 44 that controls the car wash machine main body 4. In particular, the control unit 44 controls the cleaning of the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body 4 by controlling the movement along the rail R of the car wash machine main body 4 and the operations of each part of the cleaning unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 44 may be provided in the car wash machine main body 4 or may be located outside the car wash machine main body 4. The control unit 44 may perform transmission and reception of information between the car wash machine main body 4 or a remote panel 6 described later by means of a communication device (not shown) and control the car wash machine main body 4. The control unit 44 is composed of a processor such as a CPU, for example, and each control is realized by the control program stored in the memory being executed on the processor.

[0023] The remote panel 6 is located, for example, on the front side of the car wash machine main body 4 and is arranged approximately along the moving direction of the car wash machine main body 4. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the front surface of the remote panel 6 is arranged to face the vehicle X before being washed by the car wash machine main body 4, in other words, before entering the interior of the car wash machine main body 4. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the back surface of the remote panel 6 is illustrated.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the remote panel 6 includes a housing 46 and a support column 48 that stands on the ground G and supports the housing 46. The remote panel 6 may obtain at least a part of the car wash conditions of the vehicle X by the car wash machine main body through operations such as a touch panel or buttons (not shown) provided on the housing 46. The control unit 44 may control the car wash machine main body 4 and wash the vehicle X based on at least a part of the car wash conditions obtained by the remote panel 6.

[0025] <Cover member> The details of the cover member 50 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a front view of the cover member 50. Figure 3 is a right side view of the cover member 50. Note that the right side view and the left side view of the cover member 50 are symmetrical. The cover member 50 is located in front of the second frame 10 and is a cover that covers the second frame 10. As shown in Figure 2, the cover member 50 is a cover with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 3, the cover member 50 is a single plate-like member and is manufactured by bending or other processes. The cover member 50 is, for example, a metallic plate member. The front surface of the cover member 50 constitutes a design surface. The cover member 50 includes a cover body portion 51 and a water drain portion 52.

[0026] The cover body portion 51 constitutes the main part of the cover member 50. The cover body portion 51 covers the second frame 10 from the left end to the right end. The cover body portion 51 is formed in a U shape when viewed from the side. The cover body portion 51 has a main wall portion 511 that extends in the vertical direction. The main wall portion 511 covers the front of the second frame 10. The main wall portion 511 may be a flat plate, or it may be convex toward the front, as shown in Figure 3. More specifically, the main wall portion 511 may have a V-shape or a U-shape when viewed from the side. The cover body portion 51 has an upper wall portion 512 that extends toward the rear from the top of the main wall portion 511. The upper wall portion 512 covers a part of the upper part of the second frame 10. The cover body portion 51 has a lower wall portion 513 that extends toward the rear from the bottom of the main wall portion 511. The lower wall portion 513 covers a part of the lower part of the second frame 10.

[0027] The drain portion 52 prevents liquids that are splashed from rear to front, such as liquids splashed forward from a rotating brush attached to the car wash machine body 4, from adhering to the lower surface 513A of the lower wall portion 513. The drain portion 52 and the cover body portion 51 are formed integrally. The drain portion 52 extends downward from the lower end of the cover body portion 51. More specifically, the drain portion 52 has a hanging wall portion 521 that extends downward from the rear end of the lower wall portion 513. As shown in Figure 2, the hanging wall portion 521 has a substantially constant width in the vertical direction across the left-right direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the drainage section 52 is provided continuously in the left-right direction, extending from the left end to the right end of the cover body 51. That is, the drainage section 52 is provided on the cover body 51 so as to straddle the central position of the cover body 51 in the left-right direction. There are no discontinuous portions (separated portions) formed in the drainage section 52 from the left end 52A to the right end 52B. Therefore, there are no gaps in the drainage section 52.

[0029] The length L2 of the drain section 52 in the left-right direction from its left end 52A to its right end 52B is shorter than the length L1 of the cover body 51 from its left end 51A to its right end 51B. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the length L2 of the drain section 52 is shorter than the left-right spacing L4 between the pair of first frames 8. More specifically, the spacing L4 is the left-right spacing from the right end of the left first frame 8 to the left end of the right first frame 8. Alternatively, the length L2 of the drain section 52 in the left-right direction from its left end 52A to its right end 52B is substantially the same as, or longer than, the left-right length L3 of the top brush 14 (see Figure 1). The length L3 is longer than the maximum vehicle width that can be washed by the car wash machine 2.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, a bent portion 522 is formed at the lower part of the drain portion 52, which is bent backward and upward. By forming the bent portion 522 in the drain portion 52, the lower end 50A of the cover member 50 is located above the bent portion 522. That is, the drain portion 52 has a vertical wall portion 523 that extends upward. The hanging wall portion 521 and the vertical wall portion 523 form a V shape when viewed from the side, and a groove portion 53 is formed between the hanging wall portion 521 and the vertical wall portion 523. The groove portion 53 receives liquid flowing from the upper surface 513B of the lower wall portion 513 down the hanging wall portion 521. The groove portion 53 prevents liquid flowing downward along the rear surface of the cover member 50 from falling downward. The groove portion 53 also discharges the liquid that has flowed into the groove portion 53 to the outside from both the left and right sides of the groove portion 53.

[0031] Furthermore, the water drainage section 52 is not limited to a configuration in which the hanging wall section 521 and the vertical wall section 523 form a V shape when viewed from the side. For example, the water drainage section 52 may have a configuration in which the hanging wall section 521 and the vertical wall section 523 form a U shape when viewed from the side. That is, there may be a wall section extending in the front-rear direction between the hanging wall section 521 and the vertical wall section 523.

[0032] The cover member 50 may have a notch 54, as shown in Figure 2. The notch 54 is formed on both ends of the drainage portion 52 in the left-right direction. That is, both ends of the drainage portion 52 in the left-right direction are notched. The length of the drainage portion 52 in the left-right direction is shorter than the length of the cover body portion 51 in the left-right direction. By having a notch 54 in the cover member 50, both ends 51A and 51B of the cover body portion 51 in the left-right direction can be inserted into insertion holes formed in the cover member attached to the corresponding first frame 8. This makes it less likely for the cover member 50 to fall downward.

[0033] In conventional car washes, such as the one described in Patent Document 1 above, a gate-shaped frame is provided, and in addition to the cover member attached to the front of the frame located above, a water-draining member is provided to prevent liquid from adhering to the underside of the cover member. This water-draining member is formed in a mountain shape when viewed from the front in order to form an inclined guide groove. That is, the width of the water-draining member in the vertical direction is narrowed in the central part of the car wash, and gradually widens towards the left and right ends of the car wash. However, it is difficult to construct such a water-draining member from a single member, and it is constructed by combining two members whose width in the vertical direction gradually increases. When the water-draining member is made of two members, a boundary (dividing portion) is created between the two water-draining members at the central position in the left-right direction of the car wash. Since there is a gap at this boundary, it is conceivable that water droplets adhering to the water-draining member will travel through the gap and fall onto the vehicle after washing. Furthermore, conventionally, the drainage component and the cover were separate components, requiring workers to attach the drainage component to the cover.

[0034] With the cover member 50 described above, since multiple water-draining members are not used, no gap is formed in the central part of the water-draining section 52. Therefore, it becomes difficult for liquid to drip downward from the water-draining section 52. This reduces the risk of liquid dripping onto the vehicle from the water-draining section 52. In addition, the cover body 51 and the water-draining section 52 are formed as a single unit. Therefore, there is no need to attach a separately prepared water-draining member to the cover member 50. This reduces the amount of work required by the operator. Furthermore, with the cover member 50, since the cover body 51 and the water-draining section 52 are formed as a single unit, there is a sense of unity, and the design can be improved compared to when a separate water-draining member is attached to the cover member 50. It can also reduce the manufacturing cost of the cover member 50.

[0035] Furthermore, by forming a bent portion 522 at the lower part of the drain portion 52, a groove portion 53 is formed that can receive liquid flowing from the rear surface of the cover member 50. This makes it possible to prevent liquid from falling downwards with a simple configuration.

[0036] Furthermore, the hanging wall portion 521 has a substantially constant width in the vertical direction across the left-right direction. Therefore, compared to a case where the width of the water drain portion 52 is narrowed in the central part of the water drain portion 52 in the left-right direction, and the width of the water drain portion 52 is gradually widened towards both ends 52A and 52B of the water drain portion 52, the width of the hanging wall portion 521 can be made narrower in the vertical direction.

[0037] Furthermore, the length L2 of the drain section 52 is shorter than the left-right spacing L4 between the pair of first frames 8. As a result, a gap is formed between each first frame 8 and each end 52A, 52B of the drain section 52. This allows the liquid flowing through the groove 53 to be discharged to the outside through the gap between each first frame 8 and each end 52A, 52B. By discharging the liquid flowing through the groove 53 to the outside, the liquid will not overflow from the groove 53. In addition, the length L2 of the drain section 52 is longer than the maximum vehicle width that can be washed by the car wash machine 2. As a result, the risk of the liquid discharged to the outside from each end 52A, 52B of the drain section 52 falling onto the vehicle X is reduced.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, 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]

[0039] 2 car wash machine 4 Car wash machine body 8. First Frame 10. Frame 2 50 Cover component 51 Cover body 52 Drainage section 521 Hanging wall section 522 Folding section

Claims

[Claim 1] A pair of first frames are positioned at intervals for the passage of vehicles and extend vertically, A second frame connecting the pair of first frames at the upper part of the pair of first frames, The system comprises a cover member located in front of the second frame, The cover member is The cover body portion that covers the second frame, The cover body is provided continuously over an area from the left end to the right end, and includes a drainage portion that extends downward from the lower end of the cover body, A car wash machine in which the cover body and the drainage portion are integrally formed.

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