Cleaning method

Abstract

To improve cleaning quality of a packer vehicle.SOLUTION: A cleaning method for a packer vehicle using a cleaning apparatus includes: a first step of cleaning an outer side of a loading mechanism (71) by spraying a cleaning liquid from a rear side onto a packer vehicle (7) in a state where an opening / closing door (73) is in the open state and a tip end of the loading mechanism (71) is lowered to an inner bottom portion (72) of a loading portion (70Y); and a second step of cleaning an inner side of the loading mechanism (71) by spraying a cleaning liquid from below the loading portion (70Y) onto the packer vehicle (7) in a state where the opening / closing door (73) is in the closed state and the loading portion (70Y) is at a substantially horizontal position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning method for cleaning a packer vehicle using a cleaning device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning device for a packer vehicle that performs cleaning inside a hopper for loading garbage and a garbage storage box for storing the garbage loaded from the hopper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art as described above, cleaning of the back side of the hopper and the like is not preferably carried out.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to improve the cleaning quality of a packer vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a cleaning method according to one aspect of the present invention is a cleaning method for a garbage truck using a cleaning device, wherein the garbage truck has an input section for depositing garbage and a storage section for storing the deposited garbage, and the cleaning device is a cleaning unit that extends along the width direction of the vehicle and has a plurality of nozzles for spraying cleaning liquid, and is rotatable around an axis and movable in the length direction of the vehicle, and includes a first step of cleaning the outside of the loading mechanism by spraying cleaning liquid from the rear of the garbage truck with the opening / closing door for opening and closing the input opening of the input section in the open state and the tip of the loading mechanism located inside the input section for loading garbage into the storage section lowered to the inner bottom of the input section, and a second step of cleaning the inside of the loading mechanism by spraying cleaning liquid onto the input section from the cleaning unit located in front of the rear end of the garbage truck and below the input section, with the opening / closing door in the closed state and the input section in a substantially horizontal position due to the upward movement of the input section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the cleaning quality of garbage trucks can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an overview of a cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing an overview of a cleaning device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of a cleaning unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, viewed from above. [Figure 4] This figure shows the cleaning unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention in a rotating state. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of a cleaning method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of an operation panel provided in a control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 7]This figure illustrates each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Embodiment 1] The following describes in detail one embodiment of the present invention. First, in this embodiment, the cleaning device 100 for cleaning the packer truck 7 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an overview of the cleaning device 100. For the sake of explanation, the vertical direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction are defined as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, etc. The front direction is the direction in which the packer truck 7 to be cleaned is parked relative to the cleaning device 100. The front-rear direction is the length direction of the packer truck 7, the left-right direction is the width direction of the packer truck 7, and the vertical direction is the height direction of the packer truck 7. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0010] The packer truck 7 is a so-called garbage collection vehicle, and its chassis is equipped with a storage box 70X and an input box 70Y. The storage box 70X is an example of a storage section according to this disclosure, and the input box 70Y is an example of an input section according to this disclosure. The rear opening of the storage box 70X and the front opening of the input box 70Y are in communication with each other. The upper part of the input box 70Y is pivotally supported relative to the storage box 70X and can tilt relative to the storage box 70X. The packer truck 7 to be cleaned by the cleaning device 100 may be, for example, a press-type packer truck or a rotary-type packer truck. Details of the press-type packer truck and the rotary-type packer truck will be described later.

[0011] (Overview of the cleaning equipment) The cleaning device 100 includes a cleaning unit 10 that extends along the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) and has a plurality of nozzles for spraying cleaning fluid along this extension direction. Details of the cleaning unit 10 will be described later. The cleaning unit 10 is rotatable about a rotation axis that extends along the vehicle width direction and is movable in the vehicle length direction. For example, the cleaning unit 10 may be attached to a pair of guide rails 20, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0012] A pair of guide rails 20 extend along the front-rear direction and guide the movement of the washing unit 10 in the front-rear direction. The pair of guide rails 20 are supported by a plurality of support columns 21 and are positioned at a distance from the installation surface (ground) on which the washing device 100 is installed. The pair of guide rails 20 may be positioned below the top surface of the housing box 70X in the vertical direction. The pair of guide rails 20 may be positioned, for example, at a distance of about 150 cm from the installation surface. If the side of each guide rail 20 facing the washing unit 10 is open, an overhang-like cover may be provided on the open side to reduce the accumulation of debris scattered during car washing inside the rail. By using an overhang-like cover, the workability of maintenance such as applying grease to the chain or removing debris inside the guide rail 20 is improved compared to providing a cover that closes the open side.

[0013] A pair of guide rails 20 are provided so that the packer vehicle 7 can enter between the guide rails 20. That is, the distance between the pair of guide rails 20 in the left - right direction is larger than the vehicle width of the packer vehicle 7. The pair of guide rails 20 extend to a position overlapping the packer vehicle 7 when viewed from the side when the packer vehicle 7 is at the washing position. According to such a configuration, the washing unit 10 can be moved to a position overlapping the packer vehicle 7 when viewed from the side. In addition, the pair of guide rails 20 only need to extend so as to overlap the input box 70Y located at the closed position (the position in FIG. 1) when viewed from the side when the packer vehicle 7 is at the washing position.

[0014] In addition, the configuration for moving the washing unit 10 in the vehicle - length direction is not limited to the above - described example. For example, the washing unit 10 may be of a carriage type that is located at the center in the vehicle - width direction and travels on one rail extending in the vehicle - length direction.

[0015] The cleaning device 100 may further include a supply device 30, a front - rear movement drive unit 40, and a control device 50.

[0016] The supply device 30 is a device that supplies the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzles of the washing unit 10. The supply device 30 supplies the pressurized cleaning liquid to each nozzle of the washing unit 10 via a supply pipe described later. The supply device 30 includes, for example, a compressor, a tank, a high - pressure pump unit, etc.

[0017] The front - rear movement drive unit 40 applies a driving force to the washing unit 10 and moves the washing unit 10 in the front - rear direction. The front - rear movement drive unit 40 includes a drive motor not shown. The drive motor of the front - rear movement drive unit 40 applies a driving force to the washing unit 10. The front - rear movement drive unit 40 may be provided inside a connecting member 22 straddling between the pair of guide rails 20.

[0018] The control device 50 controls each part of the cleaning device 100. The control device 50 is a computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes programs pre-stored in memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The control device 50 is attached to a support column 21 that supports the central portion of the right-side guide rail 20 in the front-rear direction. The control device 50 may also be equipped with an operation panel 510 that receives user instructions.

[0019] The cleaning device 100 may further include a sensor 80. The sensor 80 may be a sensor that determines whether or not an object is present between an optical element and an optical sensor by determining whether or not an optical sensor corresponding to an optical element detects electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays emitted from that optical element. The sensor 80 may be attached to the support column 21. By including the sensor 80, it is possible to detect if an operator enters the cleaning device 100 while the cleaning device 100 is in operation.

[0020] Furthermore, while the cleaning device 100 is spraying cleaning fluid, the sensor 80 may temporarily suspend its operation. This reduces false detections caused by splashes of cleaning fluid.

[0021] The cleaning device 100 may further include a wastewater tank cleaning device 60. The packer truck 7 is equipped with a wastewater tank 75 on the rear side of the vehicle for collecting wastewater discharged from inside the packer truck 7. The wastewater tank cleaning device 60 is a device equipped with cleaning nozzles that can spray cleaning fluid toward the side of the packer truck 7, particularly toward the part corresponding to the wastewater tank 75. The wastewater tank cleaning device 60 may be attached to the support column 21. By providing the wastewater tank cleaning device 60, the wastewater tank 75, which is prone to getting dirty, can be cleaned.

[0022] The cleaning device 100 may be equipped with splash-proof panels 90 to reduce splashing during cleaning. The splash-proof panels 90 can be mounted at any position, for example, between the support columns 21 and / or above the guide rails 20, as shown in Figure 1.

[0023] The cleaning device 100 may further include a side cleaning device capable of cleaning the sides of the packer truck 7. The side cleaning device is equipped with cleaning nozzles capable of spraying cleaning fluid onto the sides of the packer truck 7. The side cleaning device may be positioned adjacent to the cleaning device 100 shown in Figure 1, and both the cleaning device 100 and the side cleaning device may use the supply device 30.

[0024] (Washing unit) Next, the detailed configuration of the cleaning unit 10 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a plan view of the cleaning unit 10 as seen from above. Figure 4 shows the cleaning unit 10 in rotation.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the cleaning unit 10 has high-pressure nozzles 16, 17 and a low-pressure nozzle 18 that spray cleaning fluid toward the packer truck 7. The high-pressure nozzle 16 is an example of a second nozzle according to the present disclosure, and the high-pressure nozzle 17 is an example of a first nozzle according to the present disclosure.

[0026] The high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 are nozzles that spray cleaning fluid at high pressure. The high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 spray cleaning fluid supplied from their respective supply pipes 162 and 172 from their respective nozzles. The supply device 30 supplies the pressurized cleaning fluid for the high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 to the cleaning unit 10 via their respective supply pipes 161 and 171. As an example, the high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 spray cleaning fluid at 2 MPa. Note that the pressure of the cleaning fluid sprayed by high-pressure nozzle 16 and the pressure of the cleaning fluid sprayed by high-pressure nozzle 17 may be different.

[0027] The spray angle W1 of the cleaning fluid from the high-pressure nozzle 16 is narrower than the spray angle W2 of the cleaning fluid from the high-pressure nozzle 17. The spray angle of the cleaning fluid may be an angle that defines the spread of the sprayed cleaning fluid in the vertical direction. The high-pressure nozzle 16 is a nozzle capable of narrow-angle spraying and can spray cleaning fluid to a greater distance. As shown in Figure 3, the high-pressure nozzle 16 is branched into two, and the positions of the tips of each branch when spraying cleaning fluid may differ in the vertical direction. By having the tips of the two branched nozzles at different heights, even a high-pressure nozzle 16 with a narrow spray angle can widen the spray range in the vertical direction, enabling efficient car washing. The high-pressure nozzle 16 can swivel left and right.

[0028] The high-pressure nozzle 17 is a nozzle capable of wide-angle spraying, allowing the cleaning solution to be sprayed over a wider area. In other words, the spray angle W2 of the high-pressure nozzle 17 is wider than the spray angle W1 of the high-pressure nozzle 16. The spray angle W2 of the high-pressure nozzle 17 only needs to be relatively wider than the spray angle W1 of the high-pressure nozzle 16. For example, the high-pressure nozzle 17 may be a nozzle capable of spraying over a wider area in the vertical direction than the high-pressure nozzle 16. In addition, the high-pressure nozzle 17 can swivel left and right.

[0029] The low-pressure nozzle 18 is a nozzle that sprays cleaning fluid at a low pressure. The low-pressure nozzle 18 sprays cleaning fluid supplied from the supply pipe 182 through its nozzle. The supply device 30 supplies pressurized cleaning fluid for the low-pressure nozzle 18 to the cleaning unit 10 via the supply pipe 181. The low-pressure nozzle 18 sprays cleaning fluid at 0.25 MPa, for example.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the cleaning unit 10 has high-pressure nozzles 16, 17 and low-pressure nozzles 18 along the left-right direction. The high-pressure nozzles 16, 17 and low-pressure nozzles 18 are spaced apart in the left-right direction. In the left-right direction, the high-pressure nozzles 16, 17 are located inside the cleaning unit 10, and the low-pressure nozzles 18 are located outside the cleaning unit 10. More specifically, one high-pressure nozzle 16 is located in the center of the cleaning unit 10 in the left-right direction. The two high-pressure nozzles 17 are located on either side of the high-pressure nozzle 16 in the left-right direction. That is, in the left-right direction, the high-pressure nozzle 16 is located between the high-pressure nozzles 17. The two low-pressure nozzles 18 are the outermost nozzles in the left-right direction.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cleaning unit 10 has a rotating shaft A1 that extends along the left-right direction. The cleaning unit 10 is rotatable around the rotating shaft A1. The nozzles 16, 17, and 18 of the cleaning unit 10 are located away from the rotating shaft A1. The cleaning unit 10 rotates around the rotating shaft A1 by the driving force from the rotary drive unit 12. The rotating shaft A1 may be located in a position that overlaps with the guide rail 20 when viewed from the side.

[0032] (Relationship between the rotational position of the cleaning unit and the spray direction of the nozzle) Referring to Figure 4, the relationship between the rotational position of the cleaning unit 10 and the spray direction of each nozzle 16, 17, and 18 will be explained. Note that in Figure 4, supply pipes 162 and 172 have been omitted for clarity. Also, the spray ports of each nozzle 16, 17, and 18 of the cleaning unit 10 are located away from the rotation axis A1.

[0033] In Figure 4, the initial position 10A of the cleaning unit 10 is shown by a solid line. The initial position 10A is the position where the multiple nozzles 16, 17, and 18 of the cleaning unit are facing horizontally (front-to-back direction). In this disclosure, the initial position 10A is assumed to be when the rotation angle of the cleaning unit 10 with respect to the rotation axis A1 is 0°. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the cleaning unit 10 in which the nozzles point upward from a rotation angle of 0° is defined as positive (+) rotation angle, and the rotation direction of the cleaning unit 10 in which the nozzles point downward from a rotation angle of 0° is defined as negative (-) rotation angle.

[0034] The cleaning unit 10 can rotate to at least -10°. The cleaning unit 10 may rotate further in the negative direction beyond -10°. For example, the first position 10B shown by the dashed line in Figure 4 is a position rotated -40° from the initial position 10A. By rotating the cleaning unit 10 in the negative direction to at least -10° from the initial position 10A, each nozzle 16, 17, and 18 faces forward and downward (diagonally downward). This allows for effective cleaning of the lower part of the input port 74 of the input box 70Y and the bottom surface of the storage space 70XA of the storage box 70X.

[0035] The cleaning unit 10 can rotate beyond the second position 10C, indicated by the dashed line. The second position 10C is rotated +90° from the initial position 10A. When the cleaning unit 10 is in the second position 10C, each nozzle 16, 17, and 18 faces vertically upward. The cleaning unit 10 can rotate, for example, to the third position 10D, indicated by the dashed line. The third position 10D is rotated +120° from the initial position 10A. When the cleaning unit 10 rotates beyond the second position 10C, each nozzle 16, 17, and 18 faces backward and upward (diagonally upward). Therefore, the back of the input box 70Y, which is in the open position (state shown in Figure 2), can be cleaned from the front. This enables effective cleaning of the back of the input box 70Y.

[0036] The cleaning unit 10 is rotatable, for example, within a range of -40° to +165°. The cleaning unit 10 may also rotate in a negative direction beyond -40° to clean the packer truck 7. Alternatively, the cleaning unit 10 may rotate in a positive direction beyond +165° to clean the packer truck 7.

[0037] <Cleaning method> An example of a cleaning method for a packer truck 7 using the cleaning device 100 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 9. Embodiment 1 describes the case where the packer truck 7 to be cleaned is a press-type packer truck 7A. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation panel 510 provided by the control device 50. Figures 7, 8, and 9 are diagrams illustrating each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 1. The cleaning method using the cleaning device 100 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 5 and may include other steps.

[0038] (Registration Process) First, in the reception process of step S12, the washing device 100 receives instructions regarding the washing of the packer truck 7. In the reception process, the operator parks the packer truck 7 at the washing position and inputs instructions regarding the washing of the packer truck 7 via the operation panel 510. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the area 501 of the operation panel has course selection buttons for selecting a car wash course, allowing the operator to select a course such as "water wash" and a washing speed such as "speed wash" or "thorough wash". Based on the input via the selection buttons, the washing device 100 performs the washing operation of the selected course. For example, "speed wash" may be a wash with a shortened washing time, and "thorough wash" may be a thorough wash with an extended washing time. If "speed wash" is selected, the washing device 100 may shorten the washing time by increasing the swing speed of the washing unit 10, etc. The selection of "speed wash" or "thorough wash" may be decided by the operator considering the degree of soiling of the vehicle, etc.

[0039] Area 502 is equipped with a vehicle type selection button for selecting the type, size, and other characteristics of the packer truck 7. The vehicle type selection button allows the user to select, for example, whether the compression type is press-type or rotary-type, whether the discharge type is extrusion-type or dump-type, and the size of the packer truck 7. When washing a press-type packer truck 7A, the operator selects press-type for the compression type during the reception process. Since the vehicle type selection button allows input of information regarding the external characteristics of the packer truck 7, the washing device 100 can perform washing according to those characteristics.

[0040] Area 503 shows, including illustrations, the operation of the packer truck 7 in each cleaning process. The inclusion of illustrations in the operating procedures helps to assist the operator.

[0041] Area 504 contains a start button for initiating the cleaning operation and a stop button for stopping it. The cleaning device 100 can be started or stopped by input via the start or stop button.

[0042] Area 505 may contain detailed instructions on how to operate the device, precautions, and other information.

[0043] (1st step) In the first step (step S13), the cleaning device 100 cleans the outside of the loading mechanism.

[0044] Here, the structure of the press-type packer truck 7A will be explained using Figure 7. At the rear of the input box 70Y of the press-type packer truck 7A is an input port 74, which is an opening for inputting garbage. The opening / closing door 73 is configured to open and close the input port 74 by sliding. The input box 70Y is also equipped with a loading mechanism 71A for loading the garbage input from the input port 74 into the storage box 70X. The loading mechanism 71A consists of a sliding plate 711 and a compression plate 712 supported at the lower end of the sliding plate 711 so as to be able to swing back and forth. The sliding plate 711 extends across the full width of the input box 70Y and slides along the direction of the inclination, tilting from the front upper to the rear lower. By appropriately controlling the sliding operation of the sliding plate 711 and the swinging operation of the compression plate 712, the garbage input from the input port 74 is stored in the storage box 70X.

[0045] In the first step, the operator operates the press-type packer truck 7A according to the display on the control panel 510 to open the opening / closing door 73 of the input box 70Y. The operator also lowers the tip of the loading mechanism 71A to the inner bottom 72 of the input box 70Y. In the case of the press-type packer truck 7A, the tip of the loading mechanism 71A refers to the tip of the compression plate 712. Once the operator confirms that the press-type packer truck 7A has its opening / closing door 73 open and the tip of the loading mechanism 71A is lowered to the inner bottom 72, as shown in Figure 7, the operator presses the start button on the control panel 510 to begin the first step of cleaning.

[0046] The cleaning device 100 performs the first cleaning operation in response to an input of a work start instruction, which is given by the operator pressing the start button.

[0047] When not performing cleaning, the cleaning device 100 positions the cleaning unit 10 in a standby position. The standby position of the cleaning unit 10 is a position where it does not come into contact with any part of the packer truck 7 located in the cleaning position. The standby position is, for example, the position where the cleaning unit 10 has moved furthest to the rear within its range of movement in the front-rear direction.

[0048] When the start button is pressed, the cleaning device 100 moves the cleaning unit 10 forward so that the high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 of the cleaning unit 10 are positioned near the inlet 74. At this time, the cleaning unit 10 may be advanced with the tips of the high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 pivoting to either the left or right direction (facing diagonally with respect to the vehicle length direction) rather than moving forward. Furthermore, the cleaning unit 10 may be advanced while rotated to the first position 10B shown in Figure 4. This further reduces the possibility of accidents involving contact between the high-pressure nozzles 16 and 17 and workers, etc.

[0049] When the cleaning unit 10 has finished moving forward, the cleaning device 100 cleans the outer surface of the loading mechanism 71A by spraying cleaning fluid from the rear of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 7. At this time, first, a high-pressure nozzle 17 capable of wide-angle spraying may be used to spray cleaning fluid from top to bottom while oscillating from side to side, cleaning the entire outer surface of the loading mechanism 71 (overall cleaning step). In this overall cleaning step, the lower part of the input port 74 may also be cleaned along with the outer surface of the loading mechanism 71. After that, a high-pressure nozzle 16 capable of narrow-angle spraying may be used to locally clean the movable parts of the loading mechanism 71A while oscillating from side to side (local cleaning step). The movable parts of the loading mechanism 71A may be, for example, the joint between the sliding plate 711 and the compression plate 712. By including an overall cleaning step and a local cleaning step for cleaning movable parts where dirt tends to accumulate, the outer surface of the loading mechanism 71A can be cleaned with greater precision.

[0050] Once the first cleaning operation is complete, the cleaning device 100 may retract the cleaning unit 10 to the standby position and temporarily stop its operation.

[0051] (2nd process) In the subsequent second step (step S14), the cleaning device 100 cleans the inside of the loading mechanism.

[0052] In the second step, the operator closes the opening / closing door 73 of the input box 70Y according to the display on the control panel 510. The operator also flips (rotates) the input box 70Y so that it is in a nearly horizontal position as shown in Figure 8. When flipping the input box 70Y to the nearly horizontal position, it may be difficult to confirm from the driver's seat whether it is in the horizontal position or not. To assist the operator in flipping the input box 70Y to the horizontal position, the washing device 100 may be equipped with a convex mirror with a horizontal line in a location that is easily visible from the driver's seat. Once the operator has confirmed that the press-type packer truck 7A is in the closed position with the opening / closing door 73 closed and the input box 70Y in the nearly horizontal position as shown in Figure 8, the operator presses the start button on the control panel 510 to start the second step of washing.

[0053] The cleaning device 100 performs the second cleaning operation in response to an input of a work start instruction by an operator pressing the start button. Alternatively, the cleaning device 100 may further include a sensor capable of detecting the position of the input box 70Y. In this case, the cleaning device 100 may start the second cleaning operation in response to the sensor detecting that the input box 70Y has reached a horizontal position.

[0054] When the second cleaning process begins, the cleaning device 100 moves the cleaning unit 10 forward until it is positioned below the input box 70Y, which is in a horizontal position and ahead of the rear end of the press-type packer truck 7A.

[0055] When the cleaning unit 10 has finished moving forward, the cleaning device 100 cleans the inner surface of the loading mechanism 71A by spraying cleaning fluid from below the input box 70Y, as shown in Figure 8. At this time, the entire inner surface of the loading mechanism 71A may be cleaned by using the high-pressure nozzle 17, in combination with the rotational movement of the cleaning unit 10 and the oscillating movement of the high-pressure nozzle 17. By using the high-pressure nozzle 17 capable of wide-angle spraying, the entire inner surface of the loading mechanism 71A can be cleaned efficiently.

[0056] Once the second cleaning operation is complete, the cleaning device 100 may temporarily stop its operation.

[0057] (Additional process) In the subsequent additional step (step S15), the cleaning device 100 cleans the inner bottom of the input box 70Y.

[0058] In the additional step, the operator ensures that the tip of the compression plate 712 is positioned at the lower end 74B of the input opening, following the instructions on the control panel 510. This allows the entire inner bottom 72 to be cleaned by the spray of cleaning fluid from below. The operator also ensures that the input box 70Y is raised to a position higher than the horizontal position shown in Figure 9. Once the operator confirms that the press-type packer truck 7A is in the state shown in Figure 9, they press the start button on the control panel 510 to begin the additional cleaning step.

[0059] The cleaning device 100 starts the additional cleaning operation in response to an input of a work start instruction, which is given by the operator pressing the start button.

[0060] When the additional cleaning process begins, the cleaning device 100 sprays cleaning solution onto the inner bottom 72 from below the input box 70Y to clean the inner bottom 72. At this time, the high-pressure nozzle 16 is used to clean the entire inner bottom 72 by using both the rotational movement of the cleaning unit 10 and the oscillating movement of the high-pressure nozzle 16. By raising the input box 70Y above the horizontal position, the inner bottom 72 is at an angle that makes it easier to clean, but on the other hand, the distance from the nozzle increases. Since the high-pressure nozzle 16 is a nozzle that can spray over long distances, using the high-pressure nozzle 16 in the additional process allows for effective cleaning of the inner bottom 72.

[0061] Once the cleaning operation of the additional step is completed, the cleaning device 100 may immediately start the third cleaning step.

[0062] (3rd step) In the third step, the cleaning device 100 cleans the inside of the storage box 70X.

[0063] In the third step, the cleaning device 100 cleans the inside of the storage box 70X by spraying cleaning fluid from the rear of the storage box 70X. At this time, the inside of the storage box 70X may be cleaned using the high-pressure nozzle 17, by using both the rotational movement of the cleaning unit 10 and the oscillating movement of the high-pressure nozzle 17 in combination. Furthermore, the cleaning device 100 may clean the packing and other parts provided in the area where the opening of the storage box 70X and the input box 70Y come into contact by spraying cleaning fluid from the low-pressure nozzle 18.

[0064] By using a high-pressure nozzle 17 suitable for cleaning the inside of the storage box 70X and a low-pressure nozzle 18 suitable for cleaning packings and the like, effective cleaning is possible while reducing the possibility of packings being damaged by cleaning pressure.

[0065] (Water draining process) After the series of cleaning operations are completed, the cleaning device 100 may perform a draining process to discharge any water remaining in the high-pressure nozzles 16, 17 and the low-pressure nozzle 18. The draining process can be performed by supplying air to each nozzle. At this time, each nozzle may be oriented forward to prevent splashing, or it may be oriented in any direction depending on the installation location of the cleaning device 100. Alternatively, the draining process may be performed while oscillating each nozzle.

[0066] When the cleaning device 100 performs the water draining process and then performs the next cleaning, air remains trapped inside the nozzle, requiring a certain amount of time before the cleaning solution is sprayed. Therefore, even if the first step of the next cleaning process involves cleaning with the high-pressure nozzle 16 after cleaning with the high-pressure nozzle 17, the spraying of the cleaning solution from the high-pressure nozzle 16 may be started simultaneously with the spraying from the high-pressure nozzle 17. This eliminates the waiting time for the spraying of the cleaning solution from the high-pressure nozzle 16, thereby shortening the cleaning time.

[0067] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figures 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating each step of the cleaning method according to Embodiment 2. For the sake of clarity, components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0068] Embodiment 2 describes the case where the packer truck 7 to be cleaned is a rotary packer truck 7B. The cleaning method for the rotary packer truck 7B using the cleaning device 100 may omit the additional steps described for the press-type packer truck 7A in Embodiment 1. The following description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1.

[0069] Here, the structure of the rotary packer truck 7B will be explained using Figure 10. At the rear of the input box 70Y of the rotary packer truck 7B is an input port 74, which is an opening for inputting garbage. The opening / closing door 73 is configured to open and close the input port 74 by sliding. The input box 70Y is also equipped with a loading mechanism 71B for loading the garbage input from the input port 74 into the storage box 70X. The loading mechanism 71B consists of a pushing plate 713 and a lifting plate 714 located below the pushing plate 713. The lifting plate 714 rotates around an axis extending in the width direction of the vehicle, and by the rotation of the lifting plate 714, it scoops up the garbage input from the input port 74 along the inner bottom 72 of the input box 70Y and lifts it to the position of the pushing plate 713. The pushing plate 713 pushes the garbage lifted by the rotation of the pushing plate 713 into the storage box 70X.

[0070] (Registration Process) The reception process is generally the same as in Embodiment 1. When cleaning the rotary packer truck 7B, the operator selects the rotary type as the compression method in the reception process.

[0071] (1st step) When cleaning the rotary packer truck 7B, in the first step, the operator opens the opening / closing door 73 of the input box 70Y according to the display on the control panel 510. The operator also lowers the tip of the loading mechanism 71B to the inner bottom 72 of the input box 70Y. In the case of the rotary packer truck 7B, the tip of the loading mechanism 71A refers to the tip of the lifting plate 714. The operator positions the loading mechanism 71B so that the inclination angles of the pushing plate 713 and the lifting plate 714 are approximately the same, or so that the tip of the lifting plate 714 is located near the lowest point of the inner bottom 72. Once the operator confirms that the rotary packer truck 7B is in the open position with the opening / closing door 73 open and the tip of the loading mechanism 71A lowered to the inner bottom 72, as shown in Figure 10, the operator presses the start button on the control panel 510 to begin the first step of cleaning.

[0072] When the start button is pressed, the cleaning device 100 performs the first cleaning operation in the same manner as described in the first step of Embodiment 1.

[0073] (2nd process) When cleaning the rotary packer truck 7B, in the second step, the operator closes the opening / closing door 73 of the input box 70Y according to the display on the control panel 510. The operator also positions the tip of the lifting plate 714 at the lower end 74B of the input opening. Furthermore, the operator flips (rotates) the input box 70Y so that it is in a nearly horizontal position as shown in Figure 11.

[0074] Once the operator confirms that the rotary packer truck 7B is in the state shown in Figure 11, they press the start button on the control panel 510 to begin the second cleaning process.

[0075] When the start button is pressed, the cleaning device 100 performs the second cleaning operation in the same manner as described in the second step of Embodiment 1.

[0076] If a rotary type is selected in the receiving process, the cleaning device 100 may further perform an inner bottom cleaning process. In the inner bottom cleaning process, the cleaning device 100 may use a high-pressure nozzle 16 to clean the inner bottom 72 of the input box 70Y in combination with the rotational movement of the cleaning unit 10 and the oscillating movement of the high-pressure nozzle 16. By performing the cleaning of the inner bottom 72 in the second process as well, the inner surface and inner bottom 72 of the input box 70Y can be cleaned efficiently.

[0077] (Third process: Water removal process) The third step and the water removal step may be carried out in the same manner as in Embodiment 1.

[0078] 〔summary〕 (1) A cleaning method according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is a cleaning method for a garbage truck using a cleaning device, wherein the garbage truck has an input section for loading garbage and a storage section for storing the loaded garbage, and the cleaning device comprises a cleaning unit that extends along the width direction of the vehicle and has a plurality of nozzles for spraying cleaning liquid, the cleaning device being rotatable on an axis and movable in the length direction of the vehicle, and includes a first step of cleaning the outside of the loading mechanism by spraying cleaning liquid from the rear of the garbage truck with the opening / closing door for opening and closing the input opening of the input section in the open state and the tip of the loading mechanism located inside the input section for loading garbage into the storage section lowered to the inner bottom of the input section, and a second step of cleaning the inside of the loading mechanism by spraying cleaning liquid onto the input section from the cleaning unit located in front of the rear end of the garbage truck and below the input section, with the opening / closing door in the closed state and the input section in a substantially horizontal position due to the opening of the input section.

[0079] The cleaning method according to the above embodiment 1 ensures that the outside and inside of the loading mechanism are properly cleaned. This significantly improves the cleaning quality of the garbage truck.

[0080] (2) The cleaning method according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, in Embodiment 1, wherein the plurality of nozzles include a first nozzle located at the vehicle width end of the cleaning unit and capable of swinging left and right while spraying, and a second nozzle located in the vehicle width center of the cleaning unit and capable of swinging left and right while spraying, The first step includes an overall cleaning step of cleaning the inside of the loading section using the first nozzle, and a localized cleaning step of cleaning the movable parts of the loading mechanism using the second nozzle.

[0081] (3) The cleaning method according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure, in embodiment 1 or 2, the second step includes an internal cleaning step of cleaning the inner surface of the loading mechanism by spraying a cleaning liquid onto the inner surface of the loading mechanism from the first nozzle.

[0082] (4) The cleaning method according to embodiment 4 of the present disclosure is an additional step in which, in any of embodiments 1 to 3 above, the loading mechanism of the packer truck has a compression plate for compressing and storing garbage in the storage section, and after the second step, the packer truck is raised to a position higher than the horizontal position by the flipping up of the input section, and the tip of the compression plate is located at the lower end of the input opening, and a cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the inner bottom of the input section from a second nozzle of the cleaning unit located in front of the rear end of the packer truck and below the input section, thereby cleaning the inner bottom of the input section.

[0083] (5) In the washing method according to aspect 5 of the present disclosure, in aspect 3 above, the loading mechanism of the packer truck has a lifting plate that lifts the waste to a position in which it is pushed, and in the second step, the tip of the lifting plate is located at the lower end of the input opening.

[0084] (6) The cleaning method according to embodiment 6 of the present disclosure further includes, in embodiment 3 or 5, an inner bottom cleaning step of cleaning the inner bottom by spraying a cleaning solution onto the inner bottom from the second nozzle.

[0085] (7) In the cleaning method according to embodiment 7 of the present disclosure, in embodiment 2 above, the first nozzle sprays the cleaning liquid at a wider angle than the second nozzle.

[0086] [Additional Notes] 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]

[0087] 7. Garbage truck 70X...Storage box (storage section) 70Y...Insertion box (input section) 71, 71A, 71B...Loading mechanism 711...Sliding plate 712... Compression plate 713... Push-in plate 714... Lifting plate 72...Inner bottom 73...Opening and closing door 74...Inlet 74B...Bottom end 75...Sewage tank 100... Washing device 10. Washing Unit 16. High-pressure nozzle (second nozzle) 17. High-pressure nozzle (No. 1 nozzle) 18. Low-pressure nozzle 20... Guide rails 21...post 30...Feeding device 50... Control device 510... Control Panel 60. Wastewater tank cleaning device 80...sensor 90...Water splash prevention panel

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a garbage truck using a cleaning device, The aforementioned garbage truck has an input section for loading garbage and a storage section for storing the loaded garbage. The cleaning device is A cleaning device comprising a cleaning unit having multiple nozzles that extend along the width direction of the vehicle and spray cleaning fluid, the cleaning unit being rotatable around an axis and movable in the length direction of the vehicle, The first step involves cleaning the outside of a packer truck by spraying cleaning fluid from the rear of the packer truck, with the opening / closing door that opens and closes the input opening of the input section in the open position, and the tip of the loading mechanism located inside the input section and used to load waste into the storage section lowered to the inner bottom of the input section. A cleaning method comprising: a second step of cleaning the inside of the loading mechanism of a packer truck in a state where the opening and closing door is closed and the loading section is in a substantially horizontal position due to the upward movement of the loading section, by spraying cleaning liquid onto the loading section from a cleaning unit located in front of the rear end of the packer truck and below the loading section.

2. The plurality of nozzles include a first nozzle located at the vehicle width end of the washing unit and capable of swinging left and right while spraying, and a second nozzle located in the vehicle width center of the washing unit and capable of swinging left and right while spraying. The cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the first step includes an overall cleaning step of cleaning the inside of the loading section using the first nozzle, and a local cleaning step of cleaning the movable part of the loading mechanism using the second nozzle.

3. The cleaning method according to claim 2, wherein the second step includes an internal cleaning step of cleaning the inner surface of the loading mechanism by spraying a cleaning solution onto the inner surface of the loading mechanism from the first nozzle.

4. The loading mechanism of the aforementioned packer truck has a compression plate for compressing and storing the waste in the storage section, The cleaning method according to claim 3, further comprising the additional step of cleaning the inner bottom of the input section of a packer truck, which has been raised to a position higher than horizontal by the upward movement of the input section and whose front end is located at the lower end of the input opening, by spraying cleaning liquid onto the inner bottom of the input section from the second nozzle of the cleaning unit, which is located in front of the rear end of the packer truck and below the input section.

5. The loading mechanism of the aforementioned packer truck has a lifting plate that lifts the garbage to a position where it can be pushed in. The cleaning method according to claim 3, wherein in the second step, the tip of the lifting plate is located at the lower end of the input port.

6. The cleaning method according to claim 5, wherein the second step further includes an inner bottom cleaning step of cleaning the inner bottom by spraying a cleaning solution onto the inner bottom from the second nozzle.

7. The cleaning method according to claim 2, wherein the spray angle of the first nozzle is wider than the spray angle of the second nozzle.

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