Cleaning unit

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a cleaning unit.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle interior cleaning device that has a vehicle interior cleaning device for a garbage collection vehicle, which injects cleaning liquid from the rear of the garbage collection vehicle (packer vehicle), and cleans the inside of the hopper into which garbage is thrown and the garbage storage box that stores the garbage thrown from the hopper. The vehicle interior cleaning device includes a swing arm and a water discharge nozzle body attached to the tip of the arm.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in vehicles such as garbage collection vehicles, the garbage (contents) or dirt adhering to the vehicle often scatters during cleaning. Therefore, there is a possibility that scattered garbage and the like may also adhere to the cleaning device main body, and these garbage may cause problems such as drive unit failures and component corrosion.

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure aims to reduce the possibility that malfunctions occur in the drive unit of the cleaning device due to scattered objects during vehicle washing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a cleaning unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a nozzle for spraying cleaning fluid onto a vehicle, a drive mechanism for driving the nozzle, and a cover member, wherein when the direction of water spray from the nozzle is a first direction, the drive mechanism is located away from the extension of the first direction, and the cover member is located on the vehicle side of the drive mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the possibility of malfunctions occurring in the drive unit of the washing device due to flying debris during car washing can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a cleaning device equipped with a cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the cleaning unit with part of the cover removed. [Figure 4] This is a top view of the cleaning unit with part of the cover removed. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the drive mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (Embodiment) <Overview of the cleaning equipment> The cleaning unit 1 and the cleaning apparatus 500 equipped with the cleaning unit 1 according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus 500 from the front.

[0010] For the sake of explanation, the vertical, longitudinal, and left-right directions are defined as shown by the arrows in Figure 1, etc. The longitudinal direction is the direction in which the vehicle to be washed is parked relative to the washing device 100. The longitudinal direction is the vehicle's length direction, the left-right direction is the vehicle's width direction, and the vertical direction is the vehicle's height direction. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal and left-right directions, and the longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0011] The cleaning device 500 cleans a vehicle (not shown) located in front of the cleaning device 500. The cleaning device 500 may perform various cleaning modes based on the operation of an operation panel (not shown). As shown in Figure 1, the cleaning device 500 may be a U-shaped cleaning device when viewed from the front or rear direction. The cleaning device 500 comprises a support column 510 and a cleaning unit 1.

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

[0013] <Washing Unit> The cleaning unit 1 sprays cleaning fluid onto the vehicle to be cleaned. The vehicle may be a truck or a special vehicle such as a garbage truck. The cleaning unit 1 is vertically movable relative to a pair of support columns 510. When cleaning a vehicle, the cleaning unit 1 can be raised and lowered to widen the cleaning area of ​​the vehicle, thereby improving the efficiency of the cleaning.

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

[0015] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a front view of the cleaning unit 1 with a part of the cover removed for easy explanation of the internal structure. FIG. 4 is a top view of the cleaning unit 1 with a part of the cover removed for easy explanation of the internal structure. FIG. 4 shows a state where a plurality of nozzles are swinging in the left-right direction.

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

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

[0018] When the vehicle is a packer vehicle, the cleaning unit 1 can clean the rear surface of the packer vehicle and the inside of the packer vehicle with the cover of the rear surface open. When the vehicle is a truck, the cleaning unit 1 can clean the rear surface and the cargo bed of the vehicle.

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

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

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

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

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

[0024] The nozzle 11 has a first end portion 101 having an injection port and a second end portion 102 connected to the joint 17. The nozzle 11 may be composed of one member from the first end portion 101 to the second end portion 102, or may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members. The nozzle 11 according to the present embodiment has a crank shape having three bent portions.

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

[0026] The motor 31 is the power source for the drive mechanism 30. The power transmission mechanism comprises a plurality of shafts and a plurality of drive plates. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism includes a first shaft 36, a second shaft 37, a third shaft 38, a first drive plate 41, a second drive plate 42, and a third drive plate 43. The power transmission mechanism converts the rotational driving force of the motor 31 into a reciprocating driving force for the nozzle 11 to swing from side to side and transmits it.

[0027] The right end of the first shaft 36 is mechanically connected to the motor 31, and its left end is mechanically connected to the first drive plate 41 and the right end of the second shaft 37. The left end of the second shaft 37 is mechanically connected to the second drive plate 42 and the right end of the third shaft 38. The left end of the third shaft 38 is mechanically connected to the third drive plate 43. The first shaft 36, the second shaft 37, and the third shaft 38 are each equipped with rod ends. Each shaft and each drive plate may be connected via bolts.

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

[0029] The drive plate is rotatable around a bolt perpendicular to the main surface of the drive plate as the axis of rotation. When each shaft is moved, for example, to the left by the motor 31, each drive plate rotates clockwise around the axis of rotation. When each drive plate rotates clockwise, the nozzle 11 connected to the drive plate also rotates, and the spray direction of the nozzle 11 points to the right. When the shaft is moved to the right, the spray direction of the nozzle 11 points to the left. In this way, the drive mechanism 30 can drive the nozzle 11 in the left and right directions. The rotation angle of the nozzle 11 may be set as appropriate.

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

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

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

[0033] The second inclined surface 53 is connected to the rear surface 59 and is located at the rear of the roof section 51. The second inclined surface 53 has a slope that slopes downward toward the rear. The top surface 54 is the surface that connects the first inclined surface 52 and the second inclined surface 53.

[0034] Because the cover 50 has an inclined surface, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of flying debris falling from above on the cleaning unit 1.

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

[0036] When the spray direction of the cleaning fluid from the nozzle 11 is considered the first direction, the drive mechanism 30 is located away from the extension of the first direction, and the front surface 55 and the first inclined surface 52 of the cover 50 are located on the vehicle side (front) of the drive mechanism 30.

[0037] For example, if the vehicle is washed without the cover 50 positioned in front of the drive mechanism 30, scattered debris may adhere to the drive mechanism 30, potentially leading to malfunction of the drive mechanism 30 and corrosion of its components.

[0038] Since the cleaning unit 1 of this disclosure has a cover 50, it can protect the drive mechanism 30 and reduce the possibility of malfunctions occurring in the drive mechanism 30 due to contents scattered during cleaning.

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

[0040] During cleaning, scattered debris may enter through the opening 70. By positioning the opening 70 below the drive mechanism 30, the possibility of scattered contents reaching the drive mechanism 30 can be reduced.

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

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

[0043] In particular, since the drive mechanism 30 is housed in the cover member 50, the possibility of contamination, deterioration, or malfunction of the drive mechanism 30 is reduced. Furthermore, since the opening 70 is formed facing downwards, cleaning fluid, splashes, etc., are less likely to enter through the opening.

[0044] The nozzle 11 has a crank shape. The crank shape of the nozzle 11 allows the drive mechanism 30 to be positioned away from the extension of the spray direction with a simple structure. Furthermore, the crank shape allows the opening 70 through which the nozzle 11, which sprays cleaning fluid forward, enters the outside of the cover 50 to be positioned downwards.

[0045] (summary) A cleaning unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure comprises a nozzle for spraying cleaning fluid onto a vehicle, a drive mechanism for driving the nozzle, and a cover member, wherein when the direction of water spray from the nozzle is a first direction, the drive mechanism is located away from the extension of the first direction, and the cover member is located on the vehicle side of the drive mechanism.

[0046] With the washing unit according to the above embodiment 1, the drive mechanism is protected by the cover member, thus reducing the possibility of malfunctions occurring in the drive unit of the washing device due to flying debris during car washing.

[0047] In the cleaning unit according to embodiment 2 of this disclosure, the nozzle has a crank shape as in embodiment 1 above.

[0048] This configuration makes it possible to position the drive mechanism away from the extension of the injection direction using a simple structure.

[0049] In the cleaning unit according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure, in embodiment 1 or 2, the cover member has an opening below the drive mechanism through which the nozzle is inserted to the outside.

[0050] By having the opening located below the drive mechanism, the possibility of cleaning fluid, splashes, etc., entering through the opening and reaching the drive mechanism can be reduced.

[0051] In any one of embodiments 1 to 3, the cleaning unit according to embodiment 4 of the present disclosure is configured such that the drive mechanism is housed in a housing space defined by at least a portion of the cover member, and the opening is formed to face downward from the housing space.

[0052] Because the drive mechanism is housed in the cover member, the possibility of contamination and deterioration is reduced, and because the opening is formed facing downwards, cleaning fluids, splashes, etc., are less likely to enter through the opening.

[0053] A cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 5 of this disclosure comprises a cleaning unit according to any of embodiments 1 to 4 described above.

[0054] [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]

[0055] 500 Cleaning device 1. Washing Unit 111 First nozzle (nozzle) 112 Second nozzle (nozzle) 113. Third nozzle (nozzle) 30 Drive mechanism 50 Cover (Cover component) 51 Roof section (cover component) 52 First inclined surface (cover member) 53. Second inclined surface (cover member) 54 Top surface (cover component) 55 Front (cover component) 56. First surface (cover component) 58 Bottom 59 Back 60 Side view 70 aperture 71 Containment space

Claims

[Claim 1] A nozzle that sprays cleaning fluid onto the vehicle, A drive mechanism for driving the nozzle, A cover member and, When the direction of spray of the cleaning fluid from the nozzle is in the direction of the vehicle's length, A portion of the cover member is located on the vehicle side of the drive mechanism, and the drive mechanism is housed in a housing space defined by at least a portion of the cover member. The cover member has a downward-facing opening below the drive mechanism through which the nozzle is inserted to the outside. The cleaning unit is characterized in that the nozzle protrudes to the outside through the downward-facing opening and is bent at approximately a right angle in the vehicle length direction outside the cover member.

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