Car washing methods

Abstract

To further reduce ion deposit remaining on a surface of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle washing method using a vehicle washing machine includes a washing step, a vehicle shape information acquisition step, and a finish washing step. In a washing step, a washing liquid is jetted to a surface of a vehicle from a washing liquid nozzle. In the finish washing step, at least some of the washing liquid sticking to the surface of the vehicle is removed by jetting pure water sideways to the vehicle from a side-surface nozzle. In the finish washing process, a range of jetting the pure water from the side-surface nozzle is changed based on the information on a vehicle height.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a car washing method for washing a vehicle using a car washing machine.

Background Art

[0002] <{ As the water for car washing used when washing a car by a car washing machine, tap water (city water) using surface water, groundwater, etc. as a water source, or industrial water, etc. is used. For example, tap water contains residues of chlorine for disinfection and minerals such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Therefore, when the water droplets remaining on the vehicle surface after car washing dry as they are, these impurities remain on the vehicle surface as ion deposits (water spots).

[0003] In recent years, in order to reduce this ion deposit, a car washing machine using pure water as the water for car washing has been developed.

[0004] As car washing machines capable of washing with pure water, a full pure water type car washing machine that uses pure water in all car washing processes and a finishing pure water type car washing machine that uses pure water only in the final rinsing process are known as the prior art. Compared with ordinary washing water, the use of pure water is costly. The finishing pure water type car washing machine has an advantage in terms of cost because the amount of pure water used can be reduced. As a finishing pure water type car washing machine, for example, there is a car washing device described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle washing system that includes a pure water generating device for generating pure water, and a finishing washing unit that sprays the pure water generated by the pure water generating device onto a vehicle that has been washed by a brush washing unit for final washing. In the vehicle washing system described in Patent Document 1, after washing by the brush washing device, a final washing is performed by the finishing washing unit.

[0007] Generally, pure water is more expensive than tap water or industrial water. Therefore, for car wash machines such as the vehicle washing system described in Patent Document 1, it is desirable to reduce the amount of pure water consumed in the final wash while reducing the amount of ion deposits remaining on the vehicle surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a car washing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a car washing method performed by a car washing machine comprising: a car washing machine body that moves relative to a vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and includes a cleaning liquid nozzle for spraying cleaning liquid and a side nozzle for spraying high-pressure pure water; and a vehicle shape information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle shape information including information about the vehicle height, the car washing method comprising: a vehicle shape information acquisition step in which the vehicle shape information acquisition unit acquires the vehicle shape information; a vehicle washing step including spraying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid nozzle onto the surface of the vehicle; and a finishing washing step performed after the vehicle shape information acquisition step and the washing step, which removes at least a portion of the cleaning liquid adhering to the surface of the vehicle by spraying the pure water from the side nozzle from the side of the vehicle, wherein in the finishing washing step, the range in which the pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle is changed based on the information about the vehicle height while the car washing machine body is moved relative to the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the amount of pure water consumed during the final wash is reduced while reducing ion deposits remaining on the surface of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view showing a car wash machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing a car wash machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a car wash machine according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing how the side high-pressure nozzle and the spray range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle are changed according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating a car washing method according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 6] A front view of the car wash machine body and vehicle in the finishing cleaning process according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing how the side high-pressure nozzle and the spray range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle are changed in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the side high-pressure nozzle and the spray range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle according to Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] [Embodiment 1] One embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing the car wash machine according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the car wash machine according to this embodiment.

[0013] In this specification, a sedan-type vehicle will be used as an example to describe the vehicle X to be washed. For example, vehicle X has a hood, windshield, roof, rear window, and trunk on its upper surface, in that order from the front. However, in this specification, the type and shape of vehicle X are not particularly limited as long as it can be washed by the car wash machine body 4 described later.

[0014] (Configuration of the car wash machine) The car wash machine 2 is a finishing pure water type car wash machine. More specifically, the car wash machine 2 is a car wash machine capable of executing a car wash process including a cleaning process involving brushing and a finishing cleaning process of performing finishing cleaning using pure water. The liquid used in the cleaning process performed by the car wash machine 2 is referred to as a cleaning liquid, and the water used in the finishing cleaning process is referred to as pure water.

[0015] In the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid includes, for example, tap water (piped water) sourced from surface water, groundwater, etc., or industrial water. Tap water and industrial water vary depending on the area where they are taken and the type of raw water, but usually have an electric conductivity of about 70 to 300 μS / cm. Pure water is water having a lower electric conductivity than the cleaning liquid. For example, the electric conductivity of the pure water according to the present disclosure may be 0 μS / cm or more and 20 μS / cm or less.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the car wash machine 2 includes a car wash machine main body 4, a remote panel 6, a tap water tank 62, a pure water tank 72, and a pure water generation device 73.

[0017] The car wash machine 2 includes, as a cleaning liquid injection mechanism for injecting tap water as a cleaning liquid onto the vehicle X, a tap water tank 62, a first path 61 for supplying tap water to the car wash machine main body 4, and a tap water nozzle 24 for injecting tap water onto the vehicle X. The tap water nozzle 24 is a nozzle provided in the car wash machine main body 4 and will be described in detail later. The tap water tank 62 is a tank for storing tap water and includes a low-pressure pump P1. The low-pressure pump P1 is a pump for sending out tap water from the tap water tank 62 to the tap water nozzle 24 via the first path 61 and the like, and can be controlled by a control unit 44 described later. In the mechanism for injecting tap water onto the vehicle X, the tap water tank 62 is not essential, and the first path 61 may be connected to a water pipe or the like via a valve capable of opening and closing control. In this case, the valve can be controlled by the control unit 44 described later.

[0018] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the car wash machine 2 injects tap water as part of the cleaning liquid to the vehicle X, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the car wash machine 2 may include, as a cleaning liquid injection mechanism, a mechanism that injects a cleaning liquid different from tap water, including industrial water. In this case, the mechanism may have the same configuration as the cleaning liquid injection mechanism described above, except that it includes a tank for storing industrial water or the like instead of the tap water tank 62.

[0019] The car wash machine 2 includes, as a pure water injection mechanism for injecting pure water to the vehicle X, a pure water generation device 73, a pure water tank 72, a second path 71 for supplying pure water to the car wash machine body, and high-pressure nozzles 26 and side high-pressure nozzles 27 for injecting pure water to the vehicle X. The pure water generation device 73 is a device that reduces the electrical conductivity of a liquid. The pure water generation device 73 may be, for example, a device that generates pure water by a reverse osmosis membrane method. The car wash machine 2 may include a third path 73A for supplying pure water from the pure water generation device 73 to the pure water tank 72. The pure water tank 72 is a tank that stores pure water generated by the pure water generation device 73 and includes a high-pressure pump P2. The high-pressure pump P2 is a pump that sends out pure water from the pure water tank 72 to the high-pressure nozzles 26 via the second path 71 and the like, and can be controlled by a control unit 44 described later. For example, the high-pressure pump P2 may send out pure water to the high-pressure nozzles 26 and the side high-pressure nozzles 27 at a pressure higher than the pressure at which the low-pressure pump P1 sends out tap water to the water supply nozzle 24. The pure water according to the present disclosure may be water generated by the pure water generation device 73 and having an electrical conductivity of 0 μS / cm or more and 6 μS / cm or less.

[0020] The second route 71 merges with the first route 61 upstream of the car wash machine body 4. The first route 61, which supplies tap water, is connected to the car wash machine body 4, and the second route 71, which supplies pure water, may be connected to the first route 61 upstream of this connection point. In this case, tap water is supplied to the car wash machine body 4 via the first route 61, and pure water is supplied to the car wash machine body 4 via the second route 71 and a portion of the first route 61. Alternatively, the first route 61 and the second route 71 may merge and connect to a single route 80, and route 80 may be connected to the car wash machine body 4. In this case, tap water is supplied to the car wash machine body 4 via the first route 61 and route 80, and pure water is supplied to the car wash machine body 4 via the second route 71 and route 80. For example, tap water supplied to the car wash machine body 4 is sent to the tap water nozzle 24 by the distribution piping section 22, which will be described later, and pure water supplied to the car wash machine body 4 is sent to the high-pressure nozzle 26 by the distribution piping section 22, which will be described later.

[0021] Therefore, in this embodiment, the water path from the water tank 62 to the water nozzle 24 and the pure water path from the pure water tank 72 to the high-pressure nozzle 26 are partially common. This simplifies the mechanism for supplying water and pure water to each nozzle in the car wash machine 2. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the water path from the water tank 62 to the water nozzle 24 and the pure water path from the pure water tank 72 to the high-pressure nozzle 26 may be completely separate. In this case, the car wash machine 2 can reduce the mixing of water with the pure water sprayed from the high-pressure nozzle 26 and improve the purity of the pure water sprayed from the high-pressure nozzle 26.

[0022] (Car wash machine components) As shown in Figure 1, the car wash machine body 4 comprises, for example, two frames 8 and a ceiling portion 10 connecting the upper ends of the two frames 8. The car wash machine body 4 has a structure that allows a vehicle X to pass through a space 4S enclosed by the frames 8 and the ceiling portion 10 along the vehicle X's entry direction DA, as shown in Figure 2. In this specification, the entry direction DA is the direction from the front 4A to the rear 4B of the car wash machine body 4. In this embodiment, the front 4A is, for example, the surface on which the operation panel 42, which will be described later, is provided.

[0023] The car wash machine body 4 comprises a drive unit 4X and a cleaning unit 4Y. The drive unit 4X comprises wheels 12 provided at the bottom of each frame 8 and a drive device 11 that rotates the wheels 12. As the drive device 11 rotates the wheels 12, the car wash machine body 4 moves 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. Here, the car wash machine body 4 performs washing (cleaning) of the vehicle X in space 4S while moving relative to the vehicle X.

[0024] The cleaning unit 4Y includes a plurality of rotating brushes that slide on the vehicle X. For example, the cleaning unit 4Y includes a top brush 14, a side brush 16, and a rocker brush 18, each rotated by a rotary motor (not shown). The top brush 14 slides along the top surface of the vehicle X and cleans the top surface of the vehicle X. The side brush 16 and the rocker brush 18 clean both sides of the vehicle X.

[0025] The cleaning unit 4Y also has a plurality of nozzles for spraying liquid onto the vehicle X. These plurality of nozzles include a water nozzle 24, a high-pressure nozzle 26, and a side high-pressure nozzle 27 as a side nozzle.

[0026] The water supply nozzle 24 is a washing liquid nozzle connected to the aforementioned water supply tank 62 and sprays water onto the vehicle X. As shown in Figure 2, the water supply nozzle 24 may include, for example, a first nozzle 24A located on the front 4A side of each frame 8 of the car wash machine body 4, and a second nozzle 24B located on the rear 4B side. The water sprayed by the water supply nozzle 24 may have pressure supplied from the low-pressure pump P1. On the other hand, the water sprayed by the water supply nozzle 24 does not have to have pressure and may flow only due to its own weight or the like.

[0027] The high-pressure nozzle 26 is connected to the aforementioned pure water tank 72 and is a nozzle that injects high-pressure pure water onto the vehicle X. In particular, the high-pressure nozzle 26 injects pure water at a higher injection pressure than the injection pressure of tap water by the tap water nozzle 24. Specifically, the pressure of the pure water injected by the high-pressure nozzle 26 may be between 100 kPa and 2 MPa. For example, the high-pressure nozzle 26 may inject pure water at a higher injection pressure than the injection pressure of tap water by the tap water nozzle 24 by injecting pure water from an injection hole smaller than the injection hole of the tap water nozzle 24 that injects tap water. In this case, the pure water injection mechanism may include a pump that sends pure water to the high-pressure nozzle 26 at approximately the same pressure as the low-pressure pump P1, instead of the high-pressure pump P2.

[0028] Multiple high-pressure nozzles 26 are formed on a beam 26B that extends horizontally from the car wash machine body 4 and through which pure water can flow. The beam 26B is supported on the ceiling 10 by an arm (not shown) that is movable vertically from the car wash machine body 4. As a result, when the beam 26B moves vertically from the car wash machine body 4, the high-pressure nozzles 26 move vertically from the car wash machine body 4 as well.

[0029] For example, each high-pressure nozzle 26 sprays pure water downwards when pure water is supplied into the beam 26B by the method described later. In this embodiment, the high-pressure nozzle 26S located at the end of the beam 26B in the extension direction sprays pure water toward the center of the car wash machine body 4 in the left-right direction, rather than downwards in the vertical direction. The angle and range of each high-pressure nozzle 26 spraying pure water are determined so that the pure water sprayed from the multiple high-pressure nozzles is sprayed onto the vehicle X substantially evenly without gaps. The length of the beam 26B in the extension direction is longer than the width of the vehicle X that can be washed by the car wash machine 2.

[0030] The side high-pressure nozzle 27 is connected to the aforementioned pure water tank 72 and is a nozzle that sprays pure water onto the vehicle X. In particular, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 sprays pure water at a higher injection pressure than the injection pressure of tap water by the tap water nozzle 24. The pressure of the pure water sprayed by the side high-pressure nozzle 27 may be between 100 kPa and 2 MPa. Similar to the high-pressure nozzle 26, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 may also spray pure water from an injection hole that is smaller than the injection hole of the tap water nozzle 24 that sprays tap water.

[0031] The side high-pressure nozzles 27 are located below the high-pressure nozzles 26 and are formed on each of the frames 8. Therefore, the side high-pressure nozzles 27 are located on both the left and right sides of the car wash machine body 4, below the high-pressure nozzles 26. However, the side high-pressure nozzles 27 may be located on only one end of the car wash machine body 4.

[0032] (Details of the side high-pressure nozzle) The side high-pressure nozzle 27 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the side high-pressure nozzle 27 and how the spray range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 is changed, as viewed from the front of the car wash machine body 4. In particular, Figure 4 shows only the side high-pressure nozzle 27 formed on the frame 8 located on the right side when viewed from the front of the car wash machine body 4, and the nozzle shaft 27S that holds the side high-pressure nozzle 27, which will be described later. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, the other side high-pressure nozzle 27 not shown in Figure 4 has the same configuration as the side high-pressure nozzle 27 shown in Figure 4, except that the positions of each part are reversed around the approximate center of the car wash machine body 4.

[0033] Each side high-pressure nozzle 27 according to this embodiment has, for example, a nozzle 27J at one end. In particular, the nozzle 27J is formed on the central side of the car wash machine body 4. Each side high-pressure nozzle 27 is supplied with pure water by a method described later, and sprays pure water from the nozzle 27J. Therefore, each side high-pressure nozzle 27 sprays pure water toward the central side in the left-right direction of the car wash machine body 4. For example, pure water is sprayed from the nozzle 27J of each side high-pressure nozzle 27 toward the spray range 27E shown in Figure 4.

[0034] Furthermore, the car wash machine body 4 according to this embodiment includes a nozzle shaft 27S. Each side high-pressure nozzle 27 is supported by the car wash machine body 4 by being constrained by the nozzle shaft 27S at the other end, which is located on the side opposite to the end where the spray port 27J is formed. Here, the nozzle shaft 27S is formed, for example, on each of the frames 8 and extends in the front-rear direction of the car wash machine body 4. In addition, each side high-pressure nozzle 27 is constrained to be rotatable around the nozzle shaft 27S with the extension direction of the nozzle shaft 27S as the axis.

[0035] Therefore, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 rotates around the nozzle shaft 27S, thereby changing the direction of the pure water sprayed from the nozzle opening 27J from horizontal to vertical. For example, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 4, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 may rotate around the nozzle shaft 27S from a position where the spray range 27E is upward from the horizontal to a position where the spray range 27E is downward from the horizontal. As a result, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 sprays pure water while changing the range in which the pure water is sprayed in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4. In particular, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 according to this embodiment changes the angle at which the pure water is sprayed around the nozzle shaft 27S. The rotation of the side high-pressure nozzle 27 around the nozzle shaft 27S may be achieved by directly moving the side high-pressure nozzle 27 with a drive unit such as a motor (not shown).

[0036] In addition to the tap water nozzle 24, high-pressure nozzle 26, and side high-pressure nozzle 27, nozzles for spraying tap water or pure water may also be located at any other position on the car wash machine body 4.

[0037] The car wash machine body 4 has a first connecting pipe that connects a path 80 located outside the car wash machine body 4 to the water supply nozzle 24, the high-pressure nozzle 26, and the side high-pressure nozzle 27. The first connecting pipe includes a distribution pipe section 22 that distributes the liquid flowing in through the path 80 to each nozzle, and a drainage path 23 that communicates with the distribution pipe section 22. The water supply nozzle 24, the high-pressure nozzle 26, and the side high-pressure nozzle 27 are each led out from the distribution pipe section 22 via solenoid valves (not shown).

[0038] The cleaning unit 4Y also includes a first detergent nozzle 28, a second detergent nozzle 30, a water-repellent coating nozzle 32, and a wax nozzle 34. The first detergent nozzle 28 and the second detergent nozzle 30 are located on the front 4A and rear 4B sides of each frame 8, respectively, and are cleaning nozzles that spray a liquid containing detergent such as shampoo onto the vehicle X. The water-repellent coating nozzle 32 and the wax nozzle 34 are located on the rear 4B of the car wash machine body 4. The water-repellent coating nozzle 32 sprays a liquid water-repellent coating agent onto the vehicle X. The wax nozzle 34 sprays wax onto the vehicle X. A tank storage section 20 is located on the side of the car wash machine body 4, which houses multiple storage tanks (not shown) containing various liquids such as detergent or wax. The liquids from each storage tank are distributed to the corresponding nozzles via distribution piping sections similar to the distribution piping section 22 described above.

[0039] Furthermore, the car wash machine body 4 is equipped with a blower 36 that generates airflow as part of the cleaning unit 4Y. A top air blower nozzle 38 and side air blower nozzles 40 are connected to the blower 36. The top air blower nozzle 38 is located at the top center of the car wash machine body 4 and blows air toward the roof surface of the vehicle X. The side air blower nozzles 40 are located on both sides of the car wash machine body 4 and blow air toward the sides of the vehicle X. The car wash machine body 4 removes water from or dries the vehicle X after washing by blowing air toward the vehicle X from the top air blower nozzle 38 and the side air blower nozzles 40.

[0040] In addition, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may omit illustrations of the various devices provided by the car wash machine body 4 for washing the vehicle X. Furthermore, the devices provided by the car wash machine body 4 shown in the figures are merely examples, and the car wash machine body 4 may also be equipped with devices for washing the vehicle X, including conventionally known configurations, and devices to assist in said washing, on the frame 8 or ceiling 10, in addition to the devices described above.

[0041] An operation panel 42 is located on the front of one frame 8 of the car wash machine body 4. The operation panel 42 is equipped with operation buttons (not shown) for setting car wash conditions. For example, a user who has gotten out of vehicle X, or another technician, may operate the operation buttons to set car wash conditions, etc.

[0042] (Control unit and remote panel) The car wash machine 2 is equipped with a control unit 44 that controls the car wash machine body 4. The control unit 44 controls the washing of the vehicle X by the car wash machine body 4 by controlling the movement of the car wash machine body 4 along the rail R and the operation of each part of the cleaning unit 4Y. The control unit 44 can also control the cleaning fluid spray mechanism and the pure water spray mechanism described above. The control unit 44 may be provided on the car wash machine body 4 as shown in Figure 2. Alternatively, the control unit 44 may be located outside the car wash machine body 4. The control unit 44 may transmit and receive information between the car wash machine body 4, the cleaning fluid spray mechanism, the pure water spray mechanism, or the remote panel 6 described later, using a communication device (not shown), and control each part of the car wash machine 2.

[0043] The control unit 44 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and each control is realized when a control program stored in memory is executed on the processor.

[0044] The remote panel 6 is a panel operated to obtain the washing conditions of vehicle X by the car wash machine body 4. In Figure 2, the outline of vehicle X is shown with a dotted line to indicate that vehicle X is located further back from the remote panel 6 in the viewer's-eye view of the paper. The remote panel 6 is located, for example, on the front side of the car wash machine body 4 and is positioned along the direction of movement of the car wash machine body 4. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the front of the remote panel 6 is positioned to face the side of vehicle X before it is washed by the car wash machine body 4, in other words, before it enters the interior of the car wash machine body 4. For this reason, the back of the remote panel 6 is shown in Figure 2.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, the remote panel 6 comprises a housing 46 and support columns 48 erected on the ground G to support the housing 46. The remote panel 6 may acquire at least a portion of the car wash conditions for the vehicle X by the car wash machine body 4 through the operation of a touch panel or buttons (not shown) provided on the housing 46. The control unit 44 may control the car wash machine body 4 and wash the vehicle X based on at least a portion of the car wash conditions acquired by the remote panel 6.

[0046] (sensor) The car wash machine body 4 further includes a sensor 52 as a vehicle shape information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle shape information, which is information relating to at least a part of the external shape of the vehicle X. The sensor 52 is located, for example, on the front surface 4A of the car wash machine body 4, closer to the side brush 16. In particular, the car wash machine 2 may use the sensor 52 to acquire vehicle shape information, including information relating to the vehicle height of the vehicle X and information relating to the external shape of the vehicle X when viewed from the side, by a method described later.

[0047] Sensor 52 is a sensor for acquiring information about the external shape of vehicle X. More specifically, sensor 52 can detect the height of vehicle X as it crosses a predetermined point. For example, sensor 52 may be a multi-axis optical sensor in which a pair of light-emitting and light-receiving units are arranged on the front side and space 4S side of the frame 8 of the car wash machine body 4, with each of the two frames 8. In this multi-axis optical sensor, individual optical axis sensors are arranged so that multiple optical axes are aligned in the vertical direction, and each optical axis is on a substantially horizontal plane. Therefore, each optical axis sensor in the multi-axis optical sensor is configured to detect the presence or absence of a vehicle at different heights. In this case, sensor 52 may detect the height of vehicle X by, for example, checking the number of optical axis sensors detecting vehicle X while the car wash machine body 4 moves relative to vehicle X from the front to the rear.

[0048] As a result, the car wash machine body 4 can estimate the height of the vehicle X, or in other words, the vehicle height, for each position in a plan view, from the change in the number of optical axis sensors that detect the vehicle X among the multi-axis optical axis sensors included in the sensor 52. In other words, the sensor 52 generates information for estimating at least a part of the shape of the vehicle X. As a result, the sensor 52 may determine at least a part of the outer shape of the vehicle X for each position in a plan view. The control unit 44 may control each part of the cleaning unit and wash the vehicle X based on the outer shape of the vehicle X determined by the sensor 52.

[0049] (Car washing method using car wash machine 2) An exemplary method of washing vehicle X using the car wash machine 2 will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the method of washing vehicle X using the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment.

[0050] (Registration Process) In this embodiment, the car wash machine 2 first performs a receiving process to receive a request to wash vehicle X from the user of vehicle X (step S2). Specifically, the control unit 44 controls various parts of the car wash machine body 4 or the remote panel 6 to obtain the car wash conditions for vehicle X from the user of vehicle X. For example, the control unit 44 controls the remote panel 6 or the operation panel 42 to receive operations from the user on the remote panel 6 or the operation panel 42, etc. As a result, the car wash machine 2 obtains information from the user regarding the car wash conditions for vehicle X and payment of car wash fees.

[0051] Next, the control unit 44 controls the speaker or monitor of the car wash machine body 4 to guide the user inside the vehicle X to move and stop the vehicle X to a predetermined position. As a result, the user stops the vehicle X, for example, at a predetermined position in front of the car wash machine body 4.

[0052] (Washing process) Following the reception process, the car wash machine 2 performs a washing process in which it washes the vehicle X using a washing solution (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 44 controls the washing solution spraying mechanism and each part of the car wash machine body 4 to wash the surface of the vehicle X as it passes through the space 4S. Immediately before the washing process is executed, the car wash machine body 4 is positioned in front of the vehicle X. During the washing process, the control unit 44 controls the drive unit 4X of the car wash machine body 4 to move the car wash machine body 4 forward while washing with the washing solution. Moving the car wash machine body 4 forward means that the front surface 4A of the car wash machine body 4 moves facing the direction of travel. Moving the car wash machine body backward means that the rear surface 4B of the car wash machine body 4 moves facing the direction of travel.

[0053] Specifically, in the washing process, the control unit 44 controls the low-pressure pump P1 and supplies tap water to the car wash machine body 4 via the first path 61, and sprays the tap water onto the vehicle X via the tap water nozzle 24. Furthermore, the control unit 44 controls various parts of the cleaning unit 4Y, such as various brushes, to wash the vehicle X. In the washing process, the control unit 44 may also spray a liquid containing detergent, such as shampoo, via the first detergent nozzle 28 and the second detergent nozzle 30.

[0054] In the washing process, a washing process is performed based on the car wash conditions selected by the user via the remote panel 6, such as a brushing process in which washing is performed while spraying washing solution, or a brushing shampoo process in which washing is performed while spraying detergent and washing solution. Depending on the car wash conditions, the washing process may be performed during a first forward pass as the car wash machine 2 moves forward and vehicle X passes through the car wash machine 2, a first return pass as the car wash machine 2 moves backward and vehicle X passes through the car wash machine 2, and a second forward pass as the car wash machine 2 moves forward again and vehicle X passes through the car wash machine 2.

[0055] The control unit 44 may appropriately change the movement speed of the car wash machine body 4 during the washing process according to the car wash conditions, and may also temporarily stop the movement of the car wash machine body 4 if necessary.

[0056] Furthermore, during the washing process, the control unit 44 moves the car wash machine body 4 forward and causes the sensor 52 to detect the vehicle X, thereby acquiring information about the external shape of the vehicle X. In other words, in this embodiment, the car wash machine 2 may perform a vehicle shape information acquisition process in parallel with the washing process, in which a vehicle shape information acquisition unit including the sensor 52 acquires vehicle shape information. In other words, at least a portion of the washing process and at least a portion of the vehicle shape information acquisition process may overlap. With the above configuration, the car wash machine 2 can further reduce the time required to wash the vehicle X.

[0057] The vehicle shape information acquisition step according to this embodiment may be performed prior to the finishing wash step described later. For example, the vehicle shape information acquisition step may be performed independently of the wash step by having the car wash machine body 4 move relative to the vehicle X from the front to the rear while the sensor 52 detects the vehicle X.

[0058] The control unit 44 may, in the latter half of the cleaning process, switch the supply of cleaning solution via the first path 61 to the supply of pure water via the second path 71.

[0059] (Draining process) After the washing process, the car wash machine 2 performs a water-draining process (step S6) to remove the washing solution. Specifically, the control unit 44 controls each part of the car wash machine body 4 to perform the water-draining process. In the water-draining process, the control unit 44 controls the drive unit 4X to move the car wash machine body 4 in the opposite direction to the forward direction (reverse), and controls the blower 36 to blow air onto the vehicle X to remove the washing solution from the surface of the vehicle X.

[0060] The control unit 44 may adjust the distance between the blower 36 and the vehicle X during the dewatering process based on information about the vehicle X's external shape from the sensor 52. The control unit 44 can estimate the height of the vehicle X for each position in a plan view from the change in the number of optical axis sensors that detect the vehicle X among the multi-axis optical axis sensors included in the sensor 52. The control unit 44 can adjust the distance between the blower 36 and the vehicle X based on the height of the vehicle X for each position in the plan view. For example, the control unit 44 may control the position of the blower 36 so that it is close to the vehicle X while maintaining a nearly constant distance. This allows the strength of the airflow from the blower 36 to the vehicle X to be maintained, enabling more reliable dewatering. By improving the dewatering effect of the cleaning solution, the generation of ion deposits can be significantly reduced.

[0061] Alternatively, if the blower 36 is fixed to the ceiling 10, the control unit 44 may adjust the airflow of the blower 36 in the dewatering process based on information about the vehicle X's external shape from the sensor 52, according to the distance between the blower 36 and the vehicle X. For example, the control unit 44 may increase the airflow of the blower 36 as the distance between the vehicle X and the blower 36 increases, and decrease the airflow as the distance decreases. This ensures that even if the blower 36 is fixed to the car wash machine body 4, the strength of the airflow from the blower 36 to the vehicle X is maintained, allowing for more reliable dewatering. By improving the dewatering effect of the washing solution, the occurrence of ion deposits can be significantly reduced.

[0062] Furthermore, during the dewatering process, the control unit 44 may control the blower 36 to temporarily stop or repeatedly move at predetermined designated areas of the vehicle X based on information about the vehicle X's external shape from the sensor 52. These predetermined designated areas of the vehicle X may be areas where the airflow from the blower 36 is difficult to reach, such as the area with the side mirrors, the area with the wipers, the boundary between the roof and the rear window, or the step between the back door and the bumper. The sensor 52 can determine the position of the designated area in a plan view from the change in the number of optical axis sensors that detect the vehicle X among the multi-axis optical axis sensors included in the sensor 52. For example, the control unit 44 may control the drive unit 4X to slow down the movement speed of the car wash machine body 4 while the blower 36 is dewatering the designated area, or it may move the car wash machine body 4 repeatedly. Alternatively, it may temporarily stop the movement of the car wash machine body 4 as needed. By controlling the system to focus on dewatering the designated area, dewatering can be performed more reliably. By improving the water drainage effect of the cleaning solution, the occurrence of ion deposits can be significantly reduced.

[0063] The control unit 44 may, during the draining process, replace the water in the path between the pure water tank 72 and the drainage path 23 with pure water by supplying pure water from the pure water tank 72 while discharging the cleaning liquid through the drainage path 23.

[0064] (Final cleaning process) After the water draining process, the car wash machine 2 performs a final washing process using pure water to give the vehicle a final wash (step S8). Specifically, the control unit 44 controls the pure water injection mechanism and each part of the car wash machine body 4 to perform the final washing process.

[0065] Details of the finishing cleaning process according to this embodiment will be further explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a front view of the car wash machine 2 and vehicle X in the finishing cleaning process, as seen from the front of the car wash machine body 4.

[0066] In the final washing process, the control unit 44 controls the drive unit 4X of the car wash machine body 4, and while moving the car wash machine body 4 forward, sprays pure water onto the vehicle X to remove at least a portion of the washing liquid, including tap water and detergent, that has adhered to the surface of the vehicle X. Specifically, the control unit 44 controls the high-pressure pump P2, supplies pure water to the car wash machine body 4 via the second path 71, and sprays the pure water onto the vehicle X via the high-pressure nozzle 26 and the side high-pressure nozzle 27.

[0067] (High-pressure nozzle) In the final cleaning process, the control unit 44 raises and lowers the high-pressure nozzle 26 to follow the shape of the vehicle X, for example, based on the vehicle shape information obtained in the vehicle shape information acquisition process. For example, the control unit 44 raises and lowers the beam 26B in the vertical direction via the aforementioned arm, thereby raising and lowering the high-pressure nozzle 26 formed on the beam 26B. In addition, while raising and lowering the high-pressure nozzle 26, the control unit 44 supplies pure water to the high-pressure nozzle 26 via the beam 26B, thereby spraying pure water from the high-pressure nozzle 26 toward the surface of the vehicle X. The control unit 44 may also control the position of the high-pressure nozzle 26 so that it is close to the vehicle X while maintaining a nearly constant distance.

[0068] In the final cleaning process, the high-pressure nozzle 26 is positioned above the vehicle X, and its spray direction is directed downwards, or in other words, towards the vehicle X. Therefore, in the final cleaning process, the high-pressure nozzle 26 sprays pure water from above the vehicle X towards the vehicle X.

[0069] As described above, the length of the beam 26B in the extension direction is longer than the width of the vehicle X that can be washed by the car wash machine 2. For this reason, in the final washing process, the two high-pressure nozzles 26S are located above the vehicle X and, in a plan view of the vehicle X, are located to the left and right of the vehicle X, respectively. In Figure 6, the positions of the right end RE and the left end LE of the vehicle X in the left-right direction are shown by dotted lines. As is clear from Figure 6, in the left-right direction of the vehicle X, one of the high-pressure nozzles 26S is located further to the right of the vehicle X than the right end RE, and the other high-pressure nozzle 26S is located further to the left of the vehicle X than the left end LE.

[0070] As mentioned above, the high-pressure nozzle 26S sprays pure water towards the center of the car wash machine body 4 in the left-right direction, rather than downward in the vertical direction. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the spray range 26E of the pure water sprayed from the high-pressure nozzle 26S includes the left and right sides of the vehicle X. In addition, the pure water sprayed from the high-pressure nozzle 26S onto the left and right sides of the vehicle X is sprayed from even further outwards towards the center than the left and right sides of the vehicle X.

[0071] (Side high-pressure nozzle) In the final cleaning process, the control unit 44 sprays pure water not only from the high-pressure nozzle 26 but also from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 toward the surface of the vehicle X. In particular, the pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 is sprayed from the side of the vehicle X.

[0072] Furthermore, in the final cleaning process, the control unit 44 changes the direction of pure water spray from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 to follow the shape of the vehicle X based on the vehicle shape information. In particular, in the final cleaning process according to this embodiment, the control unit 44 changes the direction of pure water spray from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 based on the vehicle height of the vehicle X included in the vehicle shape information. As a result, the control unit 44 changes the range in which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 based on the vehicle height of the vehicle X. In the final cleaning process, the control unit 44 may also change the range in which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 so that the spray range of pure water follows the outer shape of the vehicle X.

[0073] In this embodiment, the control unit 44 rotates the side high-pressure nozzle 27 around the nozzle shaft 27S while spraying pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27. By controlling the rotation of the side high-pressure nozzle 27 around the nozzle shaft 27S, the control unit 44 changes the spray range 27E of the pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 as shown in Figure 6.

[0074] For example, the control unit 44 controls the rotation of the side high-pressure nozzle 27 around the nozzle shaft 27S so that the spray range 27E of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 does not exceed the height of the vehicle X. In particular, the control unit 44 may control the rotation of the side high-pressure nozzle 27 around the nozzle shaft 27S so that the spray range 27E of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 includes from the top of the vehicle X to the bottom of the main body. This allows the car wash machine 2 to remove the cleaning solution from the left and right sides of the vehicle X by spraying pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 to the left and right sides of the vehicle X more efficiently.

[0075] For example, with the above configuration, when washing a vehicle X with a low overall height or a high minimum ground clearance, the car wash machine 2 can reduce the amount of pure water sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 outwards beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the vehicle X, thereby reducing the amount of pure water used. Alternatively, with the above configuration, when washing a vehicle X with a high overall height or a low minimum ground clearance, the car wash machine 2 can reduce the amount of pure water that is not sprayed onto the upper and lower ends of the left and right sides of the vehicle X, thereby more thoroughly removing the washing solution from the left and right sides of the vehicle X.

[0076] In this embodiment, the car wash machine 2 changes the spray range 27E by rotating the side high-pressure nozzle 27 around the nozzle shaft 27S, thus eliminating the need for multiple side high-pressure nozzles 27 to change the range in which pure water is sprayed. Therefore, the car wash machine 2 in this embodiment achieves a simpler configuration for changing the range in which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 27.

[0077] Furthermore, during the final washing process, the control unit 44 may control the side high-pressure nozzles 27 to spray pure water upwards rather than horizontally. In this case, the pure water sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 to the left and right sides of the vehicle X will scatter due to the force with which it hits the left and right sides of the vehicle X, and in particular, will scatter further outwards and upwards from each of the left and right sides of the vehicle X. Therefore, with the above configuration, the car wash machine 2 can spray the pure water scattered on the left and right sides of the vehicle X onto the inside of parts that act as canopies when viewed from above the vehicle X, such as the finned roof and overfenders, and remove the water adhering to the inside of those parts.

[0078] In particular, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 according to this embodiment can easily change the direction in which pure water is sprayed by rotating it around the nozzle shaft 27S. Therefore, in the final washing step, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment can more easily spray pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 27 towards the upper side of the vehicle X than in the horizontal direction.

[0079] In the final washing process, the side high-pressure nozzle 27 sprays pure water onto the vehicle X at a higher pressure than the water spray pressure from the water nozzle 24. As a result, the car wash machine 2 more efficiently removes the washing solution adhering to the vehicle X and significantly reduces the generation of ion deposits on the surface of the vehicle X.

[0080] In the final washing process, the pressure of the pure water sprayed by the side high-pressure nozzle 27 is higher than the pressure of the tap water sprayed by the tap water nozzle 24, and is 2 MPa or less. This allows the car wash machine 2 to more efficiently remove tap water adhering to the vehicle X while reducing the amount of pure water scattered to areas other than the vehicle X, such as the car wash machine body 4. In particular, from the viewpoint of more efficiently removing tap water adhering to the vehicle X, the pressure of the pure water sprayed by the side high-pressure nozzle 27 may be 100 kPa or more, and more preferably 1 MPa or more.

[0081] In the final washing process, both the high-pressure nozzle 26 and the side high-pressure nozzle 27 spray high-pressure pure water toward the vehicle X. This allows the car wash machine 2 to more efficiently remove the washing solution from both the top and sides of the vehicle X during the final washing process, further reducing the generation of ion deposits.

[0082] In the car washing method using the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment, the final washing step is performed after the water-drying step. Therefore, the final washing step is performed when the amount of washing liquid adhering to the surface of the vehicle X has been reduced by the water-drying step. Consequently, the car wash machine 2 can further enhance the effect of removing washing liquid adhering to the surface of the vehicle X by the final washing step.

[0083] In the car washing method using the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment, the electrical conductivity of pure water is lower than that of the cleaning solution. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of pure water is between 0 μS / cm and 6 μS / cm. Therefore, in the car washing method using the car wash machine 2, even if pure water remains on the surface of the vehicle X, the generation of ion deposits on the surface of the vehicle X is reduced. Consequently, this car washing method further reduces the generation of ion deposits on the surface of the vehicle X.

[0084] (drying process) After the final washing process, the car wash machine 2 performs a drying process (step S10). Specifically, the drying process is performed by the control unit 44 controlling each part of the car wash machine body 4. In the drying process, the control unit 44 may operate the blower 36 while retracting the car wash machine body 4 to blow air onto the vehicle X and dry the vehicle X.

[0085] [Embodiment 2] (Side high-pressure nozzle that moves up and down) Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. The car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment differs from the car wash machine 2 according to the previous embodiment only in that the car wash machine body 4 is equipped with a side high-pressure nozzle 54 instead of a side high-pressure nozzle 27, and is equipped with a nozzle rail 54R, which will be described later, instead of a nozzle shaft 27S.

[0086] The side high-pressure nozzle 54 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the side high-pressure nozzle 54 and how the spray range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 54 is changed, as viewed from the front of the car wash machine body 4. In particular, Figure 7 shows only the side high-pressure nozzle 54 formed on the frame 8 located on the right side when viewed from the front of the car wash machine body 4, and the nozzle rail 54R that holds the side high-pressure nozzle 54, which will be described later. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, the other side high-pressure nozzle 54 not shown in Figure 7 has the same configuration as the side high-pressure nozzle 54 shown in Figure 7, except that the positions of each part are reversed around the approximate center of the car wash machine body 4.

[0087] Each side high-pressure nozzle 54 in this embodiment, like the side high-pressure nozzle 27, has a nozzle 54J at one end and sprays pure water from the nozzle 54J. Therefore, each side high-pressure nozzle 54 sprays pure water toward the center of the car wash machine body 4 in the left-right direction, for example toward the spray range 54E shown in Figure 7.

[0088] Furthermore, the car wash machine body 4 according to this embodiment is equipped with nozzle rails 54R formed on each frame 8. Each side high-pressure nozzle 54 is supported by the car wash machine body 4 by being constrained by the nozzle rail 54R at the other end, which is located on the side opposite to the end where the spray port 54J is formed. Here, each nozzle rail 54R extends, for example, in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4. In addition, each side high-pressure nozzle 54 is constrained to be movable along the nozzle rail 54R, in other words, in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4.

[0089] Therefore, the side high-pressure nozzle 54 changes its vertical position by moving along the nozzle rail 54R. For example, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 7, the side high-pressure nozzle 54 may move vertically along the nozzle rail 54R from the position shown by the solid line in Figure 7. This allows the side high-pressure nozzle 54 to spray pure water while changing the range over which pure water is sprayed in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4. The movement of the side high-pressure nozzle 54 along the nozzle rail 54R may also be achieved by directly moving the side high-pressure nozzle 54 with a drive unit such as a motor (not shown).

[0090] In addition, the side high-pressure nozzle 54 shown in Figure 7 has its nozzle 54J oriented horizontally and sprays pure water horizontally, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the side high-pressure nozzle 54 may have its nozzle 54J oriented either above or below horizontally, and pure water may be sprayed either above or below horizontally.

[0091] The car washing method using the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment is performed in the same manner, except that the spraying of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 in the finishing wash step is replaced with the spraying of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 54. In particular, in the finishing wash step according to this embodiment, the control unit 44 changes the spraying range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 54 based on the vehicle shape information by moving the side high-pressure nozzles 54 along the nozzle rail 54R. As a result, in this embodiment as well, the car wash machine 2 can more efficiently remove the cleaning solution from the left and right sides of the vehicle X by spraying pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 54 to the left and right sides of the vehicle X.

[0092] In particular, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment changes the spray range 54E by vertical movement of the side high-pressure nozzle 54 along the nozzle rail 54R. Therefore, the car wash machine 2 does not require multiple side high-pressure nozzles 54, nor does it require a mechanism to rotate the side high-pressure nozzles 54, to change the range in which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 54. Thus, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment achieves a simpler configuration for changing the range in which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 54.

[0093] [Embodiment 3] (Multiple side high-pressure nozzles) Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. The car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment differs from the car wash machine 2 according to Embodiment 1 only in that the car wash machine body 4 is equipped with side high-pressure nozzles 56 instead of side high-pressure nozzles 27, and is equipped with a beam 56B instead of a nozzle shaft 27S. In particular, the car wash machine body 4 according to this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of side high-pressure nozzles 56 aligned in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4 on each frame 8.

[0094] The side high-pressure nozzle 56 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the side high-pressure nozzle 56 and the spray range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzle 56 as viewed from the front of the car wash machine body 4. In particular, Figure 8 shows only the side high-pressure nozzle 56 formed on the frame 8 located on the right side when viewed from the front of the car wash machine body 4, and the beam 56B that holds the side high-pressure nozzle 56, which will be described later. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, the other side high-pressure nozzle 56 not shown in Figure 8 has the same configuration as the side high-pressure nozzle 56 shown in Figure 8, except that the positions of each part are reversed around the approximate center of the car wash machine body 4.

[0095] Each side high-pressure nozzle 56 in this embodiment, like the side high-pressure nozzle 27, has a nozzle 56J at one end and sprays pure water from the nozzle 56J. Therefore, each side high-pressure nozzle 56 sprays pure water toward the center of the car wash machine body 4 in the left-right direction, for example toward the spray range 56E shown in Figure 8.

[0096] Furthermore, the car wash machine body 4 according to this embodiment is equipped with a beam 56B instead of a nozzle shaft 27S. Each side high-pressure nozzle 56 is supported by the car wash machine body 4 by being fixed to the beam 56B at the end opposite to the end where the spray port 56J is formed. Here, the beam 56B is formed on each frame 8 and extends in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4. In addition, multiple side high-pressure nozzles 56 are formed along the beam 56B, in other words, aligned in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4. Furthermore, the car wash machine 2 individually controls the spray of pure water from the multiple side high-pressure nozzles 56.

[0097] Therefore, the spray range 56E of the pure water from each side high-pressure nozzle 56 differs from one another in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body 4 depending on the position of the side high-pressure nozzle 56. Accordingly, the car wash machine 2 changes the range in which the pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzle 56 by selecting the side high-pressure nozzle 56 that sprays pure water.

[0098] In addition, the side high-pressure nozzles 56 shown in Figure 8 all have their nozzles 56J oriented horizontally and spray pure water horizontally, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, at least one side high-pressure nozzle 56 may have its nozzle 56J oriented either vertically or horizontally, and the pure water may be sprayed either vertically or horizontally.

[0099] The car washing method using the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment is performed in the same manner, except that the spraying of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 27 in the final washing step is replaced with the spraying of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 56. In particular, in the final washing step according to this embodiment, the control unit 44 changes the spraying range of pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 56 based on the vehicle shape information by selecting the position and number of side high-pressure nozzles 56 that spray pure water. As a result, in this embodiment as well, the car wash machine 2 can more efficiently remove the cleaning solution from the left and right sides of the vehicle X by spraying pure water from the side high-pressure nozzles 56 to the left and right sides of the vehicle X.

[0100] In particular, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment is capable of simultaneously spraying pure water from multiple side high-pressure nozzles 56. Therefore, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment can expand the range over which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 54 at once, and can perform a more efficient final wash of the sides of the vehicle X. Furthermore, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment can select the number of side high-pressure nozzles 56 from which pure water is sprayed out of the multiple side high-pressure nozzles 56. Therefore, in addition to changing the range over which pure water is sprayed from the side high-pressure nozzles 56, the car wash machine 2 according to this embodiment can also adjust the amount of pure water sprayed.

[0101] 〔summary〕 (1) A car washing method according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is a car washing method performed by a car washing machine comprising: a car washing machine body that moves relative to a vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and includes a cleaning liquid nozzle for spraying cleaning liquid and a side nozzle for spraying high-pressure pure water; and a vehicle shape information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle shape information including information about the vehicle height, comprising: a vehicle shape information acquisition step in which the vehicle shape information acquisition unit acquires the vehicle shape information; a vehicle washing step including spraying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid nozzle onto the surface of the vehicle; and a finishing washing step performed after the vehicle shape information acquisition step and the washing step, which removes at least a portion of the cleaning liquid adhering to the surface of the vehicle by spraying the pure water from the side nozzle from the side of the vehicle, wherein in the finishing washing step, the range in which the pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle is changed based on the information about the vehicle height while the car washing machine body is moved relative to the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0102] In the final cleaning process, by spraying pure water at high pressure onto the left and right sides of the vehicle from side nozzles, the removal of cleaning solution from the left and right sides of the vehicle can be made even more efficient. Therefore, the above method more efficiently removes cleaning solution adhering to the vehicle surface, especially the left and right sides of the vehicle, and significantly reduces the generation of ion deposits on the vehicle surface.

[0103] (2) In the car washing method according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, in Embodiment 1, the vehicle shape information includes information relating to the external shape of the vehicle when viewed from the side, and in the finishing wash step, the range in which the pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle is changed so that the spray range of the pure water follows the external shape.

[0104] The above method more efficiently removes cleaning solution adhering to the left and right sides of the vehicle, significantly reducing the occurrence of ion deposits on the vehicle's surface.

[0105] (3) In the car washing method according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure, in embodiment 1 or 2, the car washing machine body includes a nozzle shaft that extends in the front-rear direction of the car washing machine body and rotatably restrains the side nozzles, and in the finishing washing step, the spray range of the pure water from the side nozzles is changed by controlling the rotation of the side nozzles around the nozzle shaft.

[0106] In the final cleaning process, the range of pure water spray from the side nozzles is changed by the rotation of the side nozzles around their nozzle shafts, thus eliminating the need for multiple side nozzles to change the range of pure water spray. Therefore, the above method achieves a simpler configuration for changing the range of pure water spray from the side nozzles.

[0107] (4) In the car washing method according to Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure, in any of Embodiments 1 to 3 above, the car washing machine body includes a nozzle rail that extends in the vertical direction of the car washing machine body and restrains the side nozzles so as to be movable in the extending direction, and in the finishing washing step, the spray range of the pure water from the side nozzles is changed by controlling the position of the side nozzles with respect to the nozzle rail.

[0108] In the final cleaning process, the range of pure water sprayed from the side nozzles is changed by rotating the side nozzles around their nozzle shafts. Therefore, in the final cleaning process, changing the range of pure water sprayed from the side nozzles does not require multiple side nozzles or a mechanism to rotate the side nozzles. Consequently, the above method achieves the change in the range of pure water sprayed from the side nozzles with a simpler configuration.

[0109] (5) In the car washing method according to Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure, in any of Embodiments 1 to 4 above, the car washing machine body includes a plurality of side nozzles aligned in the vertical direction of the car washing machine body, and in the finishing washing step, the spray range of the pure water from the side nozzles is changed by selecting the side nozzles that spray the pure water.

[0110] In the above car washing method, the area over which pure water is sprayed from the side nozzles can be expanded at once, allowing for more efficient finishing of the vehicle's sides. In addition to changing the area over which pure water is sprayed from the side nozzles, the amount of pure water sprayed can also be adjusted in the above car washing method.

[0111] (6) In the car washing method according to embodiment 6 of the present disclosure, in the finishing washing step of any of embodiments 1 to 5, the side nozzle sprays the pure water on the side of the vehicle that is higher than the horizontal.

[0112] In the final washing process, pure water is sprayed from each of the left and right sides of the vehicle, further outwards and upwards. Therefore, in the above car washing method, the pure water sprayed from the left and right sides of the vehicle can be sprayed into the inside of the area that forms the awning when viewed from above the vehicle, and the excess water adhering to the inside of that area can be removed.

[0113] (7) In the car washing method according to Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure, in any of Embodiments 1 to 6, at least a portion of the washing process and at least a portion of the vehicle shape information acquisition process overlap.

[0114] The above method shortens the time required to actually carry out the cleaning process and the vehicle shape information acquisition process, thereby further reducing the time required for vehicle cleaning.

[0115] (8) In the car washing method according to embodiment 8 of the present disclosure, in any of embodiments 1 to 7 above, the side nozzle sprays pure water at a spray pressure higher than the spray pressure of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid nozzle.

[0116] As a result, the above car washing method more efficiently removes the cleaning solution adhering to the vehicle and further reduces the occurrence of ion deposits on the vehicle's surface.

[0117] (9) In the car washing method according to Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure, in any of Embodiments 1 to 8 above, the pressure of the pure water sprayed by the side nozzle is higher than the spray pressure of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid nozzle and is 2 MPa or less.

[0118] As a result, the above car washing method can more efficiently remove the cleaning solution adhering to the vehicle while reducing the amount of pure water that splashes onto parts other than the vehicle, such as the car wash machine itself.

[0119] (10) In the car washing method according to embodiment 10 of the present disclosure, in any of embodiments 1 to 9 above, the car washing machine body further includes a high-pressure nozzle for spraying high-pressure pure water, and in the finishing washing step, the high-pressure pure water from the high-pressure nozzle is sprayed from above the vehicle.

[0120] The above method more efficiently removes the cleaning solution adhering to both the top and left and right sides of the vehicle, further reducing the occurrence of ion deposits on the vehicle's surface.

[0121] (11) In a car washing method according to embodiment 11 of the present disclosure, in any of embodiments 1 to 10, the car washing machine body further includes a blower, and after the washing step, a water-draining step is included in which the car washing machine body is moved relative to the vehicle in the front-rear direction and air is blown from the blower toward the vehicle to drain the washing liquid adhering to the vehicle, and the finishing washing step is performed after the water-draining step.

[0122] The final washing step is performed after the amount of cleaning solution adhering to the vehicle surface has been reduced by the water-drying step. Therefore, the above car washing method further enhances the effectiveness of removing cleaning solution adhering to the vehicle surface by the final washing step.

[0123] (12) In the car washing method according to aspect 12 of the present disclosure, in any of aspects 1 to 11 above, the electrical conductivity of pure water is lower than the electrical conductivity of the cleaning solution.

[0124] (13) In the car washing method according to aspect 13 of the present disclosure, in any of aspects 1 to 12 above, the electrical conductivity of pure water is 0 μS / cm or more and 6 μS / cm or less.

[0125] The above car washing method further reduces the occurrence of ion deposits on the vehicle's surface.

[0126] [Additional Notes] This disclosure 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 different technical means disclosed in each embodiment are also included in the technical scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 2...Car wash machine 4...Car wash machine body 4X... Drive Unit 4Y...Cleaning department 24. Water supply nozzle 26. High-pressure nozzle 27. Side high-pressure nozzle 27S Nozzle Shaft 36. Blower 44.. Control Unit 54R Nozzle Rail

Claims

1. A car washing method performed by a car wash machine comprising: a car wash machine body that includes a cleaning liquid nozzle for spraying cleaning liquid, a side nozzle for spraying high-pressure pure water, and a blower, and moves relative to the vehicle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; and a vehicle shape information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle shape information including information regarding the vehicle height, The vehicle shape information acquisition step involves the vehicle shape information acquisition unit acquiring the vehicle shape information, A vehicle cleaning step including spraying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid nozzle onto the surface of the vehicle, Following the washing step, a water-draining step is performed to remove the water from the washing solution adhering to the vehicle by moving the car wash machine body relative to the vehicle in the front-rear direction while blowing air from the blower toward the vehicle, A finishing cleaning step is performed after the draining step, in which the pure water is sprayed from the side nozzles onto the side of the vehicle to remove at least a portion of the cleaning solution adhering to the surface of the vehicle. The process includes a drying step, which is performed after the finishing cleaning step, by blowing air from the blower toward the vehicle to dry it. In the finishing wash process, while moving the car wash machine body relative to the vehicle in the front-rear direction, the range in which the pure water is sprayed from the side nozzles is changed based on the information regarding the vehicle height. The car wash machine body includes a nozzle rail that extends vertically and restrains the side nozzle so that it can move in the extending direction, A car washing method in which, in the finishing washing step, the spray range of the pure water from the side nozzles is changed by controlling the position of the side nozzles with respect to the nozzle rail, and at least a portion of the pure water from the side nozzles is sprayed from the side of the vehicle, on a side higher than the horizontal direction of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle shape information includes information regarding the external shape of the vehicle when viewed from the side. The car washing method according to claim 1, wherein in the finishing washing step, the range in which the pure water is sprayed from the side nozzle is changed so that the spray range of the pure water follows the outer shape.

3. The car wash machine body includes a nozzle shaft that extends in the front-rear direction of the car wash machine body and rotatably restrains the side nozzles, The car washing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the finishing washing step, the spray range of the pure water from the side nozzle is changed by controlling the rotation of the side nozzle around the nozzle shaft.

4. The car wash machine body includes a plurality of side nozzles aligned in the vertical direction of the car wash machine body, The car washing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spray range of the pure water from the side nozzles is changed by selecting the side nozzles that spray the pure water in the finishing washing step.

5. The car washing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the finishing washing step, the side nozzle sprays the pure water on the side of the vehicle that is higher than horizontal.

6. The car washing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side nozzle sprays pure water at a spray pressure higher than the spray pressure of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid nozzle.

7. The car wash machine body further includes a high-pressure nozzle that sprays high-pressure pure water, The car washing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the finishing washing step, high-pressure pure water from the high-pressure nozzle is sprayed from above the vehicle.

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