Independent Brush Trolley Layout for Trackless Vehicle Washing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automatic car wash systems often leave unsightly, uncleaned spaces on vehicles, particularly in the middle section, and require the vehicle to be stationary or move at a predetermined rate through a track, limiting efficiency and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle wash system featuring independently driven trolleys with angled translation beams and brushes that can adapt to the vehicle's movement, allowing brushes to contact and clean the vehicle's front, sides, and rear while the vehicle is driven through the wash system without a track, using feedback from motor systems and sensors to maintain optimal brush contact and adjust movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional brushes are used that start in the middle of the vehicle and move down the sides, then the brushes can clean the side surfaces, but unsightly uncleaned spaces remain in the middle section where most people look
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is divided into multiple independent brush modules, each responsible for specific zones (front, sides, rear). This segmentation allows each brush to focus on particular areas, ensuring complete coverage including the previously missed middle section, while maintaining aesthetic quality by addressing all visible surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The brushes are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration with multiple brushes at different positions (front, sides, rear) rather than a single linear path. This spatial arrangement ensures that all surfaces including the middle section are covered, eliminating uncleaned spaces while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the vehicle is stationary during washing, then thorough cleaning can be achieved, but washing time is increased and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static washing approach to a dynamic one where brushes are independently controllable and can adjust their positions and speeds. This allows the vehicle to move through the wash while brushes dynamically track and maintain optimal contact, achieving thorough cleaning without requiring the vehicle to remain stationary, thus improving washing speed and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple brushes operate simultaneously and continuously on different sections of the vehicle (front, sides, rear) as it moves through the wash. This continuous parallel action ensures thorough cleaning is maintained throughout the washing process, eliminating the need for stationary positioning and thereby increasing productivity without sacrificing cleaning quality.
3Productivity
If the vehicle moves at a predetermined rate on a track, then the vehicle can be washed continuously, but the system becomes complex and less adaptable to different vehicle sizes and speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The complex track system is removed entirely from the design. Instead, the vehicle moves freely through the wash on its own power, and the cleaning function is extracted into independent brush modules that can adapt to the vehicle's movement. This simplifies the overall system structure while maintaining continuous washing capability and adaptability to different vehicle sizes and speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The independent brush modules are designed to be universally applicable to different vehicle types and sizes. Each brush can independently adjust its position and speed to accommodate various vehicle configurations, eliminating the need for complex track systems and making the system adaptable to different speeds and vehicle dimensions while maintaining continuous washing productivity.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple brushes are used to cover different areas, then cleaning coverage is improved, but the space in the middle section remains uncleaned
Solution Approach 1:
Each brush is specifically positioned and configured to address particular zones of the vehicle (front, sides, rear). This local specialization ensures that every area including the middle section is targeted by the appropriate brush, eliminating uncleaned spaces while maintaining efficient cleaning coverage through differentiated local actions.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus to wash a vehicle that typically includes: a trolley frame having a first support beam and a second support beam, the trolley frame defining a first reference frame; a first translation beam extending from the first support beam to the second support beam, where the first translation beam is at an angle with respect to the first reference frame; a second translation beam extending from the first support beam to the second support beam, where the second translation beam is at an angle with respect to the first reference frame; a first brush extending downward from a first trolley, the first trolley movably disposed on the first translation beam; and a second brush extending downwardly from a second trolley, the second trolley movably disposed on the second translation beam. The second trolley typically moves independently from the first trolley using different and independent drive systems or motors.