Car Wash Vehicle Dimensioning for Adaptive Cleaning Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Car washes often fail to provide thorough cleaning for vehicles of varying or non-standard dimensions due to inadequate positioning of service devices based on vehicle dimensions.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method utilizing sensors and computing devices to determine vehicle dimensions, position service devices accordingly, and control operational parameters for effective cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If car washes are designed for a single size vehicle, then the cleaning process is simple and efficient, but vehicles of varying or nonstandard dimensions cannot receive thorough cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The car wash system dynamically adjusts service device positions and operational parameters based on real-time vehicle dimension data. Sensors capture vehicle dimensions, and the control system modifies brush positions, spray nozzle locations, and operational parameters (pressure, flow rate) to adapt the fixed infrastructure to vehicles of varying sizes, maintaining cleaning effectiveness across different vehicle types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as service device position coordinates, brush rotation speed, spray pressure, and water flow rate based on detected vehicle dimensions. By varying these parameters according to vehicle size and shape, the system achieves thorough cleaning of nonstandard vehicles without requiring physical reconfiguration of the car wash infrastructure.
2Ease of operation
If service devices are positioned for standard vehicles, then the system operation is simple, but nonstandard vehicles do not receive thorough cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The car wash system automatically determines vehicle dimensions using sensors and autonomously calculates optimal service device positions and operational parameters. The control system executes the cleaning sequence without human intervention, adjusting all parameters based on detected vehicle characteristics. This self-service capability maintains operational simplicity while achieving precise, thorough cleaning of vehicles with nonstandard dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors continuously monitor vehicle position and dimensions during the cleaning process, providing feedback to the control system. The system uses this feedback to make real-time adjustments to service device positions and operational parameters, ensuring that nonstandard vehicles receive appropriate cleaning attention while maintaining simple automated operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for vehicle dimensioning in a car wash are disclosed. A processor receives sensor data pertaining to a vehicle from a sensor and controls the position, orientation, and operational parameters of one or more service devices based on the sensor data. The sensor data includes data which may be used by a processor to determine one or more dimensions, shapes, profiles, and areas to be cleaned or excluded for the vehicle. The processor may further calculate how to operate the service devices such that they interact with dirt or other vehicle contamination while not interacting with undesirable areas of a vehicle such as an open window or sunroof.