Vehicle Wash Equipment Contour Tracking and Dynamic Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wash systems face challenges in effectively washing vehicles of varying sizes and shapes due to fixed equipment settings, leading to potential damage and incomplete cleaning, as they often rely on pre-stored vehicle profiles that do not account for model changes or aftermarket alterations.
Innovation Solution
An automated vehicle wash system that measures the contours of a vehicle using multiple sensors as it moves through the wash system, tracks the position of a fixed point relative to the conveyor, and adjusts wash equipment operations accordingly to ensure accurate and efficient cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If pre-stored vehicle profiles are used to control wash equipment, then the wash system can operate automatically, but the system cannot adapt to model changes or aftermarket alterations leading to incomplete cleaning or potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-measurement of each vehicle's contours using sensors as it passes through the wash equipment. The measurement system automatically captures real-time dimensional data without requiring external input or pre-stored profiles, enabling the system to adapt to any vehicle configuration independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of manually selecting profiles from a database with an optical/electronic sensing system. Sensors continuously measure vehicle contours and transmit data to a controller that automatically adjusts wash equipment parameters, substituting physical profile selection with electronic real-time measurement and control.
2Productivity
If wash equipment is positioned close to the vehicle for effective cleaning, then cleaning efficiency improves, but the risk of damage or scratching increases for larger vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The wash equipment positioning is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system continuously measures vehicle contours and automatically adjusts the position of wash equipment elements in real-time, allowing the equipment to optimize its distance from the vehicle surface for each specific vehicle size and shape, thereby maintaining effective cleaning while preventing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where sensors continuously measure vehicle dimensions, the controller processes this data, and automatically adjusts wash equipment positioning and operation parameters. This feedback loop ensures the equipment maintains optimal distance and pressure for each vehicle, preventing damage while ensuring thorough cleaning.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to measure vehicle contours, then measurement precision improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is segmented into multiple independent sensor units positioned at different locations along the vehicle path. Each sensor measures specific contour points, and the controller integrates these segmented measurements into a complete vehicle profile. This segmentation allows high precision measurement while distributing system complexity across multiple simple, standardized sensor components.
Data Source
AI summary
A wash equipment assembly for a car wash and method of operating the equipment are described. For example, the assembly includes a cleaning element configured to clean a vehicle, an arm assembly operably attached to the cleaning element and configured to move the cleaning element to a vehicle cleaning position, the arm movably fixed to a support at a first end and the cleaning element mounted on the arm at a second end, a controlled locator for positioning the arm relative to the support such that the cleaning equipment is moved to the vehicle cleaning position, and a sensor for evaluating an actual orientation of the cleaning element relative to a default orientation of the cleaning element. In certain implementations, the controlled locator can modify the position of the arm in response to a signal from the sensor, thereby providing a closed loop control system.