JP2002362331A - Vehicle washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly recognize a position of a front wheel of a vehicle and guide the vehicle to a vehicle washing position. SOLUTION: In the vehicle washing device 10, a front wheel detector 20 for detecting which one the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 is in of a normal stopping position and its two fore and aft positions is installed in a floor face of a vehicle washing work area 10A, and it has a controller 18 for guiding and stopping the vehicle 1 in the vehicle washing position on the basis of a detection result of the wheel detector 20 by using a guiding device 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a car washing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As means for stopping a vehicle at a car wash position in a car wash work area, a foot switch is installed on the floor of the car wash work area, and the front wheels of the vehicle entering the car wash work area reach a regular stop position. Is detected by the front wheel detection state of the foot switch, and the vehicle driver stops the vehicle based on the detection result.

[0003]

The prior art has the following problems.

[0004] When the front wheel of the entering vehicle is detected by the front wheel detection state of the foot switch, the vehicle driver stops the vehicle. Therefore, if the front wheels of the vehicle go too far from the normal stop position due to the delay of the driver's stop operation, the foot switch loses its front wheel detection state, and thereafter cannot recognize the correct position of the front wheels.

[0005] Once the correct position of the front wheels cannot be recognized as described above, the vehicle cannot be subsequently guided to the car wash position.

An object of the present invention is to correctly recognize the position of the front wheels of a vehicle and guide the vehicle to a washing position.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a car washing apparatus for stopping a vehicle at a car washing position of a car washing work place and washing the car, wherein a front wheel of the vehicle is positioned at one of a normal stop position and two positions before and after the normal stop position. A front wheel detection unit for detecting whether there is a vehicle is installed on the floor of a car wash workshop, and based on a detection result of the front wheel detection unit, a control unit for guiding the vehicle to the car wash position and stopping the vehicle. It was done.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the front wheel detecting means further comprises a front switch and a rear switch installed at two positions before and after the vehicle in the car washing work area. That is, the front switch and the rear switch are designed to switch their detection states when the front wheels of the vehicle pass the normal stop position.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the control means is provided with a guide means for guiding a vehicle.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the following operations are provided. The position of the front wheel of the vehicle that has entered the car wash workshop can be correctly recognized by the front wheel detection means as being at the regular stop position or at two positions before and after the normal stop position.

The control means can correctly recognize the position of the front wheel of the vehicle based on the detection result of the front wheel detection means as described above, and can correctly recognize the current position of the vehicle. Grasp the relative position with
The vehicle can be guided from the current position to the car wash position.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the following operations are provided. By configuring the front wheel detection means by a combination of a front switch and a rear switch, it is possible to easily and correctly recognize whether the front wheel of the vehicle is at the normal stop position or at two positions before and after the normal stop position.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the following operation is provided. By providing the vehicle guidance means, the vehicle movement command by the control means can be easily and accurately transmitted to the driver of the vehicle, and the vehicle can be smoothly guided to the car wash position.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a car washing device, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a front wheel detecting device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a guiding device.

FIG. 1 shows a drive-through type car washer 10 in which a gate-type car washer 11 can run along a traveling rail 12 and a region surrounded by the car washer 11 in a traveling range of the car washer 11 is a car washing work area. 10A and the vehicle 1
0A, enter the vehicle from the front entrance, stop at the car wash position of the car wash work area 10A, move the car wash machine 11 with respect to the vehicle 1 to enable the car wash, and move the washed vehicle 1 to the car wash work area 10A.
Exit from the exit behind A. 13 is a guide rail, 14 is a car wash receiving device, and 15 is a circuit breaker.

The car washer 11 has a traveling position detector 16, a vehicle shape detector 17, and a controller 18.

The traveling position detector 16 detects the current position of the car washer 11 on the traveling rail 12. Specifically, the traveling position detector 16 is configured by a rotary encoder provided on an output shaft of a traveling motor of the car washer 11.

The vehicle shape detector 17 detects the vehicle shape of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the vehicle shape detector 17 is configured by arranging a light emitting sensor 17A and a light receiving sensor 17B on both left and right sides of the car washing work area 10A near the front end of the car washing machine 11. The light emitting sensor 17A and the light receiving sensor 17B have a large number of detection optical axes arranged in the entire area on the detection lines, and the light receiving sensor 17B detects whether or not the light from the light emitting sensor 17A is blocked by the vehicle 1. By doing so, the presence or absence of the vehicle 1 on the detection line is detected.

The control device 18 includes a microcomputer, and in accordance with the car wash menu received by the car wash receiving device 14, the running motor of the car wash machine 11, the washing liquid nozzle, the brush,
Each of the output devices such as a blower nozzle is driven at a predetermined timing to start car washing, and the traveling position detector 1
The output device described above is controlled in accordance with the vehicle shape with reference to the detection results of the vehicle 6 and the vehicle shape detector 17, and the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 and the accessories are washed.

However, when the car washer is started by the car washer 11, the controller 18 determines whether the car washer 11 is located beside the car washer 10A based on the detection result of the front wheel detector 20 installed on the floor of the car washer 10A. The vehicle 1 is guided to the car wash position and stopped using the guidance device 30 installed at the front of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front wheel detector 20 includes two front and rear wheels along the forward and backward directions of the vehicle 1 in the car washing work area 10A.
The front switch 21 and the rear switch 22 of the foot switch type installed at each of the positions are provided. The front switch 21 and the rear switch 22 are connected to the right front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 (FIG. 2).
(B)) switches their detection states (ON and OFF) when passing through the normal stop position. As a result, it is detected whether the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 that has entered the car wash workshop 10A is at the normal stop position or at two positions before and after the normal stop position.

Specifically, the front wheel detector 20 includes bearings 24A and 24B provided before and after a base 23 fixed to the floor.
The swing shafts 25A, 25B are supported by the swing shafts 25A, 25B.
The front and rear slope plates 26A, 26B are fixed on the axis of B,
The front and rear detection bars 27A are attached to the shaft ends of the swing shafts 25A and 25B.
27B is fixed, and a front switch 21 and a rear switch 22, each of which is a proximity switch, are installed beside the detection bars 27A and 27B. Incidentally, rubber cushioning plates 28A, 28B are provided at the grounding ends of the slope plates 26A, 26B swinging by gravity.

The front wheel detector 20 includes front and rear slope plates 26.
A, 26B is a normal stop position, the vehicle 1
According to the position of the front wheel 1A, the detection states of the front switch 21 and the rear switch 22 are switched as follows (Table 1).

(A) When the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 is in front of the front slope plate 26A, the slope plates 26A, 26B
Is stationary at one swing end (original position) by gravity, and the detection bars 27A and 27B are connected to the front switch 21 and the rear switch 2
2 and the detection states of the front switch 21 and the rear switch 22 are both set to “ON, ON”. This detection state (A) was turned on so that disconnection of the front wheel detector 20 could be detected in a state where the vehicle 1 did not enter the car wash work area 10A.

(B) When the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 enters the regular stop position from the front, the front wheel 1A is moved first by the slope plate 26A.
Then, the rider rides on the slope plate 26B, flips them up from the original position and swings them, and as a result, the detection bars 27A, 27B
Are sequentially removed from the front surfaces of the front switch 21 and the rear switch 22, and the detection states of the front switch 21 and the rear switch 22 are set to “the front switch 21 is turned off first, the rear switch 22
Is turned off next. "

(C) When the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 goes too far behind the normal stop position, the front wheel 1A separates from the slope plate 26A first, then from the slope plate 26B, and lifts them up to release the original position by gravity. And, as a result, the detection bars 27A and 27B are sequentially turned to the front switch 21,
Position the front switch 2 in front of the rear switch 22.
1. The detection state of the rear switch 22 is changed to “front switch 2”.
1 is turned on first, and the rear switch 22 is turned on next. "

(D) When the front wheels 1A of the vehicle 1 enter the regular stop position from behind, the front wheels 1A
Next, the rider rides on the slope plate 26A, flips them up from the original position and swings them, and as a result, the detection bars 27B, 27A
Are sequentially removed from the front surfaces of the rear switch 22 and the front switch 21, and the detection states of the front switch 21 and the rear switch 22 are changed to “the front switch 21 is turned off next, the rear switch 22
Off first.

[0028]

[Table 1]

As shown in FIG. 3, the guiding device 30
A yellow rotating light 31A for urging the driver to move forward, a green rotating light 31B for urging the driver to stop, a red rotating light 31C for urging the driver to retreat, and an audio output device 32 for outputting voice guidance for these. The guidance device 30 includes a mirror 33. Mirror 33
Is set so that the driver can get the right front wheel and its stop position (front wheel detector 20) without opening the window while riding.

Accordingly, the guidance stop operation of the vehicle 1 by the control device 18 is performed as follows. (1) When the driver of the vehicle 1 selects the car wash menu with the car wash reception device 14 and the reception is completed, the circuit breaker 15 is raised,
Allow vehicle 1 to enter. At this time, the detection state of the front wheel detector 20 is as described above (A), the guidance device 30 displays a yellow rotating light 31A that prompts the vehicle 1 to move forward, and the voice output device 32 sounds "Please proceed slowly". Also shed. Thereby, when the driver advances the vehicle 1 and the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 enters the normal stop position, the detection state of the front wheel detector 20 becomes the state (B), and the guidance device 30 prompts the vehicle 1 to stop. Instead of the green rotating light 31B, a voice of "Please stop" is also played by the voice output device 32, and the driver stops the vehicle 1 at its normal stop position (stop notification). The car washer 11 is started to wash the car under the condition that the detection state (B) of the front wheel detector 20 is maintained for a predetermined time or more.

(2) When the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 goes too far behind the normal stop position, the detection state of the front wheel detector 20 changes to (C) described above, and the guidance device 30 turns the red The light 31C is displayed, and the voice of "Please retreat slowly" is also played by the voice output device 32. As a result, when the driver moves the vehicle 1 backward and puts the front wheels 1A of the vehicle 1 in the normal stop position, the detection state of the front wheel detector 20 becomes the state (D), and the guidance device 30 prompts the vehicle 1 to stop. It turns to the green rotating light 31B, and the sound of "Please stop" is also played by the sound output device 32, and the driver stops the vehicle 1 at its normal stop position (stop notification). Front wheel detector 2
Under the condition that the detection state of the above (D) of 0 is maintained for a predetermined time or more, the car washer 11 is started to wash the car.

According to this embodiment, the following operations are provided. The front wheel detector 20 can correctly recognize whether the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 that has entered the car wash workshop 10A is located at a regular stop position or at two positions before and after the normal stop position.

The control device 18 correctly recognizes the position of the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 based on the detection result of the front wheel detector 20 as described above, and can correctly recognize the current position of the vehicle 1 as a result. The relative position between the current position of the vehicle and the car wash position is grasped, and the vehicle 1 can be guided from the current position to the car wash position.

By configuring the front wheel detector 20 by a combination of a front switch 21 and a rear switch 22,
Whether the front wheel 1A of the vehicle 1 is at the normal stop position or two positions before and after the normal stop position can be easily and correctly recognized.

By providing the guidance device 30 for the vehicle 1, the command for moving the vehicle 1 by the control device 18 can be easily and accurately transmitted to the driver of the vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 can be smoothly guided to the car wash position.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the design can be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is also included in the present invention. For example, the front wheel detector 20 includes a front switch 21 and a rear switch 22.
The detection method is not limited to the stepping switch method as described above, but may be another detection method.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the position of the front wheels of the vehicle can be correctly recognized, and the vehicle can be guided to the car wash position.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a car washing device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a front wheel detection device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a guidance device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 1A Front wheel 10 Car wash device 10A Car wash work place 18 Control device (control means) 20 Front wheel detector (front wheel detection means) 21 Front switch 22 Rear switch 30 Guide device (guide device)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A car washing apparatus for stopping a vehicle at a car washing position of a car washing work place and washing the car, wherein a front wheel detecting means for detecting whether a front wheel of the vehicle is at a regular stop position or one of two positions before and after the regular stop position. A car washing apparatus which is installed on a floor of a car washing work area and has control means for guiding a vehicle to a car washing position and stopping based on a detection result of a front wheel detecting means. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front wheel detecting means includes a front switch and a rear switch installed at two positions before and after the vehicle in the car washing work area, respectively. 2. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection state is switched when passing through the regular stop position. 3. The car washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is provided with guidance means for guiding a vehicle.