A vehicle wash system includes a vehicle treatment area and an overhead frame portion supporting a pair of side brushes. The side brushes are configured to treat the lateral sides of the vehicle and may also treat the front and back of the vehicle. The side brushes are configured to pivot between a vertical position and an outwardly angled position, in which the side brushes are generally aligned with the side glass of the vehicle windows. The side brushes may travel along the side of the vehicle in both the vertical and pivoted orientations. The side brushes may make multiple passes along the side of the vehicle, and the side brushes may change orientation during or between passes to treat different segments of the vehicle. The side brushes may be pivoted at a side mirror location of the vehicle.

A method for operating an autonomous transportation vehicle fleet with autonomously driven transportation vehicles which identifies a service requirement of at least one transportation vehicle of the transportation vehicle fleet; identifies a service action to be carried out on the transportation vehicle based on the service requirement identified for the transportation vehicle; identifies a suitable service station for performing the service action; autonomously drives the transportation vehicle to the identified service station; and autonomously performs the service action on the transportation vehicle in the service station. A service station for the transportation vehicles of an autonomous transportation vehicle fleet having a second communication module for communication with the transportation vehicles and/or a server of a fleet operator; a second control unit for identifying a service action to be carried out on a transportation vehicle; and at least one service module for autonomously performing a service action on the transportation vehicle.

An inline vertical tack-off system for cleaning vehicular bodies that eliminates the need to spatially dispose rotating brushes and thereby enhance the cleaning efficiency while reducing the space occupied by the apparatus by vertically aligning a plurality of cleaning brushes to clean the full height of a vehicle body. Additionally, the apparatus includes a positioning system which allows the tack-off brushes to move in relation to any of a variety of vehicular bodies by adjusting the distance between the brushes and the vehicle body under the control of a program, as well as by controlling the tilt of the brushes match the vehicle contours and thereby optimize the contact force applied by the brushes to the vehicular surface being cleaned. Also, the system includes a vortex enhanced plenum utilized to evacuate ambient air and contaminant particles.

A vehicle wash component includes a hub portion with a first hub section and a second hub section. The first hub section includes a first distal end and a first proximate end opposite the first distal end. The first hub section defines a first axis of rotation. The second hub section includes a second distal end and a second proximate end opposite the second distal end. The second hub section defines a second axis of rotation. A connector device rotatably couples the first hub section to the second hub section. An actuator is in communication with the first hub section to effectuate movement of the first distal end between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are parallel. In the extended position, the first axis of rotation is at a non-90 angle with respect to the second axis of rotation.

An apparatus for cleaning a vehicle having at least one outer surface which is inclined by an inclination angle with respect to the vertical, includes a device for detecting the inclination angle of the at least one outer surface, a cleaning brush which can be passed along the at least one outer surface, a device for setting an inclination angle of the cleaning brush with respect to the vertical corresponding to the inclination angle of the at least one outer surface, a device 20 for monitoring the inclination angle of the cleaning brush, and a device for regulating the inclination angle of the cleaning brush for adjusting to the inclination angle of the at least one outer surface. A method for cleaning a vehicle having at least one outer surface which is inclined by an inclination angle with respect to the vertical is also provided.

A brush for a vehicle washing system comprising: flexible elements (2) intended to come into contact with the vehicle for cleaning and/or polishing and/or drying; a central annular support (3) from which the flexible elements (2) extend; a shaft (4) rotating about its own axis (40) of rotation, said shaft (4) crossing said central support (3) and placing said central support (3) in rotation about said axis (40) of rotation.

The central support (3) comprises a lateral surface (35), from which the flexible elements (2) extend, which is inclined with respect to the axis (40) of rotation of the shaft (4).

Embodiments include a vehicle side washer assembly, a shaft assembly, and horizontal cloth brush panels. The side washer assembly includes a retractable angled primary arm, a retractable secondary arm, a shaft assembly having an upright shaft, and horizontal cloth brush panels. The upright shaft is disposed through a shaft attachment region of each of the horizontal cloth brush panels. The shaft assembly includes an upright shaft including notches and protrusions, and retrofit discs each including a shaft opening that matches contours of the upright shaft. Each of the retrofit discs includes rotary notches. The horizontal cloth brush panels each include flat fingers, a contiguous central region, and a brush shaft opening cut to match contours of the upright shaft. The horizontal cloth brush panels rotate in a reverse rotation with a direction of travel of a vehicle, and can be mixed and matches with various sizes and shapes.

The present application relates to a side brush mechanism with a novel structure. The side brush mechanism includes a side brush mounting beam, mounted on a tunnel type car washing machine; a side brush assembly for brushing left and right sides of a vehicle; a side brush swing arm with one end rotatably connected to the side brush mounting beam and the other end rotatably connected to a reducer; the reducer in driving connection with the side brush assembly to drive the side brush assembly to rotate; a left-right skew actuator arranged between the side brush swing arm and the reducer and used for driving the reducer and the side brush assembly to swing vertically left and right to adjust a brushing angle.

A vehicle treatment brush is provided for washing and/or polishing purposes in a vehicle treatment installation, including a support part having a longitudinal extent and defining a pivotal axis, a plurality of brush segments arranged axially next to each other and each including cleaning elements, and a drive device, wherein at least one brush segment includes a pivoting device with a rotary body on which the cleaning elements of the brush segment are indirectly or directly held and which is in operative connection with the drive device for driving the rotary body about a rotational axis of the brush segment that is different from the pivotal axis.

A vehicle treatment brush for washing and/or polishing purposes in a vehicle treatment installation is provided, including a support part having a longitudinal extent and defining a pivotal axis, a plurality of brush segments arranged axially next to each other and each including cleaning elements, and a drive device, wherein at least one brush segment includes a pivoting device with a rotary body on which the cleaning elements of the brush segment are indirectly or directly held and which is in operative connection with the drive device for driving the rotary body about a rotational axis of the brush segment that is different from the pivotal axis, wherein the support part is non-driven and the rotary body is pivotable about the pivotal axis relative to the support part by way of the pivoting device. The present invention also relates to a vehicle treatment installation.