A method of controlling wash equipment in an automated vehicle wash system having a conveyor includes, measuring one or more contours of a vehicle as the vehicle moves thorough an entry area of the automated vehicle wash system on the conveyor; tracking the distance a fixed point relative to the conveyor moves; associating the one or more contours of the vehicle with the position of the fixed point; determining, based on the one or more contours of the vehicle and the position of the fixed point, commands for operating the wash equipment; delivering the commands to the wash equipment; and operating the wash equipment in accordance with the commands.

A method is provided for detecting a reciprocal position between a cylinder and a piston of a piston-cylinder unit of a vehicle. The method includes measuring, by means of an optical sensor, a value of an indicative parameter of a color of a reference mark positioned on a portion of the piston. The method also includes comparing the measured value with at least a predetermined threshold value thereof different to a minimum detected threshold of the indicative parameter by the optical sensor; and

emitting an alarm signal perceptible by a driver of a vehicle if the measured value is comprised between the threshold value and the minimum value.

A cylinder stroke determination system and a method of determining a stroke of a cylinder are provided. The system includes a cylinder having a rod and a barrel, a sensing cylinder configured to operate with the cylinder, and a processor. The sensing cylinder includes a sensing cylinder base coupled to the barrel of the cylinder, a sensing cylinder rod coupled to the connecting portion of the rod of the cylinder, a photon emitter coupled to the sensing cylinder base and configured to emit a photon toward a photon target disposed at the sensing cylinder rod, and a photon receiver coupled to the sensing cylinder base and configured to receive the photon reflected from the photon target. The processor is configured to determine a stroke of the cylinder based on a time of flight of the photon from the photon emitter to the photon receiver.

A fluid pressure actuator including a fluid pressure cylinder having a first position detector and a second position detector, a piston body having a piston head and a rod, the piston head mounted on the rod and slidably accommodated in the fluid pressure cylinder, the rod including a first scale and a second scale, the first scale facing the first position detector and the first position detector configured to detect a position in a sliding direction of the piston body, the second scale facing the second position detector and the second position detector configured to detect a position of the rod in a rotation direction of the piston body, and a controller configured to perform a first positioning control of a position of the rod in the sliding direction and a second positioning control of the rod in the rotation direction may be provided.

A fluid pressure actuator is provided with an actuator main portion whose shape is changed by the expansion or contraction of a cylindrical tube expanded and contracted by the pressure of fluid, and a detection unit for detecting the length L of the actuator main portion along the longitudinal direction of the tube.

A pressure vessel arrangement includes a pressure vessel and an optical sensor arrangement. The pressure vessel includes: a cylinder construction having a cylinder wall extending from a cylinder wall first end to a cylinder wall second end, and having an internal surface forming an interior region; a first end cap closing the cylinder wall first end and having an optical window located therein to permit passage of light therethough and into the interior region; a second end cap closing the cylinder wall second end; and a piston constructed to slide within the cylinder construction interior region along a direction between the cylinder all first end and the cylinder wall second end and along the cylinder construction internal surface to separate the interior region into a first end interior region and a second end interior region. The pressure vessel is constructed to withstand a fatigue test of one million cycles at 5,000 psi without failure. The optical sensor arrangement is located outside of the optical window and includes an emitter for emitting light through the optical window and into the interior region and receiving for receiving light reflected from the piston. Also included is a method for providing a piston position feedback in a pressure vessel.

A method of controlling wash equipment in an automated vehicle wash system having a conveyor includes, measuring one or more contours of a vehicle as the vehicle moves thorough an entry area of the automated vehicle wash system on the conveyor; tracking the distance a fixed point relative to the conveyor moves; associating the one or more contours of the vehicle with the position of the fixed point; determining, based on the one or more contours of the vehicle and the position of the fixed point, commands for operating the wash equipment; delivering the commands to the wash equipment; and operating the wash equipment in accordance with the commands.

A method of controlling wash equipment in an automated vehicle wash system having a conveyor includes, measuring one or more contours of a vehicle as the vehicle moves thorough an entry area of the automated vehicle wash system on the conveyor; tracking the distance a fixed point relative to the conveyor moves; associating the one or more contours of the vehicle with the position of the fixed point; determining, based on the one or more contours of the vehicle and the position of the fixed point, commands for operating the wash equipment; delivering the commands to the wash equipment; and operating the wash equipment in accordance with the commands.

A cylinder stroke determination system and a method of determining a stroke of a cylinder are provided. The system includes a cylinder having a rod and a barrel, a sensing cylinder configured to operate with the cylinder, and a processor. The sensing cylinder includes a sensing cylinder base coupled to the barrel of the cylinder, a sensing cylinder rod coupled to the connecting portion of the rod of the cylinder, a photon emitter coupled to the sensing cylinder base and configured to emit a photon toward a photon target disposed at the sensing cylinder rod, and a photon receiver coupled to the sensing cylinder base and configured to receive the photon reflected from the photon target. The processor is configured to determine a stroke of the cylinder based on a time of flight of the photon from the photon emitter to the photon receiver.

A pressure vessel arrangement includes a pressure vessel and an optical sensor arrangement. The pressure vessel includes: a cylinder construction having a cylinder wall extending from a cylinder wall first end to a cylinder wall second end, and having an internal surface forming an interior region; a first end cap closing the cylinder wall first end and having an optical window located therein to permit passage of light therethough and into the interior region; a second end cap closing the cylinder wall second end; and a piston constructed to slide within the cylinder construction interior region along a direction between the cylinder all first end and the cylinder wall second end and along the cylinder construction internal surface to separate the interior region into a first end interior region and a second end interior region. The pressure vessel is constructed to withstand a fatigue test of one million cycles at 5,000 psi without failure. The optical sensor arrangement is located outside of the optical window and includes an emitter for emitting light through the optical window and into the interior region and receiving for receiving light reflected from the piston. Also included is a method for providing a piston position feedback in a pressure vessel.