Vehicle washing system

Abstract

A vehicle washing system for cleaning a vehicle located in a washing zone of the vehicle washing system includes a device for creating a foam curtain extending substantially transversely to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle washing system. The device is arranged on the vehicle washing system in such a way as to be vertically adjustable.

Claims

1. A vehicle washing system for cleaning a vehicle, the system comprising: a carrier movable along a washing zone in a direction of travel; a vertically adjustable drying device; and a foam dispensing device arranged on the drying device to generate a foam curtain extending transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier, wherein the foam dispensing device is arranged so as to be vertically adjustable on the carrier, wherein the vehicle washing system is switchable between a foam dispensing mode, in which the foam dispensing device is in operation, and a drying mode, in which the drying device is in operation, and wherein at least one collection channel extends along the drying device in order to keep foam away from the washing zone in the drying mode.

2. The vehicle washing system according to claim 1, wherein the drying device includes an air duct with air outlets distributed across transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier.

3. The vehicle washing system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one collection channel is formed in a single piece from flat material and wherein a side wall of the at least one collection channel is also a side wall of the air outlets.

4. The vehicle washing system according to claim 1, wherein the foam dispensing device includes at least one foam outlet from which foam emerges under pressure, and a baffle facing the at least one foam outlet to collect and divert emerging foam.

5. The vehicle washing system according to claim 1, wherein the foam dispensing device includes a runoff edge extending across the washing zone.

6. The vehicle washing system according to claim 5, wherein the foam dispensing device includes at least one foam outlet from which foam emerges under pressure and a baffle facing the at least one foam outlet to collect and divert emerging foam and wherein the runoff edge is a lower edge of the baffle.

7. A vehicle washing system for cleaning a vehicle, the system comprising: a carrier movable along a washing zone in a direction of travel; a vertically adjustable drying device having an air duct with air outlets distributed transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier; and a foam dispensing device arranged on the drying device to generate a foam curtain extending transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier, wherein the foam dispensing device is arranged so as to be vertically adjustable on the carrier, wherein the foam dispensing device includes a runoff edge extending across the washing zone, and wherein the drying device is pivotable about an axis, between a position in which the runoff edge faces the washing zone and a position in which the air outlets face the washing zone.

8. The vehicle washing system according to claim 7, wherein a nozzle box of the drying device is situated vertically beneath a foam outlet of the foam dispensing device.

9. The vehicle washing system according to claim 7, wherein the foam dispensing device includes at least one foam outlet from which foam emerges under pressure and a baffle facing the at least one foam outlet to collect and divert emerging foam and wherein the runoff edge is a lower edge of the baffle.

10. The vehicle washing system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle washing system is switchable between a foam dispensing mode, in which the foam dispensing device is in operation, and a drying mode, in which the drying device is in operation, and wherein at least one collection channel extends along the drying device in order to keep foam away from the washing zone in the drying mode.

11. The vehicle washing system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one collection channel is formed in a single piece from flat material and wherein a side wall of the at least one collection channel is also a side wall of the air outlets.

12. The vehicle washing system according to claim 7, wherein the runoff edge is provided on one wall of the air duct.

13. The vehicle washing system according to claim 7, wherein the foam dispensing device includes a foam channel with a plurality of foam outlets spaced across transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier.

14. The vehicle washing system according to claim 7, wherein the runoff edge has first and second end portions and a center portion and wherein the runoff edge is lower at the first and second end portions than in the center portion.

15. A vehicle washing system for cleaning a vehicle, the system comprising: a carrier movable along a washing zone in a direction of travel; a vertically adjustable drying device having an air duct with air outlets distributed transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier; and a foam dispensing device arranged on the drying device to generate a foam curtain extending transverse to the direction of travel of the carrier, wherein the foam dispensing device is arranged so as to be vertically adjustable on the carrier, wherein the foam dispensing device includes at least one foam outlet from which foam emerges under pressure, and a baffle facing the at least one foam outlet to collect and divert emerging foam, and wherein the baffle is a wall of the air duct.

Description

(1) Additional details and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description of preferred embodiment examples with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a vehicle washing system according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a front view of the vehicle washing system from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the front view of the vehicle washing system from FIG. 2 with the roof dryer moved fully upward;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a top view of the vehicle washing system from FIG. 2 along line A-A of FIG. 2 on the left;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a detailed top view of the vehicle washing system from FIG. 2 along line A-A of FIG. 2 on the right;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of the roof dryer from FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the nozzle box of the roof dryer with the baffle arranged thereon according to FIG. 5 in the foam application position;

(9) FIG. 8 shows the sectional view from FIG. 7 with the nozzle boxes in the drying position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of the vehicle washing system according to the invention in the form of a portal washing system 1 with a wash portal 2. The wash portal 2 has two essentially vertical portal columns 4, 4 connected to each other by a portal traverse 3. Vertical side washing brushes (not shown) and a horizontal vertically adjustable roof washing brush are arranged in known fashion on wash portal 2, which are subsequently also referred to simply as washing brushes.

(11) The wash portal 2 is movable in a longitudinal direction L of the portal washing system 1 in order to treat, especially wash, optionally polish and dry a vehicle F situated in a washing zone W between the portal columns 4, 4.

(12) A roof dryer 5 is additionally arranged on the wash portal 2. The roof dryer 5 has a carrier 6 extending over the entire width of the vehicle F, on whose outer sides centrifugal blowers 7, 7 are arranged. The centrifugal blowers 7, 7 blow high-pressure drying air through an air duct extending over the width of the vehicle F with air outlets distributed across the direction of movement of the wash portal 2 relative to the vehicle, here in the form of a nozzle box 8, in which the air outlets are combined to an elongated nozzle slit 9, from which drying air is blown onto the vehicle surfaces.

(13) The roof dryer 5 can also be moved vertically, in which case lifting belts 12, 12 are mounted on the outside on carrier 6, which can be wound and unwound via winding rolls 14, 14. The winding rolls 14, 14 are arranged on a common winding shaft 15 that can be driven via a lifting drive 15.

(14) In order to generate foam, at least one foam generator 20, 20 and a foam channel (designed here as a tube) which extends it over the entire width of the carrier are provided on the roof dryer 5. A number of spray nozzles 19 are distributed along the foam tube 18. The tube 18 preferably has a diameter of about 20 mm, whereas the spray nozzles 19 preferably have an opening from 1 to 2 mm. The foam tube is dimensioned and positioned so that foam can emerge from all nozzles with the same pressure.

(15) To produce the foam curtain V according to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a baffle 16 is arranged on the nozzle box 8, which preferably extends over the entire width of the vehicle F. The baffle 16 can be an integral part of a housing of the nozzle box 8; it is preferably formed separately from the housing as a single-piece cutout of flat material, especially sheet metal, and mounted on the housing, which also includes the runoff edge 17 and the collection channel 10.

(16) The aforementioned cutout forms on one end the collection channel 10 and is nestled against two flat wall sections closest to it on one side of the nozzle slit 9 of the essentially octagonal nozzle box 8 and there forms the baffle 16. Starting from the second of these wall sections, which runs parallel to nozzle slit 9, the cutout extends in the foam dispensing position depicted in FIG. 7 downward at least over the second wall section, preferably beyond the nozzle box 8 to a runoff edge 17.

(17) The runoff edge 17 can then preferably have a curved, especially concave, trend along the carrier axis, as is especially apparent in FIG. 6. The lateral outer ends of the runoff edge 17, here in the foam dispensing position, extend somewhat farther downward than the middle part of the runoff edge 17. This serves to allow outflow of the foam curtain to the outside when the foam dispensing device is switched off. It is then advantageous if the foam can be converted into a waterfall immediately before the foam dispensing mode is switched off by removing the air in order to rinse the excess foam from the baffle.

(18) The foam curtain V is now generated in that foam S is sprayed onto the baffle 16 from the foam channel 18 arranged above baffle 16 via a number of spray nozzles 19, as is readily apparent in FIG. 5. The foam S then flows downward over the baffle 16 and falls via runoff edge 17 as foam curtain V onto the vehicle. The foam curtain formed in this way is perceived by the user as a continuous foam surface.

(19) The foam curtain V is then guided by means of the vertically adjustable roof dryer 5 at a spacing from the vehicle surfaces so that there is no risk of the foam curtain V dissipating or breaking up before striking the vehicle surfaces.

(20) An always continuous foam curtain V that fully wets the vehicle surfaces uniformly can be generated with this device according to the invention, with relatively limited use of foam liquid. For this purpose, a known contour sensing and contour control can be used to operate the roof dryer 5.

(21) In order to prevent dripping of residual liquid remaining on the roof dryer 5 and especially the nozzle box 8 from previous generation of the foam curtain V or also other treatment steps, it can be advantageously prescribed, as described in the present embodiment example, that the runoff edge 17 be arranged on a side of the nozzle box 8 facing away from the nozzle slit 9. In order to apply foam to vehicle F, the nozzle box 8 is rotated into the foam dispensing position depicted in FIG. 7, in which the runoff edge 17 forms the lower edge of the cutout of the baffle 16, while the nozzle slit 9 points upward.

(22) On the other hand, for the drying of vehicle F, the nozzle box 8 is then rotated 180 into the drying position of FIG. 8, in which the runoff edge 7 lies above the baffle 16. Residual liquid still present on the baffle 16 and the nozzle box 8 can then run off into the collection channel 10. Any foam that still drips off from the foam channel 18 while the nozzle box is in the drying position lands on a side of the housing of nozzle box 8 opposite baffle 16 and goes from there into the collection channel 10 opposite the collection channel 10.

(23) The collection channels 10, 10 can preferably be open on their outer ends no longer situated above the underlying vehicle F so that the collected residual liquid can drip off sideward from vehicle F to the floor. The collection channels 10 can then be slightly sloped downwards from their center to the outer ends in order to facilitate outward runoff of the residual liquid situated therein.

(24) The nozzle box 8 can then have a cross section other than the octagonal cross section depicted in the drawings, for example, a round or oval cross section, to which the baffle 16 is correspondingly adjusted in order to be tightly nestled against the housing of the nozzle box. The runoff edge 17 can also be designed V-shaped or trough-shaped.

(25) Deviating from the figures, the foam channel 18 and the baffle 16 can also be arranged in their own lifting device, which can be moved vertically, independently of the roof dryer 5. The configuration depicted in the figures, however, has the advantage of a compact design requiring few additional components. It can also be simply retrofitted on already existing vehicle washing systems.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(26) 1 Portal washing system (vehicle treatment system) 2 Washing portal 3 Portal traverse 4, 4 Portal columns 5 Roof dryer 6 Carrier 7, 7 Centrifugal blower 8 Nozzle box 9 Nozzle slit 10 Collection channel 11 Rotary drive 12, 12 Lifting belts 13, 13 Winding rolls for lifting belts 14 Winding shaft 15 Lifting drive 16 Baffle 17 Runoff edge [sic; Runoff edge] 18 Foam channel 19 Spray nozzle 20, 20 Foam generator 21 Compressed air line 22 Feed line for foam liquid 23 Energy chain 24 Compressed air connection 25 Connection for foam liquid D Rotational axis nozzle box F Vehicle L Longitudinal direction S Foam spray jets V Foam curtain