VEHICLE WASHING INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

Abstract

A vehicle washing installation includes at least one side washing brush which is mounted on a crossbar of the vehicle washing installation by a suspension to be rotatable about first and second pivot axes. The suspension has a first actuator for pivoting the side washing brush about the first pivot axis. The problem of providing a vehicle washing installation which, with little constructional outlay, permits a good washing result even in the case of inclined side surfaces and rear surfaces of the vehicle and the inclined transitions between said surfaces is addressed in that the suspension has a second actuator for pivoting the side washing brush about the second pivot axis, and by a method with the steps of: detecting and/or determining the inclination of a first vehicle surface running transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction; pivoting the side washing brush from a basic position about the second pivot axis in a manner corresponding to the inclination of the first vehicle surface; and moving the side washing brush along the first vehicle surface.

Claims

1. A vehicle washing installation with at least one side washing brush which is mounted on a crossmember of the vehicle washing installation by a suspension so as to be rotatable about a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis which differs therefrom, wherein the suspension has a first actuating drive for pivoting the side washing brush about the first pivot axis and a second actuating drive for pivoting the side washing brush about the second pivot axis, wherein the suspension has a first bearing support which is mounted on a second bearing support so as to be rotatable about one of the pivot axes, and the second bearing support is mounted on the crossmember so as to be rotatable about the other pivot axis.

2. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pivot axis runs in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle washing installation.

3. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pivot axis runs in a transverse direction running transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle washing installation.

4. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis run at right angles to each other.

5. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first actuating drive and/or the second actuating drive are linear drives.

6. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the actuating drives acts between the first bearing support and the second bearing support and the other actuating drive acts between the second bearing support and the crossmember.

7. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inclination sensor is provided for detecting the inclination of the side washing brush about the first pivot axis and/or an inclination sensor is provided for detecting the inclination of the side washing brush about the second pivot axis.

8. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension is arranged on a carriage which is movable on a crossmember transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle washing installation.

9. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis run substantially horizontally.

10. The vehicle washing installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side washing brush is arranged hanging freely downward.

11. A method for the operation of a vehicle washing installation with at least one side washing brush which is mounted on the vehicle washing installation so as to be rotatable about a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis which differs therefrom and runs transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle washing installation, wherein a first actuating drive is provided for pivoting the side washing brush about the second pivot axis, the method comprising: a) detecting and/or determining the inclination of a first vehicle surface running transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction, b) pivoting the side washing brush out of a basic position about the second pivot axis corresponding to the inclination of the first vehicle surface, c) the side washing brush along the first vehicle surface to clean the first vehicle surface, d) detecting the inclination of at least one second vehicle surface adjoining the first vehicle surface, e) pivoting the side washing brush about the first pivot axis corresponding to the inclination of the second vehicle surface by a second actuating drive if, in step c), a transition region between the first vehicle surface and the second vehicle surface is reached.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pivoting of the side washing brush about the first pivot axis is blocked during step c).

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein for washing the second vehicle surface, the side washing brush is pivoted back into the basic position and is blocked there against pivoting about the second pivot axis.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis run substantially horizontally.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first actuating drive and/or the second actuating drive of the vehicle washing installation are linear drives.

Description

[0020] Further special characteristics and preferences of the invention emerge from the detailed description below of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle washing installation according to the invention in a first position;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the side view of the vehicle washing installation from FIG. 1 in a second position;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of the vehicle washing installation from FIG. 1 in the first position;

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the top view from FIG. 3 with the vehicle washing installation in the second position from FIG. 2;

[0025] FIG. 5 shows the top view from FIG. 3 with the vehicle washing installation in a third position;

[0026] FIG. 6 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a side washing brush suspension of the vehicle washing installation from FIG. 1.

[0027] FIGS. 1 to 5 show a vehicle washing installation according to the invention in the form of a schematically illustrated gantry washing installation 1 with a washing gantry 2. The washing gantry 2 has two gantry columns 3, 3′ which are substantially vertical and are connected to each other by a gantry crossmember 4. Provided at the lower end of the gantry columns 3, 3′ are travel bases 5, 5′ with which the washing gantry is movable in a longitudinal direction L of the washing installation 1 on travel rails 6, 6′. Vertical side washing brushes 7, 7′, also referred to below simply only as washing brushes 7, 7′, and a horizontal roof washing brush (not shown) are arranged on the washing gantry 2. This design of the gantry washing installation 1 is known per se and therefore does not require any further explanation.

[0028] Since the gantry washing installation 1 is of symmetrical design with respect to its longitudinal center axis running in the longitudinal direction L, the invention is explained below especially with reference to the right side in FIGS. 3 to 5, and corresponding explanations also correspondingly apply to the left side. Therefore, for the components of the left side, use is made of the reference signs of the corresponding components of the right side, said reference signs being provided with an apostrophe. For better explanation of the invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 only show the left part of the washing gantry 2 in FIGS. 3 to 5 together with the right washing brush 7.

[0029] According to the invention, the washing brush 7 is suspended here on a carriage 9, indicated schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2, via a suspension 8, which is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is shown in detail in FIG. 6. The carriage 9 is movable in a transverse direction Q running transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction L on the gantry crossmember 4.

[0030] The washing brush 7 is arranged on a brush holder 10 of the suspension. The brush holder 10 can be rotated together with the washing brush 7 about a rotation axis

[0031] A of the washing brush 7 by a drive motor 11 via a gearing (not shown). Before the beginning of the cleaning, the rotation axis A and therefore the washing brush 7 are in the vertical undeflected basic position S shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] The brush holder 10 and the drive motor 11 are arranged for this purpose on a first bearing support 12 which, for its part, is arranged on a second bearing support about a horizontal first pivot axis D1 running in the longitudinal direction L. The second bearing support 13 is for its part arranged on the travel carriage 9 via bearing blocks 14 about a horizontal second pivot axis D2 running in the transverse direction Q. The washing brush 7 is therefore mounted in a freely oscillating manner in the longitudinal direction L and transverse direction Q similarly to a cardan joint.

[0033] In order to be able to actively adapt the inclination of the washing brush 7 to the transition between oblique side surfaces FS and an oblique rear surface FH of a vehicle F, the first bearing support 12 has a bearing web 15 protruding substantially at right angles. At its front end, the first bearing web 15 has bearing flanges 16 for the rotatable fastening of a piston rod 17 of a first actuating cylinder 18. The first actuating cylinder 18 itself is mounted rotatably on the second bearing support 13 via bearing flanges 19. By means of the first actuating cylinder 18, the first bearing support 12 and consequently also the washing brush 7 can be positioned obliquely in the transverse direction Q about the first pivot axis D1.

[0034] In order to be able to actively pivot the washing brush 7 by an angle of inclination α about the second pivot axis D2 in the longitudinal direction L, the second bearing support 13 likewise has a second bearing web 20 protruding substantially at right angles therefrom. At its free end, the bearing web 20 bears bearing flanges to which a piston rod 22 of a second actuating cylinder 23 is rotatably coupled. The second actuating cylinder 23 for its part is coupled rotatably to the travel carriage 9 via bearing flanges 24. With the second actuating cylinder 23, the second bearing support 13, and consequently the washing brush 7, can therefore be pivoted in the longitudinal direction L about the pivot axis D2. The washing brush 7 can be inclined here forward and back in the longitudinal direction L. In a simpler embodiment, the inclination can optionally also take place only in the direction shown in FIG. 2.

[0035] The actuating cylinders 18 and 23 are preferably pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders which can act at least in one direction in order to position the rotation axis A of the washing brush 7 from the hanging vertical position S shown in FIG. 1 into the desired oblique position, as shown in FIG. 2. The movement back from the inclined position can take place in a manner brought about by gravity with such single action cylinders. For the more rapid and defined adjustment of the inclination of the washing brush, double action cylinders can optionally also be used. Other drives can optionally also be provided in order to pivot the washing brush 7, for example electric linear drives.

[0036] The washing brush 7 can therefore be adapted both to the obliquely inclined rear surface FH and to the obliquely inclined side surface FS of the vehicle, wherein, by this means, the greatly inclined transition surfaces between the rear surface FH and side surface FS can then also be readily reached.

[0037] The degree of inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ and the rear surface FH can be determined by a contour sensing which is known per se and is undertaken prior to or during a first crossing of the washing gantry 2 over the vehicle F in order to be able to correspondingly activate the actuating cylinders 18, 23. The contour sensing can be undertaken here inter alia by means of light barriers, image processing means, etc. The inclination of the rear surface FH can also be determined, for example, by the transitions between the roof surface and rear surface FH and rear surface FH and the end of the vehicle and also the associated heights of the roof washing brush being correlated with one another with the washing of the vehicle F with the roof washing brush. In a corresponding manner, the inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ can be determined during the cleaning with the washing brushes 7, 7′, beginning at the front of the vehicle F.

[0038] In an advantageous development of the invention, the inclinations of the side surfaces FS, FS′ and of the rear surface FH can also be identified by angle sensors which sense the deflection of the rotation axis A of the washing brush 7 out of its basic position about the pivot axes D1 and D2. Preferably, an angle sensor can be provided here between the first bearing support 12 and the second bearing support 13 for determining the inclination about the pivot axis D1, and a further angle sensor can be provided between the second bearing support 13 and the travel carriage 9 for determining the inclination about the pivot axis D2.

[0039] The corresponding values can then be stored in a manner known per se in the control system of the gantry washing installation 1 and used for controlling the latter.

[0040] The active pivoting of the washing brushes 7, 7′ by means of the suspension 8 is explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. To the extent possible, this is undertaken especially with reference to the right washing brush 7, and corresponding explanations also apply to the left washing brush 7′.

[0041] Before the position of the washing brushes 7, 7′ that is shown in FIG. 3, the roof surface FD and the rear surface FH of the vehicle F have already been cleaned with the roof washing brush (not shown), and the side surfaces FS, FS′, beginning at the front of the vehicle F, and then the washing brushes 7, 7′ have been moved around the rear of the vehicle into the central starting position shown in FIG. 3.

[0042] From the central starting position in FIG. 3, the washing brushes 7, 7′ then first of all clean the rear surfaces FH of the vehicle F, beginning from the center of the vehicle toward the side surfaces FS, FS′ of the vehicle F. The washing brushes 7, 7′ are actively pivoted here by the actuating cylinder 23 in the longitudinal direction L, i.e. by approx. 15° about the pivot axis D2, about the pivot axis D2 in order to be able to neatly wash the correspondingly obliquely inclined rear surface FH. The oblique position of the rotation axis A is indicated in FIGS. 3 to 5 by the chain-dotted lines which show the position of the lower ends of the washing brushes 7, 7′, while the position of the upper ends of the washing brushes 7, 7′ is indicated by the solid lines.

[0043] By contrast, the washing brush 7 is held vertically in the transverse direction Q, i.e. the rotation axis A of the washing brush 7 is secured by the first cylinder 18.

[0044] As soon as it is established with reference to the contour sensing data that the washing brushes 7, 7′ are entering the region of the inclined side surfaces FS, FS′ of the vehicle F, the washing brushes 7, 7′ are pivoted outward in the transverse direction Q. This is indicated in FIG. 4 by the fact that the rotation axes A, A′ of the washing brushes 7, 7′ outwardly exceed imaginary boundary lines B, B′ determined in the control system from the contour data. The angle of inclination of the rotation axis A in the transverse direction Q preferably corresponds here to the inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ in the region of the C pillar, and therefore said oblique transition regions N, N′ are readily cleaned. The angle of inclination in the transverse direction Q is around 5° here.

[0045] The rotation axis A is preferably not abruptly pivoted here but rather realized in a manner adapted to the contour of the vehicle F. For this purpose, the vehicle data determined by the contour sensing can be used in order to adapt the angle of inclination as readily as possible and preferably continuously in both directions to the inclination of the rear surface FH and the side surfaces FH, FS, FS′. For this purpose, the actuating cylinders 18, 23 are preferably designed as multiposition cylinders, and therefore each angle of inclination is adjustable. Adapting here does not mean that the angle of inclination of the rotation axes A, A′ of the washing brushes 7, 7′ precisely corresponds to the angles of inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ or of the rear surface FH, but rather that an approximate adaptation with a certain tolerance takes place since the transition regions N, N′ frequently do not have any angles remaining the same over the entire height of the vehicle.

[0046] As indicated in FIG. 4 by the curved arrows, the washing brushes 7, 7′ move along a path along the transition regions N, N′ between the rear surface FH and the side surfaces FS, FS′.

[0047] If the rear surface FH including the transition regions

[0048] N, N′ between the rear surface FH and the side surfaces FS, FS′ has been cleaned, the washing brushes 7, 7′ are pivoted back in the longitudinal direction L into their basic position S and therefore hang vertically downward, as shown in FIG. 5. The washing brushes 7, 7′ remain inclined in an unchanged manner in the transverse direction in order to be able to clean the oblique side surfaces FS, FS′ when they next cross over the vehicle F.

[0049] The method described above is expedient especially in vehicles F having a pronounced inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′, in order to avoid the weight of the washing brushes 7, 7′ acting on the side surface FS, FS′ if the washing brushes 7, 7′ were freely movable in the transverse direction Q.

[0050] In an advantageous alternative embodiment, during the transition from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4 with the washing brush 7, 7′ actively pivoted in the longitudinal direction L, the washing brushes 7, 7′ cannot be actively pivoted in the transverse direction Q by the actuating cylinder 18, but rather the actuating cylinder 18 is enabled such that the washing brushes 7, 7′ can freely oscillate in the transverse direction Q. This takes place again as soon as the washing brushes 7, 7′ reach the previously determined region of the vehicle sides FS or FS′ when moving in the transverse direction Q, i.e. when the rotation axes A, A′ outwardly exceed the boundary lines

[0051] B, B′. As a result, the inclination of the rotation axis A can be adapted to the inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ in the transition regions N, N′ of the C pillar, and therefore the washing brushes 7, 7′ readily nest against these transition regions, which have a double inclination, and clean said transition regions. The angle of inclination in the transverse direction Q is approx. 3° to 8° here. The washing brushes 7, 7′ then no longer move further outward than up to the lateral extent of the vehicle sides FS or FS′ determined previously via the contour sensing.

[0052] This is expedient in the case of vehicles F with a more shallow inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ since the washing brushes 7, 7′ are very steep here in the transverse direction Q and therefore only a relatively low weight acts on the side surfaces FS, FS′. If, however, the inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ exceeds a predetermined value, for example 10°, the washing brushes 7, 7′ are automatically set in the inclined position by the first actuating cylinder 18 at an appropriate angle in order to take the weight from the side surfaces FS, FS′.

[0053] In an alternative embodiment, one or else both actuating drives 18, 23 can also be designed only as a two position cylinder, wherein then no as true to angle as possible and optionally continuously adapting inclination of the rotation axes A, A′ of the washing brushes 7, 7′ is set, but rather either the basic position or the inclination predetermined by the two position cylinder, for example 15°, is set.

[0054] By this means, firstly, costs for the actuating drives and the contour sensing can be reduced and, secondly, the outlay on control technology can be reduced. This is because the angle of inclination of the rotation axes A, A′ then does not have to be constantly tracked, optionally about the two pivot axes D1, D2, but rather, when the transition regions N, N′ are reached or at the beginning of the inclination of the side surfaces FS, FS′ or of the rear surface FH, the rotation axis A, A′ is brought into the single inclined position by the respective actuating drive 18, 23. Of course, this simplification is also possible with the above-described multiposition cylinders. With said multi-position cylinders, it is advantageously possible, for example, also to realize only three positions (basic position, slightly inclined and greatly inclined) in order likewise to reduce the outlay on control technology.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0055] 1 Gantry washing installation (vehicle treatment installation)

[0056] 2 Washing gantry

[0057] 3, 3′ Gantry columns

[0058] 4 Gantry crossmember

[0059] 5, 5′ Travel bases

[0060] 6, 6′ Travel rails

[0061] 7, 7′ Side washing brushes

[0062] 8 Side washing brush suspension

[0063] 9 Travel carriage

[0064] 10 Brush holder

[0065] 11 Washing brush drive motor

[0066] 12 First bearing support

[0067] 13 Second bearing support

[0068] 14 Bearing blocks

[0069] 15 First bearing web

[0070] 16 Bearing flanges

[0071] 17 First cylinder piston rod

[0072] 18 First actuating cylinder

[0073] 19 Bearing flanges

[0074] 20 Second bearing web

[0075] 21 Bearing flanges

[0076] 22 Second cylinder piston rod

[0077] 23 Second actuating cylinder

[0078] 24 Bearing flanges

[0079] A, A′ Washing brush rotation axis

[0080] S Position of the freely hanging washing brush rotation axis

[0081] B, B′ Lateral boundary lines

[0082] D Suspension rotation axis in the transverse direction

[0083] D2 Suspension rotation axis in the longitudinal direction

[0084] F Vehicle

[0085] FD Vehicle roof surface

[0086] FH Vehicle rear surface

[0087] FS, FS′ Vehicle side surfaces

[0088] N, N′ Transition regions of the vehicle rear

[0089] L Longitudinal direction of the gantry washing installation

[0090] Q Transverse direction

[0091] α Angle of inclination in the longitudinal direction