Patent ID: 6842997
Filing Date: 2005-01-18
Classification: B60S

Abstract:
1. A method of drying the exterior surface of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a vehicle to be dried, said vehicle being elongated with a front end, a rear end, a top surface and side surfaces extending adjacent to said top surface from said front end to said rear end, providing a pair of blowers with nozzles mounted above said vehicle in a position to blow air downwardly in a predetermined direction onto the top and sides of said vehicle, said blowers being positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of said vehicle extending from the front end to the rear end of said vehicle, said blowers being mounted for relative linear movement along the length of said vehicle, each nozzle being mounted in substantially vertical alignment with an associated side of said vehicle to direct a concentrated mass of air downwardly onto said vehicle as said blowers are moved relative to said vehicle along the length thereof and at a selected angle to said longitudinal centerline, positioning one of said blowers such that said predetermined direction of blown air is downward at an angle in the range of 15° to 25° relative to a horizontal plane and at an angle in the range of 3° to 15° relative to a vertical plane parallel to said longitudinal centerline, positioning the other of said blowers such that said predetermined direction of blown air is downward at an angle in the range of 15° to 25° relative to vertical and at an angle in the range of 50° to 70° relative to a vertical plane parallel to said longitudinal centerline, and moving said blowers in at least one longitudinal direction along the length of said vehicle while blowing air onto said vehicle.