Spray-type car wash system with breakaway spray arms

A car wash system comprising at least one rotatable spray arm depending from an overhead carriage. The arm is equipped with a detent-type compound breakaway knuckle which permits the arm to be displaced upwardly from a lowest potential energy orientation by disengaging the detent but thereafter permitting a smooth essentially unresisted movement whereby when the force tending to cause angular displacement and the arm is removed, the arm returns to the normal operating, low potential energy position. A shaker function or a high pressure spray burst may be used to complement the gravitational resetting function as needed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to touchless automatic car wash systems having one or more spray arms which move about a vehicle and more particularly to a breakaway feature which allows an arm to be displaced from its normal orientation in the event of inadvertent contact with a vehicle or other object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Touchless automatic car wash installations using spray arms which direct multiple streams of washing and rinsing fluids toward the surfaces of a stationary vehicle are popular due in large part to the fact that they generally make no hard physical contact with the vehicle and generally take up less space than traditional conveyor washers. Touchless systems commonly utilize one or more spray arms which are dependingly mounted from an overhead carriage which can be programmed for movement forward and backward longitudinally relative to a wash bay while the arm or combinations of arms can be programmed to move around the vehicle. An example of such system is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re 40,463 assigned to Belanger, Inc. of Northville, Mich.

One of the features of the system described in the aforementioned patent is a breakaway joint which allows a spray arm or a lower portion thereof to be non-destructively angularly displaced out of its normal operating orientation. This is accomplished by a set of ball-detent joints operating about axes at 90° angles to one another. A spring-biased ball can be displaced out of a shallow socket and onto a flat raceway surface having a sharp corner with another flat raceway surface. Sensors are provided to produce a signal in the event either of the two joints breaks.

The joint just described must ordinarily be manually reset; i.e., the force of gravity working on the arm is not usually sufficient to compress the bias spring enough to allow the ball to go back around the sharp corner between the raceway surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS

The invention described herein is a depending arm spray wash system comprising an overhead carriage, at least one spray arm attached to the carriage and equipped with nozzles for directing washing and rinsing fluids toward the exterior surfaces of a vehicle in a wash bay. In particular, the invention includes an improved breakaway feature which resets the breakaway joint to the normal operating condition without operator intervention after inadvertent contact between the arm and a vehicle or other object.

In general, this is accomplished in part by configuring the raceway adjacent the ball detent as a smoothly rounded, semi-cylindrical surface with no sharp corners over about 45° or more of arm displacement from the normal set position. Accordingly, gravity alone is often sufficient to reset the joint following a break.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinafter described, the spray arm includes a resilient plastic sleeve or shell which transmits light and resists impact damage to itself or to an object contacted by it. The breakaway feature is provided in the form of a compound; i.e., two-axis, knuckle allowing a four-way breakaway action to occur. The joints can be provided with transducers to produce signals when a break occurs, which signals can be transmitted to a control station either to simply record the event or to take a remedial action hereinafter described, or both.

In the most preferred form, the resettable joint is complemented by a secondary function which can be called into action in the event a jointed arm fails to reset on is own. This function can be provided by either or both of at least two modes. In one mode, a break signal brings a “shaker” function into effect whereby several rapid reversals of the motor/gearbox which produces rotary motion of the jointed arm during a wash program are produced. In another mode, useful where the break is aligned with the spray nozzle emission direction, the nozzles may be briefly operated at high pressure to create a reaction force which pushes the arm toward a higher angle and then is rapidly cut off to allow the arm to fall toward its normal orientation.

These and other features of the invention may be best understood from a reading of the following description which is to be taken with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, a rollover car wash system embodying the inventions generally described above comprises an overhead carriage10having four rollers12such that the carriage rests on and is movable by way of said rollers12along parallel overhead rails14,16. At least two of the rollers12are driven by a reversible electric motor operating through horizontal half-shafts (not shown) to provide controlled, programmed travel of the carriage10in the longitudinal direction. The rails14,16are attached by adjustable brackets23to cross beams17,19which in turn are supported by vertical posts21. The height of the posts21and the length of the cross rails17,19is such as to define a wash bay which is large enough to receive vehicles of the type to be washed; e.g., passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks and the like. While the dimensions of the structure may be chosen to suit the application, a system to wash passenger cars may be about 25 feet in length.

Attached to the carriage by gears (not shown) and disposed essentially immediately under the carriage10are horizontal left and right arms18,20which can be driven in mirror image directions by a motor (not shown) as is more fully described in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. Re 40,463, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Attached to and depending from the outer ends of the arms18,20are generally vertically depending spray arms24,34, which are attached to the horizontal arms18,20, respectively by breakaway knuckles22,36hereinafter described in greater detail. While a two-arm system is useful in describing a practical embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that all aspects of the breakaway joint can also be used in a single arm system.

Arm24, which will be taken as representative, has an upper portion26which is angled approximately 20° from vertical and a lower portion28which is fully contiguous with the upper portion22. Similarly, arm34has an upper portion35and a lower portion40. The upper and lower portions, as well as the horizontal arms18,20, all carry a fluid delivery conduit58having attached to it spray nozzles30which are effective to direct streams or jets of different washing and rinsing fluids toward the exterior surface of an automobile at selected pressures according to the speed of a multi-speed pump P driven by motor M. The nozzles30are arranged along the arms24,34to coincide with elongate slots32which are formed in the side surfaces of plastic sleeves54which form part of each of the depending arms24,34as best shown inFIG. 3. The inwardly angled upper portions26,35of the depending arms24,34are preferred for the reason that most passenger cars are narrower at the top or roof line than they are across the lower body and the inwardly-angled transition portions26,35conserve material and place the nozzles in those portions closer to the vehicle. However, a 90° transition between the horizontal arms18,20and depending arms24,34can also be used. In addition, the nozzles may be moved from the horizontal arms18,20to fixed structures beneath the carriage10or mounted on a horizontal manifold110as shown inFIG. 8. The sleeves54may, for example, be about 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

The carriage10carries foam dispensers42on both sides aimed downwardly and inwardly toward a vehicle between the arms and spaced one or two feet ahead of the arms so as to avoid interference with the spray pattern. Scroll-type blowers44,46are mounted in the overhead carriage10with outlets (not shown) directed downwardly to remove water droplets from a washed vehicle. Additional blowers (not shown) may be mounted to the sides of the vertical posts21at the exit end of the bay to dry the sides of the vehicle as shown in U.S. Pat. No. RE 40,463 assigned to Belanger, Inc., also incorporated herein by reference. The nature and construction of the blowers44,46is more fully described in the co-pending application Ser. No. 11/687,723 filed Mar. 19, 2007 and assigned to Belanger, Inc. The content of that pending application is incorporated herein by reference.

In addition, downwardly aimed ultrasonic sensors48are mounted on outwardly extending arms on both front and rear of the carriage10(only the front sensor48is shown) to serve multiple purposes including (a) the generation of signal detecting the presence of the vehicle in the bay thereby to initiate a wash sequence only if a vehicle is present, and (b) working with a longitudinal translation of the carriage before a wash program begins to locate the forward and rear ends of the vehicle where programming means are also provided to modify the degree or extent of longitudinal travel of the carriage10during the washing and rinsing operations. This feature is provided where desired in recognition of the fact that commercially available passenger vehicles vary substantially in length and it is desirable for purposes of economy to spray chemical/fluids only when a portion of the vehicle is in the target area.

A lighted logo panel50is provided on the front surface of the carriage10as best shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. Cabinet doors52are provided on the lateral sides of the carriage10if desired to afford access to machinery components. The carriage is, of course, supplied with electricity and fluids (water with suitable chemicals) by conduits and cables (not shown) but well known to persons skilled in the car was construction all.

As best shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, each arm is provided with an outer plastic casing or sleeve54with an upper portion66made of a translucent plastic and of sufficient wall thickness to provide shape retention but thin enough and with enough resilience to afford some “give” if it inadvertently makes contact with a vehicle. The preferred plastic is HDPE with an EVA content to give the sleeve resilience and to reduce or eliminate the brittleness normally associated with harder PVC plastics that are used, for example, to construct water pipes. The sleeve resists impact damage because it is resilient. It also protects the internal components of each arm from damage. Finally, it transmits light. For all of these reasons, the resilient sleeve is preferable to opaque cushioning in this embodiment. The plastic of the sleeves54, at least in the lower portions, can be clear but preferably exhibits a neutral or milky translucence so that light from LED strips62hereinafter described can be seen through it. The preferred process for making the sleeves is rotational molding. The fact that the arms24,34are described as light and is exemplary, as the knuckle described herein can be used to full advantage with unlighted arms as well.

The structure ofFIGS. 3 and 4comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced aluminum bulkhead blocks60on which are mounted LED strips62containing red, green and blue LEDs which are wired such that the LEDs can be illuminated in single colors or in combinations to produce various shades of color through the translucent plastic of the sleeve24. A fluid supply pipe or conduit58runs down through the center of the bulkhead60to supply fluids to nozzles30. The overall operation and/or function of the LED strips62is more fully described in the co-pending application, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/025,432 filed concurrently herewith.

Turning toFIG. 2of the drawings, the carriage10together with the depending arms24,34are shown in combination with components which make up an operating system to take maximum advantage of the lighting effect which is produced by the combination of the light strips62within the interior of the cylindrical plastic sleeves which make up the outer skins of the arms24,34. These components comprise a pay station68which serves the function of initiating the system by accepting an input representing the appearance and willingness of a customer to utilize the system. The pay station68may comprise a coin or bill or token receiver or a keyboard and may be wholly or partly remote from the wash bay, depending on whether the enterprise employing the invention is to be operated with or without attendant participation.

The pay station68produces electrical signals which are communicated to a controller70which may be a microcontroller or microprocessor having a memory78into which both a light sequence program and one or more systems operations sequences are stored. The system further comprises a “vehicle-in-bay” signal generator72connected to the carriage10by way of signal lines74to provide signals from, for example, a treadle or electric eye or, preferably from one or both of the downward looking ultrasonic sensors48which detect the presence of a vehicle in the bay. The sensors48also find the ends of the vehicle by traveling from one end of the rails14,16to the other and programming the length of carriage movement during the wash sequence. This information is fed to controller70. In short, it is undesirable to activate the system with no vehicle present even though the pay station68may indicate the arrival of a customer. It is desirable to activate the system when a vehicle is in the bay and to determine its overall length so travel of the carriage10can be correspondingly programmed. A data line76comes from the carriage sensors58to the generator72which communicates with controller70.

The controller70is connected to an interface module80which may take the form of the interface described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,816, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. The outputs of the interface80at the necessary power levels are connected to the various operating components of the carriage10including the aforementioned motors, solenoids, valves and pumps as necessary to make up an operating system.

A method of light sequence programming represented by the stored content of the memory78may be as follows:(a) The output of a signal from the pay station68to the controller70signals the system that a vehicle is ready to approach. As a result, the light strips62in the interiors of the arms24,34are illuminated so as to produce a first lighting effect indicating to the approaching driver that the car wash system is alive and functional and ready to receive his or her automobile. For example, the arms may be brought closely together to form a centerline target and illuminated with a flashing light to guide drivers into the center of the bay. The lighting of the depending arms24,34thus serves a navigational purpose in giving the driver a strong visual cue to position his or her vehicle essentially centrally in the bay and as far forward as necessary to be within the envelope of arm movement;(b) Once the vehicle is in position, the vehicle-in-bay signal on line74is produced to module72and the controller summons the next step in the light program to change the condition of the lights in the arms24,34to a second, different lighting effect and, at the same time, to start the functional sequence of the mechanical car wash system. This may, for example, involve causing the carriage10to move forward and back to find the front and rear ends of the vehicle by sensors48and also beginning the washing operation by activating the spray nozzles30. The lighting during this phase may assume a different color or proceed to a blinking or flashing condition or both;(c) The controller70continues to cause the apparatus of the system to progress through the sequence of washing functions, the next of which is to create a high pressure spray from the nozzles30, to cause longitudinal movement of the carriage10and also to pivot the arms24,34around the ends of the vehicle to direct the high pressure spray of washing fluid (soap and water) at the outer surfaces of the vehicle. The lights may flash at a different rate or a different color or assume a new steady state color during this phase;(d) The controller advances the wash cycle to the next step which, in this case, involves terminating the high pressure soap application and proceeding to a rinse operation. The program in memory78causes the lights to again change condition either by changing the blinking rate, eliminating the blinking rate and/or changing color;(e) The system progresses to a drying phase by activating blowers44,46and any side blowers which are present; and(f) With all operations concluded, the program stored in the memory78again alters the condition of the lighting system to communicate to the driver of the vehicle being washed, rinsed and dried, that the overall sequence has been concluded. Note that any fixed dryer blowers may stay on for a time as the vehicle exits.

Referring now toFIGS. 4,5,6, and7, a four-way breakaway joint which is located between the upper arm portion26and the horizontal arm18will be described as representative of an identical breakaway joint on the opposite arms. While the previous part of this disclosure is directed primarily to a system having two reversely similar spray arms24,34, it is to be understood that the invention described herein is equally applicable to a system having a single arm which circumnavigates the vehicle.

As shown inFIGS. 4,5,6and7, the upper portion of the vertical spray manifold82is connected to a detent block84of steel having a smooth, arcuate detent ball raceway86formed in the top surface thereof. The smooth raceway is semi-cylindrical and symmetrical for about 45°-50° of breakaway arm movement on each side with no sharp corners or shoulders. The block84has a center pivot94which allows the entirety of the arm below the pivot94to be easily angularly displaced if inadvertent contact with a vehicle occurs. Ball88rests in the detent socket87and is urged into position by a spring90which is contained by structure between the clevis plates92A and92B. In this case, a second joint with clevis plates93is provided around pivot104above the aforementioned detent and comprises a round-shouldered upper detent block96operative in combination with a ball98urged into position in an appropriate socket by a spring100. A sensor102is mounted on plate93and produces an electrical signal in the event of an angular re-orientation of the arm due to a joint break which signal may be conducted to controller70for appropriate processing as hereinafter described. Another sensor (not shown) is mounted on one of plates92A and92B to detect a break about the axis of pivot94.

At least the lower detent is designed to be essentially self-resetting under ideal circumstances by virtue of the smooth arcuate raceway86. If the arm inadvertently makes contact with a vehicle and is moved far enough to dislodge the ball88from the socket87, the angular movement of the arm to a return position, once the interference is removed, is unresisted by anything other than gravitational force and the ball moves smoothly and progressively over the arcuate surface86to the degree necessary to accommodate the displacement. Once the inadvertent contact is removed, gravity often returns the arm26to the essentially vertical condition. The ball reseats itself in the socket87, and the system remains functional without the necessity of attendant intervention.

While the joints shown may normally be self-resetting; i.e., the weight of the arm is sufficient to reseat the detent ball by gravity alone, cold weather, poor lubrication performance and/or other factors may prevent the resetting action from occurring. Under these conditions, referring toFIG. 9, the signal from the joint angle transducer102showing a “broken” joint is timed in the controller70. If it persists for more than a predetermined interval, the motor/gearbox116(shown inFIG. 8) which produces the rotary function for the arm is activated in a series of quick, alternating-direction bursts to “shake” the arm into resetting. If this does not eliminate the “broken” signal, the shake function is stopped and operator intervention is required. Alternatively, the transducer signal can produce a burst of high pressure spray tending to push the broken arm higher by reaction torque. Once the spray is shut off, the arm may fall back into normal position.

The upper joint represented by pivot104is at 90° angles relative to the joint94and provides protection when the arm is at the front of the vehicle. Its construction and function is the same as that of the lower joint except the ball98and detent block96are inverted and the swing axis is rotated 90° from that of the lower joint.

Summarizing, the effect of the breakaway feature described herein is to hold each of the arms24,34in a normal operating orientation which is essentially vertical and, therefore, at the lowest potential energy position. Washing and rinsing fluids are normally delivered through the arms in this position irrespective of the lateral and/or longitudinal position of the arm or arms as directed by the control system ofFIG. 2. However, in the event of inadvertent contact between a vehicle and one of the arms, a detent will breakaway allowing the arm to move in the direction of the applied force away from the normal operating orientation and away from the lowest potential energy position. Due to the smooth surface of the raceway adjacent the detent, minimal resistance is offered; i.e., only that resistance produced by the energy needed to lift the arm angularly away from the lowest energy position. Operation of the breakaway function may cause the controller to stop or pause the wash system and also trigger a blinking red light effect from the LEDs in the arm to give a warning to the driver. When a driver sees this inadvertent contact, stops and backs up to take the vehicle out of contact with the arm, gravity normally allows the arm to return to the operative, lowest energy position where the detent resets. Since the arm itself is highly damage-resistant by virtue of the resilient sleeve, and since the detent provides only minimal resistance to angular displacement, in most cases the arm which has been hit or contacted can continue to function in the normal fashion and in any event has returned to the operative position without attendant intervention. In the event the arm remains broken for longer than a design term, the “shaker” function is employed. A “break” signal can also be used to stop system operation; i.e., stop arm travel and/or to reverse arm travel for a short distance. This can be important where contact between the arm and a vehicle is the result of the vehicle being out of position. Continued arm motion can cause damage and must be avoided.

FIG. 8shows partial detail of a carriage106for a system having a single spray arm108, only a portion of which is shown. It will be understood that the details of arm108are the same as, for example, arm24. A manifold110carries spray nozzles112for delivery of fluids to a vehicle being washed. The arm108carries additional nozzles in the fashion shown, for example, inFIG. 3. Rotation of the arm is produced by a motor and gearbox unit116through a joint118through which the fluid supply conduit120runs. The motor gearbox116can be activated by the controller70to jog forward and backward rapidly to shake the arm112in the event a breakaway function signal from unit122persists.FIG. 8also shows part of the longitudinal drive system including a half-shaft124connected to drive roller12. Additional detail can be found in co-pending applications, U.S. application Ser. Nos. 13/025,466 and 13/025,503 filed concurrently herewith, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 9is a flowchart for a second program in controller70. If the broken joint signal (block123) exceeds the time limit set by clock function125, a shaker function (or the high-pressure burst) is initiated at block126as described above. If this does not reset the arm and remove the signal, an attendant call function is initiated (128).

It will be understood that the system and the three inventive areas found generally therein has been described with reference to an illustrative embodiment and that the foregoing description is not to be construed as limiting the inventions.