APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR DRYING VEHICLES

An apparatus suitable for drying vehicles, comprising:          a base structure (1) for positioning the vehicle (200),     a containment structure (2) of the vehicle, associated with the base structure and comprising at least two side walls (22) opposite to the side surfaces of the vehicle once the vehicle has been arranged on the base structure, and a top wall (23) opposite to the top surface of the vehicle once it has been arranged on the base structure,     drying means (100) of the vehicle associated with said containment structure and adapted to dry the vehicle. The drying means comprise at least one drying air director element (102) and movement means (103) of said at least one director element which are adapted to move it according to an oscillating movement with respect to the containment structure of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus suitable for drying vehicles, in particular for two- or three-wheel vehicles, for example motorcycles or bicycles, but also for lightweight, four-wheel vehicles, for example quads.

Containment structures for cleaning motorcycles or bicycles are known from the prior art. Said containment structures are closed to avoid the dispersion of the wash liquid into the environment.

The structures comprise a support base for the motorcycle or bicycle and side walls provided with washing nozzles for discharging jets of wash liquid, which allow the motorcycle or bicycle to be washed.

The washing of the motorcycle or bicycle occurs automatically with a preset sequence of steps; the sequence may comprise washing, rinsing and/or waxing steps.

The aforesaid cleaning apparatuses generally are not equipped with a drying apparatus and therefore do not provide a drying step at the end of the washing steps. Certain cleaning apparatuses provide a drying step of the vehicle without obtaining an optimal drying thereof.

In view of the prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus suitable for drying vehicles which is more efficient than the known ones.

According to the present invention, such an object is achieved by means of an apparatus suitable for drying vehicles, comprising:a base structure for positioning the vehicle,a containment structure of the vehicle, which is associated with the base structure, and comprising at least two side walls opposite to the side surfaces of the vehicle once the vehicle has been arranged on the base structure, and a top wall opposite to the top surface of the vehicle once the vehicle has been arranged on the base structure, characterized in that it comprises drying means of the vehicle associated with said containment structure and suitable for drying the vehicle, said drying means comprising at least one drying air director element and movement means of said at least one director element, which are adapted to move it according to an oscillating movement with respect to the containment structure of the vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 to 10show an apparatus suitable for drying vehicles according to one embodiment of the present invention; the drying apparatus is part of a cleaning and drying apparatus again according to one embodiment of the present invention. Vehicle means a two-wheel or three-wheel vehicle, with or without an engine, such as for example a motorcycle or a bicycle or tricycle; the term “vehicle” also means a lightweight four-wheel vehicle, such as for example a quad.

The cleaning and drying apparatus comprises a base structure1on which vehicle200is arranged for the cleaning (FIGS. 1 and 2); the base structure1is a drilled platform and preferably comprises a tank for containing the wash residues. The base structure1comprises a middle area11on which the vehicle is arranged for the cleaning.

The cleaning and drying apparatus comprises a containment structure2of the vehicle, which is associated with the base structure1and is adapted to define a cleaning chamber for the vehicle. The containment structure2comprises at least one front wall21opposite to the front part of the vehicle once the vehicle has been arranged on the base structure1, two side walls22opposite to each other and positioned along the side walls of the vehicle once the vehicle has been arranged on the base structure, a top wall23opposite to the base structure1, a gate24arranged in the rear part of the containment structure for the entry of the vehicle to be cleaned into the cleaning chamber or for the exit of the washed vehicle.

The cleaning and drying apparatus comprises various pluralities of washing nozzles arranged in the containment structure2.

A first plurality31of washing nozzles, preferably six, is arranged in the middle area11of the base structure1for cleaning the below part of the vehicle or underbody.

A second plurality32of washing nozzles is arranged in the front wall21for cleaning the front part of the vehicle.

Three other pairs of pluralities of washing nozzles33-35are arranged in the side walls22of the containment structure2(FIG. 3); the pairs of pluralities of washing nozzles33-35allow the cleaning of the side walls and of the top part of the vehicle.

The pair of plurality of washing nozzles33is arranged in the lower part221of the side walls22and longitudinally extends preferably for the whole length of each side wall22.

The pair of plurality of washing nozzles34is arranged in the central part222of the side walls22and diagonally extends on each side wall22.

The pair of plurality of washing nozzles35is arranged in the top part223of the side walls22and longitudinally extends preferably for the whole length of each side wall22.

The drying apparatus100comprises at least one drying device101associated with the containment structure2of the vehicle; the at least one drying device101is preferably arranged on the top wall23(FIGS. 4 and 5) and is supported thereby. The drying apparatus100preferably comprises two drying devices101arranged on the top wall23(FIGS. 4 and 5) and supported thereby. The drying devices101each comprise two inner pipe fans120and arranged at air intakes130of the top wall23of the containment structure, and a conveyor140of the air flux towards the inside of the containment structure2of the vehicle to be dried.

The drying devices101(FIGS. 6 to 10) each comprise a director element102of the drying air flux which oscillates with respect to the containment structure2of the vehicle; in particular, each director element102oscillates about an axis Y perpendicular to the side walls22of the containment structure2and preferably transverse to the side parts of vehicle200. Each director element102is equipped with a mouth109for the discharge of the drying air flux.

The drying apparatus comprises movement means103for the director elements102which are adapted to move each director element102according to an oscillating movement about axis Y. The movement means103comprise a device110adapted to move a first chain104which in turn is connected to two gear wheels111arranged in the structure of the top wall23; preferably, device110is a compressed air cylinder inside of which a piston acts, the rod of which is connected to chain104.

The gear wheels111are connected to one end of shafts112which can be rotated about axis Y, and are connected at the other end with gear wheels113.

The latter are connected by means of two chains105to gear wheels106fixed on the director elements102by means of hubs107and which can be rotated about axis Y. A translation movement of the piston on the compressed air cylinder110corresponds to a movement of chain104which allows the rotation of the shafts112and a subsequent rotation of the director elements102by means of the rotation of the gear wheels113,106connected by the chains105.

As shown inFIG. 10, in resting position A, that is when the drying device101is not operating, each director element102is adjacent to the top wall23of the containment structure2. Thereby, the director elements102do not interfere with any other device inside the cleaning chamber.

In operating position, during the drying of the vehicle, each director element102rotates from a position B, in which mouth109of the director element102has a minimum distance D1(of for example, 500 mm) from the top wall23, to a position C, in which mouth109of the director element102has a maximum distance D2(of for example, 800 mm) from the top wall23.

During the drying of the vehicle, each director element102oscillates orthogonally to axis Y between the operating positions B and C. Said oscillation of the director elements102allows a more effective distribution of the drying air flux over the vehicle and improves the drying thereof.

The drying devices101are simultaneously controlled by means of commands from a control panel (not shown in the drawings), which is easily accessible from a side access72which can be closed by a door73.

According to a variant of the embodiment of the present invention, the director element102of the drying air flux of one drying device101of two drying devices101is fixed while the director element102of the drying air flux of the other drying device101of two drying devices101oscillates with respect to the containment structure2of the vehicle in the manner already described for the embodiment of the present invention.