Abstract:
A heating system for use with an automatic vehicle wash system used to wash a car positioned within a wash bay. The heating system of the present invention includes a heating unit mounted directly to an overhead gantry used to wash the vehicle positioned within the wash bay. The heating unit receives the supply of water with the desired chemical agent already mixed with the water. Upon receiving the mixed supply of water, the heating unit elevates the temperature of the water to a desired temperature. The heating unit is positioned on the overhead gantry such that the heated water from the heating unit travels a short distance prior to its actual application to a vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present invention is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/203,234 filed on May 8, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a soap heating system for a touchless in-bay automatic vehicle wash system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a soap heater that is mounted on an overhead gantry used to wash a vehicle positioned in a touchless in-bay automatic vehicle wash system.  
           [0003]    In current in-bay automatic vehicle wash systems, a supply of concentrated chemical detergent is stored in a separate location from a water supply. During operation of the vehicle wash system, the water supply is heated by a heat source typically located behind a wall of a vehicle wash bay. The heated water passes through a chemical injection system at which time the chemical detergent is added to the heated water supply. Typically, the chemical injection system is also behind the wall of the wash bay.  
           [0004]    After the chemical detergent has been injected into the hot water supply, the hot water supply including the injected chemical detergent passes through a hose up to the overhead gantry. The overhead gantry includes a spray arch manifold and top manifold for applying the heated water and chemical agents to the vehicle being washed.  
           [0005]    A distinct drawback of the heating and detergent injection system described above is that the hot water, after the chemical has been injected, travels over a relatively long distance prior to its application to the vehicle. During the long travel time from the water heater to the vehicle, the heated water passes along an aluminum support frame for the overhead gantry which, during winter months, causes the water to lose a significant amount of heat prior to its application to a vehicle. Additionally, chemical detergent is injected at a low temperature relative to the heated supply water, such that the chemical detergent lowers the overall temperature of the hot water prior to application to the vehicle.  
           [0006]    Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a soap heating system that heats the combination of the supply water and chemical detergent almost immediately prior to application of the water and detergent to the vehicle. It is a further object of the invention to provide a heating unit that heats the soap and water without the heating element contacting the water including the chemical detergent.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention relates to a gantry mounted heating system for use in a touchless in-bay automatic vehicle wash system. The heating system of the present invention includes a heating unit mounted to the movable overhead gantry of the in-bay vehicle washing system. The heating unit mounted to the moving overhead gantry receives the supply of water that already includes one or more concentrated chemical detergents inserted by a chemical injection system. The received water supply including the injected detergent is heated onboard the overhead gantry prior to its application to the vehicle by the application manifolds of the vehicle wash system.  
           [0008]    The gantry mounted heating unit of the present invention includes a series of fluid passageways extending through an aluminum extrusion. The aluminum extrusion is in contact with an electric heating element such that the heat generated by the heating element is transferred from the heating element through the aluminum extrusion to the detergent and water contained within the internal fluid passageways. In this manner, the heating element does not come into direct contact with the corrosive chemicals contained within the water being applied to the vehicle.  
           [0009]    The heating system of the present invention inserts one or more chemical detergents into room temperature water in a pump station located remotely from the overhead gantry used to wash the vehicle. After the concentrated chemical detergent has been inserted into the water supply by the chemical injection system, the combination of the chemical detergent and water is transferred to the overhead gantry heating unit by a fluid hose. While in the heating unit, the chemical detergent and water is heated to a desired temperature prior to its application to the vehicle. Since the heating unit is positioned near the application manifolds, little heat is lost prior to the heated detergent and water being applied to the vehicle.  
           [0010]    Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.  
         [0012]    In the drawings:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle positioned within a touchless in-bay automatic vehicle wash system incorporating the gantry mounted heating system of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is an end view of the vehicle positioned beneath the overhead gantry including the heating system of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a magnified view illustrating the mounting of the heating system to the overhead gantry of the vehicle wash system;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the heating system of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a section view taken along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the gantry mounted heating system of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Referring first to FIG. 1, thereshown is a touchless in-bay automatic vehicle wash system  10 . The vehicle wash system  10  includes a support frame  12  including four spaced uprights  14  that are positioned near the outer walls of the vehicle wash bay. The uprights  14  support a pair of spaced, parallel guide rails  16  that extend along the longitudinal length of the wash bay. The guide rails  16  support an overhead gantry  18  that is movable along the length of the guide rails  16 . As can be seen in FIG. 1, the overhead gantry  18  is positioned above the vehicle  20  when the vehicle  20  is within the wash bay.  
         [0020]    As can be seen in FIG. 2, the overhead gantry  18  includes a spray arch  22  extending beneath the overhead gantry  18 . The spray arch  22  is mounted to a pivot mechanism such that the spray arch  22  can rotate relative to the overhead gantry  18 . Additionally, the spray arch  22  is mounted to a drive mechanism such that the spray arch  22  can move laterally across the width of the wash bay during the operation of the vehicle wash system  10 .  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 6, thereshown is a schematic illustration of the gantry mounted heating system of the present invention. The heating system generally includes a pumping station  23  that is positioned remotely from the wash bay in which the vehicle is currently being cleaned. For example, the pump station  23  may be located behind the wall of the wash bay and may serve more than one wash bay at a time.  
         [0022]    The pump station  23  generally includes a pump  24  that receives a main supply of water from a supply line  26 . The pump  24  directs the supply of water to a chemical injection system  28  that uses the Venturi effect to inject a concentrated detergent or other type of chemical agent into the water supply. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, the concentrated detergent is stored in a supply bin  30  that is located separate from the main water supply line  26 . The operation of the chemical injection system  28  is controlled by a computer control unit (not shown) that is able to operate a series of valves to selectively control the type of chemical inserted into the main water supply.  
         [0023]    Although only a single chemical supply bin  30  is illustrated in FIG. 6, is should be understood that multiple types of chemicals can be injected into the supply of water by the chemical injection system  28 . During the washing cycle, various different chemicals can be sequentially injected into the supply water by the chemical injection system  28 . For example, chemicals such as a wax, concentrated soap, rinsing agent or spot-free rinse chemical can be selectively inserted by the chemical injection system  28 .  
         [0024]    After the concentrated soap or chemical agent has been injected into the main water supply by the chemical injection system  28 , the combination of the water supply and injected chemical agent is transported by a main supply line  32  to the overhead gantry  18  of the in-bay automatic vehicle wash system. As described previously, the overhead gantry is mounted for movement relative to the stationary vehicle such that the overhead gantry  18  can apply soap and rinse water to the vehicle within the wash bay.  
         [0025]    As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the overhead gantry  18  includes a top productivity manifold  34  and the spray arch  22 . The flow of water to both the top productivity manifold  34  and the spray arch  22  is controlled by a diverter valve  36  contained on the overhead gantry, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The diverter valve  36  is controlled by the control unit (not shown) of the vehicle wash system and allows the control unit to selectively supply water to either the top productivity manifold  34  or the spray arch  22 , or both, depending upon the wash program initiated within the control unit. For example, the top productivity manifold  34  and the spray arch  22  can be used to apply soap to the vehicle individually or simultaneously while the spray arch  22  can then be later used to rinse soap and other chemicals from the vehicle.  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 6, the overhead gantry  18  also includes a heating unit  38  that is mounted to the overhead gantry and receives the combined supply of water and injected chemical prior to application of the water and chemical to the vehicle. The operation of the heating unit  38  is controlled by the control unit of the vehicle wash system and allows the chemical agent and water supply to be heated in an on-demand fashion, which increases the efficiency of the vehicle wash system.  
         [0027]    Since the heating unit  38  is mounted onto the overhead gantry  18 , the heated supply of soap and water leaves the heating unit  38  and travels through a hose  40  to the diverter valve  36 , also mounted to the overhead gantry  18 . From the diverter valve  36 , the heated combination of soap and water travels a very short distance prior to its diversion to either the top productivity manifold  34  or the spray arch  22 . The close proximity of the heating unit  38  and the application manifolds allows very little heat to be lost during the flow of the heated soap/water combination prior to its actual application to the vehicle. By mounting the heating unit  38  to the overhead gantry  18 , a significant amount of electricity can be saved since there is a substantial decrease in the amount of heat lost as the water is transported from the heating unit  38  to the point of application to the vehicle.  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 4, thereshown is the heating unit  38  used in the present invention. The heating unit  38  includes an inlet adapter  42  that receives the supply of water and chemical agent from the supply tube  32  shown in FIG. 6. Referring now to FIG. 5, the heating unit  38  includes an insulated outer covering  44  that surrounds a plurality of individual flow passageways  46  that receive the flow of water and chemical agent. Each of the flow passageways  46  are surrounded by an aluminum extrusion  48 . The aluminum extrusion  48  is in contact with a central heating element  50  that is connected to a supply of electricity. The aluminum extrusion  48  transfers the heat from the heating element  50  to the water and chemical contained within each of the passageways  46 . In this manner, the heating element  50  is completely separated from the chemical detergent contained within the water being heated. Therefore, the corrosive effects of the chemical detergent on the heating element  50  is eliminated by the heating unit  38  of the present invention.  
         [0029]    Referring back to FIG. 4, heating unit  38  includes a pair of outlet adapters  52  that direct the supply of heated water to the diverter valve and ultimately to the top productivity manifold and spray arch of the overhead gantry. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the heating unit  38  includes a temperature sensor  54  and an over-temperature cut-off  56 . The heating system has an automatic over-temperature reset that automatically turns off the heating unit  38  if the temperature within the heating unit  38  exceeds an upper limit and automatically resets itself when the temperature decreases into a preset range. Since the heating unit is located a very short distance from the application manifolds, control of the actual temperature of the soap and water applied to the vehicle can be more accurately determined by using the heating unit of the present invention.  
         [0030]    Since the heating unit  38  is positioned so near the actual application point of the chemical and heated water to the vehicle, the soap heating system includes software that allows the soap temperature to be set according to the wash system status. For example, the control of the heating element  50  can be determined based on whether the vehicle wash system is currently busy, slow or not seeing any vehicle traffic. This type of software allows for a more efficient operation and conservation of electricity.  
         [0031]    Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.