Patent ID: 7150112

Claim:
An assembly for blowing liquids from a vehicle comprising; a support plenum ( 12 ) for distributing air, a nozzle system ( 14 ) including a nozzle ( 16 ) for directing air toward the top of a vehicle, an air delivery conduit interconnecting said plenum ( 12 ) and said nozzle system ( 14 ) for delivering air from said plenum ( 12 ) to said nozzle system ( 14 ) while allowing said nozzle system ( 14 ) to move in an adjustment direction toward and away from said plenum ( 12 ) between raised and lowered vertical operating positions, an actuator ( 42 ) for moving said nozzle system ( 14 ) between said operating positions whereby said nozzle system ( 14 ) may be moved up and down to accommodate the changing longitudinal configuration of a vehicle ( 18 ), a rotary drive ( 46 ) for rotating said nozzle ( 16 ) about a nozzle axis extending transversely to said adjustment direction and said nozzle ( 16 ) whereby said nozzle system ( 14 ) may be rotated about said nozzle axis to efficiently direct air against the contour of the vehicle ( 18 ), a first sensor ( 50 ) disposed upstream of said nozzle ( 16 ) for detecting the presence of a vehicle from above and for generating a blower start signal ( 50 ) and for generating an actuator signal to energize said actuator ( 42 ) and move said nozzle system ( 14 ) vertically between said operating positions, a second sensor ( 52 ) disposed between said first sensor ( 50 ) and said nozzle ( 16 ) for detecting the contour of a vehicle from above, a third sensor ( 56 ) for sensing the rear of a vehicle from above, and a controller ( 54 ) responsive to said sensors for processing a rotary signal to energize said rotary drive ( 46 ) for rotating said nozzle ( 16 ) about a nozzle axis toward the front of the vehicle and toward the rear of the vehicle and for processing said blower start signal and said actuator signal.