METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE TO CENTER THE VEHICLE IN A WASH BAY
A vehicle washing system associated with a bay in which a vehicle is parked during the washing operation is equipped with a centering target which can be selectively deployed upon entry of a vehicle to assist the driver in placing the vehicle on the longitudinal centerline of the effective washing area in the bay. The target may be provided by a vertically-depending spray arm having internal LEDs which are illuminated in a flashing effect during vehicle entry and in constant colors during the washing program. Several alternative target arrangements are described.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/707,777 filed Feb. 18, 2010 under attorney docket no. BGR-203-A, currently pending and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/333,480 filed May 11, 2010 under attorney docket no. BGR-205-A. The content of the U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/707,777 and 61/333,480 are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to vehicle washing systems and more particularly to a method and apparatus for assisting the driver of a vehicle entering a wash bay to position the vehicle on the centerline of the equipment envelope in the bay.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is common for automatic car wash systems of the conveyor type to employ a means for properly positioning vehicles at a point of entry. Conveyor systems may use tire guides not only to force a vehicle into a proper entry position but also to guide the vehicle through the various stations from entry to exit.
For non-conveyor washers such as “touchless automatic” systems using pressurized streams of sprayed fluids to wash and rinse vehicles, it is known to use various devices including off-center treadles to determine when a vehicle is in a proper position to be washed. Treadles, by their very nature, may position the left or driver's side of a vehicle, but do not purport to center a vehicle in a bay.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with the present invention, visual assistance is given to the driver of a vehicle during the approach or entry to a non-conveyor wash bay to promote navigation of the vehicle toward a position in the bay which will substantially align the centerline of the vehicle with the centerline of the working envelope of the vehicle wash system. In general, this is accomplished by providing a visual target in the bay which identifies the longitudinal centerline of the equipment envelope in the bay during the approach or entry of the vehicle to the bay. The target is typically brought into position during the vehicle entry, and thereafter removed to another position before the wash process begins.
In one embodiment of the invention, a target is selectively deployed to an operative position when it is determined that a vehicle is entering the bay. The target may be positioned toward or near the far or “exit” end of the bay and on (above) the centerline of the effective envelope of the wash system. The “envelope” may, for example, be the outer boundaries of the path of a spray arm or set of arms which move around a vehicle. It may also be positioned more forwardly, for example, in or toward the geographic center of the bay, and slowly moved along the centerline toward the rear of the bay to encourage a driver to draw the vehicle to the target. In a preferred embodiment, the target is illuminated in such a way as to call attention to the target.
In other embodiments of the invention hereinafter described in detail, the target may, after performing the approach/entry centering function, be either stowed or, where the target is an active component of the wash system, moved to a position where it may begin to perform one or more functions in the washing operation. An example of the latter more fully described herein is a target in the form of a vertically depending, lighted spray arm carrying a series of nozzles for dispensing washing and rinsing fluids. In that embodiment, the arm can be caused to move from a standby position to a target position on entry of a vehicle and, thereafter, to a functional position in a wash program where it assumes an active role in delivering washing and rinsing fluids to the external surfaces of the properly positioned vehicle.
As hereinafter described in greater detail, the spray arm may be selectively and variously illuminated. Our preferred approach is to equip the arm with internal lighting means such as LEDs which can produce a variety of lighting effects during the time the arm serves as a target as well as during the time it takes an active role in carrying out the washing and rinsing functions. For example, the spray arm may be lighted in a single color, but in a flashing or intermittent style, to draw attention to itself during the target function period. The LEDs may thereafter progress through a series of different lighting effects, such as different colors, to provide confirmation to the customer that various washing and rinsing functions which are expected are being carried out.
Alternatively, the target may be externally illuminated; this is particularly useful where the target plays no role in the washing or rinsing functions but serves only the function of providing a visual aid to help position a vehicle. For example, a target may be deployed on an arm which pivots or telescopes into position on the bay centerline and is thereafter stowed after the vehicle is in position so as to be out of the way of the wash systems components.
In still another embodiment of the invention, twin laterally opposite spray arms may be variously positioned to serve as a navigation aid. For example, the arms are brought together in adjacent or even touching side-by-side positions at or near the exit end of the bay to serve as a centering target. Again, the spray arms may be equipped in such a way as to provide internal lighting or may be externally illuminated or otherwise highlighted during various phases of the approach and washing functions.
It will be apparent to persons skilled in the car wash art that there are a wide variety of apparatuses and techniques which are available to provide centering assistance and navigational assistance to the driver of the vehicle entering a wash bay. In general, the method aspects of the present invention involves the identification of the approach or entry of a vehicle to a bay and the activation or deployment of a visual guide or target to show the driver of the entering vehicle where the centerline of the vehicle should be so that the driver may place the center of the vehicle at least approximately on that line. Advantages to the method and apparatus of the invention are numerous including optimizing the effectiveness of the washing and rinsing operations as well as reducing and/or eliminating the potential for damage as a result of inadvertent or unintentional contact between the vehicle and the structural components of the washing system.
The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and wherein:
Referring to
The system 10 comprises a number of laterally spaced-apart upright metal supports 16, 18 supporting an overhead railway consisting of spaced-apart parallel and longitudinally extending rails 20, 22. The supports 16, 18 are far enough apart laterally to accommodate vehicles of the type to be washed therebetween with adequate clearance for equipment. A carriage 24 is mounted on the railway 20, 22 and is equipped as hereinafter described for controlled and selective longitudinal movement along the railway during various phases of operation. The carriage may be decorated and lighted as desired.
The carriage 24 carries in depending relationship thereto an inverted L-shaped spray arm 26 with a breakaway joint at the intersection of the “L”.
Longitudinal travel of the carriage 24 is carried out under the control of a program resident in memory in a conventional microprocessor-type control computer 32. The control computer 32 receives inputs on line 34 from a coin receiver or the like and on bus 36 from various sensors and transducers, including a sensor 44, carried by the carriage 24 and components mounted thereto as hereinafter explained. Controller 32 is preferably a programmable, general purpose computer but may alternatively comprise various conventional electronic components such as relays, switches and timers.
A system for supplying washing and rinsing fluids to the carriage 24 from a chemical storage and mixing facility will also be provided but because it may be well known and conventional in nature, will not be described here. A suitable fluid distribution boom which accommodates carriage movement is seen in
It is to be understood that while a “coin receiver” has been described as providing the initiating input on line 34 to controllers 32, an initiation or system activation signal may also come from a variety of other sources including a keyboard, a token receiver, an electric eye, and/or an instrumentality which is under the control of an attendant.
Finally, the system of
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As also shown in
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A second motor/gear box combination 56 is also mounted on the carriage 24, in this case to cause rotation of the arm 26 as well as the upper horizontal arm 58 by way of which the arm 26 is connected to the pivot structure 30. A boot 60 wraps around the upper end of the arm 26 where it joins the horizontal arm portion 58 and contains a four-way breakaway knuckle hereinafter described in greater detail.
The arm 26 carries nozzles along its length as well as a horizontal manifold 62 which is equipped with a series of spaced-apart spray nozzles 64 to direct washing and rinsing fluids toward the top or horizontal surfaces of a vehicle 28 in the bay. The nozzles spaced along the length of arm 26 direct fluids outwardly toward the side, front and rear surfaces of the vehicle 28 during a washing and rinsing operation, suitable apertures being provided in the side of the plastic sleeve covering arm 26 as hereinafter described.
Fluids are supplied to the carriage structure by way of an input hose 66 which is coupled to a boom (shown in
As is more fully described in the co-pending application, Attorney Docket No. BGR-210-A, filed concurrently herewith, the pivot structure 30 of the carriage 24 is also provided with a six-channel slip ring assembly 74 which provides electrical service to electrical devices, if any, carried by the arm 26. The slip ring assembly 74 allows the arm 26 to travel around the vehicles, such as 28, in one direction only without causing a “wind-up” problem with wiring extending from a fixed support to a rotary arm and requiring alternating reversals of the travel direction of the arm. In this case, the electrical devices carried by the arm 26 include LEDs as well as sensors associated with the four-way breakaway knuckle to provide a signal to control computer 32 to indicate that the arm 26 has been displaced away from its normal operating orientation.
Referring to
Referring now to
Under normal circumstances, the system 10 of
The system then progresses under the control of the computer 32 to position or activate a “target” identifying the centerline 14, in this case by illuminating the arm 26 by way of the green LEDs 106 within the envelope or sleeve 110 and causing them to flash. A different arrangement might be used with a different type of target, as hereinafter explained. The control computer 32 then moves to flowchart block 84 to activate and/or deploy the target. In this case, deployment means that the arm 26 is moved from the parked position at the far right hand corner of the bay 12 to the centered or target position shown in
As shown in flowchart block 86, when the vehicle 28 achieves the desired position, the control computer 32 illuminates the stop sign 38 to tell the driver that he or she has placed the vehicle 28 in the proper position. Sensing the desired position can be carried out by way of the sensors 44, or by contact wands or electric eyes (not shown) arranged to look across the bay at a point where the system wants the front end of the vehicle 28 to be placed during the subsequent washing and rinsing operations.
Block 90 shows the function of measuring the vehicle by way of the sensors 44 so as to define the extent of longitudinal travel which will be needed during the washing and rinsing steps. A shorter vehicle is best washed with less longitudinal travel so that the spray is close enough to the vehicle to produce the desired effects.
The system under the control of computer 32 progresses to the wash program represented by block 92. This program may involve several circuits of the arm 26 around the vehicle during which circuits pre-wash and wash fluids are sprayed under pressure onto the exterior surfaces of the vehicle 28. This is followed by a rinsing function and any other elected functions such as the dispensing of rustproofing chemicals and/or waxes, as well as blow-drying. Examples of other chemicals which might be dispensed selectively at this time will be apparent to persons knowledgeable in commercial car wash operations; e.g., non-spotting rinse chemicals.
After the wash/rinse program 92 has been executed, the system activates the motors 54, 56 to return the arm 26 to the parked position at the far right corner of the bay. As shown in block 96 an exit message is illuminated by way of a sign 38 or its equivalent and the driver of the vehicle 28 drives the vehicle through the exit 42. The system, as shown in block 98, returns to the standby condition 79. Depending on the bay design, it may be necessary to back the vehicle out of the bay.
There are of course many variations in the basic sequence described immediately above and some of those variations will be described in this document in subsequent paragraphs.
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A motor 136 is provided with a gear box as described above, which in turn is connected to drive shafts 138. Those drive shafts are connected to wheels 141A, 141B to provide controlled forward and reverse longitudinal motion of the carriage 122 along the railway described above. An additional motor gear box combination 140 is provided for the purpose of controlling the swinging rotation of the arms 124 in reversely similar “butterfly” wing fashion all as is more specifically described in reissue patent RE 40,463 assigned to Belanger, Inc. of Northville, Mich.
The spray arms are provided with four-way breakaway knuckles 142A, 142B which in turn are provided with sensors to indicate a movement away from the normal operating condition.
The system of
In the operation of both the systems of
After the double-arm washing and rinsing program has been completed, the arms 124 may be returned to the parked position and the system returned to standby status.
Referring to
Various alternative systems may also be used to provide the centering target. For example, a pivotally deployable target may be brought into position on the centerline 14 by air pressure or a power cylinder and returned to a stowed position by cutting off the air pressure. The target may rise up from the floor or drop down from above. Illumination may be provided as desired either externally or internally by simple spotlights.
It will be appreciated that the embodiments illustrated in the drawing and described above are exemplary and that implementation of the invention can be carried out in various other configurations.
Claims
1. A system for washing vehicles comprising:
- a wash area having a centerline;
- a wash apparatus operative in the area;
- a target aid for assisting the driver of a vehicle entering the bay to identify and navigate to said centerline; and
- means for moving said target into and out of a target position.
2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means is operative for selectively moving the target into and out of target position on said centerline.
3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the target is a spray arm, the apparatus further comprising an overhead carriage wherein the spray arm is dependingly mounted from the carriage.
4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the spray arm is lighted.
5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 further including LEDs carried internally of the spray arm for illuminating the spray arm within the field of vision of a driving of a vehicle entering the bay.
6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 further including control means for activating the LEDs to provide one or more lighting effects.
7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the lighting effects include flashing of the LEDs.
8. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the lighting effect includes producing one or more colors.
9. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the target is a sign which is selectively dependingly deployed from a position above the bay.
10. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a set of rails mounted overhead of the bay, a carriage mounted for longitudinal motion along the rails and over the bay and a spray arm dependingly and pivotally mounted to the carriage and having a laterally affixed pivot point, and control means for providing both rotation of the arm about a vertical pivot axis as well as longitudinal motion of the carriage and the arm together as a unit.
11. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the visual aid comprises a pair of mirror image spray arms, a longitudinal railway mounted overhead of the bay and a carriage mounted for longitudinal motion along the railway, the carriage having said spray arms pivotally mounted thereto such that the spray arms are interdependently movable about vertical axes in mirror-image fashion to travel around a vehicle parked in the bay during lateral movement of the carriage.
12. A method of assisting the driver of a vehicle to position the vehicle centrally of a wash area during entry to the area including the step of providing a visual target substantially on the centerline of the area and in the field of view of the driver.
13. A method as defined in claim 12 including a step of providing a signal indicating the entry of a vehicle to the area, and initiating the step of providing a target in response to said signal.
14. A method as defined in claim 13 including the further step of illuminating the target during the approach of the vehicle to the target.
15. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein the step of illuminating the target is carried out by activating one or more LEDs carried by the target.
16. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the target is a movable, vertically depending spray arm.
17. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the step of illuminating the target includes causing a flashing lighting effect to take place.
18. A method as defined in claim 13 including the further step of moving the target away from the centerline position after a vehicle is in position.
19. A car wash system comprising:
- a movable carriage overhead of a wash area;
- a spray arm dependingly and rotatably mounted to said carriage for movement therewith;
- means for moving said spray arm to a target position upon entry of a vehicle into said area to assist a driver to navigate toward said arm in said target position; and
- means for thereafter moving said arm to a wash position.
20. A car wash system as defined in claim 19 wherein said arm comprises an internally illuminable translucent plastic sleeve.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 11, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 18, 2011
Applicant: BELANGER, INC. (Northville, MI)
Inventor: Michael J. BELANGER (Novi, MI)
Application Number: 13/025,466
International Classification: B60S 3/00 (20060101); E03B 1/00 (20060101);