JP7690341B2 - car wash equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a car wash device.

As described in Patent Document 1, conventional car wash devices detect the top surface contour of the vehicle from the side and then drive the cleaning brush and drying nozzle along that contour. With this method, since only the top surface of the vehicle's contour is detected, it is difficult to drive the cleaning body such as the brush with high accuracy along the side of the vehicle. In particular, door mirrors are equipment that is easily damaged by contact with the brush, so significant evasive action must be taken near them, resulting in large areas that are left unwashed.

The device described in Patent Document 2 is known as a vehicle detection device capable of detecting the entire image of a vehicle. The vehicle detection device described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a distance measurement sensor on top of a portal gate, and detects the distance between the vehicle body and the distance measurement sensor as the portal gate moves across the vehicle to be washed. Furthermore, the detection results at each detection point are obtained as coordinates in an XYZ coordinate space, with the X axis representing the direction of movement of the gate, the Y axis representing the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of the gate, and the Z axis representing the height direction of the vehicle body. A characteristic of this device is that this set of coordinates is used as vehicle shape data to control the car wash brushes and drying nozzles.

JP2005-170220 JP 06-273134 A

However, in order to detect and clean door mirrors, which are easily damaged by brushes, it is not reliable to simply detect the vehicle from the vehicle height direction using only one type of sensor, as in Patent Document 2.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a car wash device that can reliably detect door mirrors by determining the position of the door mirrors using multiple sensors and then comparing the detection results of the multiple sensors.

The car wash device according to one solution includes a main body having a gate-shaped frame that straddles the vehicle to be washed and that can move back and forth relative to the vehicle, a vehicle detection unit having a first light-emitting unit and a first light-receiving unit facing each other and that detects the vehicle between the first light-emitting unit and the first light-receiving unit, a convexity detection unit having a second light-emitting unit that emits a light signal and a second light-receiving unit that can receive the reflection of the light signal and that can detect the presence and position of a convexity on the side of the vehicle by the reflection of the light signal, and a car wash control unit that compares the detection data of both the vehicle detection unit and the convexity detection unit and controls the operation of the car wash processing device based on the comparison result.

According to one solution, the position of the door mirror is determined using multiple sensors, and the detection results of the multiple sensors are compared, thereby enabling the door mirror to be detected reliably.

1 is a schematic front view of a car wash apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the car wash apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the car wash apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is an explanatory diagram of vehicle upper surface detection by the car wash apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 4 is an explanatory diagram of a comparison of vehicle detection results by the car wash apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of a car wash apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the car wash apparatus shown in FIG. 6 .

In the following, the embodiments of the present invention will be explained in multiple sections, etc., if necessary. In principle, they are not unrelated to each other, and one is a partial or complete modification, detail, etc. of the other. For this reason, in all drawings, members having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the number of components (including the number, numerical value, amount, range, etc.) is not limited to a specific number, except when specifically stated or when it is clearly limited to a specific number in principle, and may be more or less than a specific number. Furthermore, when referring to the shape of a component, etc., it includes those that are substantially similar or similar to that shape, etc., except when specifically stated or when it is considered to be clearly not the case in principle.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a car wash apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.
The car wash apparatus 10 includes a main body 11 that is provided upright on the ground G (laying surface). The main body 11 has a gate-shaped housing (frame) that straddles the vehicle C to be treated. For this reason, the main body 11 has legs 12 and 13 that stand up from the ground G. Furthermore, the main body 11 has a beam 14 that is connected to the legs 12 and 13.

The car wash device 10 also includes rails 15 and wheels 16, 17. The pair of rails 15 are provided on the ground G, extending parallel to each other. The wheels 16 are provided on the front side of the bottoms of the legs 12, 13. The wheels 17 are provided on the rear side of the bottoms of the legs 12, 13. The main body 11 moves back and forth (reciprocating) on the pair of rails 15 via the wheels 16, 17. In this embodiment, the wheels 16 are driving wheels, and the wheels 17 are driven wheels.

The car wash device 10 also includes a motor 18 and an encoder 19. The motor 18 is provided on each of the legs 12 and 13 of the main body 11 so as to be connected to the wheels 16 from a position higher than the wheels 16 relative to the ground G. The motor 18 is configured to be able to rotate forward and backward, and moves the main body 11 back and forth (reciprocating movement) via the wheels 16 (drive wheels). The encoder 19 is provided on either the leg 12 or 13 of the main body 11 (on the leg 13 side in this embodiment) and is connected to the output shaft of the motor 18 on that side. The encoder 19 detects the running position of the main body 11 on the rail 15. That is, the encoder 19 can give the position of the main body 11 on the rail 15 by outputting a pulse signal for each unit angle rotation while detecting the rotation direction of the motor 18, i.e., the rotation direction of the wheels 16.

The car wash device 10 also includes a front/rear switch 20 and dogs 21a and 21b. The front/rear switch 20 is provided at the bottom of either the leg 12 or 13. The dog 21a is provided at one end of one of the rails 15 (the front side of the main body 11), and the dog 21b is provided at the other end of the same rail 15 (the rear side of the main body 11). The front/rear switch 20 switches between the dogs 21a and 21b as the main body 11 moves, and detects the movement limit of the main body 11 between the dogs 21a and 21b. Therefore, the main body 11 of the car wash device 10 can move within the movement limit range so as to straddle the stopped vehicle C and pass in the vehicle length direction. When the car wash device 10 is in a waiting state (standby state), the front/rear switch 20 switches with the dog 21a and the main body 11 is stopped.

The car wash device 10 also includes a top brush 22 and a pair of side brushes 23 provided on the main body 11 as a car wash processing device. The top brush 21 (rotating brush) is housed in the upper opening (beam 14 side) of the gate-shaped main body 11 when in standby. The top brush 22, as a movable part, moves up and down while rotating with the movement of the main body 11, and can mainly brush the top surface of the vehicle C. On the other hand, the pair of side brushes 23 (rotating brushes) are housed in the side opening (leg 12, 13 side, respectively) of the gate-shaped main body 11 when in standby. The pair of side brushes 23, as a movable part, rotate and open and close (movement toward and away from each other) with the movement of the main body 11, and can mainly brush the front, side, and rear of the vehicle C. The opening and closing operations of the top brush 22 and the side brushes 23 with respect to the vehicle C are controlled by the control unit 31 described later according to the shape of the vehicle C.

The car wash device 10 also includes a top spray 24 and a pair of side sprays 25 provided on the main body 11 as a car wash processing device. The top spray 24 is accommodated on the upper opening side (beam 14 side) of the gate-shaped main body 11. The top spray 24 can spray cleaning liquid such as water from multiple spray nozzles (not shown) provided on a pipe as the main body 11 moves, and mainly wash the top surface of the vehicle C. The pair of side sprays 25 are accommodated on the side opening side (legs 12 and 13 sides, respectively) of the gate-shaped main body 11. The pair of side sprays 25 can spray cleaning liquid such as water from multiple spray nozzles (not shown) provided on a pipe as the main body 11 moves, and mainly wash the side surface of the vehicle C. In the car wash device 10, the top spray 24 and the side sprays 25 are provided on the front side of the main body 11 relative to the top brush 22 and the side brush 23 in order to brush and wash the vehicle C as the main body 11 moves forward.

The car wash device 10 also includes a top nozzle 26 (blower nozzle) and a pair of side nozzles 27 (blower nozzles) provided on the main body 11 as a car wash processing device. The top nozzle 26 is accommodated in the upper opening (beam 14 side) of the gate-shaped main body 11 during standby. The top nozzle 26, as a movable part, moves up and down while blowing air in accordance with the movement of the main body 11, and can mainly dry the upper surface of the vehicle C. The pair of side nozzles 27 are accommodated in the side opening (leg 12, 13 side, respectively) of the gate-shaped main body 11 during standby. The pair of side nozzles 27, as a movable part, open and close (movement of moving closer to and away from each other) while blowing air in accordance with the movement of the main body 11, and can mainly dry the side surface of the vehicle C. The opening and closing operations of the top nozzle 26 and the side nozzles 27 with respect to the vehicle C are controlled by the control unit 31 described later in accordance with the shape of the vehicle C, just like the top brush 22 and the side brush 23.

The car wash apparatus 10 further includes a vehicle detection unit 28 that is provided in the main body 11 and detects the vehicle C over time as the main body 11 moves. The vehicle detection unit 28 includes a first sensor unit 29 and a second sensor unit 30.
Of these, the first sensor unit 29 is provided on the front side of the main body unit 11, extending in the standing direction of the main body unit 11 (the vehicle height direction of the vehicle C). The first sensor unit 29 can detect the shape of the top surface of the vehicle C. More specifically, as the main body unit 11 moves, it can read the shape of the vehicle C from the side (the silhouette of the vehicle C). Note that in the car wash device 10, the first sensor unit 29 is provided on the front side (outside) of the main body unit 11 relative to the top brush 22 and the side brush 23, in order to perform brushing cleaning along the shape of the vehicle C as the main body unit 11 moves forward.

The first sensor unit 29 has multiple (m) detection elements 29-1 to 29-m that detect the vehicle C. In this embodiment, each detection element 29-1 to 29-m is composed of a transmission type photoelectric sensor having a pair of a light emitting element 29a and a light receiving element 29b. The light emitting element 29a is stored on the leg 12 side of the gate-shaped main body 11, and the light receiving element 29b is stored on the leg 13 side. The light emitting element 29a is arranged opposite the corresponding light receiving element 29b at the same height in a one-to-one relationship, forming a horizontal optical axis between them. The presence or absence of a vehicle C can be detected by knowing the light passing/blocking state of this horizontal optical axis. The multiple detection elements 29-1 to 29-m are arranged in a row at a predetermined interval (for example, at an equal pitch) along the upright direction (vertical direction) of the main body 11, starting from the ground G side, starting with the lowest detection element 29-1, followed by the next detection element 29-2, and so on up to the top detection element 29-m. As a result, the car wash apparatus 10 can determine the height of the top surface of the vehicle C from the detection elements 29-1 to 29-m that detect the vehicle C and the installation height at which they are installed. Note that the height of the top surface of the vehicle C is determined as the main body 11 moves, and is therefore associated with the distance traveled by the main body 11 and stored in the control unit 31, which will be described later.

The second sensor unit 30 is provided on the front side of the main body unit 11, extending in the width direction of the main body unit 11 (the vehicle width direction of the vehicle C). The second sensor unit 30 can detect the shape of the vehicle C from above. More specifically, as the main body unit 11 moves, it can read convex parts in the width direction of the vehicle C, which mainly consist of door mirrors, etc. For the same reason as the first sensor unit 29, the second sensor unit 30 is provided on the front side (outside) of the main body unit 11 relative to the top brush 22 and side brush 23.

The second sensor unit 30 has multiple (n) detection elements 30-1 to 30-n that detect the vehicle C. In this embodiment, each detection element 30-1 to 30-n is composed of a reflective photoelectric sensor that has an integrated light-emitting element 30a and a light-receiving element 30b. The detection elements 30-1 to 30-n are stored in the beam portion 14 of the gate-shaped main body 11. The light-emitting element 30a emits an optical signal toward the ground G (vertical direction of the main body 11), and the light-receiving element 30b receives the reflected signal. At this time, the distance estimation unit 30c provided in the detection elements 30-1 to 30-n calculates the distance between the detection element and the signal reflection surface from the phase difference between the optical signal emitted from the light-emitting element 30a and the reflected signal received by the light-receiving element 30b. During a car wash, if the optical signal is reflected at a position closer to the second sensor unit 30 than the ground G, it can be estimated that a vehicle C is present there. In addition, the multiple detection elements 30-1 to 30-n are arranged at a predetermined interval (for example, 50 mm intervals) from the right side (leg 13 side) of the main body 11 to the left side, starting with detection element 30-1, detection element 30-2, and so on, up to the leftmost detection element 30-n. Therefore, the car wash device 10 can read the presence and position of protrusions in the width direction of the vehicle C, such as door mirrors, from the position of the main body 11 and the position of the detection element that detected the vehicle C among the multiple detection elements 30-1 to 30-n.

The number of detection elements of the second sensor unit 30 provided on the beam of the main body can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of vehicle equipment to be detected. Since the main purpose of this embodiment is to detect door mirrors, the detection elements 30-1 to 30-n are provided close to the leg 13 of the main body 11. The reason why only one side of the vehicle C is detected by arranging the detection elements in this way is due to the nature of door mirrors, that is, "the mounting positions on both the left and right sides are equal."

As shown in FIG. 3, the car wash device 10 is equipped with a control unit 31 (e.g., a semiconductor element or an electronic board equipped with the semiconductor element). The control unit 31 is provided in the main body 11, and is electrically connected to the encoder 19, the front/rear switch 20, the vehicle detection unit 28, the operation panel 32, and the drive unit 33, and executes a pre-programmed sequence (means) according to the processing course received by the operation panel 32. The control unit 31 has a traveling detection means 34, a vehicle detection means 35, a vehicle top surface data creation means 36, a protrusion position data creation means 37, a vehicle shape matching means 38, a data storage means 39, and a processing means 40. The operation panel 32 may be provided in front of either of the legs 12, 13 of the main body 11, or may be provided upright on the ground G separately from the main body 11.

The travel detection means 34 can detect the travel position (movement position) of the main body 11 from the pulse signal of the encoder 19. The vehicle detection means 35 can detect the top surface shape and the width direction shape of the vehicle C by driving the vehicle detection unit 28 consisting of the first sensor unit 29 and the second sensor unit 30 every time the vehicle moves a unit distance using the pulse signal of the encoder 19 as a trigger. The vehicle top surface data creation means 36 can create top surface shape data of the vehicle C from the detection results of the travel detection means 34 and the first sensor unit 29. The convexity position data creation means 37 can create width direction convexity data of the vehicle C from the detection results of the travel detection means 34 and the second sensor unit 30. The vehicle shape matching means 38 can match the top surface shape data of the vehicle C created by the vehicle top surface data creation means 36 with the width direction convexity data of the vehicle C created by the convexity position data creation means 37, and can confirm whether the position of the convexity in the width direction of the vehicle C overlaps with the position where, for example, the door mirror of the vehicle C is assumed to be provided. The data storage means 39 can store the data created by the vehicle top surface data creation means 36 and the data created by the convex part position data creation means 37. The processing means 40 can control the device that drives the brushes and the like in the drive unit 33 based on the data collated by the vehicle shape collation means 38.

Among these functions of the control unit 31, the data collation by the vehicle shape collation means 38 when detecting the door mirror will be described with reference to Figs.
FIG. 4 is an example of the top surface shape data of the vehicle C created by the vehicle top surface data creation means 36. The top surface shape data in FIG. 4 is created from the detection result of the first sensor unit 29. When the top surface shape data is created during the car wash, the vehicle shape matching means 38 sets the position where the door mirror of the vehicle C is estimated to be provided (hereinafter referred to as the estimated door mirror position) based on the positions of the reference lines 41 to 44. The reference line 41 is set to the front end (vehicle tip side) position of the vehicle ceiling estimated from the inclination angle of the vehicle body. The reference line 42 is set to the lower bottom (side closer to the ground G) position of the windshield estimated from the position where the inclination angle becomes gentler than a certain level when going back from the reference line 41. The reference line 43 is set to a position 100 mm back from the reference line 42 in the vehicle tip direction. The reference line 44 is set to a position 1000 mm forward from the reference line 42 in the vehicle rear end direction. Since door mirrors are generally provided near the windshield, the estimated door mirror position can be regarded as being between the reference lines 43, 44. Note that the distance from the reference line 42 at which the reference lines 43, 44 are provided, and on which part of the vehicle the reference position is set in the first place, can be appropriately changed according to the characteristics of the vehicle that is frequently washed.

Once the estimated door mirror position is determined, the vehicle shape matching means 38 matches the estimated door mirror position with the convex data in the width direction of the vehicle C created by the convex position data creation means 37. Figure 5 is an example of matching by the vehicle shape matching means 38. In Figure 5, the x-axis corresponds to the moving distance of the main body 11 detected by the travel detection means 34, and the y-axis corresponds to the distance from the detection element of the second sensor unit 30 to the ground G. The elements 45 in the plot area are convex position data created by the convex position data creation means 37, and correspond to the detection results of the detection elements 30-1 to 30-n of the second sensor unit 30, for example, element 45-1 corresponds to the detection element 30-1, element 45-2 corresponds to the detection element 30-2, and so on. In the example of Figure 5, the detection results of the detection elements provided on the beam portion 14 of the main body 11 from the rightmost detection element 30-1 to the 10th detection element 30-10 counting leftward are plotted as elements 45-1 to 45-10. In FIG. 5, the detection elements 30-1 (corresponding to element 45-1), 30-2 (corresponding to element 45-2), and 30-3 (corresponding to element 45-3) detect a sudden change in the reflection distance at a point about 2000 mm into the car wash, and the vehicle C can be considered to have a convex part in the range of this car wash point and the mounting positions of the detection elements 30-1, 30-2, and 30-3. Furthermore, by superimposing the position of the convex part on the estimated door mirror position, it can be determined whether the convex part is a door mirror. As described above, the height of the upper surface of the vehicle C is stored in the data storage means in association with the traveling position of the main body 11, so that the reference lines 41 to 44 forming the estimated door mirror position can be fitted on the x-axis. If the convex part is between the reference lines 41 to 44 as shown in FIG. 5, it can be determined that the convex part is a door mirror. Generally, door mirrors are attached at the same position on the left and right sides, so even on the side not detected by the second sensor unit 30, it can be determined that the door mirror is attached at a point about 2000 mm into the travel distance of the car wash machine.

However, there are some vehicles, such as high-roof box cars, where the distance between the door mirror mounting position and the front end position of the vehicle ceiling (reference line 41) is greater than usual. Therefore, if the estimated door mirror position is set based on the front end position of the vehicle ceiling, there is a risk that the door mirrors will not be detected depending on the vehicle. Since the door mirror mounting position tends to be farther away from the front end of the vehicle ceiling as the vehicle becomes larger, as a countermeasure, for example, when the vehicle detection unit 28 detects a vehicle with a certain height or higher, the vehicle shape matching means 38 does not perform matching, and the drive unit 33 is controlled by assuming that the protrusion detected by the second sensor unit 30 is a door mirror. In addition, a button to be pressed when the vehicle height is above a certain height or a button to be pressed when the vehicle corresponds to a specified vehicle model may be provided on the operation panel 32 operated by the user, and it may be determined whether the vehicle is at risk of having its door mirrors not detected based on whether the button is pressed before starting the car wash.

As described above, the car wash device 10 has various means and functions, which are executed by the control unit 31. Note that although each means and function has been described as being possessed by the control unit 31, it is also possible for them to be provided separately from the control unit 31.

Next, the operation of the car wash device 10 (the process of the vehicle treatment method) will be described. When the user accepts the request on the operation panel 32, the car wash device 10 guides the user to park the vehicle C at a specified parking position using a display (not shown) or the like. Next, if a process in which the main body unit 11 makes one round trip to wash the car (one round trip car wash course) is selected, as the forward process, the main body unit 11 moves forward (forward travel) while spraying washing water onto the vehicle C from the top spray 24 and side spray 25. At the same time, the vehicle detection unit 28 consisting of the first sensor unit 29 and the second sensor unit 30 detects the vehicle C, and the top brush 22 and side brush 23 are used to brush and wash the vehicle C's body surface according to the shape of the vehicle C obtained from the detection. Next, as the return process, the main body unit 11 moves backward (return travel) while blowing air onto the vehicle C using the top nozzle 26 or the like to remove water droplets and dry it. After that, the car wash device 10 guides the user to leave the car using a display or the like, and the car wash course ends.

In the forward process, the detection of the vehicle C is performed prior to the brushing wash, so the control unit 31 can send to the drive unit 33, for example, a drive command for each car wash processing device according to the presence or absence of a door mirror and an appropriate brush control command according to the mounting position of the door mirror. If the result of comparing the detection result of the first sensor unit 29 with the detection result of the second sensor unit 30 shows that the protrusion is not within the range of the estimated door mirror position, it is possible to control the side brush 23 not to approach the protrusion and the estimated door mirror position when brushing the side of the vehicle. On the other hand, if the result of the comparison shows that the protrusion is within the estimated door mirror position, it is possible to move the side brush 23 as close as possible to the protrusion based on the position information of the protrusion (door mirror) detected by the second sensor unit 30, thereby reducing the amount of unwashed areas near the protrusion. Note that if the door mirror position is unknown, the control unit 31 may stop the operation of each car wash processing device to stop the car wash, or the car wash process may be continued by stopping only the operation of the side brush 23 that touches the door mirror among the car wash processing devices.

In this embodiment, the side of the vehicle is captured from multiple angles by the sensors provided on the legs 12, 13 and beam 14 of the main body 11, and the detection results are compared to reliably determine the positions of accessories on the side of the vehicle, such as door mirrors, making it possible to wash the car without damaging parts and leaving little unwashed area behind.

Second Embodiment
In the above embodiment, the second sensor unit is provided on the beam portion of the main body 11, but the second sensor unit may be provided on each of the legs 12 and 13 of the main body 11. Fig. 6 is a front view of the car wash apparatus 10A according to this embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a side view of the same.

The car wash device 10A is provided with a vehicle detection unit 28A that is provided on the legs 12 and 13 of the main body 11 and detects a vehicle C. The vehicle detection unit 28A is provided with a first sensor unit 29 and a second sensor unit 30A. The first sensor unit 29 and the second sensor unit 30A are both provided on the front side of the main body 11 and extend in the standing direction of the main body 11 (the vehicle height direction of the vehicle C).

The detection elements 29-1 to 29-m of the first sensor unit 29 and the detection elements 30A-1 to 30A-n of the second sensor unit 30A are preferably provided on the front (outside) of the main body unit 11 relative to the top brush 22 and side brush 23, so that the shape of the vehicle C can be detected prior to the brushing process. The first sensor unit 29 and the second sensor unit 30A may be provided anywhere on the legs 12, 13 as long as the vehicle C can be detected, but in this embodiment, the first sensor unit 29 and the second sensor unit 30A are provided side by side in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the second sensor unit 30A has detection elements consisting of a light-emitting element 30A-a and a light-receiving element 30A-b provided on both sides of the legs 12, 13. Therefore, equipment provided on only one side of the vehicle C, either the left or right, can also be detected.

As described above, the first sensor unit 29 can detect the shape of the top surface of the vehicle C. More specifically, as the main body unit 11 moves, the first sensor unit 29 can read the shape of the vehicle C from the side (the silhouette of the vehicle C). The first sensor unit 29 has multiple (m) detection elements 29-1 to 29-m that detect the vehicle C. In this embodiment, each of the detection elements 29-1 to 29-m is composed of a transmission type photoelectric sensor having a pair of a light emitting element 29a and a light receiving element 29b. The light emitting element 29a is disposed opposite the corresponding light receiving element 29b in a one-to-one relationship at the same height, forming a horizontal optical axis therebetween. The presence or absence of the vehicle C can be detected by knowing the light passing/blocking state of this horizontal optical axis.

The second sensor unit 30A has multiple (n) detection elements 30A-1 to 30A-n consisting of reflective photoelectric sensors, and can detect unevenness on the side of the vehicle C. The detection elements 30A-1 to 30A-n each have a light-emitting element 30Aa and a light-receiving element 30Ab (not shown). The light-emitting element 30Aa emits an optical signal toward the side of the vehicle C, and the light-receiving element 30Ab receives the reflected signal. At this time, the distance estimation unit 30Ac (not shown) provided in the detection elements 30A-1 to 30A-n calculates the distance between the detection element and each point on the side of the vehicle C from the phase difference between the optical signal emitted from the light-emitting element 30Aa and the reflected signal received by the light-receiving element 30Ab, thereby detecting the side shape of the vehicle C.

In this way, the car wash device 10A has various means and functions, which are executed by the control unit 31.

By providing the second sensor unit 30A on the leg 12, 13 side (width direction of the vehicle C) of the main body 11, in addition to the door mirror, it is possible to detect accessories that were difficult to detect from the beam 14 in the first embodiment. For example, it is possible to detect that the fuel filler cap of the vehicle C is open before brushing cleaning. It is also possible to confirm that the convex part detected by the second sensor unit 30A is the fuel filler cap by the vehicle shape matching means 38 of the control unit 31. In that case, the position of the rear end of the vehicle C detected by the first sensor unit 29 is set as the reference line 42a, and for example, 500 mm forward of the reference line 42a is set as the estimated fuel filler position. If the result of the matching shows that the convex part detected by the second sensor unit 30A is within the range of the estimated fuel filler position, the control unit 31 may stop the car wash process in an emergency. It is possible to prevent an accident in which the side brush 23 gets entangled with the fuel filler cap.

Furthermore, by providing the second sensor unit 30A on the leg 12, 13 side of the main body 11 (in the width direction of the vehicle C) and capturing the area between the vehicle C and the second sensor unit 30A from both the left and right sides, it becomes possible to accurately detect how the left and right side parts of the vehicle C are positioned relative to the main body 11. For example, when the side brushes 23 are brought closer to both side parts of the vehicle C, it becomes possible to set target positions for each of the left and right side brushes 23 based on the actual shape and inclination of the vehicle C.

The present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the above embodiment, a car wash device (vehicle treatment device) has been described in which the main body moves relative to a vehicle parked on the ground. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a case in which the vehicle is loaded onto a carrier (conveyor) that can move in the vehicle length direction, and the vehicle moves relative to the main body, or the vehicle and the main body move together. For this reason, the present invention includes a relationship in which the main body moves relative to the vehicle to be treated.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Car wash device 11 Main body 28 Vehicle detection unit 29 First sensor unit 30 Second sensor unit 31 Control unit

Claims (5)

A main body portion having a gate-shaped frame so as to straddle a vehicle to be washed and capable of moving back and forth relative to the vehicle;
a vehicle detection unit having a first light emitting unit and a first light receiving unit facing each other and detecting a vehicle between the first light emitting unit and the first light receiving unit;
a convexity detection unit having a second light-emitting unit that emits an optical signal and a second light-receiving unit that can receive a reflection of the optical signal, and capable of detecting the presence and position of a convexity on a side surface of the vehicle by the reflection of the optical signal;
a car wash control unit that compares detection data from both the vehicle detection unit and the convex portion detection unit and controls the operation of the car wash processing device based on the comparison result;
A car wash device comprising: The vehicle detection unit is provided on a leg of the frame,
2. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion detection portion is provided on a beam portion of the frame, and the second light emitting portion emits a light signal in a vertical direction. 2. The car wash apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection unit and the protrusion detection unit are both provided on a leg portion of the frame. The car wash device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the car wash control unit is capable of controlling the car wash processing device depending on whether the convexity detection unit detects a convexity within a predetermined distance range from a part of the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection unit as a reference. The car wash device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the car wash control unit does not compare the detection data of both the vehicle detection unit and the convex portion detection unit when the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection unit exceeds a predetermined size.

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