JPH0232178B2 - SENSHAKINIOKERUTOKETSUBOSHIHOHO - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for preventing freezing of a car wash machine that involves spraying of a liquid such as detergent or wax, and in particular to a method for preventing freezing in a liquid pipe. This is an improved version.

[Prior Art and its Problems] In general, this type of car wash machine is installed outdoors and is premised on the use of water and solvents, so anti-freezing measures are essential, especially in cold regions.
Conventionally, as a method of preventing freezing in this type of car wash machine, compressed air was introduced into the water supply pipe to drain water, but this alone was not enough to prevent water from freezing at the outlet of the liquid pipe in the liquid mixer of the water supply pipe. The resistance was so large that compressed air could not be introduced into the liquid agent pipeline, and the liquid agent in the liquid agent pipeline could not be extracted.

On the other hand, there may be a method of introducing atmospheric air into the liquid agent pipe to allow the liquid to flow down naturally, or a method of directly introducing compressed air into the liquid agent pipe to forcefully discharge the liquid.

However, in the former method, since the liquid to be flowed down is a detergent or wax liquid that easily foams, bubbles form in the middle of the liquid pipe and obstruct the flow of the liquid, making it difficult to completely drain the liquid. In order to prevent this, the diameter of the liquid agent pipe must be made larger than necessary, which causes the inconvenience that it takes a long time to suck up the liquid after the pipe is discharged.

On the other hand, in the latter method, if compressed air is simply introduced, the pipe resistance of the liquid agent pipe in the mixer is large as described above, so the introduced air will concentrate toward the liquid container side, and will end up inside the mixer side pipe. However, if air is discharged to the container side, the liquid agent in the container will bubble violently and overflow, making it unusable.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention addresses the above problems and includes a solenoid valve for opening and closing a liquid agent pipe, and a liquid agent pipe connected to the liquid agent pipe between the solenoid valve and the mixer to supply compressed air. a first liquid draining step in which the solenoid valve is opened and compressed air is introduced into the liquid agent pipeline, and a second liquid removal step in which the solenoid valve is closed and compressed air is introduced into the liquid agent pipeline. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preventing freezing that allows smooth and complete discharge of liquid from a liquid pipe by performing a liquid draining step.

[Example] A detailed explanation will be given below based on the embodiments shown in the figures.

FIG. 1 is a front external view of an embodiment based on the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a car wash machine main body formed in the shape of a gate, which is configured to run reciprocatingly on rails 2 and 2' to wash the bodies of automobiles parked between the rails 2 and 2'.

Reference numerals 3 and 3' denote a pair of side brushes arranged on both sides of the main body, which are suspended so as to run on brush rails running horizontally within the main body in a direction orthogonal to the above-mentioned rails. Move and open/close according to the instructions. Reference numeral 4 denotes a top brush supported by brush arms 5, 5' which swing in the front-rear direction of the main body 1, and moves up and down via the arms 5, 5' according to the top shape of the vehicle. Reference numerals 6 and 6' designate a pair of rocker brushes provided below both sides of the main body, which are supported by arms that rotate in a substantially horizontal direction to open and close, and mainly clean the tires and the lower half of the side surfaces of the car.

7 is a blower nozzle installed on the front top and both sides, which blows high-pressure air onto the car body to scatter water droplets on the car body surface and dry it.In particular, the top nozzle moves up and down according to the shape of the top surface of the car body via a link arm. do. Reference numeral 8 denotes an operation panel provided on the front of the main body, which is mainly used to operate the car wash machine.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of piping equipment such as water spray nozzles provided in the main body 1, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the connections of piping. Hereinafter, each pipe line will be explained based on this diagram.

In the figure, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are all fountain nozzles, and among these, 10, 11, 1
2, 13, and 11 are composed of tubes having a plurality of nozzle ports in the middle. Nozzles 9 and 10 are water spray nozzles located on the front side of the main body, and 9 sprays water mainly on the top surface of the vehicle body, and 10 sprays water on the side surface of the vehicle body. Nozzles 11 and 13 are detergent nozzles that spray an aqueous solution of detergent, and in particular, nozzle 13 sprays foaming detergent while introducing air pressure to improve adhesion to the car body and display effect for customers. It's on.
12 is a wax nozzle that sprays an aqueous wax solution. 14 is a water nozzle on the rear side of the main body.

A pump 15 supplies pressurized water to the main body 1 via a water pipe 16. A branch pipe 17 is connected to the water pipe 16, and is connected to the fountain nozzles 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 arranged in each part of the main body 1 to branch the water supply from the pump 15. Water supply hoses 18, 1 leading from this branch pipe 17 to each nozzle
9, 20, 21, 22 have solenoid valves 23, 24, 2
Nozzles 5, 26, and 27 are provided, respectively, and the water supply to each nozzle is cut off. As a result, the water pipe 16
Branch pipe 17 and water supply hoses 18, 19, 20, 2
1 and 22 form a water supply pipe.

Reference numerals 28, 29, and 30 are liquid containers provided in the main body 1, in which wax liquid is stored in 29, and detergent liquid is stored in 28, 30, respectively. 31, 32, 3
Reference numeral 3 denotes a liquid agent pipe line for feeding the liquid agent in the containers 28, 29, and 30, and at least the insertion end into each liquid agent container is formed of a soft hose so that it can be freely inserted and removed, and the other end is connected to a water supply hose 19, It is connected to mixers 34, 35, and 36 provided at 20 and 21. mixer 34,
35, 36 are the water supply hoses 18, 19, 20,
21 and 22, and has a structure in which the outlet end of the liquid agent pipe is exposed to a water supply flow channel constricted in the shape of a diffuser, and the liquid agent is sucked into the water supply channel by the water pressure in the flow channel and mixed into the water supply channel. ing. Reference numerals 37, 38, and 39 are liquid agent flow rate control valves provided in the middle of the liquid agent pipes 31, 32, and 33, and the supply amount of each liquid agent can be adjusted by adjusting knobs provided on each valve. 40,41,4
Reference numeral 2 designates a solenoid valve which is also provided in the middle of the liquid agent pipes 31, 32, 33, and is normally closed to prevent water from flowing down from the water supply pipe into the liquid containers 28, 29, 30, and which will be described later. It opens and closes during antifreeze measures and plays an important role in draining liquid from the liquid pipeline.

43 is an air tank communicating with the air compressor and storing compressed air; 44, 45, and 46 are pneumatic pipes connected to the air tank and delivering compressed air to various locations. Among these, the pneumatic pipe 44 is connected to the water supply hose 21 between the nozzle 13 and the mixer 36 via a solenoid valve 48, and foams the detergent mixture brought from the water supply hose 21 into a diffuser 47 that introduces the air pressure. This acts to cause the liquid to be discharged from the nozzle 13.

The pneumatic pipeline 45 is connected to the water supply pipe 16 via a solenoid valve 49, and mainly sends compressed air into the water supply pipe during antifreeze measures, and the water in the water supply pipe is sent to each nozzle 9, 10. , 11, 12, 13, and 14 to drain the water. The pneumatic line 46 is connected to each of the liquid agent lines 31, 32, and 33 via a solenoid valve 50, and compressed air is sent to drain the liquid from the liquid agent lines during antifreeze measures.

51, 52, 53 are liquid containers 28, 29, 30
The liquid level detection sensor includes a hydraulic pressure transmission hose whose tip is inserted into the liquid container integrally with the suction part of each liquid pipe line 31, 32, 33, and whose tip is opened into the liquid; It is formed from a pressure sensor consisting of a pressure sensitive diaphragm switch connected to the other end, and outputs a signal when it detects when the liquid pressure in each liquid container 28, 29, 30 falls below a certain level. It is used to detect whether or not the liquid pipeline is removed from the liquid container when draining the liquid pipeline to prevent freezing. Note that a means for determining whether or not the liquid agent pipe is in communication with the liquid during this freezing prevention may be provided separately from the liquid level sensors 51, 52, and 53; It is also possible to separate the inside and outside of the liquid container using a coupler, and to provide a sensor consisting of a microswitch or the like to detect this separation state.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view of the operation panel 8, in which a display device 60 is arranged above and an input board 61 is arranged below. The display device 60 displays operation means and work precautions on the input board to guide easy and smooth use.

Each key on the input board 61 will be explained below. Reference numeral 62 denotes a car wash course selection button in which a different car wash sequence is set for each button, which are distinguished by the presence or absence of wax treatment, the speed of the car wash, etc., and can be selected according to the customer's wishes. 63 is a manual button that opens and closes the side brushes 3 and 3', moves the top brush 4 up and down, and moves the main body 1 forward and backward, and is used to avoid side mirrors, roof carriers, etc. that are at risk of being damaged during car washing. used. 64 is a start button for starting the car wash course selected and set using the selection button 62. 65
is the anti-freeze button, which performs the anti-freeze operation described later. 66 is a key switch for turning on the power;
7 is a membership card insertion slot, and 68 is a coin insertion slot. 69 is an input key set having a numeric keypad 70, a return key 71, and a correction key 72, respectively.
Enter the number and registration data of the member's registered car.

FIG. 5a is a flowchart of the main part of the operation of the car wash machine of the present invention, and FIG.

First, (1) it detects whether or not a car wash is in progress, and if it is, (2) it waits until the car wash is finished. When the car wash is finished, (3) a temperature sensor (not shown) built into the car wash machine detects whether the air temperature is below a certain temperature, and if it is below the certain temperature, (4) an antifreeze routine is executed. Even when (5) the anti-freeze button on the operation panel 8 is pressed in the standby state where the car is not being washed, (6) the same anti-freeze routine as above is executed.

Therefore, in this example, if the temperature reaches a freezing danger temperature below a certain temperature, anti-freezing measures are automatically taken every time the car is washed, and when the anti-freezing button 65 is pressed on the operation panel 8, the above-mentioned detected temperature is Freeze prevention measures can be taken regardless of the situation, and can be used in case the device is left unused for a long period of time.

Next, the operation in the freeze prevention routine (FIG. 5b) will be explained. First, (7) in the liquid level detection sensors 51, 52, 53, the liquid agent pipes 31, 3
The suction ends of 2 and 33 are liquid containers 28 and 2, respectively.
It detects whether it is inserted into the liquid in 9 or 30, and if it is inserted in any one place.
(8) The message “Please remove the hose from the liquid container” appears on the display 60 of the operation panel 8. ” to alert the operator, and (9) wait for a certain period of time.

Then, again (10) liquid level detection sensors 51, 52,
53, and if the liquid agent line is removed from the container (11), the first liquid removal routine is entered, and the solenoid valves 40, 41, 42, and 50 are opened for a certain period of time, and the liquid agent line 31, 32 is removed. Introducing compressed air into , 33,
The liquid agent in the conduit is discharged. At this time, the liquid in the pipe is mixed with the connected mixers 34, 35,
At 36, the flow path is constricted and the pipe resistance is large, so that the liquid is discharged from the suction port of the liquid agent pipe, and the liquid remains between the air pressure introduction position of the liquid agent pipe and the mixer.

In step (10), if it is detected that the liquid agent line has not been removed from the container even after the predetermined time in step (9) has elapsed, it is determined that there is no need to drain the liquid agent line, and the first step is performed. Proceed to step (12) without executing the liquid draining routine (11). That is, since the liquid agent pipe contains a concentrated liquid and has a lower risk of freezing than the water supply pipe, there may be cases where it is only necessary to drain the water supply pipe depending on the situation on that day. Therefore, if the liquid agent line is still not removed from the container even after the caution is displayed in step (8), it is determined that there is no need to drain the liquid agent line and the first liquid drain is not performed. ing. At the same time, the first liquid draining routine is executed without removing the liquid line from the container, and compressed air is introduced into the liquid container, causing the liquid to foam violently, causing the liquid to overflow or become unusable. This prevents this from happening.

After outputting an alarm in step (12) to inform the operator that water draining has started, the brush draining routine begins (13) and each of the brushes 3, 3', 4, 6, and 6' is rotated for a certain period of time to dry the brushes. Drain the adhering water. After this, the water supply pipe water draining routine (14) continues, and the solenoid valves 49 and 23, 24, 2
5, 26, 27 are opened to introduce compressed air into the water supply pipe, and the water in the pipe is sent to each nozzle 9, 10, 11,
Discharge from 12, 13, and 14. At this time, in each pipe, the pipe resistance differs depending on the presence or absence of a mixer, the difference in nozzle type, etc., so the solenoid valves 23, 2
4, 25, 26, 27 individually or [23, 2
7], [24, 25], and [26], each group is sequentially opened for a certain period of time to drain water from each pipe.

Next, (15) enters the second liquid removal routine, opens the solenoid valve 50 with the solenoid valves 40, 41, and 42 closed to introduce compressed air into the liquid pipe line, and removes the remaining liquid from the first liquid removal routine. Drain the liquid from the mixer side pipe. Note that even if it is determined in step (10) that draining of the liquid agent pipeline is unnecessary, this second draining step is executed. In other words, there is a possibility that water from the water supply pipe enters the mixer part of the liquid agent pipe, and since the flow path is constricted and easily freezes, it is necessary to drain the liquid from this part.

The above-described series of antifreeze measures are repeated a number of times according to the settings, and (16) the antifreeze routine is terminated when it is detected that the set number of times has been reached.

As described above, by performing the first liquid draining routine and the second liquid draining routine, the liquid is discharged from the suction side and the mixer side, respectively, and the liquid in the liquid pipe line can be completely drained. Note that the order of operations in the anti-freezing process shown in the above flowchart is not limited to the above, and even if the order of the steps is changed, the same anti-freezing effect can be obtained.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention has the above-described configuration, and the liquid agent is discharged to the liquid suction side in the first liquid draining step, discharged to the mixer side in the second liquid draining step, and the liquid agent is discharged from the liquid agent pipe line. The liquid inside can be completely drained, ensuring reliable freezing prevention. In addition, since the liquid in the liquid pipeline is forcibly discharged by introducing compressed air, the liquid pipeline can be made thinner and thinner, compared to the method of introducing air into the pipeline and letting it flow naturally. The liquid can be quickly sucked up for reuse later.

Furthermore, a means for detecting whether or not the liquid agent pipe is in communication with the liquid in the liquid container is provided, and the liquid is drained from the suction side of the liquid agent pipe after confirming that the liquid is not communicating with the liquid. If this is done, there will be no inconveniences such as foaming of the liquid by the discharged air, rendering it unusable, or overflowing, and a safe and smooth anti-freezing measure can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external front view of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of piping equipment in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the piping of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of the operation panel section of the embodiment. FIGS. 5a and 5b are flowcharts showing the operation according to the invention of the embodiment. 1 is the car wash machine body, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1
3, 14 is a fountain nozzle, 15 is a pump, 16, 1
7, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 are water supply pipes,
28, 29, 30 are liquid containers, 31, 32, 33
40, 41, 42 are solenoid valves, 44,
45 and 46 are pneumatic pipes, and 51, 52 and 53 are liquid level detection sensors serving as detection means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A water supply pipe leading from a pump to a fountain nozzle, and a liquid supply pipe connected to the water supply pipe via a mixer and supplying liquids such as detergent liquid and wax liquid from a liquid container. In the car wash machine that sprays an aqueous solution of the liquid agent, a solenoid valve that opens and closes the liquid agent pipe, and a pneumatic pipe that connects to the liquid agent pipe between the solenoid valve and the mixer and introduces compressed air. A first liquid draining step of opening the solenoid valve and introducing compressed air into the liquid agent pipe, and a second liquid draining step of closing the solenoid valve and introducing compressed air into the liquid agent pipe. A method for preventing freezing in a car wash machine, which is characterized by: 2. A means for detecting whether or not the liquid agent pipe is in communication with the liquid in the liquid agent container is provided, and the means detects whether the liquid agent pipe is not communicating with the liquid in the liquid agent container. A method for preventing freezing in a car wash machine according to claim 1, which comprises performing a first liquid draining step.