Compact vehicle wash system
View Patent ↗A vehicle wash system is set forth that comprises a main carriage that is movable along a length of a vehicle that is to be washed and a carriage drive system disposed to move the main carriage along the length of the vehicle. A plurality of nozzles are disposed for co-movement with the main carriage to dispense fluids used in the washing of the vehicle. A sidearm drive system is disposed for co-movement with the main carriage. The sidearm drive system rotates a sidearm cloth in a reciprocating manner for contact with a side portion of the vehicle. To reduce the footprint needed to operate the wash system, the sidearm cloth may be rotated along an arc that is less than 360°. An overhead cloth drive system also may be disposed for co-movement with the main carriage. The overhead cloth drive system may move an overhead cloth in a reciprocating manner for contact with an upper portion of the vehicle.
1. A vehicle wash system for use in a building having a vehicle access door comprising:
a main carriage that is movable along a length of a vehicle that is to be washed;
a carriage drive system disposed to move the main carriage along the length of the vehicle that is to be washed;
a plurality of nozzles disposed for co-movement with the main carriage;
a sidearm drive system comprising a rod attached to the main carriage by at least one connection member and a linear drive having a first end connected to the main carriage and a second end connected to a linkage operable to convert the linear motion of the drive to rotate the rod, the linear drive being reversible such that the sidearm drive system rotates the sidearm cloth in a reciprocating manner for contact with a side portion of the vehicle; and
a control system disposed to control operation of the sidearm drive system and the carriage drive system; and
an interlock mechanism inhibiting operation of the vehicle wash system when the vehicle access door is in an open state.
2. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , where the sidearm cloth is rotated along an arc that is less than about 180°.
3. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , where the sidearm cloth has a contour that is adapted to generally correspond to a side contour of the vehicle that is to be washed.
4. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , further comprising a further sidearm cloth disposed for reciprocating rotation by the sidearm drive system for contact with a side portion of the vehicle.
5. The vehicle wash system of claim 4 , further comprising a sidearm adjustment mechanism disposed to allow adjustment of a distance of separation between the sidearm cloth and the further sidearm cloth.
6. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , where the main carriage comprises a pair of spaced apart vertical support arms connecting the main carriage to one or more carriage drive tracks.
7. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , further comprising a plumbing manifold system providing one or more cleaning fluids to the one or more nozzles.
8. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , where the vehicle wash system further comprises an interlock mechanism inhibiting opening of the vehicle access door when the vehicle wash system is operating to wash a vehicle.
9. The vehicle wash system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature monitoring system providing temperature information to the control system, where the control system inhibits operation of the vehicle wash system in response to a monitored temperature falling below a threshold value.
10. The vehicle wash system of claim 9 , where the monitored temperature is a temperature of at least one of the one or more liquids provided to the one or more nozzles.
11. The vehicle wash system of claim 9 , where the monitored temperature is an ambient temperature of an environment of the vehicle wash system.
12. A vehicle wash system for use in a building having a vehicle access door comprising:
a main carriage that is movable along a length of a vehicle that is to be washed;
one or more nozzles disposed for co-movement with the main carriage;
a sidearm drive system on each side of the main carnage disposed for co-movement with the main carriage each sidearm drive system comprising a rod attached to the main carriage by at least one connection member and a linear drive having a first end connected to the main carriage and a second end connected to a linkage, the linkage being operable to convert the linear motion of the drive to rotate the rod, the linear drive being reversible such that the sidearm drive system rotates a pair of sidearm cloths in a reciprocating manner for contact with side portions of the vehicle
a control system disposed to control operation of the main carriage movement and sidearm drive system; and
an interlock mechanism inhibiting opening of the vehicle access door when the vehicle wash system is operating to wash a vehicle.
13. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , where the sidearm cloths are each rotated along an arc that is less than about 180°.
14. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , where the sidearm cloths have a contour that is adapted to generally correspond to a side contour of the vehicle that is to be washed.
15. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , further comprising at least one overhead cloth drive system disposed for co-movement with the main carriage, where the overhead cloth drive system moves an overhead cloth in a reciprocating manner for contact with an upper portion of the vehicle.
16. The vehicle wash system of claim 15 , where the overhead cloth comprises a plurality of vertically stepped sections.
17. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , further comprising at least one adjustment mechanism disposed to allow adjustment of a distance of separation between the sidearm cloths to thereby accommodate vehicles of differing widths.
18. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , where the main carriage comprises a pair of spaced apart vertical support arms connecting the main carriage to one or more carriage drive tracks.
19. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , further comprising a carriage drive system disposed to move the main carriage along the length of the vehicle that is to be washed.
20. The vehicle wash system of claim 19 , further comprising a plumbing manifold system providing one or more cleaning fluids to the one or more nozzles.
21. The vehicle wash system of claim 12 , further comprising a temperature monitoring system providing temperature information to the control system, where the control system inhibits operation of the vehicle wash system in response to a monitored temperature falling below a threshold value.
22. The vehicle wash system of claim 21 , where the monitored temperature is a temperature of at least one of the one or more cleaning fluids provided to the one or more nozzles.
23. The vehicle wash system of claim 21 , where the monitored temperature is an ambient temperature of an environment of the vehicle wash system.
24. A vehicle wash system for use in a building having a vehicle access door comprising:
a main carriage that is movable along a length of a vehicle that is to be washed;
a carriage drive system disposed to move the main carriage along the length of the vehicle that is to be washed;
a plurality of nozzles disposed for co-movement with the main carriage;
a sidearm drive system disposed for co-movement with the main carriage comprising a rod attached to the main carriage by at least one connection member, the rod being permitted to rotate and a linear drive having a first end connected to the main carriage and a second end connected to a linkage, the linkage being operable to convert the linear motion of the drive to rotate the rod and a sidearm cloth for contact with a side portion of the vehicle;
a control system disposed to control operation of the carriage drive system and sidearm drive system; and
a temperature monitoring system providing temperature information to the control system, where the control system inhibits operation of the vehicle wash system in response to a monitored temperature falling below a threshold value.
25. The vehicle wash system of claim 24 , where rotation of the sidearm cloth is less than about 180°.
26. The vehicle wash system of claim 24 , where the sidearm cloth has a contour that is adapted to generally correspond to a side contour of the vehicle that is to be washed.
27. The vehicle wash system of claim 24 , further comprising a further sidearm cloth disposed for reciprocating rotation by the sidearm drive system for contact with a side portion of the vehicle.
28. The vehicle wash system of claim 27 , further comprising a sidearm adjustment mechanism disposed to allow adjustment of a distance of separation between the sidearm cloth and the further sidearm cloth.
29. A vehicle wash system for use in a building having a vehicle access door comprising:
a means for moving a main carriage along a length of a vehicle that is to be washed;
nozzle means for dispensing a cleaning fluid, where the nozzle means is disposed for co-movement with the main carriage;
sidearm cleaning drive comprising a rod attached to the main carriage by at least one connection member, a sidearm cloth attached to the rod, a linear drive having a first end connected to the main carriage and a second end connected to a linkage, the linkage being operable to convert the linear motion of the drive to rotate the rod and the sidearm cloth to clean a side portion of the vehicle through movement of at least one sidearm cloth, where the sidearm cleaning drive is disposed for co-movement with the main carriage;
overhead cleaning means for cleaning an upper portion of the vehicle where the overhead cleaning means is disposed for co-movement with the main carriage;
a control means for controlling operation of the sidearm cleaning means and the main carriage; and
a means for inhibiting operation of the vehicle wash system when the vehicle access door is in an open state.
30. A vehicle wash system comprising:
a main carriage that is movable along a length of a vehicle that is to be washed;
one or more nozzles disposed for co-movement with the main carriage; and
a sidearm drive system disposed for co-movement with the main carriage comprising a rod attached to the main carriage by at least one connection member, a sidearm cloth attached to the rod, a linear drive having a first end connected to the main carriage and a second end connected to a linkage, the linkage being operable to convert the linear motion of the drive to rotate the rod and the sidearm cloth, where the sidearm drive system rotates the sidearm cloth in a reciprocating manner along an arc less than about 180° for contact with a side portion of the vehicle.
31. The vehicle wash system of claim 30 , further comprising a further sidearm drive system disposed for co-movement with the main carriage, where the sidearm drive system rotates a further sidearm cloth opposite the sidearm cloth in a reciprocating manner along an arc less than about 180° for contact with a side portion of the vehicle.
32. The vehicle wash system of claim 30 , further comprising:
a control system disposed to control movement of the main carriage and operation of sidearm drive system; and
a temperature monitoring system providing temperature information to the control system, where the control system inhibits operation of the vehicle wash system in response to a monitored temperature falling below a threshold value.
33. The vehicle wash system of claim 32 , where the monitored temperature is a temperature of at least one of the one or more cleaning fluids provided to the one or more nozzles.
34. The vehicle wash system of claim 32 , where the monitored temperature is an ambient temperature of an environment of the vehicle wash system.