Vehicle wash component for emitting bubbles

A device for emitting bubbles, comprising:

• an air plenum including an air inlet and a plurality of air outlets, the air inlet having a first area and the plurality of air outlets each having a second area, whereby the first area is substantially larger than each of the second areas, the air inlet in communication with ambient air to draw non-pressurized air into the air plenum;
• a plurality of nozzle sections each disposed downstream from the air plenum and in communication with a respective one of the plurality of air outlets, each of the plurality of nozzle sections including a housing having:
• an air inlet end coupled with one of the plurality of air outlets and defining an inlet end opening for receiving air from the air plenum;
• a foaming chamber configured to receive air from the air plenum through the inlet end opening and including an aerating media element disposed therein in alignment with the inlet end opening and configured to communicate with air emitted from the at least one air outlet of the air plenum;
• a fluid dispensing mechanism including a fluid outlet orifice disposed in the foaming chamber positioned in generally parallel relationship with the inlet end opening, the fluid outlet orifice configured to emit a chemical in a direction of the media element within a stream of air from the air inlet opening and generally toward the aerating media element such that the chemical can interact with the air flowing through the media element to form a plurality of bubbles;
• an outlet section in communication with the foaming chamber for emitting bubbles generated in the foaming chamber from the device, wherein the outlet section includes a plurality of outlet orifices being spaced and generally parallel with the inlet end opening for emitting the bubbles in a direction generally parallel with the air that enters the inlet end opening, wherein each of the outlet orifices have a third area being smaller than the second area of the air outlet of the plenum;
• the plenum including an air regulator mechanism for varying the amount of air being vented through the plenum to control the amount of air being provided to the foaming chamber to control the consistency of the bubbles emitted from the outlet portion opening.

A device for emitting bubbles in a vehicle wash facility as part of a vehicle wash system, the device configured to be disposed adjacent a vehicle treatment area, comprising:

• an air plenum supported with respect to ground and including an air inlet and at least one air outlet, the air inlet in communication with ambient air to draw non-pressurized air into the air plenum;
• a nozzle portion coupled with the at least one air outlet of the plenum, the nozzle portion defining a foaming chamber and configured to receive air from the air plenum through an inlet end opening;
• an aerating media element disposed in the foaming chamber of the nozzle portion and configured to communicate with air emitted from the at least one air outlet of the air plenum;
• a fluid dispensing nozzle in communication with a source of chemical, the fluid dispensing nozzle including an outlet orifice disposed in the foaming chamber of the nozzle portion downstream from the inlet end opening of the nozzle portion, the outlet orifice positioned in generally parallel relationship with the inlet end opening and configured to emit a spray of a chemical within a stream of air from the air inlet opening and generally toward the aerating media element such that bubbles can be formed in the foaming chamber as a result of the air interacting with the chemical adjacent the media element;
• and
• the nozzle portion having at least one nozzle outlet opening in communication with and adjacent to the foaming chamber for emitting bubbles therefrom, wherein the nozzle outlet opening has an opening area being smaller than an outlet area of the air outlet of the air plenum.