Car wash system having a sprayhead-mounting roller carried rotatably by a gantry

#1. Field of the Invention

#The invention relates to a car wash system, more particularly to a car wash system having a sprayhead-mounting roller that is carried rotatably by a gantry.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a conventional car wash system in a state of washing a car;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a preferred embodiment of a car wash system according to the present invention;

#Referring to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of a car wash system according to the present invention is shown to include two spaced-apart parallel rails 3 disposed on a ground surface, a gantry 4 mounted for reciprocating movement on the rails 3 relative to a vehicle (not shown) disposed between the rails 3 during a car wash cycle, and an oscillation control device 5.

#The gantry 4 includes a pair of upright support members 41 mounted movably on the rails 3 for synchronous reciprocating movement therealong, a connecting member 42 disposed between and interconnecting upper ends of the support members 41, and a horizontal overhead support 43 mounted below the connecting member 42 and driven by a motor (not shown) to move upwardly and downwardly relative to the connecting member 42. The support members 41 and the overhead support 43 cooperate to define a washing space 47 for passage of the vehicle (not shown). Spraying devices 44, 45, 46 are respectively mounted on the support members 41 and the overhead support 43, are oriented toward the washing space 47, and are operable to simultaneously spray-wash the vehicle (not shown) passing through the washing space 47. In this embodiment, each of the spraying devices 44, 45 that are mounted on the support members 41 has a plurality of hydroactuatble rotary sprayheads 441, 451 mounted rotatably thereon. Each of the sprayheads 441, 451 has a plurality of nozzles 442, 452 and is operable to spin and eject circular sprays. For the sake of brevity, a detailed description of the construction of the spraying devices 44, 45 and the sprayheads 441, 451, which are known in the art, is dispensed with herein.

#Referring further to FIG. 3, the spraying device 46, which is mounted on the overhead support 43, is different from conventional spraying devices in that the spraying device 46 includes a sprayhead-mounting roller 461 mounted rotatably on and in parallel to the overhead support 43 of the gantry 4. A plurality of sprayheads 460, which are similar to the aforesaid sprayheads 441, 451 in construction, are mounted on the sprayhead-mounting roller 461. The sprayhead roller 461 includes a roller body 462, two pivot shafts 463 projecting coaxially and respectively from two opposite ends of the roller body 462, and a sensor strip 464, which projects radially outward from one of the pivot shafts 463. The angle of rotation of the roller body 462 can be determined by observing the angle of rotation of the sensor strip 464. With further reference to FIG. 4, the oscillation control device 5 includes a bi-directional motor 51 and a programmable control circuit 52. The bi-directional motor 51 is mounted on a bottom portion of the overhead support 43 and is coupled to the roller body 462 of the sprayhead-mounting roller 461 for driving bi-directional rotation of the roller body 462 of the sprayhead-mounting roller 461. In this embodiment, the bi-directional motor 51 has a spindle 511 mounted coaxially and integrally with the pivot shaft 463 that is provided with the sensor strip 464.