Gravity-return type cleaning apparatus for a car wash
OwnerShiuh-You Lininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A car wash includes a frame, a guide rail device for moving the car to be washed, and a cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus includes a pair of first cleaning mechanisms and a pair of second cleaning mechanisms. Each of the first cleaning mechanism and the second cleaning mechanisms includes a pivotal frame, a cleaning unit attached to the pivotal frame, and a return unit for returning the pivotal frame to its initial position. The pivotal frames are returned to their position by gravity.
Claims12
A gravity-return type cleaning apparatus for a car wash, the car wash being adapted to wash a car that is moved from a rear end of the car wash into the car wash, the car wash including a frame and a guide rail means mounted below the frame for moving the car forward, the frame including a plurality of vertical beams located on two sides of the guide rail means and a transverse beam connected between tops of said vertical beams, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a pair of first cleaning mechanisms, each said first cleaning mechanism being pivotally mounted to an inner side of an associated one of the vertical beams, each said first cleaning mechanism including a first pivotal frame mounted to the inner side of an associated one of the vertical beams, a first cleaning unit mounted to an end of the first pivotal frame that is distal to the associated vertical beam, a first pivotal power source for controlling pivotal movement of the first cleaning unit, a first push unit mounted between an associated one of the vertical beams and the first pivotal power source, a first pushing power source for controlling the first push unit to press against the first rotating frame, and a first return unit for returning the first pivotal frame to its original position;
- and
- a pair of second cleaning mechanisms each of which is pivotally mounted to an inner side of an associated one of the vertical beams and located in front of an associated one the first cleaning mechanisms, each said second cleaning mechanism including a second pivotal frame mounted to the inner side of an associated one of the vertical beams, a second cleaning unit mounted to an end of the second pivotal frame, a second pivotal power source for controlling pivotal movement of the second cleaning unit, and a second return unit for returning the second pivotal frame to its original position;
- when washing the car, each said first pushing power source actuates an associated one of the first push units to press against an associated one of the first pivotal frames, thereby causing each said first cleaning unit to pivot rearward about a pivotal joint of an associated one of the first pivotal frames;
- when the car is moved forward by the guide rail means into the frame of the car wash, the first pushing power sources are turned off, the first pivotal frames are moved by the first return units back to their original position, the first cleaning units press against two sides and a rear end of the car in sequence during returning travel of the first pivotal frames;
- when the car is further moved to the second cleaning mechanisms, the second cleaning mechanisms are moved away from each other by a front end of the car so that the second cleaning units move away from each other and that the second pivotal frames pivot forward and outward;
- when the car leaves the frame via a front of the second cleaning mechanisms, the second return units pull the second pivotal frames back to their original position, and the second cleaning units press against the front end and the sides of the car during forward and outward pivotal movement of the second pivotal frames.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.