Method and sensor array for touch-free width monitoring in vehicle treatment installations

A vehicle treatment system comprising at least one treatment device that is movable relative to a vehicle to be treated the vehicle treatment system having a collision detection device for width monitoring of a maximum treatment area of the vehicle treatment system, which, for monitoring a lateral boundary of a maximum treatment area, has at least one first optical sensor, which is operated during a treatment process at a predetermined scanning frequency and outputs an output value for each scanning cycle, and a control unit for evaluating output values of the at least one first optical sensor,

• a first detection region of the at least one first optical sensor being arranged in an advanced manner or ahead by a first predetermined distance along a lateral boundary to be monitored of the maximum treatment area of the vehicle treatment system and the at least one treatment device in a direction of relative movement, and
• the control unit evaluates each output value of the at least one first optical sensor either with a first sensor covered event or with a first sensor not covered event and then detects an impending collision if a first predetermined number of consecutive cycles with the first sensor covered event is detected at the at least one first optical sensor.