Patent Application
20050268412
The present invention relates to the field of washing apparatus and machines for vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses, trains, recovery vehicles, etc. More specifically, the invention is directed to designs for washing and/or polishing of vehicles using curtains and/or brushes typically employed in vehicle wash systems.
Generally, automatic vehicle washing systems include various mechanisms to wash vehicles, including hanging curtains, also referred to as mitters or hangdowns, among other names, that are suspended vertically in the vehicle conveyor line, tunnel, roll-over or wash or polish bay (“vehicle wash system”) (e.g.,
Prior art patents describe, for example, curtains consisting of fabric panels cut into multiple strips and suspended vertically from an overhead support structure. Some prior patents reference curtains with variable lengths to prevent entanglement with successive rows. Still other prior patents disclose the use of pie-shaped or rectangular curtains with slits at the bottom to provide independent contact surfaces; for example, the pie-shaped cloth elements may be oriented in circular arrays for rotating brushes, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,482, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.
Prior art vehicle wash systems have encountered difficulty in thoroughly cleaning vehicle surfaces without grabbing or catching on vehicle parts such as rear wipers, or without thoroughly cleaning side panels with dips and undulations, or lower car rocker panels, which are typically convex-shaped.
Despite advances in vehicle wash systems and apparatus, there is still a need for providing a vehicle wash system with improved cleaning capabilities and enhanced durability which also minimizess possible damage to the vehicle being washed.
The present invention overcomes disadvantages of prior car wash systems and apparatus, while providing new advantages not previously obtainable.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a shaped washing element for use in a vehicle wash system is provided. The washing element includes a proximal portion having a length and width forming a generally rectangular shape. The washing element also includes a shaped distal portion which is not generally rectangular-shaped in length and width, for contacting the surface of a vehicle to be washed. The washing element may include any material suitable for washing and/or polishing vehicles, including but not limited to (or combinations thereof): cloth; shallow pile synthetic lambs' wool; deep pile synthetic lambs' wool; a felt or synthetic felt material; or foam washing/polishing material. The washing elements may hang vertically down to form one or more downwardly extending curtains. Alternatively, the washing elements may be oriented generally perpendicular to, and extend radially outward from, an axis of a rotating cleaning apparatus; this axis may extend either generally vertically, generally horizontally, or at any other angle from the ground.
In a preferred embodiment, shaped distal portions of adjacent washing elements may be provided, either on hang-down curtains or on rotating brushes, for example. These shaped distal portions may include shaped flaps and/or (e.g., rectangular, sinusoidal or other cross-sectional shapes) flaps or slats; these flaps or slats may be shaped or may, but need not have distal ends consisting of divided, shaped washing fingers. Such fingers are preferably about 2-25 inches in length, and more preferably about 2-6 inches in length. The shaped distal portions may be generally hemispherical (e.g., with a radius of 3/16 to 4 inches), generally V-shaped, generally curvilinear, or form other non rectangular shapes. The shaped distal portions of the washing elements may first contact the vehicles facewise (i.e., the width of the distal portion is oriented to face the surface of the vehicle to be contacted), edgewise, or at some angle in between, depending upon user preference.
The novel features which are characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further objects and attendant advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The terms used in the claims of the patent as filed are intended to have their broadest meaning consistent with the requirements of law.
“Curtain” means a washing element, which may be divided into slats or flaps.
“Fingers” mean smaller, distal portions of a washing element that may form divided portions of a slat or flap.
“Washing element” means material designed to contact a vehicle to be washed, including but not limited to rotating brushes, hang-down curtains, etc.
Where alternative meanings are possible, the broadest meaning is intended. All words used in the claims are intended to be used in the normal, customary usage of grammar and the English language.
Set forth below is a description of what are believed to be the preferred embodiments and/or best examples of the invention claimed. Future and present alternatives and modifications to this preferred embodiment are contemplated. Any alternatives or modifications which make insubstantial changes in function, in purpose, in structure, or in result are intended to be covered by the claims of this patent.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, a washing element, which can be a vertically suspended curtain or a brush element radially extending from a rotating machine, is designated with the reference numeral 10. In alternative embodiments, the curtain or brush which is washing element 10 can have various dimensions. Referring to
Where washing element 10 is a curtain, each flap 22, 24, 26, 28 (see
For example,
In an alternative embodiment, section 14 of curtain 10 is subdivided into four flaps 24. In
As another example,
The preceding examples provide specific values for curtain or brush width, as well as specific values for finger or slit width and number. These examples, however, are not meant in any way to limit this invention to the specific values described in the examples; rather, they are meant to provide an idea of the wide range of combinations of curtain and finger widths this invention envisions. This invention contemplates size variations for any shaped washing element which may be employed in a vehicle washing system. These shaped washing elements may have many fingers or no fingers, and may utilize as many separate distal portions as are necessary to efficiently clean and protect the vehicle. The width of each finger may but need not be equal; for example, thicker and thus less grabby fingers may be used for those fingers that contact the outer periphery of vehicles where antennas and mirrors may be located, for example.
In accordance with each of the embodiments described above, the fingers or slits on curtain or brush 10 may include the additional feature of a non-rectangular bottom or distal portion. In
It is understood that the shaped distal portions of curtain 10 are not the only portions of the curtain to contact a vehicle during washing. However, the shaped distal portions are believed to provide a substantial washing and/or polishing and protecting function. In addition, the rectangular distal portions are sometimes thought to be responsible for many past problems when the curtains grab and/or become entangled with vehicle parts. These distal portions are also the portions of the curtain that tend to wear first, prior to other parts of the curtain.
Flap 32 in
In one preferred embodiment shown in
Washing element 10 may be made of various materials, such as but not limited to the following: shallow pile synthetic lambs' wool; deep pile synthetic lambs' wool; cloth, felt, foam such as closed cell foam; or any other material suitable for washing or polishing vehicles. Use of deep pile synthetic lambs' wool material and other appropriate materials are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,077,859 and 5,134,742 to Ennis.
Washing elements 10 of this invention may be suitable for wet washing cars and other vehicles, as in typical car wash apparatus. Washing elements 10 may also be suitable for wet washing and wet or dry polishing of cars and other vehicles.
Other changes and modifications constituting insubstantial differences from the present invention, such as those expressed here or others left unexpressed but apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the following claims.
