This description relates to vehicle wash stations and, more particularly, to mobile vehicle wash stations.
One factor in maintaining a clean environment is to maintain water, such as lakes, rivers, etc. free of undesirable aquatic plants, animals, fish, or water related material.
Despite precautions, bodies of water have become contaminated with undesirable animals, larvae, eggs, or plants. Since marine vessels are frequently moved between bodies of water, one form of spread of contamination is the transfer of a marine vessel, such as a boat and/or its trailer, from one contaminated body of water to another. Minute plants, animals, fish, and debris, such as mud containing such plants, animals, etc. adhere to the marine vessel or trailer. To prevent the transfer of undesirable aquatic life from a contaminated body of water to a non-contaminated body of water, it is necessary that any portion of a marine vessel that came into contact with the contaminated water be rinsed clean of such water and any water carried contaminants.
While hoses can be used at lake launches or entry ramps, the water is typically at ambient temperature as it was drawn from the body of water. Further, it is difficult to completely rinse all underside portions of the trailer and vessel, while standing on one side or the other of the trailer.
Thus, what is needed is a wash apparatus which can be employed at water access sites and, particularly, at boat launch ramps on bodies of water to assure that any contaminants from the body of water are rinsed free of the marine vessel and its trailer.
It would also be desirable to provide a wash station which can be used to wash equipment or vehicles at construction, land-management, environmental, agriculture, as well as nautical sites. In addition to cleaning such equipment or vehicles by removing dirt and other debris picked up at the site, it would also be desirable to provide a means for minimizing the transfer of toxins, fertilizers or other biological or chemical components from one site to another as the equipment and vehicles are moved from site to site.
A method of washing a vehicle includes the steps of determining an amount of clean wash fluid to wash the complete exterior of the vehicle, and heating only the determined amount of clean wash fluid to wash the complete exterior of the vehicle to a first predetermined temperature so that the temperature of the clean wash fluid discharged from at least one nozzle onto the vehicle is at a second predetermined temperature.
The determined amount of clean wash fluid is heated to a first predetermined temperature so that the temperature of the clean wash fluid discharged from at least one nozzle onto the vehicle is at a second predetermined temperature.
The method of further includes providing the overall length of the vehicle to be washed, providing a quantity of clean wash fluid in a first tank sufficient to completely wash an exterior of the predetermined length of the vehicle.
The method further includes providing a waste water fluid collection reservoir, providing a filter disposed in fluid flow communication with the waste water collection reservoir for filtering the dirty wash fluid of contaminants to create clean wash fluid, and disposing a clean wash fluid reservoir in fluid flow communication between the filter and the first tank.
The method further provides disposing a refill tank disposed in fluid flow communication between the clean wash fluid reservoir and the first tank, and providing fluid flow means for transferring clean wash fluid from the clean wash fluid reservoir to the refill tank.
The method further includes defining a plurality of consecutive wash cycles, each of a predetermined time period, each corresponding to a portion of the determined length of the washed vehicle discharging clean wash fluid at the second predetermined temperature during each of the plurality of wash cycles, and advancing the vehicle through the wash station with respect to the plurality of nozzles between the each wash cycle.
A wash apparatus includes at least one nozzle mounted on a platform for oscillatory movement to spray clean wash fluid over a predetermined bandwidth of the vehicle.
The wash apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles mounted on the platform for oscillatory movement about a common axis. The wash apparatus heated a quantity of clean wash fluid to a first predetermined temperature so that the temperature of the clean wash fluid discharged from the nozzles onto the vehicle is at a second predetermined temperature when it strikes the vehicle.
The wash apparatus includes the at least one or more nozzles mounted on the platform for rotary spinning movement to spray clean wash fluid over a predetermined bandwidth portion of the vehicle.
A wash apparatus includes a platform with opposed ends, the platform supporting a vehicle during a wash operation as the vehicle advances from end to end on the platform, a plurality of discrete, stationary, spaced vehicle positions on the platform, each discrete vehicle position defining a discrete wash cycle position, and at least one nozzle configured for discharging clean wash fluid onto successive bandwidth sections of the vehicle defined by a successive and stop advance of the vehicle between each discrete stationary vehicle position on the platform.
The wash apparatus includes a plurality discrete position sensors carried on the platform, each sensor defining one of the plurality of discrete spaced stationary vehicle positions on the platform for a discrete wash cycle application of clean wash fluid onto the vehicle.
The wash station, during each bandwidth application of clean wash fluid onto the vehicle, uses at least one nozzle to discharge clean wash fluid so that the clean wash fluid 18 at a second predetermined temperature, when it strikes the vehicle for a predetermined time period defining each wash cycle.
The various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring the following detailed description and drawing in which:
Although the following description of one example of a wash station described in conjunction with
One aspect of a self-contained, transportable wash station that can be placed and set-up at use sites, such as water access sites, for example, is shown in
The power unit 24 is, for example, provided on a separate trailer. The power and control unit 24 is also towed to the use site and, after leveling and set-up, left in place while being electrically and fluidically coupled to the wash platform 22.
As shown in
A pair of safety towers 34 is fixed to one deck module 30B and extends vertically between the opposed ends of the deck 30. The safety towers 34 are generally in the form of tubular steel or aluminum members which serve as protection for the adjacent hand wand, flushing ears, and spray nozzles as described hereafter.
A pair of inclined ingress or entrance ramps 36 and a pair of inclined exit ramps 38 are placed, or coupled next to the opposite ends of the deck 30, such as at the free end of the deck module 30A, and the opposed free end of the last arranged deck module 30C.
The center located deck module 30B also includes one or more laterally extending banks of oscillating nozzles 44, with one bank of oscillating nozzles 44 shown by way of example in
A pair of spray towers 46 and 48 are laterally spaced apart, generally in-line on opposite sides of the deck module 30B. As shown in greater detail in
The oscillating nozzles 44 are designed to apply heated wash fluid or wash water to the bottom of the vehicle, such as a boat or other watercraft. The nozzles 54, 56 on the spray towers 46 and 48 are configured and located to wash the upper and lower portions of the hull of a watercraft.
By way of example, four nozzles 50 and 52 are mounted on the upper ends of the spray towers 46 and 48 and are configured for washing the upper portions of a hull of a tall watercraft. The lower mounted nozzle assemblies 54 and 56 include, by example, four spinners, each containing up to four nozzles, for example. The nozzles 54, 56 can be spinner nozzles from Interclean Equipment, Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich.
The oscillating nozzles 44 mounted in the platform or on the deck of the center located deck module 30B, as shown in
As shown in detail in
A clean water supply tube is coupled to one end of the manifold 62 for supplying clean wash fluid to the manifold 62. The supply tube oscillates with the manifold 62.
The interconnected platform of deck modules 30A, 30B and 30C include jack points 31 at peripheral corners for setting up the unitary platform or deck 30. After bringing the deck 30 to a substantially horizontal, level position, one side edge of the deck 30 is raised slightly above the opposite side edge by a few degrees to allow waste water and debris removed from the vehicle or watercraft to flow laterally across the surface of the deck 30 to the collection assembly 40.
A moveable wash wand 280 and flushing ears 282 are mounted on one of the deck modules, such as deck module 30A. The wash wand 280 allows the user to manually direct wash water over any portion of the watercraft, including both exterior and interior surfaces of the watercraft. The flushing ears 282 are designed to allow the user to manually clean the watercraft outdrive. Through the use of a pressure regulator, the wash wand 280 and the flushing ear water pressure is reduced to garden hose pressure. Before proceeding to temperature sensitive areas, the operator must select “Reduced Temp Decontamination” on a human machine interface (HMI) 130. A controller will activate a mixing valve that reduces and maintains the water temperature at a preprogrammed reduced temperature.
A plurality of pressure sensors S0-S7 are mounted on the deck 30 in a longitudinally spaced manner from one of the entrance ramps 36 to one of the exit ramps 38. Eight sensors S0-S7 are deployed at a predetermined distance apart based on spray patterns along the length of the wash platform 22 and correspond to discrete successive stationary positions of the vehicle along the wash platform 22 and discrete wash cycle positions. In addition, two vertically spaced vehicle/boat present sensors and a tall boat present sensor are mounted on one of the spray towers 46 or 48.
As shown in
As also shown in
The interconnection of the collection troughs 80A, 80B and 80C into a unitary waste water collection assembly 40 allows a single waste water reclaim connection 110 to be provided on one of the deck modules, such as the center located deck module 30B. The connection 110, which may be a simple screw-on coupling, is connectable by a flexible hose or pipe 112 extending from the collection trough 80B to the dirty wash fluid system on the power and control assembly 24.
As shown in
The components mounted on the trailer frame of the portable power and control unit 24, as shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
After the automatic clean water application cycles have been completed, the controller 128 switches the valve 162 to a second position to supply clean water to the flushing ears 282 and the hand wand sprayer 280. It will be noted that the upper spray nozzles 50 and 52 are activated by the controller 128 through separate control valves 164 and 166, respectively, when an input is received by the controller 128 from the tall sensor 170 detecting a tall watercraft. The tall watercraft sensor 170 may be any type of sensor, such as a limit switch, proximity detector or, for example, an optical infrared sensor.
Waste water and debris from the cleaning cycle is collected in the waste water collection system 40 and pumped by a pump 174 through a discharge conduit 184.
As shown in
At the same time, the clean water supply control system in the power unit 24 is designed so that only the amount of clean water necessary to clean a watercraft of a prescribed length is heated and discharged over the watercraft. By only heating the amount of water that is necessary to clean a watercraft of a prescribed length, energy usage to heat the clean water or wash fluid to the preset temperature is minimized.
As shown in
Clean water or wash fluid is supplied through one or multiple heater elements 142 and 143 to the main work tank 134 from a second work tank 136. The controller 128 operates flow valves in the flow path between the second tank 136, the spray pump 178, the heater element/elements 142 and 143, and the main tank 134 to replenish the main tank 134 to a working level determined by the controller 128, by example, 350 gallons. Once the working level has been achieved in the main tank 134, the controller 128 will operate flow valves to circulate water from the main tank 134, through the spray pump 178, through the heater/heaters 142 and 143 and back into the main tank 134 to rapidly achieve the preset temperature which can be, for example, 190° F.
Briefly referring again to
Power is supplied to an air compressor 204 which provides pressure for use by the various pneumatic solenoid valves on the power and control unit 24. Power is also supplied to all pumps, the heater/heaters 142 and 143, an FM transmitter 220, and an MP3 audio player as described hereafter.
A battery charger system 222 recharges a 24VDC battery pack 224 for supplying 24VDC power to a controllable relay module (CRM) circuit 226, a processor of the controller 128 and to power the human machine interface (HMI) 130.
Referring briefly to
Inputs to the controller 128 are supplied from temperature sensors associated with the nozzles 50, 52, 54, 56, 60, and the tank temperature sensor 303 on main tank 134. Fluid level sensors associated with the tanks 132, 134 and 136, as well as the sump 186, supply fluid level signals to the controller 128. The human machine interface 130 is also coupled as an input and output to the controller 128.
The controller 128 controls the various pumps 178, 174, 190, and 192, the heaters 142 and 143 and various valves in the fluid circuit, described above and hereafter.
System Operation
Referring to both
The screen on the HMI 130 will then indicate that the wash system is booting up, as shown in
As partially described above, the main tank 134 will be heated to a specified temperature, such as 190° F. based on the ambient temperature. When the water level in the main tank 134 reaches a predetermined low level, as detected by a level sensor 305, the controller 128 automatically replenishes the water level in the main tank 134 from the second tank 136. The controller 128 also causes the third tank 132 to automatically replenish the second tank 136. Water recovered from the wash platform 22 will be filtered and used to refill the third tank 132, as described above.
After the system has booted up and all system operating requirements are satisfied, the controller 128 advances to step 244 where the driver is prompted to enter a security code on the HMI 130 as well as the length of the watercraft or boat 247, including the engine outdrive.
If a valid security code and the boat length are not entered within a prescribed time limit, such as two minutes, for example, the controller 128 resets to look for entry of a new security code.
Once the boat length has been entered in step 246, instructions are given to the driver for further use of the wash station 20. The instructions to the driver can be provided in one or more different formats. For example, pre-recorded voice instructions from a loudspeaker on the wash station 20 can be provided to the driver to control the driver's actions in advancing the watercraft or vehicle through the wash station 20.
Alternately, or in combination with the loudspeaker, lights with printed messages may be mounted on the wash platform 22 to sequentially instruct the driver in moving the vehicle and watercraft through the wash platform 22.
In another communication format, described by way of example, the controller 128 communicates with a communication circuit, such as an FM frequency transmitter circuit 250 shown in
The controller 128 tracks the front axle of the tow vehicle 249 with the wheel sensors S0-S7 mounted on the wash platform deck 30 and the front and rear of the tow vehicle 249 using the vehicle/watercraft present tall watercraft sensor 302 on the spray tower 46, as shown in
As the driver continues to advance the tow vehicle 249 through the wash platform 22, the controller 128 looks for activation of sensor S6 in Step 264 to detect the front axle of the tow vehicle 249, as shown in
If the sensor S5 is then activated by a wheel of the tow vehicle 249 before sensor S4 is activated, the controller 128 determines that the vehicle is backing up. The controller 128 sets the tow vehicle front axle detection to an undetected state and waits again for sensor S6 to be activated.
Once the front axle of tow vehicle 249 has been detected by sensor S6, the controller 128 waits for activation of the vehicle/watercraft present sensor 302 by the rear wheel of the tow vehicle 249 to go to an undetected or non-present state which establishes a gap between the tow vehicle 249 and the front edge of the watercraft trailer 251, as shown in
If the vehicle/boat presence sensor 302 returns to a detected state and sensor S4 is detected, the controller 128 assumes that the vehicle is backing up. The gap state is reset to a “not found” state. The controller 128 again waits for an undetected gap state.
When the tow vehicle 249 to trailer 251 gap is found, that is, the vehicle/watercraft present sensor 302 changes to a detected state detecting the front edge of the trailer 251 of the watercraft 247, the controller 128 looks for activation of either wheel pressure sensors S0, S1, S2 or S3, depending upon the boat length previously entered by the driver. When one of these sensors S0-S3 is detected, the controller 128, via the FM transmitter circuit 250, instructs the driver to stop further movement of the vehicle 249. The controller 128 then initiates the automatic wash cycle in step 272.
One feature of the wash station 20, as shown in
The completion of the wash cycle in step 274 is determined by the controller 128 monitoring the temperature at the various nozzles and the spray time of fluid flow through the nozzles. Once the temperature set point has been achieved for the specified amount of time, the controller 128, through the FM communication system, will prompt the driver to move the vehicle 249 forward and stop at the next wash cycle distance. This advance and stop sequence is repeated by the controller 128 and relayed via the FM transmitter circuit 250 to the driver until all of the wash cycles corresponding to the length of the watercraft 247 have been completed. Thus, the controller 128 determines if additional wash cycles are required in step 276 for the entered watercraft length. Steps 272, 274 and 276 are repeated until the entire length of the watercraft 247, as entered by the driver, has been subjected to a spray operation.
By way of example, for a watercraft length of 8 to 11 feet, as shown in
After the front edge of the watercraft is detected by the sensor 302, the controller 128 will issue a command via the FM communication system 250 through the vehicle radio to tell the driver to immediately stop the vehicle which will assume the position shown in
In addition to the spray patterns of the nozzles for each section of the watercraft 247, to ensure that substantially the entire exterior surface of the watercraft 247 receives heated wash fluid, the temperature of the wash fluid at each nozzle 52, 54, 56, and 60 is monitored by the controller 128 via temperature sensors coupled to each nozzle 52, 54, 56 and 60. This enables the controller 128 to uniquely provide a predetermined quantity of wash fluid at a second preset discharge temperature for the duration of predetermined discharge time period of a wash cycle to ensure that substantially all organisms and bacteria that may have adhered to the hull of the watercraft 247 are killed. The pressure of the wash fluid sprayed on to the watercraft 247 will also assist in removing such organisms and bacteria from the hull of the watercraft 247.
In the above example, the wash fluid in the main tank 134 can be heated to a first predetermined temperature, such as 190°. Heat loss occurring between the time when the water leaves the nozzles 50, 52, 54, 56, and 60 and when it comes into contact with the hull is affected by the ambient temperature, with higher heat loss occurring at lower ambient temperatures and less heat loss at higher ambient temperatures. Thus, the higher temperature of the wash fluid discharged through the nozzles insures that the water will be at a second preset, slightly lower temperature, such as 165 degrees F., when it contacts the hull. The second preset temperature is selected so that it is sufficient to kill substantially all organisms adhering to the boat hull when a sufficient quantity of water is sprayed on to the exterior of the boat hull during the total time period of each wash cycle.
The controller 128 adjusts the first temperature of the water in the main tank 134 higher or lower dependent on the ambient temperature to insure that the water is at the second preset temperature when it contacts the hull at higher ambient temperature. Thus, for higher ambient temperatures, the controller 128 will decrease the temperature of the wash fluid at the point of discharge from the nozzles by lowering the temperature of the wash fluid in the main tank 134. Thus, fewer cycles of the wash fluid through the heater/heaters 142, 143 may be necessary due to the lower temperature of the wash fluid thereby saving fuel and energy to power the heaters 142, 143.
In lower ambient temperatures, more heat will be lost from the time the wash fluid is discharged from the nozzles to the time that the wash fluid contacts the hull of the watercraft. In this situation, the controller 128 will increase the temperature of the wash fluid in the main tank 134 to a higher first temperature, such as above 195° F., so that the temperature of the wash fluid when it contacts the hull of the water craft is at the second predetermined temperature 247 necessary to kill substantially all organisms and bacteria which may be present on the hull of the water craft.
When all of the programmed wash cycles shown in
At the completion of the manual wash cycle, either automatically spray at the expiration of the present time period in step 284 or when the driver turns off the wand 280 and the flushing ears 282, the driver will reenter the tow vehicle 249 and exit the wash station 20.
In addition to the automatic mode of operation described above and shown in
To access these features, a user touches the upper left corner of the boat length screen on the HMI 130. The user will then be prompted for a user name and password.
Upon entering these items, a “config” button will appear on the lower left corner of the boat length screen on the HMI 130. Pressing the “config” button will display a new screen with a series of configuration options allowing access to system status and system parameters. Selecting any option from the configuration option screen will display a new screen of options. The user may navigate to any one of the automatic screens by selecting from the options presented on the configuration options screen.
Selecting “system parameters” allows parameters of the automatic mode to be edited or revised. For example, the following parameters can be changed:
1. The main tank 134 water temperature for the wash cycle—default is 190° F.
2. Nozzle discharge temperature for the wash cycle—default is 165° F.
3. Wash cycle duration—default is twenty seconds.
4. FM radio frequency.
5. Manual mode.
When in the manual mode, the automatic system is disabled and the user has the ability to manually cycle the wash system valves and pumps.
This application claims priority benefit to the filing date of Oct. 20, 2011 filing date of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/549,313, filed in the name of Kim Ziele, et. al. for a Vehicle Wash Station, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61549313 | Oct 2011 | US |