Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Apparatus – Houses – kilns – and containers
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-25
2004-06-08
Rinehart, K. B. (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Apparatus
Houses, kilns, and containers
C034S229000, C034S585000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an assembly for blowing liquids from the surface of a vehicle in a car wash.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Assemblies for blowing liquids from a vehicle typically include a support plenum for distributing air and a nozzle system including a nozzle for directing air toward the top of a vehicle. Examples of such assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,102; 5,901,461 and 5,960,564, all in the name of McElroy et al and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention.
Many assemblies include an air delivery conduit interconnecting the plenum and the nozzle system for delivering air from the plenum to the nozzle system while allowing the nozzle system to move in an adjustment direction toward and away from the plenum between various vertical-operating positions. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,157 to Rousseau and U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,104 to Takeuchi. Yet other assemblies rotate the nozzle to different directions as the vehicle moves therepast. Examples of such assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,279,093 to Dutton; U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,401 to Machin; U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,739 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,818 to Jones; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,161 to Jones.
An assembly to improve the delivery of air to a vehicle is disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid related application Ser. No. 09/849,165 filed May 4, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,872 granted Feb. 18, 2003. The subject invention is in further perfection of that inventive combination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
The invention provides an assembly for blowing liquids from a vehicle comprising a support plenum for distributing air to a nozzle depending from a nozzle plenum for directing air toward the top of a vehicle. An upper tube
26
is movably supported by the support plenum for movement into and out of the support plenum and a lower tube
28
is in telescoping relationship within the interior of the upper tube
26
for delivering air from the support plenum to the nozzle plenum while allowing the nozzle plenum to move vertically in an adjustment direction toward and away from the support plenum between various operating positions. An axle supports the nozzle plenum for rotary movement relative to the lower tube
28
about the axle as the axle extends through the lower tube
28
for raising the nozzle plenum and telescoping the lower tube
28
into the upper tube
26
and the upper tube
26
into the support plenum during vertical movement between the various operating positions. The nozzle plenum may be moved up and down to accommodate the changing longitudinal configuration of a vehicle while the nozzle plenum may be rotated about the axle to efficiently direct air against the contour of the vehicle.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides a unique combination of components that are efficiently manufactured, assembled and operated in a cost-effective manner to provide an effective assembly for removing water from the tops of vehicles.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2440157 (1948-04-01), Rousseau
patent: 3279093 (1966-10-01), Dutton
patent: 3765104 (1973-10-01), Takeuchi
patent: 3780448 (1973-12-01), Von Kulmer
patent: 4393602 (1983-07-01), Smith
patent: 4563788 (1986-01-01), Kobayashi
patent: 4730401 (1988-03-01), Machin
patent: 4872238 (1989-10-01), Crotts et al.
patent: 5367739 (1994-11-01), Johnson
patent: 5421102 (1995-06-01), McElroy et al.
patent: 5596818 (1997-01-01), Jones
patent: 5732723 (1998-03-01), Usaka et al.
patent: 5749161 (1998-05-01), Jones
patent: 5755043 (1998-05-01), Belanger et al.
patent: 5901461 (1999-05-01), McElroy et al.
patent: 5960564 (1999-10-01), McElroy et al.
patent: 6282746 (2001-09-01), Schleeter
Howard & Howard
Proto-Vest, Inc.
Rinehart K. B.
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