Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – With work or work parts movable during treatment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-18
2001-08-07
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
With work or work parts movable during treatment
C134S034000, C134S123000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270586
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, in general, to a device for washing vehicles and, more particularly, to a vehicle washing device that concentrates a spray of high pressure water on the vehicle wheels for an extended period of time resulting in the cleaning of the wheels without scrubbing same.
BACKGROUND ART
Numerous devices are available for automatically washing vehicles, including cars or trucks. Such devices are typically installed in automatic car wash facilities. As such, the devices are rather complex in nature permitting the vehicle to be washed substantially automatically while minimizing the labor associated with the washing process. However, since the wheels of the vehicle are easily scuffed and subjected to mud, snow, road grime, etc., the wheels typically must be scrubbed manually or cleaned by using a wheel scrubbing machine. Such wheel scrubbing machines are rather complex and require actuating mechanisms to apply brushes or other scrubbing devices to the wheels. In addition, some scrubbing machines also include apparatus to rotate the wheel in relation to the scrubbing brushes. In any event, such wheel scrubbing machines are costly to install and maintain. Furthermore, since the machines actually scrub the wheel, any machine malfunction might result in damage or wear to the wheel or to the tire mounted thereon.
In view of the foregoing, it has become desirable to develop a vehicle washing device which is relatively inexpensive to produce and/or maintain, and which concentrates high pressure water spray on the vehicle wheels to clean same without scrubbing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the problems associated with prior art washing devices used primarily to clean vehicle wheels and other problems by providing a relatively simple device for spraying the lower portion of a vehicle with high pressure water and, while spraying the vehicle, concentrating the water spray for a period of time on the vehicle wheels. In this manner, the vehicle wheels can be cleaned without manually scrubbing same. In order to accomplish the foregoing, the vehicle washing device of the present invention operates in a unique manner. As the vehicle enters the car wash facility, two vehicle washing devices, each located on either side of the vehicle, direct a spray of high pressure water toward the front of the vehicle and the hood of same. As the vehicle continues to travel through the car wash, the vehicle washing devices concentrate their high pressure water spray on the rear portions of the front wheels of the vehicle. As the vehicle continues to move through the car wash, the vehicle washing devices rotate about their vertical axis so as to continue concentrating high pressure water spray on the front wheels of the vehicle for an extended period of time. As the vehicle continues to travel through the car wash, the vehicle washing devices direct high pressure water spray on the lower portion of the vehicle between the front and rear wheels of same. As the rear wheels of the vehicle approach the vehicle washing devices, the devices rotate about their vertical axis so as to concentrate high pressure water spray on the rear wheels of the vehicle. The vehicle washing devices then rotate about their vertical axis to continue to concentrate high pressure water spray on the rear wheels of the vehicle for an extended period of time. After the rear wheels of the vehicle have moved past the vehicle washing devices, the devices concentrate their high water pressure spray toward the rear quarter panels and the trunk lid of the vehicle. The vehicle washing devices then rotate about their vertical axis so as to be in the proper position for the next vehicle entering the car wash. Because the “dwell” time of the high pressure water spray from each vehicle washing device is increased on the front wheels and on the rear wheels of the vehicle, the wheels are cleaned without the need to scrub same.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4971084 (1990-11-01), Simth et al.
Coe Philip R.
Hudak James A.
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