WO2005118364A1

WO2005118364A1 - Installation for washing vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2005118364A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/005686
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Pugno Vanoni
Original assignee: Ceccato, S.P.A.
Priority date: 2004-06-04
Filing date: 2005-05-26
Publication date: 2005-12-15
Also published as: ITMI20041132A1

Abstract

Washing installation (1) for vehicles comprising bodywork washing brushes (2), positioned in a suitable manner on the installation according to their diameter and their density, the material of which at least one of the brushes (2) is composed comprising a polymer having extremely low friction and adhesive-proof coefficients mainly due to the very reduced intermolecular force exercised by the macromolecules of the polymer on foreign molecules present above all in the paint on the vehicle bodywork (3).

Description

INSTALLATION FOR WASHING VEHICLES DESCRIPTION The present invention refers to the technical field of washing installations for vehicles. As is known at the present time, vehicle washing installations are composed of one or more gantries or a tunnel inside which there are various kinematics, of greater or lesser levels of complexity, able to move the washing brushes on the vehicle bodywork. The washing brushes have the delicate task of removing dirt from vehicles in the best, possible manner, with the help of chemical products and high-pressure water sprays. Normally on washing installations, the brushes are suitably positioned according to their diameter and density. This original arrangement is conditioned by mechanical requirements linked with the engineering of the installation. Normally the installations located outdoors cause brushes to be exposed to atmospheric conditions and often sun rays can cause the molecular breakdown of the washing brush bristles due to long exposure to ultra-violet rays. It is very important that the installation setting be constantly adjusted so that the pressure of the brushes on the vehicle is optimal and set in such a manner to remove as much dirt as possible from the bodywork, while at the same time, preventing excessive friction force that can cause irreparable damage . Furthermore, in the field of washing installations, chemical industries no doubt offer excellent support for improving vehicle cleaning thanks to the new types of specific products. However, even if the recommended amounts of washing products are respected with precision, sometimes the results caused by continuous use of chemical products over a long period of time can be damaging for both the washing brushes as well as the vehicle. In fact, in every washing installation a certain amount of chemical product residue always remains on the brush bristles which causes irreparable brush deterioration and more importantly, which also reduces the shine and chemical - physical characteristics of the paint on vehicles subject to washing action. It should also be stated that washing brushes need to be replaced very frequently, and that their washing efficiency is reduced considerably after approximately 20,000 washes for gantry-installations, and 40,000 washes for' the tunnel. In any case it is always recommended that the same brushes should never be used for a period of more than two years. In view of the situation described above, even with the use of chemical products intended for optimising vehicle washing, and the washing of brushes composed of different materials such as bristles, non-woven fabric, woven fabric, or other materials, one of the greatest problems that occurs during washing is that due to the friction caused between the brushes and the bodywork to be washed, provoked by a large number of factors including the pressure applied by each brush around the contour of the vehicle. The unusual friction that can occur between bodywork and the washing brushes can also frequently cause detachment of protruding vehicle parts in which parts of the brushes can become entangled. Furthermore, the friction between the vehicle bodywork and the washing brushes can cause abrasion on certain areas of the bodywork, thus deteriorating the paint finish on the vehicle, and therefore reducing the resistance to atmospheric agents with each washing action, resulting in loss of shine and protection of the underlying metal . Moreover, normal polyethylene or polyester bristles on traditional brushes tend to release traces of plastic which, especially on bodywork painted black or dark colours, create an opaque finish that is often interpreted as the result of inefficient washing action. The task that is proposed by the present finding is to eliminate the disadvantages described above which exist in known art . Within the context of this task, one important object of the finding is to realise a washing installation for vehicles with washing brushes able to generate on the vehicle, and in particular, on its bodywork, a very low friction force, and in any case, under the same applied pressure, lower than that of existing brushes. Another object of the finding is to realise a washing installation for vehicles wherein the brushes generate a very low friction and therefore do not tend to detach protruding parts of the vehicle during washing action. A further object of the finding is to realise a washing installation wherein the low friction caused by the washing brushes on the vehicle bodywork protects its body paint thus guaranteeing a shiny finish and resistance to atmospheric agents for a long period of time. Yet another object of the finding is to realise a washing installation for vehicles wherein the washing brushes are protected from possible deterioration caused by ultraviolet sun rays, and that will last longer due to the fact that brush consumption will be limited to an enormous extent because of little generated friction. Yet another object of the finding is to realise a washing installation for vehicles wherein the deposit of the brush composition material on the bodywork contributes towards improving the appearance of the washed vehicle. By no means the last object of the finding is to realise a washing plane for vehicles, wherein with time the washing brushes deposit on the vehicle a film of protective material that is also anti-static and creates interaction between the molecules of the brushes and the molecules of the bodywork paint . This task as well as these and other aims are achieved by realising a washing installation for vehicles comprising washing brushes for vehicle bodywork positioned in a suitable manner on the installation according to their diameter and their density, characterised in that the material of which at least one of said brushes comprises a polymer having an extremely low friction and adhesive-proof coefficient, mainly due to the strongly reduced intermolecular forces exercised by the macromolecules of the polymer on foreign molecules present above all in the bodywork paint on the said vehicle. The brush bristles can be advantageously coated either totally or partially with said polymer having a low friction coefficient, but such polymer can also advantageously be present in suitable quantity even in the base composition of the plastic used to produce the bristles. Further characteristics of the present invention are defined further on in the subsequent claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be made more clear in the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated indicatively 'but by no means in a limiting manner in the appended drawings, wherein the single figure shows a gantry- type washing installation comprising the large brushes subject of the invention. In reference to the aforesaid figure, the washing installation for vehicles identified throughout by the numeral 1, comprises washing brushes identified throughout by the numeral 2, for the bodywork 3 of the vehicle. The brushes 2 are positioned in a suitable manner on the installation according to their diameter and density. Advantageously, the material used to realise at least one of said brushes comprises a polymer having extremely low friction and adhesive-proof coefficients mainly due to the very reduced intermolecular forces exercised by the macromolecules of the polymer on foreign molecules present above all in the bodywork paint on said vehicle 3. Each brush 2 is realised completely with said polymer and is not subject to seizure even under high loads caused by its engagement with protruding elements of the bodywork. Each brush realised with said polymer, under the same pressure applied on the bodywork of said vehicle, presents a friction coefficient that is basically constant in spite of the temperature of the bodywork. This fact constitutes a considerable advantage when considering the very high temperatures that are reached when bodywork remains in the sun or under the effect of motor heating. In fact while all the chemical additives used during washing change their detergent properties according to whether the bodywork is cold or hot, (shampoo action time) and are a deciding factor for optimum washing results, these changes do not occur with the brushes, subject of the finding. In particular, the polymer belongs to the family of thermoplastic resins, and as an example, a fluorated polymer that corresponds with polyethylene can be used, and more precisely polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE . Furthermore, brushes realised with said polymer, such as PTFE, during washing action suitably present almost no or very reduced water absorption compared to absorption by non- impregnating materials. In this manner there is a considerable reduction in all inertial forces and the forces applied to the kinematics for moving the brushes, resulting in a reduction in the wear of all the organs, longer work life, and reduced electrical energy consumption. The brush realised with said polymer is also inert to aggression by detergent chemical substances used in said washing installation, resulting in a longer work life and protection against ultraviolet rays. Furthermore the brushes realised in this manner do not retain lime particles that normally deposit on the brushes because of water evaporation, above all in the presence of water with high lime content. This maintains the brush in a soft condition and prevents the abrasive action of the lime on the paint finish, such as occurs in known art. Clearly the brush, subject of the invention, can be realised in any type of material such as woven or non-woven fabric impregnated with said polymer. The fabric can be impregnated with said polymer before or after the realisation of the bristle element, and therefore this also permits the reintegration of the low friction coefficient polymer in the case of low friction material wear. For example, in the case of brushes realised with bristles having traditional polyethylene or polyester fibres, the bristles can be coated totally or at least partially with said polymer by means of immersion of the bristles in PTFE dispersion, removing the water by means of evaporation, and proceeding with the sintering of the polymer that has deposited on the bristles to provide the brushes with at least high friction-proof characteristics. If required, successive deposits can provide coating films having thicknesses up to 100 microns. Last but not least, it is worth emphasising that since the bristles are totally or partially coated and/or totally or partially realised with PTFE, they loose this material during washing action releasing a minimum amount on the bodywork of said vehicles and providing the paint of the bodywork with the same characteristics making it highly wear-resistant, shiny and dirt resistant for a long period of time. Furthermore, the bristle coating advantageously prevents the deposit of soft plastic particles that' may be present on the basic bristle composition, and that, if released, could create an opaque effect on bodywork painted black or in dark colours, a problem that is quite common in traditional washing installations, as is known. It should be underlined once more that the brush bristles or strips can be totally or partially coated with a material containing such polymer, and such polymer can also be present in the base material composition of said bristles or said strips, and in this case, the polymer is added to the base composition of the bristles or strips before they are manufactured . The invention achieves the proposed and other objects, and as can be seen, it provides numerous advantages. The washing installation for vehicles thus conceived can be subject to numerous modifications and variants while remaining within the context of the inventive concept; moreover, all components can be replaced by others that are technically equivalent. Practically speaking, the materials used, as well as their size, can be of any type according to necessity and state of the art .

Claims

1. Washing installation for vehicles comprising washing brushes for the vehicle bodywork, positioned in a suitable manner on the installation according to their diameter and density, characterised in that the material of at least one of the said brushes comprises a polymer having extremely low friction and adhesive-proof coefficients mainly due to the very reduced intermolecular forces exercised by the macromolecules of the polymer on foreign molecules present above all in the paint on the vehicle bodywork.

2. Installation according to claim 1 characterised in that said brush is totally realised in said polymer and is not subject to seizure even under loads caused by engagement with protruding elements on said bodywork.

3. Installation according to any one of the previous claims characterised in that said brush is partially coated with said polymer.

4. Installation according to any one of the previous claims characterised in that said polymer is present in the composition of the base material of said brush.

5. Installation according to any one of the previous claims characterised in that said polymer is included in the base composition of said brush before the realisation of the bristles or strips of said brush.

6. Installation according to any one of the previous claims characterised in that the polymer released by said brush is reintegrated by subsequent treatment on said brush.

7. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said brush realised with said polymer, under equal pressure applied on the bodywork of said vehicle presents a friction coefficient that is basically constant in spite of the temperature of said bodywork.

8. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said brush realised with said polymer presents during the washing action of said vehicle, a water absorption level that is practically inexistent.

9. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said brush realised with said polymer is inert to aggression by detergent chemical substances used in said washing installation.

10. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said brush is realised with a material in woven or non-woven fabric impregnated with said polymer.

11. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said polymer is a thermoplastic resin.

12. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said polymer is the fluorated polymer that corresponds with polyethylene.

13. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said polymer is the polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE.

14. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said brush realised with bristles composed of traditional polyethylene or polyester fibres presents said bristles at least partially coated with said polymer by means of immersion of the bristles in PTFE dispersion, followed by water evaporation, and the sintering of the polymer deposit on said bristles in a manner that provides said brush with at least very high friction-proof characteristics .

15. Installation according to one of the previous claims characterised in that said bristles coated with said polymer lose said coating, releasing a minimum quantity on the bodywork of said vehicles giving the paint finish the same highly wear-resistant characteristics.