Patent · US Expired

Dryer for automatic car wash equipment

US4949423A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
9References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 1988
Grant dateAug 21, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S15/02
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Drying apparatus for an automatic car wash having separate sensing means for detecting the proximity of a nozzle to opaque top portions of vehicles and transparent top portions of vehicles to maintain the nozzle within a preselected proximity range of the top portions of the vehicles. Another sensing means is provided to detect the tailgates of open-bed pick-up trucks to retract the nozzle before it hits a tailgate. Also, the means by which the nozzle is mounted and moved toward and away from the vehicles vary the orientation of the nozzle relative to vertical as the nozzles moves between its uppermost and lowermost positions. Similar mounting and moving means can be used with side drying apparatus. In a second and more preferred form, ultrasonic detectors detect both the opaque parts of a vehicle and the windshield.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.