WO1996009945A1

WO1996009945A1 - Mobile washing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1996009945A1
Application number: PCT/AU1995/000649
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hugh Canning; George Mclaughlin
Original assignee: Hugh Canning; George Mclaughlin
Priority date: 1994-09-28
Filing date: 1995-09-28
Publication date: 1996-04-04
Also published as: AUPM843294A0

Abstract

An apparatus for collecting liquid run-off from a vehicle being washed comprises a portable collection vessel (20) which is able to be fitted around and partially under a vehicle without moving the vehicle. The portable collection vessel (20) comprises side collectors (22-25) for positioning at opposite sides of the vehicle to collect liquid run-off from the sides of the vehicle, end collectors (21, 26) for positioning at opposite ends of the vehicle. A retrieval pump (51), hose (53), and filter (54) transport liquid from the collection vessel (20) back to the collection tank (13) for re-use.

Description

MOBILE WASHING APPARATUS

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting liquid run off from a vehicle being cleaned or decontaminated.

The importance and value of water has increased recently as the awareness and concern about conservation and wastage of natural assets has increased. The water used in washing vehicles has been of concern as it is generally allowed to drain away and attempts are

now being made to make better use of the water. However, it is more difficult to have the

time and the necessary facilities available for washing vehicles in an environmentally friendly

way. Many people are therefore using commercial establishments to have their vehicle

washed or using commercial facilities to wash the vehicles themselves.

Commercial car wash apparatuses may include a fixed structure including a solid

drained concrete floor which collects the resultant used washing liquid and passes it through an inground filtering system so that the water can be reused and the contaminants such as oil and detergent disposed of properly However, the solid structures of these apparatuses are

only feasible if a multitude of vehicles make use of the car wash at that particular location of

the structure. It is not useable for washing vehicles at any other location.

One known system for decontaminating a vehicle at a remote site comprises a portable retrievable system having a ground sheet which can be taken to the required location, the

vehicle driven onto the sheet, and a surrounding wall constructed and engaging with the ground sheet so that any liquid and contaminants running off the vehicle being

decontaminated are trapped on the ground sheet within the surrounding wall. A problem with

such a retrieval system is that the vehicle must be driven onto the ground sheet and it is

difficult to drain the entire ground sheet of the contaminated liquid. It is an object of the invention to provide a liquid collection apparatus which can be used when washing vehicles at any location and to provide a retrieval of the liquid used in the washing process.

According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for collecting liquid run off from a vehicle being washed comprising a portable collection vessel which is able to be fitted

around and partially under a vehicle without moving the vehicle, whereby a substantial portion

of liquid used to wash the external surfaces of the vehicle is collected in a collection vessel, a movable collection tank, and a retrieval means for transporting liquid from the collection

vessel to the collection tank

The apparatus allows for the washing of the vehicle on site without the need for the owner of the vehicle being present to move the vehicle, as the portable collection vessel can

be placed around and partially under a vehicle wherever it is located Any vehicle can be

washed on site with the liquid being retrieved and without requiring the vehicle to be on a drained site

In order that the invention is more readily understood a particular embodiment thereof

will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings

wherein.

Fig 1 is a block diagrammatic view showing the parts of a mobile washing device in

accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portable collection vessel in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 3 is plan, side, and end views of components of the portable collection vessel of

Fig. 2,

Fig 4 is a side diagrammatic view of an embodiment of the mobile washing device of Fig. 1 showing the wash cycle, in accordance with the invention, Fig 5 is an overhead diagrammatic view of the mobile washing device of Fig ^J. Fig 6 is an end diagrammatic view of a portion of the mobile washing device of Fig 4, Fig 7 is a perspective view of a frame structure of the washing device of Fig 4; Fig 8 is a side diagrammatic view of the hydraulic fluid circuit of the mobile washing

device of Fig 4,

Fig 9 is an underneath diagrammatic view of the hydraulic fluid circuit of the mobile

washing device of Fig 8,

Fig 10 is a side diagrammatic view of the brake system of the mobile washing device

ofFig 4,

Fig 1 1 is an end diagrammatic view of the brake system of Fig 10; and

Fig 12 is an underneath diagrammatic view of the braking system of the mobile

washir" device of Fig 1 1

ferring to the drawings, Figs 2 and 3 show a portable collection vessel in

accordance with the invention and Fig 1 shows a diagraMmatic drawing of a mobile washing device in accordance with the invention The mobile washing apparatus or device 1 1

comprises a movable frame structure comprising a box like frame 61 (Fig 7) mounted on wheels and having cross bars 62 to support a liquid supply tank 12 above a collection tank 13

mounted therein Also mounted on the mobile washing device are pumps 14 connected to

outlets of the liquid supply tank 12 and collection tank 13 which feed and pump water to the two hose reels 15 and 16 that connect t' oses 18 and 19

The portable collection vessel _ J comr rises two end collectors 21 and 26 and four

side collectors 22, 23, 24 and 25 The end collectors are in the form a rectangular front tray

21 and rear tray 26 that have an edge lip around its outer perimeter The front tray is sized so that i; has a length greater than the width of a vehicle and a width which is long enough to extend from near the front of the front wheels of a vehicle to beyond the front extension of the vehicle Similarly the rear tray 26 is sized so that it has a length greater than the width of the vehicle and a width which is able to extend from immediately behind the rear wheels to

beyond the rear extremities of the vehicle The side collectors are in the form of side trays 22, 23, 24 and 25 which are elongated

and have a lip edge around the majority of the perimeter of the side trays except at one end

thereof The outer edges of the side trays are continuous while the inner tray portions 31 are

stepped inwardly so that each side collector has a main rectangular section connecting to a narrower rectangular section 32 that leads to an open unlipped end 35 The side trays 22, 23,

24, 25 therefore form channels leading from the main rectangular section to the narrower rectangular section 32 and through to the opening 35 at the end of the trays The inward

stepped side trays 22, 23, 24, 25 are shaped and sized so that the cut away sections 36, 37, 38

and 39 formed by the stepping of the inner tray portions 31 provide positions for the ground

engaging wheels of the vehicle while the main rectangular body section of the side trays

extend behind the front wheels or in front of the rear wheels of the vehicle from a position under the vehicle to a position beyond the side perimeter of the vehicle The narrow

rectangular section 32 of the side trays 22, 23, 24, 25 are locatable alongside the ground

engaging wheels so as to extend outwardly from the vehicle alongside the wheels The

narrow rectangular section 32 can be located to overlap with the end collectors 21 and 26 so as to provide continuous channels from the side trays to either the front tray 21 or the rear

tray 26

To allow liquid flow through the channel formed by the side trays 22, 23, 24, 25

leading to the front tray 21 or rear tray 26 each of the side trays include elevating means in the form of various height and angled legs 33 and 34 to provide an angular orientation of the side trays. As shown by the side views 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a of the side trays 22, 23, 24 and 25 each has a first leg 33 extending across underneath the large rectangular section having the inner tray portion 31 of the side trays at the end distant to the smaller rectangular section 32. A second leg 34 also extends across the underside part of the large rectangular section 31 of the side trays but close to the narrow rectangular section 32 The first leg 33 is taller than the second leg 34 so that the liquid collected in the trays 22, 23, 24, 25 flow from the larger

rectangular section to the narrower rectangular section 32 and out through the opening 35 at

the end thereof As shown by the end views 22b and 23b of the side trays 22, 23, 24, 25, the

first leg 33 and second leg 34 have a decreasing height from the inner edge to the outer edge

of the side tray 22, 23, 24, 25 so that liquid collected in the inner portion 31 underneath the

vehicle will flow to the outer portion of the side tray which directly leads to the narrower

rectangular section 32 and to the opening 35. The legs 33 and 34 are also sufficiently high so

that the side trays overlap the front tray 21 and the rear tray 26 and extend slightly above the lip of those trays so that liquid collected in the side trays flows into either the front tray 21 or

the rear tray 26. Each of the side trays 22, 23, 24, 25 may have an overhang extending

beyond the first leg 33 which can overlap with the corresponding portion of the adjacent side

tray so as to allow variability of the length of the side trays dependent on the length of the vehicle. Similarly the amount of overhang of the narrow rectangular portion 32 of the side trays over the first tray 21 or rear tray 26 is variable to similarly allow adjustability of the length.

The front tray 21 and rear tray 26 also have underlying legs so as to provide an angled

orientation of the flat upper surface. In particular each has a leg 28 extending across the length of the tray which is located adjacent to the front or rear wheels and also two perpendicular and spaced legs 28a which decrease in height across the underside width of the trays so as to provide a downhill flow from the inner edge which is located near the ground engaging wheels under a vehicle to the front or rear edge of the front tray 21 and rear tray 26 respectively The outer corners of the front tray 21 and rear tray 26 include return points which act as collecting parts for liquid being collected and are in the form of sumps 27 In use therefore the portable collection vessel can be arranged around a vehicle to be

washed such that the front tray 21 fits in front of both front wheels of the vehicle and extends

beyond the sides and front perimeter of the vehicle The rear tray 26 similarly fits behind both rear wheels of the vehicle and beyond the rear side and the rear of the vehicle The four side

trays 22, 23, 24, 25 are located along the side of the vehicle so as to have the narrow

rectangular sections 32 extending around the outer side of the ground engaging wheels and the larger inner tray portions 31 extending behind the ground engaging wheels from a position

partially underneath the vehicle to a position partly outside the side perimeter of the vehicle

In this way the portable collection vessel 20 as a whole has an inner perimeter except near the ground engaging wheels, which is smaller than the perimeter of the vehicle being washed and extends to an outer perimeter, which is larger than the perimeter of the vehicle being washed

Therefore water or other liquid being used to wash the top or sides of a vehicle will drip into

the collection vessel Also if the spray of the water is low pressure then water bouncing off the side surfaces of the vehicle being washed will also be collected in the collection vessel 20

The mobile washing device 1 1 has fresh water in the liquid supply tank 12 which is

supplied through the hoses 18 and 19 via pumps 14 pumping the water that is exiting outlet 43 of the liquid supply tank 12 A power generator 17 provides the power for the pump

The mobile washing device 1 1 also includes a retrieval means in the form of a wash

water scavenging pump 51 that is portable from the mobile washing device but is powered by

the power generator 17 and has a hose 53 connected from the scavenging pump leading back to a filter 54. The scavenging pump 51 is able to be plugged into a power point 52 leading from the power generator 17 and the hose 53 leading from the scavenger pump 51 feeds through a filter inlet 55 at the base of the filtering system 54. The scavenging pump 51 is used

to collect water from the return points being the sumps 27 at the outer edges of the front tray

5 21 and the rear tray 26 so that the majority of water used to wash the vehicle has been collected and fed through the filtering system on the mobile washing device The filtered

water then exits through the filter outlet 56 and is fed to the collection tank 13. The water

being used to wash a vehicle can be selected from the fresh water in the liquid supply tank 12 or the filtered recirculated water in the collection tank 13 since the fresh water exits the outlet

10 43 and via a pipe 43a passes to a selection valve 46. Filtered water can exit the collection

tank 13 out the outlet 44 and also passes to the selection valve 46 so that the valve can be activated to select either the fresh water or filtered water which then passes to the water pump

14 and is fed to the hose reels 15 and 16 and out through the hoses 18 and 19.

In use the side trays 22, 23, 24, 25 and front tray 21 and rear tray 26 can be mounted

15 on the mobile washing device 1 1 which is motorised by a hydraulic motor system 71 and

steerable through a hydraulic steering system 74. A person is able to stand on a platform 64 extending from the frame 61 of the mobile washing device and having a handrail 65 extending around the platform. The vehicle can then be driven to the rear of a vehicle to be washed

The collection trays 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 located around and underneath the perimeter of the 0 vehicle to be washed and the hoses 18 and 19 extended from the hose reels 15 and 16 along

either side of the vehicle and the valve 46 activated to select filtered water to do the initial

wash of the vehicle and then fresh water to do the final rinse whereby the liquid used to wash the vehicle drips down the sides of the vehicle and into the collection trays. The wash water

scavenging pump 51 is then moved to the four sumps 27, two of which are located on the extreme outer corners of the front tray 21 and two on the extreme rear corners of the rear tray 26. The orientation of the side trays and rear trays being such as to feed all of the water from the side trays into and towards these sumps. The scavenged water passes through the filtering system 54 and is fed into the collection tank 13 for later selection. The hydraulic systems of the mobile washing device includes the hydraulic drive motor

73, the hydraulic steering system 74 and a hydraulic pump 71, accumulator tank 79, relief

valve 75, control valve 76. An oil filter 77 is also included. The braking system of the mobile

washing device 1 1 includes both a foot operated brake and a hand operated brake, whereby

the foot operated brake is activated by a brake pedal 81 connected to a brake cable 82 which,

similar to a brake cable extending from the hand brake 83, extends to a hand brake lever arm 87 to activate brake callipers 88 around a disc 89. Brake sheath locaters 86 locate the sheath 85 around the brake cable 82.

The mobile washing device is powered by a 9hp Honda motor 72 which is used to

drive the hydraulic systems including pump 71 which in turn drives three hydraulic drive motor 73, hydraulic motors 14a which power the pumps 14 and steering system 74.

The motor 72 and hydraulic pump 71 will produce up to 1800 r.p.m. to drive the water pump 14 which will feed two hose reels 15, 16 with up to 18 litres of liquid per minute.

This is sufficient to get a jet from the hoses and give spray but without a big back splash,

which would cause either the operator to get wet when working in confined space, or it would cause an overflow of the collection vessel and soak the surrounding floor space. The pump 71 is shaft driven from the motor 72 and is quite reliable with little chance of breaking

down.

The mobile washing device has the fresh water supply tank 12 which is filled every day with 300 litres of fresh water, and the collection tank 13 which will hold up to 300 litres of recycled water at the end of each shift (or after washing 30 cars). Each wash will use up to 10-15 litres of water using the recycled water for the initial rinse and the fresh water for the final rinse. The water used in the wash is caught in the surrounding front tray 21 , side trays 22, 23, 24, 25 and rear tray 26 and returned to filter 54 using a small scavenging suction pump 51 from there it is returned to the collection tank 13 to be used for the initial rinse of

each car.

The surround trays can fit around most models and sizes of cars and wagons and with

the special design can be extended and widened at will. They are also elevated in the middle

and on each end so all waste water will run to the collecting parts 27 on each end tray 21, 26,

to assist with the suction of the water back to the filter 54.

The filter 54 may have screen of gauze to catch larger pieces of dirt before they enter

the filter, extending the life of the filter and lessening the chance of dirt coming through to

damage the paint work on a vehicle.

The trays 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 when not in use become part of the mobile washing

device and act as one side wall of it. The mobile washing device also has a vacuum cleaner

for interior work which has been altered to run from a 650 watt power source 17 which

would not normally occur as normally a strong vacuum requires up to 1000 watt power.

The whole mobile washing device when ready to run is only 2000 cm long, 1500 cm

high and 600 cm wide, this is the ideal size to suit working in a carpark and would not

interfere with the movement of cars whilst working which is a prime advantage for it.

The unit when fully operative for a period to Uk. .el water in its liquid supply tank 12

which would make the collection tank 13 full and ready to be emptied, would use only 4 litres

of unleaded petrol including use of the generator 17, which is a Robin 650 watt, which also makes it a power saver. A specially designed car wash liquid which is a low foamer is used and is designed to be easy to rinse and quick to defoam when going through the filter 54 Every part of the mobile washing device has been altered to suit the particular environment that it is going to

work in and to work with every other part and to make it as easy as possible to operate in a confined space with no power source or water supply available and no need to run power

leads or water hoses to wash cars Also as the mobile washing device is self driven there is no

need to use a trailer or car to tow it from car to car

With the apparatus of the invention the collection vessels are able to be located around a vehicle without the driver of the vehicle being present to move the vehicle Therefore the

system can be used to wash cars at a car park while providing security for the owner of the

vehicles by not requiring to leave the keys behind The use of collection vessels of the invention does away with the need for the car park surface to be drained and more particularly

there is not a wasting of car washing liquid by providing a means of recirculating washing liquid wherever the vehicle is being washed Clearly other variations of the mobile washing

device and the collection vessels are possible without extending away from the invention In

particular the vehicle may not be hydraulically powered but electrically or a standard petrol

vehicle

Claims

1. An apparatus for collecting liquid run-off from a vehicle being washed comprising a portable collection vessel (20) which is able to be fitted around and partially under a

vehicle without moving the vehicle, whereby a substantial portion of liquid being used to wash

the external surfaces of the vehicle is collected in the collection vessel; a movable collection tank; (13) and

a retrieval means (51 , 53, 54) for transporting liquid from the collection vessel (20) to

the collection tank (13).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the portable collection vessel (20) an outer

perimeter edge and an inner perimeter edge and extends to cover an area of the ground below

a selected vehicle from the outer perimeter edge which defines an area larger than the perimeter of the vehicle, to the inner perimeter edge which apart from the portions of the edge

which are adjacent the ground engaging wheels of the vehicle, defines an area smaller than the

perimeter of the vehicle.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the portable collection vessel (20) is

adjustable so as to define a selectable area of ground with an outer and inner perimeter that is larger and smaller respectively than the perimeter of different sized vehicles.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the portable collection vessel (20)

when in position is flat with edge walls so as to form one or more channels.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the portable collection vessel (20) comprises at least two side collectors (22-25) for positioning at

opposite sides of the vehicle to collect liquid run-off from the sides of the vehicle, at least two end collectors (21, 26) for positioning at opposite ends of the vehicle to collect liquid run-off from the ends of the vehicle, and at least one return point (27) from which collected liquid run-off can be returned by the retrieval means to the collection tank (1 ) 6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the side collectors (21-25) and end collectors (21, 26) comprises a plurality of channel parts 5 7 An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein at least two of the plurality of channel

parts interconnect to allow liquid flow from one to the other

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the area covered by the collection vessel (20) is adjustable by overlapping two or more of the channel parts

9 An apparatus according to claim 5, 6, 7 or 8 wherein the end collectors (21, 26) 10 comprise a front tray (21 ) for location partially underneath and in front of the front of the

vehicle to be washed, and a rear tray (26) for location partially underneath and behind the

vehicle, and the side collectors comprise (21-25) side trays for location partially underneath

and along the sides of the vehicle.

10 An apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the front collector (21)

15 locates under the front of the vehicle to position closely in front of the front wheels of the

vehicle, the rear tray (26) locates under the rear of theo position closely behind the rear wheels of the vehicle, and side trays (21-25) comprise inner tray portions (31 ) which are

stepped inwardly to fit closely behind the front wheels of the vehicle and to fit closely in front

of the rear wheels of the vehicle.

20 11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 10 wherein each side tray comprises a front section (22, 23) and a rear section (24, 25) which overlap by a variable amount to

enable longitudinal adjustment to closely fit the side tray between the front and rear wheels of different vehicles having different wheel separations

12 An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the portable collection vessel (20) is configured to allow run off liquid to collect at one or more collecting parts (27) of the collection vessel

13 An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the portable collection vessel (20)

5 comprises elevating means (33, 34, 28. 28a) to elevate selected portions of the collection vessel so that run-off liquid flows by gravity to the collecting parts (27)

14 An apparatus according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the collecting parts include sumps (27)

15 An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a mobile

10 washing device for use when washing a vehicle having a liquid supply tank (12) and a hose

(18, 19) mounted thereon and connected so as to allow liquid flow from the liquid supply tank for washing the vehicle

16 An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the mobile washing device includes the

movable collection tank (13)

15 17 An apparatus according to claim 15 or 16 wherein the mobile washing device includes

a second hose connected to the collection tank (13) to allow reuse of the collected liquid for washing a vehicle

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the mobile washing device includes a

filtering system (54) for filtering the collected liquid 20

19. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the retrieval means comprises a pump (51) for pumping the collected water from the collection vessel (20) to the

collection tank (13)

20. An apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 18 wherein the mobile washing

device is a motorised vehicle 21 An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the portable collection vessel (20) can be transported by the motorised vehicle when the collection vessel is not in use