Method for automatic washing of vehicles
First Claim
1. A method for automatically cleaning vehicles of impurities contained thereon comprising the steps of:
- providing at least a first washing tank and a second washing tank;
positioning a vehicle in a first treatment center for performing at least one washing treatment cycle thereon;
obtaining a treatment liquid from the first washing tank and adding an additive to the treatment liquid before washing the vehicle of a portion of said impurities by spraying the vehicle with the treatment liquid and the additive, thereby producing a used first treatment liquid containing the impurities;
collecting the used first treatment liquid and directing it into the first washing tank without providing a means for removing said portion of said impurities from the first treatment liquid;
obtaining a second treatment liquid from the second washing tank and adding a second additive to the second treatment liquid before washing the vehicle of the remaining impurities by spraying the vehicle with the second treatment liquid and second additive thereby producing a used second treatment liquid containing a relatively smaller amount of impurities as said used first treatment liquid;
collecting the used second treatment liquid and directing it into the second washing tank without providing a means for removing said impurities from the second treatment liquid;
repeatedly spraying said first treatment liquid and second treatment liquid and collecting said used first and second treatment liquids;
obtaining a fresh treatment liquid from an outside source and supplying the fresh treatment liquid to the second washing tank upon demand in order to replenish said second treatment liquid;
replenishing said first washing tank upon demand with a portion of the used second treatment liquid from the second washing tank;
reusing and recirculating the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid of each respective washing tank thereby establishing a counter-flow principle wherein the first treatment liquid containing the highest impurities relative to said tanks is initially used to clean said vehicle, said used second treatment liquid in the second washing tank containing a higher percentage of the fresh treatment liquid than the first treatment tank is used to clean said vehicle in a repeated washing cycle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of automatic washing of vehicles, wherein recirculation and reuse of a substantial proportion of the washing liquid takes place during the washing procedure proper and wherein a principle of counter-flow is used, whereby the vehicle will be washed in a dirtier washing liquid during early treatment states than in later ones. The vehicle is positioned in at least one treatment station, where a plurality of the treatment steps are then carried out, and in the first treatment step treatment liquid is supplied from a first treatment tank and is sprayed onto the vehicle together with additives, if any, and together with impurities originating from the vehicle the liquid thus supplied flows through openings in the floor and is returned to the first treatment tank. In this manner a substantial proportion of the treatment liquid is reused and in the following treatment step treatment liquid is supplied from a second treatment tank to be sprayed onto the vehicle together with additives, if any, and is then, after drainage, returned to the second treatment tank, and so on, to be used in the subsequent treatment step, so that in each treatment step a treatment tank specific for that particular treatment step is used and reuse of a substantial proportion of the treatment liquid takes place. Each treatment tank is also replenished with a supplementary amount of liquid.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for automatically cleaning vehicles of impurities contained thereon comprising the steps of:
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providing at least a first washing tank and a second washing tank; positioning a vehicle in a first treatment center for performing at least one washing treatment cycle thereon; obtaining a treatment liquid from the first washing tank and adding an additive to the treatment liquid before washing the vehicle of a portion of said impurities by spraying the vehicle with the treatment liquid and the additive, thereby producing a used first treatment liquid containing the impurities; collecting the used first treatment liquid and directing it into the first washing tank without providing a means for removing said portion of said impurities from the first treatment liquid; obtaining a second treatment liquid from the second washing tank and adding a second additive to the second treatment liquid before washing the vehicle of the remaining impurities by spraying the vehicle with the second treatment liquid and second additive thereby producing a used second treatment liquid containing a relatively smaller amount of impurities as said used first treatment liquid; collecting the used second treatment liquid and directing it into the second washing tank without providing a means for removing said impurities from the second treatment liquid; repeatedly spraying said first treatment liquid and second treatment liquid and collecting said used first and second treatment liquids; obtaining a fresh treatment liquid from an outside source and supplying the fresh treatment liquid to the second washing tank upon demand in order to replenish said second treatment liquid; replenishing said first washing tank upon demand with a portion of the used second treatment liquid from the second washing tank; reusing and recirculating the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid of each respective washing tank thereby establishing a counter-flow principle wherein the first treatment liquid containing the highest impurities relative to said tanks is initially used to clean said vehicle, said used second treatment liquid in the second washing tank containing a higher percentage of the fresh treatment liquid than the first treatment tank is used to clean said vehicle in a repeated washing cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification