Top blower for a car wash

• US 5,901,461 A
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Proto-Vest Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proto-Vest Incorporated
• Inventors: McElroy, Christopher Patrick, McElroy, Timothy Patrick, McElroy, Lucian G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Pamela A.
• Application Number:
  US09/053,926
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 34/201, 34/233, 34/666, 15/312.1, 15/316.1, 15/405
• US Class Current: 34/233
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/002 Vehicle drying apparatus

Abstract

An assembly for blowing liquids from the surfaces of a vehicle comprising support plenum (10) for distributing a stream of air to the surfaces of a vehicle, a blower (16) connected to said support plenum (10) for producing the stream of air, and an overhead bag (18) extending downwardly from the plenum (10) to a distal end. A nozzle is disposed at the distal end and includes a center section (20) having a length (Y) extending horizontally between ends for directing air against the top of a vehicle. The nozzle is characterized by including an inwardly directed end section (22) at each end of the center section (20) to define outward tips (24) of the nozzle for directing air downwardly and inwardly against the sides of a vehicle. A positioner (30) positions the vehicle to combine with the geometric configuration of the overhead bag (18) to assure that the stream of air emitted from the nozzle tips (24) impacts the sides of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An assembly for blowing liquids from the surfaces of a vehicle comprising:

a support plenum (10) for distributing a stream of air to the surfaces of a vehicle,

a blower (16) connected to said support plenum (10) for producing said stream of air,

an overhead bag (18) extending downwardly from said plenum (10) to a distal end,

a nozzle disposed at said distal end,

said nozzle including a center section (20) having a length (Y) extending horizontally between ends (23) for directing air against the top of a vehicle,

said nozzle characterized by including two inwardly directed end sections (22), one at each end (23) of said center section (20) to define two outward tips (24) of said nozzle for directing air downwardly against the sides of a vehicle, said end sections (23) extend at an angle (θ

) to slant downwardly and outwardly from the side of the vehicle.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a vehicle positioner (30) for positioning the sides of the vehicle horizontally inwardly of said tips (24) of said nozzle.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said end sections (22) extends a horizontal distance (Z) which is fifteen to twenty five percent of said horizontal length (Y) of said center section (20).

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said end sections (22) extends a horizontal distance (Z) which is twenty percent of said horizontal length (Y) of said center section (20).

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overhead bag (18) comprises fabric and includes major gussets (26) extending from said plenum (10) to said nozzle to divide said overhead bag (18) into panels, each of said end sections (22) including three of said panels (27).

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said center section (20) includes fifteen of said panels.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said overhead bag (18) includes minor gussets (28) extending inwardly from said nozzle a distance short of said plenum (10).

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said end sections (22) extends a horizontal distance (Z) of twelve inches and said horizontal length (Y) of said center section (20) is at least sixty inches.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said end sections (22) extends a predetermined horizontal distance (Z), said plenum (10) includes an overhead support (12) and at least one vertically extending side support for supporting said overhead support (12), said side support having an inward vertical extremity (A), said vertical extremity (A) being spaced horizontally from the one of said tips (24) adjacent thereto a distance (V) which is no greater than one hundred twenty percent of said horizontal distance (Z) of said end sections (22).

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said end sections (22) extends a predetermined horizontal distance (Z), said plenum (10) includes an overhead support (12) and two vertically extending side supports (14), said overhead support (12) extending between said side supports (14), each of said side supports (14) having an inward vertical extremity, said vertical extremities (A) being spaced horizontally apart a distance (X) of one hundred fifteen inches, the horizontal distance (S) between said tips (24) of said end sections (22) being eighty four inches with said tips (24) being equally spaced (V) from said vertical extremities (A) of said vertical side supports (14).

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein each of said end sections (22) extends a horizontal distance (Z) of twelve inches.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said end sections (22) of said nozzle extend at an angle (θ

) of one hundred and thirty five degrees relative to the center (20) of said nozzle.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said center section (20) extends horizontally straight and said end sections (22) of said nozzle extend at an angle of forty five degrees relative to said center section (20) of said nozzle.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overhead bag (18) comprises fabric and includes major gussets (26) extending from said plenum (10) to said nozzle to divide said overhead bag (18) into panels (27), a plurality of said panels (27) defining each of said end sections, and wherein said end sections (22) of said nozzle extend in a straight line at an obtuse angle (θ

) of not more than one hundred and thirty five degrees relative to said center section (20) of said nozzle (22).

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overhead bag (18) comprises fabric and includes major gussets (26) extending from said plenum (10) to said nozzle to divide said overhead bag (18) into panels (27), a plurality of said panels (27) defining each of said end sections (22), and wherein said end sections (22) of said nozzle extend in a straight line at an obtuse angle (θ

) relative to said center section (20) of said nozzle, one of said major gussets (26) being disposed at the intersection of said center and end sections (22) of said nozzle.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overhead bag (18) comprises fabric and includes major gussets (26) extending from said plenum (10) to said nozzle to divide said overhead bag (18) into panels (27), each of said end sections (22) including a plurality of said panels (27) with one of said panels (27) being immediately adjacent said center section (20) of said nozzle, a vehicle positioner (30) for positioning the sides of the vehicle horizontally inwardly of said tips (24) of said nozzle, said positioner (30) being centered within the horizontal extent of said one of said panels (27).

17. An assembly for blowing liquids from the surfaces of a vehicle comprising:

a support plenum (10) for distributing a stream of air to the surfaces of a vehicle,

a blower (16) connected to said support plenum (10) for producing said stream of air,

an overhead bag (18) extending downwardly from said plenum (10) to a distal end,

a nozzle disposed at said distal end,

said nozzle including a center section (20) having a length (Y) extending horizontally between ends (23) for directing air against the top of a vehicle,

said nozzle characterized by including two inwardly directed end sections (22), one at each end (23) of said center section (20) to define two outward tips (24) of said nozzle for directing air downwardly against the sides of a vehicle

said overhead bag (18) comprising fabric and including major gussets (26) extending from said plenum (10) to said nozzle to divide said overhead bag (18) into panels (27), a plurality of said panels (27) defining each of said end sections, said center section (20) extending horizontally straight and said end sections (22) of said nozzle extending in a straight line at an obtuse angle (θ

) relative to said center section (20) of said nozzle (22),

said gussets (26) directing the flow of air from said end sections (22) parallel to the flow of air from said center section (20).