Vehicle washing device

Claim 1

A vehicle washing device comprising in combination: lateral vehicle profile detection means; a horizontal spray bar adapted to distribute wash liquids; spray bar vertical positioning means; spray bar rotation means; supporting structure for the preceding, and a logic control unit, wherein said profile detection means comprises at least two photoelectric cells, the components of which are mounted on, and at opposite ends of said spray bar, and which are adapted to detect the presence of an intervening, lateral vehicle surface, wherein when such presence is detected, electronic signals are sent from said cells to said logic control unit which is adapted to receive said input signals and to process them based upon instructional logic contained in said unit, and based upon such processing, to generate and transmit output signals to said spray bar vertical positioning means which includes moveable spray bar supporting structure adapted to be activated thereby, and raised or lowered according to such logic, and wherein said spray bar has a plurality of spray nozzles attached thereto and is connected to drive means for rotating said spray bar in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said spray bar relative to said spray bar's moveable supporting structure, said drive means also being controlled by output signals received from said logic control unit, thereby positioning the direction of said spray bar, and therefore of the nozzles attached thereto, at a predetermined, substantially constant perpendicular angle relative to the exposed upper vehicle surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the sides of said vehicle, and wherein further, said cells are spaced apart laterally from the longitudinal axis of said spray bar, and from each other.