The present invention relates to a washing device for washing vehicle wheels, wherein the washing device includes a washing-liquid container and a washing cham- ber, wherein the washing device includes a rotary de- vice for rotating a vehicle wheel placed in the washing chamber relative to at least one flush and blast nozzle provided in said washing chamber, wherein a washing liquid containing granules is located in the washing- -liquid container, said granules being adapted to pro- vide a blasting effect during washing of the vehicle wheel, and wherein a pump device is provided to bring the washing liquid containing granules located in the washing-liquid container to flow to the flush and blast nozzle and therefrom as at least one flush and blast jet towards the vehicle wheel placed in the washing chamber for washing and blasting said wheel during rotation thereof by the rotary device.

Washing devices of the initially defined type are known from EP 0 338 509. These washing devices operate well, but a large pump effect is required for a satis- factory washing result.

The object of the present invention is primarily to improve said washing device in order to obtain a satisfactory washing result with less pump effect. This is arrived at according to the invention by providing the washing device with the characterizing features of subsequent claim 1.

Since the flush and blast nozzle is movable as de- fined in claim 1, effective flushing and blasting of the vehicle wheel is obtained within a processing area cove- ring the entire vehicle wheel thanks to its rotation.

It is also obtained by means of the invention that a support device permits location of the vehicle wheel in a predetermined position relative to the flush and blast nozzle.

Advantageous control of the processing rate of the flush and blast nozzle is also obtained by means of the invention.

The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which fig. 1 with a side view schematically illustrates a washing device according to the invention; fig. 2 is a front view of the washing device of fig. 1; and fig. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram for a wash- -time setting device forming part of the washing device of fig. 1.

The washing device illustrated in the drawings in- cludes a washing-liquid container 1 and a washing cham- ber 2 located above said container 1. In the washing- -liquid container 1 there is a washing liquid 3 consis- ting of a suitable liquid, e. g. water with or without detergent additives. The washing liquid 3 contains gra- nules 4 in order to achieve a blasting effect during washing of vehicle wheels 5. Down below in the washing chamber 2 there is provided a support shaft 6 and a rotary device 7. The rotary device 7 may comprise a driving shaft which is operated by a motor (not shown) and this driving shaft is adapted to rotate a vehicle wheel 5 which is placed in the washing chamber 2 for washing. The vehicle wheel 5 is rotated in this way relative to at least one flush and blast nozzle 8 loca- ted in the washing chamber 2 and adapted to direct at least one flush and blast jet 9 towards the outside 10 of the rim 11 and tyre 12 of the vehicle wheel 5.

In the washing-liquid container 1 there is mounted a pump device 13 which is operated by a motor 14 and adapted to suck in washing liquid 3 and granules 4. This washing liquid 3 and these granules 4 are pumped with pressure through a washing-liquid and granule supply con- duit 15 to the flush and blast nozzle 8 mounted thereon and from said nozzle 8 towards the vehicle wheel 5.

In the illustrated embodiment the washing chamber 2 also includes a second fixed or movably mounted flush and blast nozzle 16 on a washing-liquid and granule supply conduit 17. This conduit 17 is also connected to the pump device 13 which with pressure pumps washing liquid 3 and granules 4 through the conduit 17 to the flush and blast nozzle 16 and through said nozzle 16 towards the inside 18 of the rim 11 and tyre 12 of the vehicle wheel 5.

The washing-liquid and granule supply conduit 15 includes a pipe member 19 which is located at the rear and top of the washing chamber 2 and which extends in horizontal direction. A pipe member 21 is through a swivel connection 20 pivotally connected to said pipe member 19 and by means of a rotary motor 22 pivotable about a horizontal shaft 23. The washing-liquid and granule supply conduit 15 also includes a pipe member 24 which is connected to said latter pipe member 21, protrudes radially therefrom and transforms into an arcuate, downwardly directed end member 25 on which the flush and blast nozzle 8 is mounted.

Since the rotary motor 22 pivots the pipe member 21 about the horizontal shaft 23, the pipe member 24 and thus, the flush and blast nozzle 8, is pivoted about said shaft 23 in a vertical plane from an upper end po- sition A to a lower end position B. The flush and blast jet 9 will thereby move over a processing area C (shown with dashed and dotted lines in fig. 1) along which it will process the vehicle wheel 5 by flushing and blasting it. This processing area C begins at upper portions of the vehicle wheel 5 and extends arcuately with the shaft 23 as the centre in downwards direction to lower portions of the vehicle wheel 5. Since the vehicle wheel 5 rotates, the processing area C covers the entire vehicle wheel 5 such that it is flushed and blasted all over.

The flush and blast nozzle 8 is designed to con-

centrate the flush and blast jet 9 such that said jet during said movement over the processing area C in every period of time concentrates the processing to a limited processing surface D thereof. Hereby, a con- centrated and very effective flushing and blasting of the vehicle wheel 5 is obtained with less output from the motor 14 than what previously has been possible and thereby, a smaller motor can be used for operating the pump device 13 and thus, less energy is consumed for carrying through the washing cycle.

The processing area C extends preferably between upper portions of the rim 11 of the vehicle wheel 5 and lower portions of the tyre 12 of said vehicle wheel 5.

Furthermore, the processing area C extends across the rim 11 of the vehicle wheel 5. The width of the proces- sing surface D can be less than the diameter of the rim 11.

The flush and blast nozzle 8 can be designed to concentrate the processing surface D such that said surface D constitutes less than 20%, preferably 10-15%, of the processing area C.

The flush and blast nozzle 8 can also be designed to emit a flush and blast jet 9, the processing sur- face D of which is transverse to the processing area C.

The flush and blast nozzle 8 can also be designed to emit a flush and blast jet 9, the processing surface D of which is substantially longer than it is wide and which can have a substantially elliptic shape.

In the washing chamber 2 there is provided at least a first and a second support device 26 and 27 respectively, which are shown only in fig. 2 and which are provided on opposite sides of the vehicle wheel 5.

The first support device 26 is movable in order to per- mit, inter alia, positioning of vehicle wheels 5 of various widths between the support devices 26,27 and to enable said support devices 26,27 to cooperate with such vehicle wheels 5. Said first support device 26

includes preferably at least one arm 28 which is pivo- tally mounted in a hinge 29. This hinge 29 is located at the top of the washing chamber 2 and it is designed such that the arm 28 can pivot about a horizontal axis towards or away from the vehicle wheel 5 according to the arrow E. On the arm 28 there is provided at least one horizontal support roll 30 which is rotatably moun- ted and at least one vertical support roll 31 which is also rotatably mounted. These support rolls 30,31 are adapted to engage the inside 18 of the vehicle wheel 5.

A power generating means 32, preferably a heli- cal spring, is attached at the top of the washing cham- ber 2 and cooperates with the arm 28 for pulling said arm 28 towards the second support device 27, whereby said power generating means 32 can affect the vehicle wheel 5 in the same direction through the support rolls 30,31. Hereby, it is achieved that a vehicle wheel 5 having an erroneous position (e. g. an inclined posi- tion) relative to the second support device 27 (and thereby, relative to the flush and blast nozzle 8), is moved by the movable support device 26 to a predeter- mined position (e. g. an upright position) relative to said second support device 27 (and thereby, relative to said flush and blast nozzle 8).

The second support device 27 preferably comprises a plurality of support rolls which preferably are fixed- ly mounted in the washing chamber 2.

A movement transfer device 33 (schematically illu- strated in fig. 2) can be designed such that it coope- rates with a lid 34 for closing the washing chamber 2 and with the first support device 26 for transferring the opening movement occuring when said lid 34 is ope- ned, to said first support device 26 for movement there- of such that a vehicle wheel 5 can be placed between the support means. When the lid 34 is closed, the move- ment transfer device 33 permits movement of the first support device 26 into cooperation with said vehicle

wheel 5.

The washing device may include a wash-time setting device 35 (see fig. 3) with an operating device 36 ha- ving a plurality of wash-time setting means 36a-36d for manual setting of different washing-cycle periods, e. g. 20,45,60 or 90 seconds.

The operating device 36 cooperates with an elect- ronic control device 37 which is provided to control, based on the washing-cycle period chosen by operating the desired wash-time setting means 36a-36d, the speed of the rotary motor 22 and thereby, the speed for moving the flush and blast nozzle 8 over the processing area C relative to the vehicle wheel 5.

During use of this wash-time setting device 35, the washing-cycle period is chosen by operating one of the wash-time setting means 36a-36d by manually pres- sing thereon. From the operating device 36 a signal, representing the chosen washing-cycle period, is trans- mitted to the control device 37 which, based on said signal, controls the speed of the rotary motor 22 for pivoting the flush and blast nozzle 8 with such a speed that is is moved over the processing area C in depen- dence of said washing-cycle period. If thus, e. g. the washing-cycle period 20 seconds is chosen, the rotary motor 22 moved the flush and blast nozzle 8 faster over the processing area C than if e. g. the washing-cycle period 90 seconds is chosen. Hereby, it is easy to adapt the washing effect of the washing device to the type and/or degree of fouling of the vehicle wheel 5 to be washed.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may vary within the scope of the following claims.

As examples of embodiments not described above, it can be mentioned that the pipe members 19,21 can be mounted in an upper rear corner of the washing cham- ber 2, that there may be more than one power genera-'

ting means 32, that this may be mounted and designed in other ways than shown and described and that the first flush and blast nozzle 8 during a washing cycle can be movable downwards along the processing area C, upwards along said area or downwards as well as upwards therealong. The processing surface D may be elongated and extend in a transverse direction relative to the processing area C, but it may also be shaped otherwise.