AU603949B2

AU603949B2 - Cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU603949B2
Application number: AU32365/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Juji Akiba; Hiroyuki Sugibuchi
Original assignee: Junkosha Co Ltd
Current assignee: Junkosha Co Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-22
Filing date: 1989-03-31
Publication date: 1990-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2009-03-31
Also published as: AU3236589A; JPH01156787U; GB8908145D0; EP0343779A1; GB2217806A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIF~ICATION 0t9 Form

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lap.,:ed: Published: Priority: Related Art: I xkv ITim document contins the mt,, endrints rnide und-r f l*ion "14 t id is,,correct fu, TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: JUNKOSHA CO., LTD.

25-25, MIYASAKA 2-CHOI4E S ETAGAYA-KU TOIXYO 156

JAPAN

GRIFFITH HACK CO., 601. St. K~ilda RoadI Xelbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Complete Specification for the invention entitled: ,EANING APPARATUS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:i II i BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION i he present invention relates to cleaning apparatus.

Where objects are to be cleaned, various types of cleaning apparatus have been used depending upon the type of object that is to be cleaned and the degree of cleaning that is desired.

For er:imple, ultrasonic cleaning apparatus has conventionally been used in cases where a fluid detecting element of the type disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 59-47256 is to be cleaned. In that publication, the fluid detecting element comprises a pair of conductors which are separated by continuously porous, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (EPTFE) containing a S conducting substance which is sandwiched between the conductors. This fluid S. detecting element is utilized, for example, as an oil leakage sensor. Specie: fically, the abovementioned resin exhibits an increase in insulation resistance when the resin is permeated by an oil, such as heavy oil or gasoline. This S e t electrical change is detected by a detector which is -"nnected to the abovementioned conductors, so that the presence or absence of oil leakage is I, determined electronically. Such an oil leakage sensor must be regenerated by cleaning after it has detected oil leakage, or periodically when the sensor is t 8 used over a long period of time even if no oil leakage is detectLd. In the past, an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus of the type mentioned above has been used for such cleaning.

However, oil leakage sensors of the type mentioned above include sensors of various shapes and sizes. Accordingly, in cases where, for example, a long oil leakage sensor is to be ultrasonically cleaned, a large ultrasonic cleaning apparatus capable of accomodating this sansor is required. However, a conventional large ultrasonic cleaning apparatus is extremely expensive.

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Accordingly, there exists a demand for inexpensive cleaning apparatus which has cleaning thoroughness comparable to that of ultrasonic cleaning apparatus.

The present invention was designed in light of the technical problems associated with conventional cleaning apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object comprising a cleaning tank which is adapted to accomodate a cleaning solution and the object, and fluid supply means for supplying a fluid containing air which, in use, is injected as bubbles into said cleaning solution, the fluid r^ striking the ob3ect, said fluid supply means supplying the aO fluid at a high velocity and with sufficient force such 1 n, that said air bubbles burst upon striking the object, thereby producing shock waves, which create excitation of vibration in the object, the combined effect of which provides thorough cleaning of the object.

Said fluid may be air. Alternatively said fluid oooo may be a cleaning solution. It is preferred that the °0 cleaning solution is either xylene or methyl ethyl ketone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention may be more t* fully understood, an embodiment of the invention will be Sdescribed by way of example only in which the accompanying c drawing is an exploded perspective view, partly broken invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT WITH REFERENCE TO A DRAWING Referring to the drawing, cleaning apparatus 1 is provided comprising a cleaning tank 3 which accomodates a cleaning solution and an object to be cleaned, and fluid supply IV, ?A 3 means for supplying a fluid containing air which is injected as bubbles into the cleaning solution, the fluid striking the object to be cleaned. The fluid supply means supplies the fluid at a high velocity and with sufficient force that the air bubbles burst upon striking the object, thereby producing shock waves, including ultrasonic waves, which provides thorough cleaning of the object. The fluid may be air or a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution preferably is xylene or methyl ethyl ketone.

-Mnr e sprr;illy. l1 -essence o-r he present invention is a cleaning apparatus which is characterized by the fact that the apparatus is equipped with a cleaning tank which accomodates a cleaning solution and the object "oo* to be cleaned, and a fluid supply means which supplies a fluid containing air 0 0o *oo. that is released into the cleaning solution so that it strikes the object that is Sto be cleaned in the cleaning tank.

O The air that is released into the cleaning solution forms air bubbles, which strike the object that is to be cleaned in the cleaning solution with sufficient force that they burst. When these air bubbles burst, shock waves, including ultrasonic waves, are generated, and these waves excite a vibration in the object miat is to be cleaned. The cleaning solution is thus agitated by the fluid containing air that is released into the cleaning solutiorn so that the cleaning solution is constantly in fluid motion. As a result, these two effects c act in combination so that the object that is to be cleaned can be cleaned with I extremA thoroughness.

i One example of application of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

i ill 1133-- Th--principal constituent elements of the cleaning apparatus 1 are a supporting cart 2, a cleaning tank 3 and a compressor including fluid supply means 4.

The supporting cart 2 consists of a base 2b which is equipped with wheels 2a so that it is free to move. A pair of supports 2c are installed upright facing each other on the top surface of the base 2b in order to support the cleaning tank 3.

The cylindrical cleaning tank 3 preferably is made of stainless steel, is open at the top and is supported by the supports 2c so that the tank 3 is free 0 to rotate about a diameter of the tank as the axis of rotation. The axis of oo 4 ,o rotation is positioned at a point above the midpoint on the axial line of the o o 00.

o cleaning tank 3, so that when the cleaning tank 3 is in a state of natural rest, 0O the open end of the tank is positioned at the top as shown in the figure. Xylene is a preferred cleaning solution 5 and is accomodated in the cleaning tank 3 as an oil solvent.

The compressor 4 is installed on the base 2b of the supporting cart 2.

2 t Tube 4a, which preferably is made of Teflon® fluorocarbon resin and which is connected to the compressor 4, is inserted into the cleaning tank 3, and the tip t t of this tube 4a is fastened to the bottom of the interior of the cleaning tank 0 3 so that the tip points upwardly.

In the figure, basket 6, preferably a mesh made of stainless steel, is used when an oil leakage sensor or other object to be cleaned 7 is inserted into the cleaning tank 3. Specifically, the oil leakage sensor 7 is accomodated inside the mesh basket 6, and is inserted into the cleaning tank 3 along with the mesh basket 6. A flange 6a at the upper end of the mesh busket 6 catches t on the upper edge of the cleaning tank 3, so that the oil leakage sensor 7 is suspended inside the cleaning tank 3, and so that the sensor 7 is submerged in the xylene cleaning solution As described above, the oil leakage sensor 7 may comprise a pair of conductors 7a, 7b and a continuously porous EPTFE separator 7c containing a conductive substance interposed between the conductors.

In a cleaning apparatus 1, constructed as described above, the oil leakage sensor 7 is accomodated inside the cleaning tank 3 and submerged in xylene cleaning solution 5 as described above, and the compressor 4 is started.

Compressed air or other fluid containing air fed from the compressor 4 passes through tube 4a and is continuously released into the xylene cleaning solution S(*g 5 as air bubbles from the tip of the tube inside the cleaning tank 3. Because compressed air is thus continuously released into the xylene cleaning solution S 5, the xylene cleaning solution 5 inside the cleaning tank 3 is constantly in a state of highly agitated fluid motion. The air bubbles released into the xylene I cleaning solution 5 rise and strike the oil leakage sensor 7 with sufficient force o that they burst. Shock waves, including ultrasonic waves, are generated at this point, and these waves excite a vibration in the oil leakage sensor 7.

As a result of a synergistic effect of the fluid motion of the xylene 120 cleaning solution 5 and the excitation of vibration in the oil leakage sensor 7, the oil permeating the oil leakage sensor 7 is dissolved in the xylene cleaning solution 5, so that the oil leakage sensor 7 is cleaned and regenerated to I approximately the same degree as when a similar cleaning is performed using a conventional ultrasonic cleaning apparatus.

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c8 Thus, although the cleaning apparatus 1 A; M gl f- e itf En has an extremely simple structure, the apparatus has a cleaning efficiency and thoroughness which is approximately the same as that of an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus. Compared to an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus, the cleaning apparatus 1 is extremely inexpensive, and this reduced expense becomes more pronounced as the size of the apparatus required increases.

The present invention is not limited to the above example. Various configurations may be employed. For example, in the above example, the fluid containing air consisted only of air. However, this fluid could also be a cleaning solution containing air bubbles. In such case, the fluid supply means used would be a pump. The cleaning apparatus of the present invention could also be applied to various other objects besides oil leakage sensors, and the cleaning solution used could be a cleaning agent other than xylene, for example, methyl ethyl ketone.

As described above, thejpresent invention makes it possible to obtain a very inexpensive cleaning apparatus which has a simple structure, but which has a cleaning effect comparable to that of conventional ultrasonic cleaning apparatus.

While the invention has been disclosed herein in connection with certain embodiments and detailed descriptions, it will be clear to one skilled in the art that modifications or variations of such details can be made without deviating firm the gist of this invention, and such modifications or variations are considered to be within the scope of the claims hereinbelow..

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Claims

1. Cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object comprising a cleaning tank which is adapted to accommodate a cleaning solution and the object, and fluid supply means for supplying a fluid containing air which, in use, is injected as bubbles into said cleaning solution, the fluid striking the object, said fluid supply means supplying the fluid at a high velocity and with sufficient force such that said air bubbles burst upon striking the object, thereby producing shock waves, which create excitation of g vibration in the object, the combined effect of which 000 00 00 o 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid is air. 00 0 0 00 "00 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid is a cleaning solution.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said cleaning o100e solution is xylene. 0OO6 The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said cleaning szAlution is methyl ethyl ketone.

6. Cleaning apparatus substantially as hereinbefore 0"e described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED THIS 23RD DAY OF AUGUST, 1990. JUNKOSHA CO. LTD. By Its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia. 8 @"V z O