JP2006231263A - Washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing device washing work inside and efficiently drying organic solvent cleaning liquid remaining in the work inside after washing. <P>SOLUTION: This washing device 100 washing the works 1 with the flowing of washing liquid and forming washing liquid into an evaporative solvent, is provided with a work gripping means 10 connecting the works 1 into a circulation passage 20 forcingly sending the washing liquid and gripping the works, and a washing performance part 30 having a an opening 33 for taking-in and taking-out the works 1 and containing the work gripping means 10 to wash the works 1. The opening 33 is provided with a cooling part 40 to narrow the opening area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a workpiece using a volatile solvent as a cleaning liquid.

  FIG. 3 shows a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a workpiece using a volatile solvent (see Patent Document 1). In this cleaning apparatus, a conical collecting means 106 is provided between each of the tanks 102, 103, 104 for cleaning the workpiece 101 and the cooler 105. The collection means 106 is formed with an opening 107 through which the workpiece 101 is lowered into the tanks 102, 103, and 104.

  The cooler 105 is a condenser that cools, condenses, and collects the vaporized solvent. The solvent that has been condensed and dropped by the cooler 105 is received by the recovery means 106, collected at the center, and returned to the cleaning tank 103 from the opening 108.

JP 2004-82058 A

  In the cleaning apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the work is immersed in the organic solvent in the cleaning tank for cleaning, the cleaning agent does not sufficiently reach the inside of the work and it is difficult to clean the inside completely. In particular, it is impossible to clean the inside of a workpiece such as a precision tube having a complicated internal structure such as a bent thin tube or a liquid reservoir inside. In addition, cleaning may be performed through the cleaning liquid inside the workpiece, but it is difficult to dry the cleaning agent remaining in the workpiece after cleaning in a short time, especially when it is a part of equipment that is mass-produced. There is a problem that a large-scale facility such as a temperature furnace is required in the drying process after cleaning, and the facility cost and the operation cost are high.

  Further, in the cleaning apparatus of Patent Document 1 that uses a highly volatile organic solvent as a cleaning agent, the opening of the portion where the cooler 105 is disposed is large, and the evaporated solvent is well condensed in the vicinity of the cooler 105. Although it is possible, it is difficult to condense the vaporized solvent well at a position away from the cooler 105, and there is a problem that the solvent recovery efficiency is poor.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus that can clean the inside of a workpiece and can efficiently dry the cleaning liquid remaining inside the workpiece after cleaning. Another object of the present invention is to provide a small and highly efficient cleaning apparatus with reduced environmental load that can suppress the emission of volatile solvent into the air due to the evaporation of the volatile solvent.

  In order to achieve such an object, the invention described in claim 1 is a cleaning device for cleaning a workpiece with a flow of cleaning liquid, wherein the cleaning liquid is a volatile solvent and the cleaning liquid is forcibly fed. A workpiece gripping means for gripping the workpiece by connecting the workpiece in the liquid feeding path, and a cleaning execution section for accommodating the workpiece gripping means and performing a workpiece cleaning operation while having an opening for taking in and out the workpiece; And a cooling part is provided in the opening of the cleaning execution part so as to narrow the opening area.

According to the present invention, since the cleaning liquid flowing in the liquid feeding path is forced to pass through the work by forced liquid feeding, it is possible to effectively clean the inside of the work having a complicated shape. Moreover, since a highly volatile solvent is used as the cleaning agent, the cleaning agent remaining inside the workpiece after cleaning can be efficiently dried. Furthermore, for example, by making the opening area of the cleaning execution part narrower and cooling the opening, for example, by making the cleaning execution part into a bowl-like structure, the solvent that leaks when replacing the workpiece after cleaning can be removed in the air. In addition, the solvent that has leaked out can be prevented from being evaporated by evaporation, and the leaked solvent is accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning execution unit. Therefore, the cleaning apparatus can be excellent in solution recovery efficiency and reduce the environmental load.

  In the present invention, the volatile solvent may be mainly composed of an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of HFE (hydrofluoroether), HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) and 1-bromopropane. preferable.

  According to the present invention, since a highly volatile cleaning liquid such as HFE, HFC, HCFC and 1-bromopropane is used as the cleaning agent, the workpiece after cleaning can be efficiently dried. In addition, HCFC and 1-bromopropane are independent, and HFE and HFC can perform good degreasing washing by adding 2-propanol, ethanol, or the like.

  In the present invention, the liquid feeding path is preferably a circulation path including a pump and a filter.

  According to the present invention, the cleaning liquid can be forcibly fed by the pump, and since the circulation path including the filter is circulated, the cleaning liquid is repeatedly used by maintaining the regeneration, so that a large amount of cleaning liquid is required. Therefore, it can be a cleaning device with low environmental impact.

  In the present invention, the circulation path can be switched between a main circulation path for feeding the cleaning liquid while cleaning the work held by the work gripping means and a sub-circulation path not passing through the work. It is preferable to be provided.

  According to the present invention, when cleaning a workpiece to be cleaned, liquid is sent to the main circulation path, and when cleaning is interrupted such as when the workpiece to be cleaned is attached or detached or pneumatically fed, The liquid is set in a standby state, and the cleaning agent is switched to flow in the sub-circulation path that is the bypass path. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeatedly start and stop the liquid feed pump every time the workpiece is attached and detached, and the pump can be operated without stopping the pump. Therefore, energy loss due to start and stop can be prevented, and an energy saving cleaning device can be obtained. .

  Here, when the main circulation path and the sub-circulation path are switched at once, the circulation path is temporarily blocked, and a sudden increase in the liquid feed pressure may cause a load on the liquid feed pump. Therefore, if two switching valves are provided, valves are provided on the main circulation path side and the auxiliary circulation path side, respectively, and control is performed so that one of the valves is closed after both the valves are in communication with each other for a predetermined time when switching the path. Since it is possible to prevent a sudden increase in the liquid feeding pressure, the load on the pump is reduced, which is preferable.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that an air pressure path for sending air to the workpiece is connected to the liquid feed path, and a switching valve for switching between the liquid feed of the cleaning liquid and the air pressure feed is provided.

  According to the present invention, by sending air to the workpiece after cleaning, the cleaning liquid remaining in the workpiece is removed, and drying in a short time can be realized without leaving a stain or the like on the inner surface of the workpiece. . In addition, by switching the pumping of the cleaning liquid and air by the switching valve, the air can be pumped using the liquid transport path as it is during cleaning, so that the cleaning and drying steps can be performed without moving the workpiece. .

  Here, it is desirable that the liquid feeding time of the cleaning liquid and the air pressure feeding time can be set in accordance with the state of the workpiece to be cleaned and the cleaning level (required cleanliness). Further, if a particle filter, a pressure setting device, and a flow rate setting device are provided in the pneumatic path, it becomes easy to control the pressure of air necessary for drying according to the state of the workpiece and the cleaning level.

  Further, a switching valve for switching between cleaning liquid feeding and air feeding is provided on each of the pneumatic path side and the liquid feeding path side. One of these switching valves can be an electromagnetic valve and the other can be a check valve. However, in terms of a pressure resistant configuration, both are preferably electromagnetic valves. Furthermore, as the valve on the liquid feed path side is provided closer to the workpiece gripping means, the amount of cleaning liquid discharged after switching to air pressure feed can be reduced.

  In the invention, a buffer tank is provided in the liquid feed path, and a solution recovery path for recovering the solution from the cleaning execution unit and an exhaust path for exhausting the cleaning execution unit are connected to the buffer tank. Preferably it is.

  According to the present invention, the cleaning liquid that has been liquefied by the cooling unit or leaked when the cleaning target is attached or detached, and stays at the bottom of the cleaning execution unit can be collected from the cleaning execution unit to the buffer tank. Also, the air mixed with the cleaning liquid that is pumped to the cleaned workpiece and flows into the buffer tank via the circulation path is separated into cleaning liquid and gas in the buffer tank, and only the gas is exhausted from the exhaust path to the cleaning execution unit. Therefore, the cleaning liquid can be collected in the buffer tank. In addition, the solvent still remaining in the gas exhausted from the exhaust path to the cleaning execution unit is liquefied by the cooling unit at the top of the cleaning execution unit, stays at the bottom of the cleaning execution unit, and is finally collected in the buffer tank. . Accordingly, since a cleaning liquid, that is, a solvent recovery cycle is formed as a whole, the amount of solvent used can be reduced, and a solvent cleaning apparatus having a low environmental load can be provided.

  In the invention, it is preferable that a drying unit for drying the workpiece after cleaning is provided continuously with the opening of the cleaning execution unit and in close contact with the cooling unit.

  According to the present invention, since the drying unit for drying the workpiece after cleaning is provided in close contact with the cooling unit, the evaporation of the cleaning liquid generated during the drying of the workpiece is suppressed from being released into the atmosphere, and drying is performed. The cleaning liquid can be collected at the bottom of the cleaning execution unit from the opening of the cleaning execution unit continuous with the cleaning unit. That is, when the volatile organic solvent is a cleaning liquid, the specific gravity of the evaporated gas is about 1.2 to 1.5 times that of the atmosphere and is heavier and further heavier after being cooled. And can be recovered without diffusing upward. Also, at the same time that one workpiece is cleaned, a plurality of workpieces that have been cleaned earlier can be dried in the drying section, so that they are dried to the next step without being affected by the progress of the workpiece cleaning process. Can be sequentially supplied.

  Furthermore, a saw-like separation plate such as punch metal may be provided on the bottom of the drying unit, and the workpiece after cleaning may be placed thereon. In this case, it is desirable to extend the separation plate from the drying unit along the wall of the opening of the cleaning execution unit, that is, to provide a slat-like partition along the work attachment / detachment path to the work gripping means of the cleaning device. If comprised in this way, since the flow of the gas of the cleaning agent recirculated into the cleaning execution unit by the cooling unit is not disturbed when the workpiece is attached or detached, the diffusion of the cleaning agent to the outside of the cleaning device can be suppressed.

  In the invention, it is preferable that the cooling part is composed of a Peltier element provided around the opening.

  According to the present invention, since the Peltier element is used in the cooling unit, a cleaning device with high cooling efficiency, low energy consumption, and simple maintenance can be obtained with a simple configuration.

  In the invention, it is preferable to provide a plurality of irregularly shaped protrusions on the inner peripheral surface of the opening.

  According to the present invention, if irregular projections such as cooling rods and cooling fins are provided on the inner periphery of the opening of the cleaning execution unit, the surface area of the inner periphery is increased and a substantially vertical structure is provided. / Performance can be improved and solvent evaporation can be prevented.

  As described above, according to the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, not only can the cleaning liquid be forcibly passed through the workpiece, but the cleaning liquid can be efficiently cleaned. Since the liquid cleaning is performed using the solvent, the inside of the workpiece can be dried in a short time.

  In addition, the organic solvent volatile gas used as the cleaning liquid is cooled and recovered, and the organic solvent cleaning liquid (hereinafter referred to as “organic solvent cleaning liquid”) is recycled and reused. In addition, the liquid loss can be suppressed, the environmental load can be reduced, and the operating cost can also be reduced.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on the best mode shown in the drawings.

(Whole structure of the cleaning device)
FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. The cleaning apparatus 100 grips the work 1 and flows a cleaning liquid by flowing a highly volatile organic solvent as a cleaning liquid into the work 1, and circulates the cleaning liquid and supplies the cleaning liquid to the work gripping means 10. A circulation path 20 for feeding the liquid, a cleaning execution unit 30 that houses the workpiece gripping means 10 and performs a cleaning operation, a cooling unit 40 provided on the upper side of the cleaning execution unit 30, and a plurality of workpieces 1 that have been cleaned. A drying unit 50 is provided on the upper side of the cooling unit 40 for housing, placing and drying.

(Configuration of work gripping means)
The workpiece gripping means 10 drives the workpiece support portion 11 that positions and supports the workpiece 1 in a predetermined posture, the workpiece biasing portion 12 that biases the workpiece 1 against the workpiece support portion 11, and the workpiece biasing portion 12. A drive unit 13 is provided, and the workpiece 1 is gripped between the workpiece support unit 11 and the workpiece biasing unit 12 by driving the drive unit 13. At that time, the workpiece 1 is carried in and placed at a gripping position by the workpiece gripping means 10 in a predetermined posture by a workpiece gripping and transporting means (not shown) such as a work transporting robot or a hand of a dedicated device or tweezers.

  The work support portion 11 includes a recess 11a corresponding to the shape of the work 1 and a liquid feed pipe 11b that communicates with a hole, a pipe, or the like inside the work 1 and serves as a flow path for the cleaning liquid flowing out from the hole. The workpiece support unit 11 is fixedly disposed in the cleaning execution unit 30 and is fixed to the side wall of the cleaning execution unit 30 in FIG. 1, but may be fixed to the bottom of the cleaning execution unit 30 depending on the shape. The liquid feed pipe 11b constitutes a liquid feed path for feeding the cleaning liquid, discharges the cleaning liquid to the outside of the cleaning execution unit 30, and guides it to the external circulation path 20.

  The work biasing part 12 includes a work contact part 12a, a liquid feeding pipe part 12b, and a drive connecting part 12c. The workpiece contact portion 12 a is provided at an end portion on the side facing the workpiece support portion 11, and comes into contact with the workpiece when gripping the workpiece 1, and has an appropriate configuration in a shape corresponding to the shape of the workpiece 1. It is preferable that In addition, the pipe | tube 12e which penetrates the workpiece | work contact part 12a and the liquid feeding pipe | tube part 12b comprises a liquid feeding path | route, and communicates with the hole, pipe | tube, etc. inside the workpiece | work 1, and sends a washing | cleaning liquid.

  The liquid feed pipe section 12b is provided so as to be able to reciprocate between the inside and the outside of the cleaning execution section 30 through the through hole 30a on the side wall of the cleaning execution section 30. The drive connecting portion 12c is provided at the end of the liquid feeding tube portion 12b opposite to the workpiece contact portion 12a, and is connected to the driving portion 13 to transmit driving for reciprocating movement of the liquid feeding tube portion 12b. Is possible. Moreover, the bellows 12d is provided in the outer periphery of the liquid feeding pipe part 12b outside the cleaning execution part 30, and the vaporized gas of the organic solvent as the cleaning liquid leaks from the cleaning execution part 30 as the liquid feeding pipe part 12b reciprocates. Is preventing. In addition, one end of the bellows 12d is closely fixed to the side wall of the cleaning execution unit 30, and the other end is closely fixed to the outer periphery of the liquid feeding pipe part 12b in the vicinity of the drive connecting part 12c to form a sealing structure.

  The drive unit 13 is a drive source for reciprocatingly driving the liquid feeding tube unit 12b, that is, the work urging unit 12, and the piston 13a connected to the drive connection unit 12c of the work urging unit 12 supplies / discharges air to / from the cylinder 13b. It is driven according to. By this driving, the workpiece 1 is gripped and released (detached) by the workpiece gripping means 10. In the present embodiment, the drive unit 13 is constituted by a piston and a cylinder, but other mechanisms such as an electromagnetic solenoid, a cam, a rack and pinion may be adopted.

(Configuration of liquid feed and pneumatic path)
The circulation path 20 constitutes a liquid feed path for the organic solvent cleaning liquid, and does not pass through the common path 20a, the main circulation path 20b that circulates through the workpiece gripping means 10 while cleaning the workpiece 1, and the workpiece 1. The secondary circulation path 20c is a bypass path.

  The common path 20a is a pipe for leading the organic solvent cleaning liquid from the buffer tank 21, and a pump 22 is provided on the way. The pump 21 always feeds cleaning liquid in the direction of arrow A in the figure. The pump 22 is preferably a sealed pump that is sealed to prevent liquid leakage, and may be an appropriate pump in addition to a magnet pump or a tube pump.

  The main circulation path 20b is provided with a valve 23b and a particle filter 24b in order from the common path 20a in the liquid feeding direction, and a work gripping means 10 is connected to the tip of the main circulation path 20b. This is a circulation path that returns to the tank 21.

  The secondary circulation path 20 c is a bypass circulation path that is provided with a valve 23 c, a water absorption / humidity absorbent filter 25, and a particle filter 24 c in order from the common path 20 a in the liquid feeding direction and returns to the buffer tank 21.

  As described above, by providing the particle filter 24c and the water absorption / humidity absorption filter 25 in the bypass path, the dust particles and moisture removed from the workpiece 1 and mixed in the cleaning liquid are removed, and the cleaning performance and the drying performance of the cleaning liquid are removed. Can be maintained and played. As the water-absorbing material, porous granular or columnar materials such as silica gel and zeolite are suitable. Further, since dust is also generated from the water absorption / humidity absorbent, in order not to accumulate this dust in the buffer tank 21, the water absorption / humidity absorption filter 25 is placed downstream of the flow path upstream of the bypass path as in this embodiment. It is desirable to place a particle filter on the surface. Further, if another filter is provided immediately before the buffer tank 21, the position of the water absorbing / humidifying agent filter 25 can be changed.

  Here, the valve 23b and the valve 23c are switching valves for switching the flowing liquid of the main circulation path 20b and the sub circulation path 20c, and are provided in the vicinity of the branch with the common path 20a. In this way, assuming that there are two switching valves, each is provided on the main circulation path side and the sub circulation path side, and if both valves are in communication with each other for a predetermined time when switching the path, control is performed so that one of them is closed. Since a sudden increase in the liquid feeding pressure can be prevented, the load on the pump 22 can be reduced. Of course, it is possible to switch between the main circulation path and the auxiliary circulation path with a single valve. In this case, however, the circulation path is temporarily blocked, so the liquid feed pump is suddenly increased in liquid feed pressure. Load. It is necessary to provide a pressure relief part in the vicinity of the pump or to appropriately add a pressure-resistant structure of the pump itself. As the valve, various valves can be applied in addition to the electromagnetic valve.

  Next, the buffer tank 21 temporarily stores the cleaning liquid in the circulation path 20, and the main circulation path 20b and the auxiliary circulation path 20c via the workpiece gripping means 11 are connected as an inflow path for the cleaning liquid. On the other hand, a common path 20 a is connected as an outflow path for the cleaning liquid and constitutes a part of the circulation path 20. The cleaning liquid temporarily stored in the buffer tank 21 complements the cleaning liquid consumed by leakage or vaporization when the work 1 is attached or detached, or adjusts the overflow in the circulation path 20. Accordingly, the buffer tank 20 may not be used as long as the cleaning liquid having the same capacity as that stored in the buffer tank 20 can be secured in the circulation path.

  Further, an air vent path 31 and a solution recovery path 32 are connected to the buffer tank 21 between the cleaning execution unit 30. The air vent path 31 sends out the air that has been pumped together with the cleaning liquid remaining in the work 1 from the air pressure path 26 described later and that has flowed into the buffer tank 21 to the cleaning execution unit 30. The solution recovery path 32 is for recovering the organic solvent cleaning liquid recovered at the bottom of the cleaning execution unit 30 to the buffer tank 21.

  Furthermore, the buffer tank 21 also functions to separate moisture and the like from the organic solvent cleaning liquid that flows in by mixing impurities such as moisture and dust from the above-described paths. That is, moisture has a specific gravity higher than that of the organic solvent, so that a layer is formed on the upper part of the tank, and dust having a specific gravity higher than that of the organic solvent is deposited on the bottom of the buffer tank 21, so that the outlet to the common path 20a is opened. By providing the buffer tank 21 at an intermediate position between the liquid level and the bottom, only a relatively clean cleaning liquid can be sent to the circulation path 20. Reference numeral 21a denotes a level meter for the buffer tank, which can monitor the storage amount of the cleaning liquid.

  An air pressure path 26 is connected to the main circulation path 20b in front of the workpiece gripping means 10. This pneumatic path 26 is a path for sending drying air from the compressor or compressed air tank (not shown) to the work 1 held by the work holding means 10. In addition to the pressure control device 27a, the air valve 27b, and the flow rate control valve 27c constituting the pneumatic feed control system 27, a filter 28 is disposed in the pneumatic path 26 leading to the workpiece gripping means 10.

  The filter 28 removes dust and moisture from the pressure-fed air to obtain clean dry air, and the clean dry air that has passed through the filter 28 is pressure-fed into the work 1 gripped by the work gripping means 10. Accordingly, the cleaning liquid remaining in the work 1 is pumped to the buffer tank 21 by the pressure-fed air, so that almost no cleaning liquid remains in the work 1. Further, the amount of the cleaning liquid remaining on the inner surface of the work 1 is small, and since it is in air contact, it can be dried in a short time.

  Further, the air pressure and the cleaning liquid flow are switched by controlling the air pressure control system 27 in the pneumatic path 26 and the valve 23b in the main circulation path 20b as switching valves. In particular, the pneumatic feed control system 27 pumps sufficient air into the workpiece 1 by using the pressure control device 27a, the air valve 27b, and the flow rate control valve 27c so that the cleaning liquid remaining in the workpiece 1 is hardly left. Since the excess air is controlled not to be pumped, a large amount of air is sent to the cleaning execution unit 30 via the buffer tank, and excessive evaporation of the cleaning liquid can be prevented.

(Configuration of cleaning execution unit)
Next, the cleaning execution unit 30 is an area that accommodates the workpiece gripping means 10 that performs the cleaning operation of the workpiece 1, and has a container shape determined by the bottom plate 30b and the side wall 30c. Furthermore, since the upper side of the cleaning execution unit 30 is covered with the cooling unit 40 while leaving the opening 33, the cleaning execution unit 30 has a bowl-like shape in which the opening is narrower than the storage unit. .

  At the bottom of the cleaning execution unit 30, the organic solvent cleaning liquid leaked from the connection part between the liquid feed path and the work 1 when the workpiece 1 after cleaning is replaced or cleaned, or recovered from the air by the cooling unit 40. Fastened. A solution recovery path 32 for recovering the stored solution to the buffer tank 21 is connected to the bottom plate 30b or the side wall 30c in the vicinity thereof. The solution recovery path 32 may be configured to recover the cleaning liquid to another container without being connected to the buffer tank 21. In addition, a liquid reservoir for storing the cleaning liquid can be provided by providing a recess in the bottom plate 30b or a funnel-shaped bottom plate. In that case, it is good also as a structure which connects the solution collection | recovery path | route 32 etc. there and performs solution collection | recovery.

Further, an air vent path 31 is connected to the bottom of the side wall 30 c of the cleaning execution unit 30 so as to receive the air that has flowed into the buffer tank 21 during the pneumatic feeding to the workpiece 1 into the cleaning execution unit 30. The organic solvent mixed in the air from the air vent path 31 is recovered from the air by the cooling unit 40 in the same manner as the organic solvent leaked to the cleaning execution unit 30 and vaporized.
Note that the connection position of the air vent path 31 to the cleaning execution unit 30 is lower than the workpiece gripping means 10 and above the bottom serving as a cleaning liquid reservoir in order to prevent contamination of the workpiece 1 during pneumatic feeding. It is preferable.

(Configuration of cooling unit)
Next, the cooling unit 40 includes a Peltier element 41, a heat sink 42, and a cooling member 43, and is provided on the upper side of the cleaning execution unit 30. The Peltier element 41 is a plate-like cooling source, and a heat sink 42 is fixed on one surface side thereof to promote heat dissipation on this surface side, while cooling the opposite surface (cooling surface). The cooling member 43 is provided in close contact with the cooling surface side of the Peltier element 41 and is disposed so as to surround the opening 33 on the upper side of the cleaning execution unit 30 and to narrow the opening area. That is, the cleaning execution unit 30 is substantially covered with the cooling unit 40 and has a bowl shape with the cooling member 43 constricted on the upper side. In addition, as a material of the cooling member 43, the thing which gave the surface process of corrosion prevention to metals, such as copper with high heat conductivity, and aluminum, is suitable.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the Peltier element 41 is provided in close contact with only a certain area of the outer periphery of the cooling member 43 surrounding the entire periphery of the opening 33, and the other area portion is thermally insulated by the heat insulating material 44. In this way, a necessary and sufficient heat insulating effect can be obtained. In other words, the Peltier element 41 does not necessarily have to be provided over the entire circumference of the opening 33. As long as the cooling member 43 is sufficiently cooled by the Peltier element 41, only the cooling member 43 surrounds the opening 33. Good.

  According to such a configuration and arrangement of the cooling unit 40, the organic solvent that is gasified and mixed into the evaporating gas of the organic solvent accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning execution unit 30 or the air flowing into the cleaning execution unit 30 from the air vent path 31. Can be liquefied and recovered.

(Configuration of drying section)
Next, the drying unit 50 has a box shape determined by the bottom plate 50a and the side wall 50b, and the upper side is in an open state. The bottom plate 50 a is in close contact with the cooling member 43 of the cooling unit 40, and an opening hole 50 c that communicates with the opening 33 is provided. Further, a slat-like separation plate 51 is provided in parallel with the upper side of the bottom plate 50a. The separation plate 51 is a plate having a through hole such as a punch metal or a metal net, and is arranged along a placement portion 51a and an opening 33 that separates the internal space of the drying portion 50 into an upper work accommodating portion and a lower space thereof. An extension 51b extended to the cleaning execution unit 30 side is provided. Further, a plurality of workpiece mounting tables 52 are provided on the mounting portion 51a of the separation plate 51, and a plurality of workpieces 1 can be mounted for drying after cleaning. The side wall 50b prevents the organic solvent gas evaporated from the cleaning liquid from being scattered.

  Here, the vaporized gas of the organic solvent has a specific gravity of 1.2 to 1.5 times that of the atmosphere and sinks downward with respect to the atmosphere. Therefore, even if the upper side of the drying unit 50 is open, the drying work 1 is If the air flow is prevented from being disturbed by the side wall 50b, the air does not scatter and flows downward from the opening hole 50c communicating with the opening 33 corresponding to the opening 33 of the bottom plate 50a to the cleaning execution unit 30. Collected. Further, since the vaporized gas of the organic solvent in the drying unit 50 is cooled by the cooling unit 40 from the bottom plate 50a, it becomes heavier and effective with almost no scattering into the atmosphere.

  In addition, since there is no obstacle below the placement portion 51a of the separation plate 51 and the bottom plate 50a is also a flat plate, the flow of the organic solvent gas evaporated from the work 1 is not hindered and is lowered from the opening 50c. To the cleaning execution unit 30. Further, the extension 51 b of the separation plate 51 extends from the opening 50 c of the drying unit 50 through the opening 33 along the arrangement of the cooling member 43 of the cooling unit 40. It is provided along a workpiece moving path by a workpiece holding and conveying means (not shown) such as a workpiece conveying robot or a hand of a dedicated device or tweezers when attaching and detaching. Therefore, in the separation plate 51, the organic solvent in which the turbulence of the air flow due to the attachment / detachment of the work 1 flows from the opening hole 50 c through the opening 33 along the arrangement of the cooling member 43 and is guided to the lower cleaning execution unit 30 by the extension 51 b. It functions so as not to disturb the flow of vaporized gas.

  In addition, in this Embodiment, although the mounting part 51a and the extension part 51b are made into the continuous integral member, you may isolate | separate and provide this with a separate member. In addition, if the legs of the mounting table 52 are directly provided on the bottom plate 50a to form a streamlined configuration that does not hinder the flow of vaporized organic solvent, the entire separation plate 51 or the mounting portion 51a can be omitted. It is.

(Composition of cleaning liquid)
Next, as the cleaning liquid in this embodiment, HFE (hydrofluoroether) or HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), which is a highly volatile volatile solvent and is relatively easily available, is used. Is preferred. By using such a volatile fluorine-based organic solvent, it is possible to obtain high dry cleaning performance that dries the inside of the workpiece after cleaning in a short time. In addition, since the organic solvent has a higher specific gravity than the atmosphere, the cleaning device 100 according to the present embodiment can reliably prevent scattering into the atmosphere.

  In addition, according to the cleaning apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, similar drying performance and cleaning performance can be obtained by using not only HFE and HFC but also volatile organic solvents such as HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) and 1-bromopropane. It can be obtained, and scattering of the organic solvent into the atmosphere can be prevented. Furthermore, if HCFC and 1-bromopropane are used, good degreasing cleaning can be performed. In addition, when HFE or HFC is used, degreasing washing can be similarly performed by adding 2-propanol, ethanol, or the like.

(Workpiece cleaning operation)
Next, cleaning of the workpiece 1 using the cleaning apparatus 100 will be described.

  First, the workpiece 1 to be cleaned is an opening surrounded by the cooling member 43 from the opening hole 50c of the drying unit 50 by means of workpiece clamping and conveying means (not shown) such as a robot for workpiece conveyance or a hand or tweezers of a dedicated device. Passing through the workpiece movement path via 33, the workpiece holding means 10 is loaded and arranged in a predetermined posture at a holding position for attaching and detaching the workpiece. Then, the drive unit 13 of the workpiece gripping means 10 is driven and gripped between the workpiece support unit 11 and the workpiece biasing unit 12. At that time, a hole connected to the inside of the work 1 communicates with the main circulation path 20b.

  When the workpiece 1 is attached / detached, the valve 23b is closed, the valve 23c is opened, the main circulation path 20b is closed, the cleaning liquid circulates in the auxiliary circulation path 20c, and the pump 22 is continuously liquid. It is in the state of transmission operation.

  Next, after opening the valve 23b, the valve 23c is closed. In this way, if both valves are in communication with each other for a predetermined time when the path is switched, then one of the valves is controlled so as to close one, the sudden increase in the liquid feed pressure can be prevented and the load on the pump 22 can be reduced. it can.

  When the valve 23c is closed, unlike the conventional case, the cleaning liquid pressurized by the pump 22 that is continuously operated is forcibly fed to the main circulation path 20b at high speed or high pressure to grip the workpiece. Cleaning is performed by passing through the inside of the work 1 held by the means 10. The cleaning liquid after cleaning returns to the buffer tank 21 together with dust and the like inside the work 1.

  Next, after the cleaning is completed in this way, the operation proceeds to the pneumatic feeding step. The flow path of the cleaning liquid is switched from the main circulation path 20b to the sub circulation path 20c in the order of opening the valve 23c and closing the valve 23b. Subsequently, the air valve 27 b of the pneumatic path 26 is opened, and the dry clean air is pumped into the cleaned workpiece 1 held by the workpiece holding means 10. Thereby, the cleaning liquid remaining in the circulation path 20b and the work 1 is discharged to the buffer tank. After the predetermined air pressure is supplied, the air valve 27b is closed. The time for pneumatic feeding and the amount of pumping are controlled by the pressure control device 27a, the air valve 27b, and the flow rate control valve 27c.

  The workpiece 1 that has been cleaned and pneumatically fed is detached from the workpiece gripping means 10, is sandwiched by the workpiece clamping and conveying means, and is conveyed and placed on the workpiece placing table 52 of the drying unit 50. The workpiece 1 is naturally dried by being left on the workpiece mounting table 52 for a certain period of time. During the drying, the solvent of the cleaning liquid remaining on the work 1 is evaporated and flows from the slat-like through hole of the mounting portion 51a of the separation plate 51 to the bottom plate 50a of the drying portion 50, and further from the opening 50c through the opening 33. Then, it returns to the operating region 30 and is collected.

  During such a drying process, another workpiece 1 is cleaned in the same manner as described above. Moreover, the workpiece | work 1 which finished drying for predetermined time is sequentially conveyed and provided to the following processes, such as an assembly.

(Effect of this embodiment)
As described above, according to the cleaning device of the present embodiment, the inside of a work, particularly the inside of a tubular shape having a complicated shape, is forcibly washed with a high-speed or high-pressure organic solvent unlike conventional ones. Thus, highly accurate cleaning can be performed. In addition, the cleaning liquid is removed by pneumatic feeding continuously with the flowing liquid cleaning, and at the same time the highly volatile organic solvent is used as the cleaning liquid, so the drying time after cleaning can be greatly shortened and within 1 minute per unit. Can be dried. In addition, batch processing for several hours using a large-scale drying facility such as a temperature furnace, which is necessary for the conventional cleaning of pure water or the like, becomes unnecessary, and facility costs and operation costs can be greatly reduced.

  In addition, while using a volatile organic solvent, which is generally said to have a higher environmental impact than water-based cleaning agents, the organic solvent is recycled in the cleaning device, and the organic solvent evaporates into the air outside the device. Emission can be prevented. According to the experiments by the inventors, it was possible to suppress the transpiration rate to 1/20 or less in the closed circulation system in the cleaning device of the present embodiment, compared to the results in the open system.

(Other embodiments)
The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the opening 33 on the upper side of the cleaning execution unit 30 is narrowed by the cooling member 43 of the cooling unit 40 to form the constricted bowl-shaped cleaning execution unit 30. It does not have to be. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, cooling is provided by providing a plurality of cooling rods 45 in which large-diameter donut-shaped cooling metal rings and small-diameter washers are alternately arranged on a rod-like support portion extending to the inner peripheral surface of the opening 33. The member 43a may be configured. The cooling rod 45 extends vertically from the cooling unit substrate 46 surrounding the outer periphery of the opening 33, and is disposed on the entire inner surface or a part of the inner periphery of the opening 33. Further, a heat dissipation fan 42a is provided on the heat sink 42 to obtain higher cooling efficiency. In FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG.

  With the above configuration, the cooling rod 45 increases the surface area of the cooling member 43a to increase the cooling efficiency, and the cooling rod 45 extending inward toward the opening 33 substantially narrows the opening 33. The effect of can be obtained. Instead of the cooling rod 45, a plurality of irregularly shaped projections such as a coil-shaped rod or a plate-like fin extending on the inner peripheral surface of the opening 33 may be provided. As a material of the cooling member 43a (cooling rod 45 or irregular projection and cooling part substrate 46), a material having a high heat conduction efficiency such as copper, aluminum and the like subjected to corrosion prevention surface treatment is preferable. Rust-proof metal such as SUS may be used. Further, a heat conduction element such as a heat pipe or a heat lane (registered trademark) may be used.

  As another embodiment, instead of a Peltier element as a cooling source, a cooling unit that radiates heat with a heat sink while sending wind by a fan motor or a cooling unit that uses refrigerant circulation may be used.

  As described above, the cleaning apparatus of the present invention can clean a work having a small, highly efficient and complicated internal structure, and can reduce the environmental burden even when an organic solvent is used as a cleaning liquid. In the manufacture of precision equipment, it can be applied to the internal cleaning of precision parts having a complicated internal structure.

It is a schematic diagram of the washing | cleaning apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the cooling part of the washing | cleaning apparatus concerning another embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conventional washing | cleaning apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Work 10 Work holding means 20 Circulation path cleaning 30 Cleaning execution part 33 Opening 40 Cooling part 50 Drying part

Claims (9)

A cleaning device for cleaning a workpiece with a flow of cleaning liquid,
While using the cleaning liquid as a volatile solvent,
A work gripping means for gripping the work by connecting the work in a liquid feed path for forcibly feeding the cleaning liquid;
While having an opening for taking in and out the workpiece, a cleaning execution unit that accommodates the workpiece gripping means and executes a workpiece cleaning operation,
A cleaning apparatus, wherein a cooling unit is provided in the opening of the cleaning execution unit so as to narrow an opening area thereof.   The volatile solvent is mainly composed of an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of HFE (hydrofluoroether), HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon), and 1-bromopropane. Item 2. A cleaning apparatus according to Item 1. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid feeding path includes a circulation path including a pump and a filter.   The circulation path is provided so as to be switchable between a main circulation path for feeding the cleaning liquid while performing the cleaning through the work gripped by the work gripping means and a sub-circulation path not passing through the work. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3. An air pressure path for sending air into the workpiece is connected to the liquid feeding path,
4. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a switching valve is provided for switching between the cleaning liquid feeding and the air pressure feeding. A buffer tank is provided in the liquid feeding path, and the buffer tank includes
A solution recovery path for recovering the solution from the cleaning execution unit;
The cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an exhaust path for exhausting air to the cleaning execution unit is connected.   The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a drying unit that dries the workpiece after cleaning is provided to be continuous with the opening of the cleaning execution unit and to be in close contact with the cooling unit.   The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit includes a Peltier element provided around the opening. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of irregularly shaped protrusions are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the opening.

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