JP2011245811A - Case of ultraviolet irradiation unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the breakage of a window plate while maintaining the airtightness of the inside of case to some extent.SOLUTION: The case of an ultraviolet irradiation unit has a profile 21 which is composed so as to be able to receive the ultraviolet irradiation unit 11 and in which an opening 21a for ultraviolet emission is formed, and a lid 22 which has the window plate 23 enabling the transmission of ultraviolet and is attached to the profile 21 so as to seal the opening 21a. The window plate 23 is partitioned into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction, and a strip-like sealing plate 31 for covering the partitioned parts of the window plate 23 from the inside of profile is provided. The case is composed so as to push the strip-like sealing plate to the partitioned parts of the window plate by way of heightening the pressure of cooling air circulating inside the profile. The lid is attached to the profile and has a window frame 26 in which the window plate is loaded from the outside, and a width groove 26f for holding the both ends of the strip-like sealing plate extends in the width direction of the window plate from the inside and be formed. A recessed groove 26c capable of holding a O-ring 24 contacting the window plate is formed in the window frame 26, and the width groove 26f is formed with communicating to the recessed groove 26c from the inside of the window frame 26.

Description

  The present invention relates to a case that houses an ultraviolet irradiator for curing ink adhered to a printing object by ultraviolet irradiation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a case of an ultraviolet irradiator configured to be able to distribute cooling air for cooling the ultraviolet irradiator.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an ultraviolet irradiation device for curing ink that is mounted on a printing machine or the like and adhered to a printing object by ultraviolet irradiation. This type of apparatus includes an ultraviolet irradiator with a built-in ultraviolet lamp, and the ultraviolet irradiator includes an ultraviolet lamp and a reflector that reflects ultraviolet rays emitted from the lamp in a predetermined direction. In recent years, a high-power and small-sized ultraviolet irradiator has been used. In this ultraviolet irradiator, the temperature of the ultraviolet irradiator itself tends to increase due to heat generated from the ultraviolet lamp. In the case, and cooling air for cooling the ultraviolet irradiator is circulated inside the case. That is, a conventional ultraviolet irradiation device mounted on a printing press or the like is known as including an ultraviolet irradiation device incorporating an ultraviolet lamp and a case that houses and cools this irradiation device.

  On the other hand, in a printing machine or the like equipped with such an ultraviolet irradiation device, a purge that surrounds the printing object and the ultraviolet irradiation device in order to improve the efficiency of curing the ink adhered to the printing object. A box is provided, and nitrogen is circulated inside the box. The nitrogen inside the purge box needs to be maintained within a predetermined concentration range in order to maintain the ink curing efficiency. However, if the case has low airtightness in the ultraviolet irradiation device, the ultraviolet irradiator accommodated in the case will be removed. There is a problem that the cooling air to be cooled leaks into the nitrogen atmosphere inside the box and inside the box, and the nitrogen concentration is lowered.

  In order to eliminate such problems, the case of the ultraviolet irradiator is configured to accommodate the ultraviolet irradiator and is formed with an opening for ultraviolet emission, and the outer shell is sealed to seal the opening. There has been proposed one provided with a lid attached to (see, for example, Patent Document 1). And in the lid in this case, in order to circulate cooling air inside the outer shell, an ultraviolet irradiation window plate that transmits ultraviolet rays so that the target object can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays while blocking the opening of the outer shell. And a metal window frame attached to the outer shell that supports the window plate and seals the opening of the outer shell.

JP 2009-72700 A (paragraph number “0040”, paragraph number “0046”, FIGS. 2 and 8)

However, in recent years, the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus is becoming more compact and the distance between the ultraviolet lamp and the lid in the ultraviolet irradiator tends to be shortened, and the influence of thermal radiation from the ultraviolet lamp on the lid cannot be ignored. That is, an ultraviolet lamp normally applied to a conventional ultraviolet irradiation device mounted on a printing machine or the like has a high illuminance of 800 mW / cm ² or more and a long light emission length of 2000 mm or more. The window frame which supports is also extended in the longitudinal direction accordingly.

  Specifically, the conventional window frame in the case where the normally applied ultraviolet lamp is used is configured to have a width of about 250 mm and a thickness of about 15 mm, whereas the length is about 3000 mm and has a width dimension. It is 10 times or more and has an extremely long and thin structure in the longitudinal direction. And it is supposed that a window frame is normally heated to about 200 degreeC, although it arrange | positions in the position which does not receive the heat radiation from a lamp | ramp directly. For this reason, a window frame usually made of a thin and thin metal material is liable to be thermally deformed and tends to extend in the longitudinal direction when heated to a high temperature.

  On the other hand, the window plate is made of quartz glass or the like and has higher heat resistance than the window frame and is not easily thermally deformed. However, when the degree of thermal deformation of the window frame is large, the window frame generated at both longitudinal ends of the elongated window plate. For example, if the window plate is firmly attached to the window frame with a glass retainer, the window plate is subjected to bending and torsional stress due to the difference in thermal expansion from the window frame. The window plate itself may be damaged, or the packing attached to the glass presser for sealing may be peeled off.

  In order to prevent damage to the window plate due to such stress, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 proposes a method of dividing the window plate in advance (paragraph number “0046”, FIG. 8). However, even with this method, it was not possible to avoid the formation of a minute gap between the window plate split pieces, and it was not possible to prevent the irradiator cooling air from leaking there. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide a case of an ultraviolet irradiator that can effectively prevent breakage of a window plate while maintaining airtightness inside the case to some extent.

  The present invention includes an outer shell configured to store an ultraviolet irradiator and formed with an opening for emitting ultraviolet rays, and a lid attached to the outer shell so as to seal the opening having a window plate capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays. And a case of an ultraviolet irradiator configured so that cooling air can be circulated inside the outer shell whose opening is sealed.

  The characteristic configuration is that the window plate is divided into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction, and includes a strip-shaped sealing plate that covers the divided portion of the window plate from the inside of the outer shell, and by increasing the pressure of the cooling air flowing inside the outer shell It exists in the place comprised so that a strip-shaped sealing board might be pressed on the division | segmentation location of a window board.

  When the lid has a window frame that is attached to the outer shell and the window plate is mounted from the outside, the lateral groove that accommodates both ends of the strip-shaped sealing plate is inserted into the window frame on the side where the window plate is mounted. It is preferable to extend in the width direction. In addition, a concave groove that can accommodate an O-ring that contacts the window plate is formed in the window frame facing the periphery of the window plate, and a lateral groove that accommodates the end of the strip-shaped sealing plate is recessed from the inner periphery of the window frame. More preferably, it is formed in communication with the groove.

  In the case of the ultraviolet irradiator of the present invention, the window plate formed extremely long in the longitudinal direction with respect to the width dimension is divided into a plurality of pieces in the longitudinal direction, so that the elongated lid is heated to a high temperature in the longitudinal direction. Even if stretched, the difference in both stretches based on the difference in expansion coefficient between the window frame and the window plate is absorbed when the gap between the divided pieces of the plurality of divided window plates widens or shrinks. . Therefore, bending and twisting stress based on the difference in thermal expansion with the window frame will not be applied to the window plate, so that the window plate will be damaged, or the packing affixed to the glass presser will be peeled off for sealing. There is no problem.

  On the other hand, the divided part of the window plate is covered with a strip-shaped sealing plate from the inside of the outer shell, so by increasing the pressure of the cooling air circulating inside and setting the pressure inside the outer shell higher than the outside, Even if there is a gap between the split pieces of the window plate, which is the split location, the cooling air inside the case is externally supplied from the gap. It is possible to prevent leakage. Therefore, in the case of the ultraviolet irradiator of the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the window plate from being damaged while maintaining the airtightness inside the case to some extent.

It is sectional drawing in the surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the ultraviolet irradiation device of embodiment of this invention. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the case from the cover body direction. It is the A section expansion perspective view of Drawing 2 showing the state where both ends of the strip-like sealing board were inserted in the transverse groove. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 includes an ultraviolet irradiator 11 that actually emits ultraviolet rays, and a case 20 that houses and cools the irradiator 11. The ultraviolet irradiator 11 is obtained by processing a stainless steel sheet metal into a rectangular parallelepiped shape 12 having an opening for ultraviolet emission, and an ultraviolet lamp 13 disposed inside the housing 12 along the longitudinal direction. A pair of reflecting mirrors 14 disposed inside the housing 12 with the side surfaces of the ultraviolet lamps 13 extending in the longitudinal direction at regular intervals and reflecting the ultraviolet rays emitted by the ultraviolet lamps 13 toward the openings, 14. As the ultraviolet lamp 13, for example, a straight tube type 32 kW metal halide lamp having a total length of 2500 mm, an effective light emission length of 2000 mm, and a tube diameter of 28 mm is used, and the reflecting mirror 14 is formed with a reflective coating on the concave surface. It is configured by appropriately adopting known forms.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the case 20 of the ultraviolet irradiator of the present invention that accommodates the ultraviolet irradiator 11 is configured to be able to accommodate the ultraviolet irradiator 11 and is emitted from the ultraviolet irradiator 11. An outer shell 21 having an opening 21a for emitting ultraviolet rays, and a lid 22 having a window plate 23 capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays and attached to the outer shell 21 so as to seal the opening 21a are provided. The outer shell 21 is configured in a substantially box shape with a metal such as stainless steel, for example, and the outer shell 21 that accommodates the ultraviolet irradiator 11 having the above size has a total length, a depth (width), and a height of, for example, 3200 mm and 270 mm, respectively. , 250 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the outer shell 21 in this embodiment is divided into two upper and lower chambers by a partition wall 21b parallel to the surface forming the opening 21a, and the opening of the housing 12 is formed into the opening 21a of the outer shell 21. The ultraviolet irradiator 11 is accommodated in the lower chamber partitioned by the partition wall 21b so as to face. On the other hand, in the upper chamber partitioned by the partition wall 21 b of the outer shell 21, the exhaust duct 16 is disposed in the vicinity of the ultraviolet lamp 13. The partition wall 21b is configured to allow cooling air to flow, and the cooling air supplied to the periphery of the exhaust duct 16 in the upper chamber passes through the partition wall 21b and surrounds the ultraviolet irradiator 11 in the lower chamber. And flows into the interior of the housing 12 through the opening of the housing 12 as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line arrow, reaches the periphery of the ultraviolet lamp 13, passes through the partition wall 21b again with the heat around the ultraviolet lamp 13, and is exhausted. It is configured to flow into and out of the duct 16.

  In addition, a pair of shutter members 17 are provided inside the outer shell 21 to block the opening in the ultraviolet irradiator 11 so as to be openable. In this embodiment, the shutter member 17 is installed on the other end of the lever 18 whose one end is pivotally supported at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 21, and when the lever 18 swings around one end, the shutter member 17 is installed on the other end. The shutter member 17 is configured to swing between a first position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 that blocks the opening in the ultraviolet irradiator 11 and a second position indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1 that opens the opening. The Since the shutter member 17 blocks the opening at the first position, the shutter member 17 is swung and moved to the second position only when it is necessary to irradiate ultraviolet rays without turning off the ultraviolet lamp 13 one by one. The effect is that the processing can be performed by opening the.

  On the other hand, the lid 22 attached to the outer casing 21 so as to seal the opening 21a is opposed to the opening 21a with a predetermined interval, and is made of a window plate 23 made of, for example, quartz glass that can transmit ultraviolet rays. There is a window frame 26 attached to the outer shell 21 and mounted with an ultraviolet irradiation window plate 23 from the outside via an O-ring 24. The window frame 26 is formed by punching a substantially central portion of a metal plate having an outer diameter that is substantially equal to the outer shape of the surface having the opening 21 a of the outer shell 21, and is attached to the outer shell 21 around the periphery. A plurality of mounting holes 26a (FIG. 2) are formed, and a mounting hole 21c (FIG. 2) facing the mounting hole 26a is formed around the opening 21a of the outer shell 21. The window frame 26 is relatively thick because it is necessary to mount the window plate 23, for example, having a thickness of 15 mm. The hole 26 e formed in the center and mounted with the window plate 23 is formed in the window frame 26. It is formed in a long rectangle in the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the window plate 23 is dropped on the outer surface side of the window frame 26 and around the hole 26 e in which the window plate 23 is mounted to prevent the window plate 23 from shifting. A thin portion 26b is formed. The thin-walled portion 26b includes a concave groove 26c that encloses the punched hole 26e and accommodates the O-ring 24 closely attached to the periphery of the window plate 23, and the thin-walled portion 26b outside the concave groove 26c. A plurality of female screw holes 26d for screwing a glass presser 27 for surrounding and fixing the window plate 23 are formed. The window plate 23 has an outer shape sufficient to cover the hole 26e and is formed in a rectangular shape that can be attached to the thin portion 26b. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the glass retainer 27 has a screw hole 27a formed and a male screw 28 (FIG. 4) inserted through the screw hole 27a is screwed into the female screw hole 26d. The fixed portion 27b fixed to the window frame 26 by means of the above, and the fixed portion 27b is provided integrally and continuously with the fixed portion 27b so as to contact the periphery of the window plate 23 from the thickness direction and the periphery of the window plate 23 to the window frame 26. And a flange portion 27c pressed from the outside.

  The characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the ultraviolet irradiation window plate 23 is divided into a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction, and the divided portion of the ultraviolet irradiation window plate 23 is covered with a strip-shaped sealing plate 31 from the inside of the outer shell 21. is there. Although the number of divisions of the window plate 23 is preferably limited to about two divisions in terms of the ease of supporting the divided pieces, the actual number of divisions of the window plate 23 differs depending on the total length of the window plate 23, In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the case where the window plate 23 is formed by six divided pieces is shown.

  On the other hand, the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is made of the same quartz glass or the like as the window plate 23, and the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is superposed on the divided portions of the window plate 23 between the divided pieces 23 a and the divided pieces 23 a. A width W1 (FIG. 4) sufficient to seal the gap is formed. As shown in FIG. 1, the length L of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is shorter than the width W2 of the window plate 23 and longer than the width W3 of the punch hole 26e. In the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 in this embodiment, the length L is formed slightly shorter than the dimension W4 between the concave grooves 26c on both sides in which the O-rings 24 in the width direction of the punch holes 26e are accommodated. . The thin-walled portion 26b of the window frame 26 into which the window plate 23 is dropped communicates with the inner periphery of the window frame 26, that is, from the periphery of the punch hole 26e to the recessed groove 26c that accommodates the O-ring 24, and the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 A lateral groove 26f is formed in which the end of each is received. The lateral grooves 26f are formed so that the width W5 thereof is slightly larger than the width W1 of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is attached in such a manner that both end portions thereof are inserted in advance into the lateral grooves 26f formed in the width direction of the window frame 26 and extend in the width direction as shown in FIG. A plurality of strip-shaped sealing plates 31 are installed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the hole 26e. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the window plate 23 composed of the divided pieces 23 a divided into a plurality from the outside of the window frame 26 so as to cover the sealing plates 31 is dropped into the thin portion 26 b of the window frame 26. Attach to. Then, the periphery of the window plate 23 comes into close contact with the O-ring 24 accommodated in the concave groove 26c formed in the thin-walled portion 26b, and in this state, the glass presser 27 is attached to the window frame 26 to surround the periphery of the window plate 23. It is attached to the window frame 26 from the outside. Then, both ends of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 in which the recessed grooves 26 c are accommodated are prevented from being pulled out of the lateral grooves 26 f and attached to the window frame 26.

  In addition to the above description, the case 20 of the ultraviolet irradiator has the cooling air in the outer shell 21 so that the cooling air can flow inside the outer shell 21 in which the opening 22a is sealed. In addition, a blower cylinder introduced around the exhaust duct 16 and an exhaust pipe for discharging the cooling air in the outer casing 21 through the exhaust duct 16 are provided. Further, the outer shell 21 is provided with a connecting portion with a power source for supplying electric energy to the ultraviolet lamp 13 and a swing mechanism for swinging the shutter member 17. The blower tube, the exhaust tube, the connection portion with the power source, and the shutter swing mechanism are omitted in the drawing.

  The case 20 of the ultraviolet irradiator having such a configuration is effective in preventing problems due to thermal deformation of the lid 22 that is a long component. That is, in the case 20 of the ultraviolet irradiator, the window plate 23 that is extremely long in the longitudinal direction with respect to the width dimension is divided into a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction. The length per piece 23a is reduced, and the thermal expansion of each divided piece 23a is kept small. For this reason, even if the elongate lid body 22 including the window plate 23 and the window frame 26 is heated to a high temperature and extends in the longitudinal direction, both expansions based on the difference in expansion coefficient between the window frame 26 and the window plate 23 are caused. The difference is absorbed when the gap between the divided piece 23a and the divided piece 23a of the divided window plate 23 is expanded or reduced. Therefore, stress such as bending or twisting based on the difference in thermal expansion between the window plate 23 and the window frame 26 is not applied to the window plate 23, and the window plate 23 is damaged due to the stress. There is no.

  On the other hand, since the divided part of the window plate 23 is covered with the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 from the inside of the outer shell 21, the pressure of the cooling air circulating inside is increased to set the pressure inside the case 20 higher than the outside. Thus, the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 can be pressed against the divided portion of the window plate 23. Then, even if a gap is generated between the divided piece 23a and the divided piece 23a of the window plate 23 which is a divided portion, it is possible to prevent the cooling air inside the case 20 from leaking to the outside from the gap. And since the periphery of the window plate 23 adheres closely to the O-ring 24 accommodated in the concave groove 26c formed in the window frame 26 facing the periphery of the window plate 23, the adhesion between the window plate 23 and the window frame 26 is ensured. Is done. Therefore, in the case 20 of the ultraviolet irradiator, it is possible to effectively prevent the window plate 23 from being damaged while maintaining the airtightness inside the case 20 to some extent.

  Further, the lateral groove 26f that accommodates both ends of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is formed on the side of the window frame 26 on the side on which the window plate 23 is mounted so as to extend in the width direction of the window plate 23. When both end portions of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 are inserted, a plurality of strip-shaped sealing plates 31 extending in the width direction are installed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the hole 26e as shown in FIG. Become. Then, the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is removed from the window frame 26 by attaching the window plate 23 composed of the divided pieces 23 a divided into a plurality from the outside of the window frame 26 so as to cover the plurality of sealing plates 31. It can be prevented from being removed. Therefore, the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 can be attached to the window frame 26 in the conventional operation of mounting the window plate 23, and the work for mounting the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 does not increase significantly.

  Here, the lateral groove 26f that accommodates the end of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is formed so as to communicate with the concave groove 26c that accommodates the O-ring 24 from the inner periphery of the window frame 26. L is a dimension W4 between the groove 26c and the groove 26c on both sides in the width direction of the window frame 26 in which the O-ring 24 is accommodated, that is, between the O-rings 24 closely contacting both sides in the width direction of the window plate 23. It becomes possible to approximate the dimensions. Then, by bringing the length of the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 close to the dimension between the O-rings 24 that are in close contact with both sides of the window plate 23 in the width direction, the strip-shaped sealing plate 31 is generated between the divided pieces 23a and 23a of the window plate 23. Most of the gap can be covered with the strip-shaped sealing plate 31, and the airtightness inside the case 20 can be further improved.

  Further, in the window plate 23, even if the size of the ultraviolet irradiator 11 accommodated therein is changed and the case 20 specification of the ultraviolet irradiator is changed, the division constituting the window plate 23 is performed. By changing the number of used pieces 23a, window plates 23 having different lengths can be obtained. For example, if all of the divided pieces 23a constituting the window plate 23 have the same length, the number of used pieces of the divided pieces 23a is changed to have a length that is an integral multiple of the length of the divided pieces 23a. The window plate 23 can be obtained relatively easily. In addition, when the window plate 23 is composed of a plurality of divided pieces 23a having the same length and a surplus material having a different length from the divided pieces 23a, the divided pieces 23a can be divided by changing the number of used pieces. The window plate 23 having a length obtained by adding the length of the surplus material to the integral multiple of the length of the piece 23a can be obtained relatively easily. For this reason, as long as the specification change of the length of the window plate 23 is an integral multiple of the length of the divided piece 23a or an integral multiple of the length of the divided piece 23a, the length is different. There is no need to newly produce the divided piece 23a or a single window plate 23 having a different length. As a result, according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with a change in the specification of the length of the window plate 23 more easily and at a lower cost.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultraviolet irradiation apparatus 11 Ultraviolet irradiation device 20 Case 21 Outline 21a Opening part 22 Cover body 23 Window plate 24 O-ring 26 Window frame 26c Groove 26f Horizontal groove 31 Strip-shaped sealing board

Claims (3)

The opening (21a) includes an outer shell (21) configured to accommodate the ultraviolet irradiator (11) and formed with an opening (21a) for emitting ultraviolet rays, and a window plate (23) capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays. A lid (22) attached to the outer shell (21) so as to seal the outer wall (21), and the lid (22) for cooling inside the outer shell (21) sealing the opening (21a) In the case of an ultraviolet irradiator configured to allow air to flow,
The window plate (23) is divided into a plurality in the longitudinal direction;
A strip-shaped sealing plate (31) that covers the division of the window plate (23) from the inside of the outer shell (21),
Ultraviolet light characterized by being configured to press the strip-shaped sealing plate (31) against the divided portion of the window plate (23) by increasing the pressure of cooling air flowing inside the outer shell (21). Irradiator case. The lid (22) has a window frame (26) attached to the outer shell (21) and fitted with a window plate (23) from the outside,
A transverse groove (26f) that accommodates both ends of the strip-shaped sealing plate (31) has a width direction of the window plate (23) from the inner periphery to the side on which the window plate (23) of the window frame (26) is mounted. The case of the ultraviolet irradiator according to claim 1, wherein the case is formed to extend. A concave groove (26c) capable of accommodating an O-ring (24) in contact with the window plate (23) is formed in the window frame (26) facing the periphery of the window plate (23),
The ultraviolet irradiation according to claim 2, wherein a lateral groove (26f) in which an end portion of the strip-shaped sealing plate (31) is accommodated is formed to communicate with the concave groove (26c) from the inner periphery of the window frame (26). Case of container.

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