JP2567436Y2 - Electrode sealing device for electrolytic treatment tank - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrolytic treatment tank used for various kinds of electroplating, such as electrogalvanizing, electrotin plating, etc., electrolytic polishing and electrolytic cleaning. The present invention relates to a device for sealing an electrode part in a processing tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional type of horizontal (horizontal) electrogalvanizing equipment will be described with reference to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-140100 for a conventional device for sealing an electrode portion in an electrolytic treatment tank. FIG.
Is an overall view of a horizontal plating tank described in the same publication, in which a plating tank main body 2 is disposed at a lower portion with a steel strip 1 running horizontally and an upper cover 3 is disposed at an upper portion, and a lower electrode 6 is disposed at a central portion of each of the plating bath main body 2.
The upper electrode 7 has a pair of upper and lower energizing rolls 15 in total at the front and rear ends which contact and sandwich the steel strip 1.
A pair of nozzles 14 for injecting the plating solution toward both surfaces of the steel strip 1 is immersed in the plating solution because the electrodes 6 and 7 are connected to the power supply via the conductors 10 and 11, respectively. In this state, a current is applied between the electrodes 6 and 7 as anodes and the energizing roll 15 as cathode to perform electroplating. Since the electrodes 6 and 7 are consumed with the plating reaction, they need to be replaced frequently. However, if the steel strip 1 is pulled out each time, it is inefficient, so the electrodes need to be replaced while the steel strip 1 is passed. So that the plating tank body 2
The upper cover 3 is provided with openings 4 and 5 having shapes corresponding to the shapes of the electrodes 6 and 7, respectively. The electrodes 6 and 7 are filled with the openings 4 and 5 so that the electrodes 6 and 7 are closed. It has a structure that constitutes a part of the cover 3. The electrodes 6 and 7 are supported by electrode supporting means 8 and 9 such as jacks. For example, when the jack moves forward, it is in an operating state, when the jack retreats, it separates from the openings 4, 5 and further out of the line by a bogie, a crane or the like. Electrodes can be carried out. In order to prevent the plating solution from leaking from the electrode portion to the outside in the operating state, a seal member is required between the openings 4 and 5 and the electrodes 6 and 7.

FIG. 3 shows a lower electrode formed by an inflatable seal (expanding / shrinking tubular seal) proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-140100 as a seal member suitable for such a portion. 6A is an enlarged view of a seal portion around 6, and FIG. 7A is an operation state in which the electrode 6 is advanced, and FIG.
Represents a state at the time of electrode replacement in which the electrode 6 is retracted, and an inflatable seal 13 is attached as a seal member in a concave portion 12 provided around the opening 4 of the plating tank main body 2.

The inflatable seal 13 has a special cross-sectional shape, is a tube-shaped seal body having an air chamber formed therein, and is made of an elastic material such as rubber or resin. The surface is flat and the other two surfaces are concave. When gas is injected from a base (not shown) and the internal pressure is increased, the concave portion expands and the width increases, and the gas is discharged and the internal pressure becomes atmospheric. When it returns, the original cross-sectional shape is restored by the elasticity of the material. By utilizing this characteristic, in the operation state shown in FIG. 3A, the inflatable seal 13 expands and makes strong contact with the electrode 6 to perform sealing. A gap is formed in the gap to facilitate the retreating operation, and the electrode 6 is not damaged when passing through the inflatable seal 13.

FIG. 4 shows an air piping system for operating the inflatable seal 13. Since air piping is provided from the pressure air source 16 such as factory air to the inflatable seal 13 through the air supply valve 17, when the air supply valve 17 is opened, the inflate seal 13 expands and the exhaust valve 18 is opened to open the air pressure. Is removed, the inflatable seal 13 shrinks. In this example, in order to further ensure the sealing effect, the inflatable seal 13 is provided in two stages.

[0006]

By the way, in such a structure in which the electrode and the plating tank are sealed by the inflation seal, the gap between the electrode and the opening of the plating tank is as small as possible to ensure the sealing effect. Is better,
Usually it is about 3 to 10 mm. Therefore, while the inflatable seal expands and contracts normally while it is new, the rubber or resin material swells during repeated expansion and contraction in the harsh environment of the plating solution, and even if the internal air pressure is released, the inflatable seal is released. Does not shrink to its original size. When this becomes serious, the inflated seal, which should have shrunk during the forward movement of the electrode, is abnormally contacted and damaged, causing troubles such as line stoppage due to liquid leakage. An object of the present invention is to prevent such a phenomenon and to provide a means for completely shrinking to its original size even after repeated use.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an electrode sealing apparatus for an electrolytic treatment tank comprising an electrolytic treatment tank main body having an opening formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the electrode, and an electrode loaded in the opening. An inflate seal that is interposed in a gap between the opening and the peripheral portion of the electrode and expands and contracts according to the magnitude of an internal pressure, a pressure gas supply unit for expanding the inflate seal, And a vacuum means for shrinking the inflation seal.

[0008]

[Operation] As described above, an inflatable seal which has been repeatedly used and has caused a swelling phenomenon does not have a force to return to the original size only by releasing the internal pressure to atmospheric pressure, but according to the present invention, Since the inside of the seal is forcibly contracted by making it a vacuum state, the seal surface is not damaged even if it is used for a long time, and trouble such as liquid leakage does not occur.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is an air piping system diagram for an inflatable seal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air piping from the pressure air source 16 to the inflation seal 13 via the air supply valve 17 is the same as in FIG. 4, but in the present invention, the piping from the air supply valve 17 to the inflation seal 13 is in the middle. A branch pipe is taken out and connected to a vacuum pump 21 via a suction valve 20. When expanding the inflatable seal 13, the air supply valve 17 may be opened as before, but when contracting, the suction valve 20 is opened and the vacuum pump 21 is operated,
The inside of the inflatable seal 13 is made to be in a vacuum state, so to say, is forcibly contracted.

In the case of a plating tank having a plating solution pressure of 0.3 to 0.5 kgf / cm ² , the cross-sectional dimension is 30 mm × 30 mm, and the expansion stroke is 10 m.
The air pressure to inflate the m-flat seal is 0.8-1.
Seal of 5kgf / cm ² degree if any plating solution is sufficient,
Moreover, the degree of vacuum required to contract the inflated seal is a ₂ O about -50MmH. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a pressure switch 19 on the outlet side of the air supply valve 17, and to confirm that the air pressure in the inflation seal 13 is equal to or higher than a set value, and to interlock the line to an operation state. Similarly, it is desirable to provide a pressure gauge 22 in the vacuum pipe so that the electrodes operate under the condition that the degree of vacuum in the inflation seal 13 has reached a set value.

In the above-described embodiment, two seals are provided for one electrode, as in FIG. 4 described above, but it is needless to say that one seal may be provided depending on the line conditions. Also,
Instead of attaching the inflatable seal 13 to the plating tank opening side, it is also possible to attach it around the electrode side to seal the opening. The piping system of FIG.
Although one supply valve 17 and one suction valve 20 are provided, for example, when it is desired to separately operate the upper and lower electrodes, the necessary number of these valves may be provided in the branched portions of the respective pipes.

In the above embodiments, a horizontal plating tank was described. In addition, there are also vertical electrolytic treatment tanks and cylindrical electrolytic treatment tanks called a radial type. When a seal is used, it goes without saying that the present invention is applied and a predetermined effect is achieved.

[0013]

According to the present invention, since the inflatable seal is forcibly contracted by the vacuum pipe, the electrode is advanced or retracted even if rubber or the like swells due to long-term use and the inflatable seal is deformed. Since the sealing surface is not damaged during operation and troubles such as liquid leakage do not occur, the operation rate of the line is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping system diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrolytic processing tank according to the present invention.

3A and 3B are partially enlarged cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the inflatable seal according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is an expanded state, and FIG.
Is in a contracted state.

FIG. 4 is a piping diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steel strip 2 Plating tank main body 3 Upper cover 4, 5 opening 6, 7 Electrode 8, 9 Electrode support means 13 Seal member 16 Pressure air piping 17 Air supply valve 20 Suction valve 21 Vacuum pump

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. An electrode sealing device for an electrolytic treatment tank comprising: an electrolytic treatment tank main body in which an opening having a shape corresponding to the shape of an electrode is formed; and an electrode loaded in the opening. An inflation seal that is interposed in the gap with the peripheral edge of the electrode and expands and contracts depending on the magnitude of the internal pressure,
An electrode part sealing device for an electrolytic treatment tank, comprising: a pressure gas supply means for expanding the inflation seal; and a vacuum means for contracting the inflation seal.