JP3193909B2 - Cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object to be cleaned by bringing a solvent into contact with the object to be cleaned.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object to be cleaned by bringing the object to be cleaned into contact with a solvent (liquid or gas) in a closed cleaning tank, the pressure in the cleaning tank is reduced during the cleaning. Conventionally, a method of increasing the cleaning effect has been known. For example, in the case of an apparatus for cleaning (immersion cleaning) the object to be cleaned by immersing the object to be cleaned in a liquid solvent stored in the cleaning tank, when the pressure in the cleaning tank is reduced, a degassing effect causes a blind hole. The solvent also penetrates between the adhesive and the adherent, so that the cleaning effect is enhanced. On the other hand, in the case of an apparatus for cleaning an object to be cleaned (steam cleaning) by disposing the object to be cleaned in a gaseous solvent (solvent vapor) filled in the cleaning tank, when the pressure in the cleaning tank is reduced. In addition, diffusion of the solvent in the cleaning tank is promoted. Further, when the pressure in the cleaning tank is reduced, the boiling point of the solvent becomes lower than the boiling point in the standard state. Therefore, even a high boiling point solvent can be vaporized or maintained in a gaseous state at a relatively low temperature.

[0003] A pump (vacuum pump) is generally used to depressurize the cleaning tank, but if a liquid (water, solvent) is drawn into the pump, the pump may be broken. In particular, when a high-performance (high-efficiency) pump (for example, a Roots pump) is used, even if a small amount of liquid (fine droplets) enters, the pump may fail. Therefore,
In the cleaning device configured as described above, for example, a condenser for condensing the vapor contained in the gas or a gas carried by the gas flies along the flow path (pipe) from the cleaning tank to the pump. By installing a liquid trap that collects liquid (fine droplets of water or solvent) and passes only gas,
It is necessary to prevent liquid from entering the pump.

[0004]

However, even if the condenser or the liquid trap is provided as described above, the liquid condensed in the condenser or the liquid collected in the liquid trap is sucked out by the suction force of the pump. And may enter the pump.
In particular, when the relief valve for reducing the load on the pump is arranged upstream of the condenser or the liquid trap, there is a high possibility that the liquid will be sucked out as described above. Further, if a condenser or a liquid trap is arranged in front of the pump as in the related art, the vapor pressure in the flow path increases as the amount of the condensed liquid or the collected liquid gradually increases. When this happens,
The degree of vacuum not only in the flow path but also in the cleaning tank is reduced, and the efficiency of immersion cleaning and steam cleaning as described above is reduced. Further, when the temperature of the pipe is low, dew condensation of water, a solvent, or the like may occur on the inner wall of the pipe. However, when the liquid generated by the dew condensation returns to the cleaning tank, the cleaning efficiency is further reduced. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object thereof is to allow liquid to enter a pump for depressurizing a cleaning tank or to cause dew condensation in a pipe connecting the cleaning tank and the pump. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device provided with a means for preventing the occurrence of the cleaning.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a cleaning tank for internally bringing a solvent into contact with an object to be cleaned, a flow path connected to the cleaning tank, A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a pump for depressurizing the inside of the cleaning tank through the flow path; and a heating unit disposed on the way of the flow path.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a cleaning apparatus according to the present invention,
When the pump is started, the gas inside the cleaning tank is sucked out and flows through the flow path in the direction of the pump. A heating means is provided at a predetermined position in the flow path, and the gas absorbs heat generated from the heating means when passing through the position in the flow path. Due to this heat, the liquid (fine droplets of water or solvent) which is carried and flies by the gas is completely vaporized, so that the gas flows into the pump without containing any liquid component. Further, by increasing the temperature of the solvent vapor, the liquid is prevented from being re-condensed in the flow path immediately before the pump or in the pump.

As a first embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, for example, a configuration is conceivable in which a pipe for connecting a cleaning tank and a pump is provided as the flow path, and the heating means heats the pipe itself. Can be FIG. 1 shows an example of such a cleaning apparatus.

A cleaning apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 cleans an object to be cleaned 12 by bringing an object to be cleaned (work) 12 into contact with a solvent 13 in a cleaning tank 11. In the cleaning apparatus 10, the object to be cleaned 12 can be cleaned by any of immersion cleaning using the solvent 13 and steam cleaning. For example, when performing immersion cleaning, the cleaning tank 11 is used.
A sufficient amount of the solvent 13 is stored therein, and the object to be cleaned 12 is stored therein.
Immerse. In the case of performing steam cleaning, as shown in FIG. 1, a solvent 13 is stored at the bottom of the cleaning tank 11 while leaving a space sufficient for disposing the object 12 to be cleaned at the top of the cleaning tank 11. The cleaning tank 11 is heated by the provided heater (first heater) 14 to vaporize the solvent 13. Cleaning tank 1
A drain 111 is provided at the bottom of 1. An exhaust port 112 is provided on a side wall of the cleaning tank 11, and the exhaust port 112 communicates with an intake port 161 of the pump 16 through an exhaust pipe 15 cut off by a valve 151. Exhaust pipe 1
A branch pipe 17 provided with a vacuum break valve 171 is connected in the middle of Step 5. A heater (second heater) 18 wrapping a part of the exhaust pipe 15 is provided between the branch pipe 17 and the pump 16.

In the cleaning device 10, when the pump 16 is operated, the air in the cleaning tank 11 is sucked into the exhaust pipe 15. Thus, the second heater 18 is sucked while sucking air.
When the current is supplied to the second heater 18, the exhaust pipe 15 is heated inside the second heater 18, and the fine droplets carried and flying by the gas flowing through the exhaust pipe 15 are vaporized. Further, by heating the exhaust pipe 15 as described above, dew condensation of water and solvent on the inner wall of the exhaust pipe 15 is effectively prevented.

In the cleaning device of the first embodiment, the heating means may heat the entire pipe, but heats the pipe only in a part of the section having a length sufficient to vaporize the liquid. You may do so. In the latter case, the distance between the heating section and the pump is adjusted by the influence of heat generated from the heating means in order to prevent the vaporized water or solvent from condensing again in the pipe from the heating section to the pump. However, it is preferable to shorten the distance within a range in which the resistance is not affected.

As a second embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid trap for collecting fine droplets which are carried by a gas sucked from a cleaning tank to a pump in the middle of the flow path and fly. Is provided, and the above-mentioned heating means is provided in this liquid trap. FIG. 2 shows an example of such a cleaning apparatus.

The cleaning apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2 is a steam cleaning apparatus provided with a steam generating tank 21 separately from the cleaning tank 11. The steam generation tank 21 is provided with a heater (third heater) 22, which allows the solvent 13 stored in the steam generation tank 21 to be stored.
Is heated, and a solvent vapor is generated. This solvent vapor is passed through tube 2
3, the cleaning object 11 is introduced into the cleaning tank 11,
Contact Thus, the object to be cleaned 12 is subjected to steam cleaning. A liquid trap 24 is provided in the middle of the exhaust pipe 15 in place of the second heater 18 of the cleaning device 10 of FIG. 1, and a heater (fourth heater) 25 for heating the liquid trap 24 is provided. It is attached to the main body of the liquid trap 24.

In the cleaning apparatus 20, when the pump 16 is operated, the air in the cleaning tank 11 is sucked into the exhaust pipe 15, and when the air passes through the liquid trap 24, the fine droplets carried by the air are discharged. Is collected by the liquid trap 24. When the fourth heater 25 is energized while the air is being sucked, the fine droplets collected by the liquid trap 24 are vaporized.

In the cleaning device of the second embodiment, the amount of heat supplied by the heating means is preferably sufficient to instantaneously vaporize the liquid collected in the liquid trap. Also, to prevent vaporized water and solvent from condensing again in the flow path from the liquid trap to the pump,
It is preferable to shorten the distance between the liquid trap and the pump as long as the pump is not affected by the heat generated by the heating means.

[0015]

As described above, in the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, all the liquid contained in the gas sucked from the cleaning tank to the pump is vaporized by the heat from the heating means before reaching the pump. Since the pump is thus reliably protected against liquid ingress, it is also possible to use a high-performance pump which is vulnerable to liquid ingress. In an apparatus using a liquid trap, the liquid trap reliably collects the liquid in the gas, and the collected liquid is instantaneously vaporized by the heating means, so the pump is more reliably protected from liquid intrusion. Is done. Further, if the pipe is heated by the heating means as in the first embodiment, water or solvent does not condense on the inner wall of the pipe, and the liquid condensed in the pipe returns to the cleaning tank. This prevents the washing efficiency from being lowered.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a cleaning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the cleaning device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10, 20: Cleaning device 11: Cleaning tank 12: Workpiece to be cleaned 13: Solvent 14: Heater (first heater) 15: Exhaust pipe 16: Pump 18: Heater (second heater) 22: Heater (third) Heater) 24: Liquid trap 25: Heater (fourth heater)

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B08B 3/00-3/14 F04D 15/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A cleaning tank for bringing a solvent into contact with an object to be cleaned therein; a flow path connected to the cleaning tank; a pump for depressurizing the inside of the cleaning tank through the flow path; A cleaning device, comprising: a heating unit provided in the middle of the flow path. 2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow path is a pipe connecting the cleaning tank and the pump, and the heating unit heats the pipe itself. 3. A liquid trap for collecting a liquid carried by the gas sucked from the washing tank to the pump is provided on the way of the flow path, and the heating means is provided with the liquid trap. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device is provided in the cleaning device.