JP3449585B2 - Airtight holding device for reciprocating members - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a case where an object to be cleaned is inserted into a cleaning tank, a drying tank or the like of a cleaning apparatus and the object to be cleaned is moved up and down by an advancing / retreating member which moves forward / backward by external power. The present invention relates to an airtightness holding device for an advancing / retreating member, which is used when a target work is performed by decompressing the inside of a cleaning tank or a drying tank having the advancing / retreating member. The purpose of the present invention is to prevent the solvent and the like adhering to the advancing / retreating member from diffusing to the outside and to ensure the airtightness in the tank equipped with the advancing / retreating member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an advancing / retreating member such as a shaft or a chain is inserted into a cleaning tank filled with a solvent, and a storage basket accommodating the item to be cleaned is connected to the lower end of the advancing / retreating member, or the item to be cleaned is placed. There is one in which a mounting table is placed. And
These advancing / retreating members are used when cleaning an object to be cleaned.
In order to bring the solvent in the cleaning tank into contact with the object to be cleaned, it is used by descending into the cleaning tank. After the cleaning of the object to be cleaned is completed, the advancing / retreating member raises the object to be cleaned, and the object to be cleaned that has been cleaned is taken out from the outlet of the cleaning tank for use.

Such an advancing / retreating member comes into contact with the object to be cleaned in the lower end direction when cleaning the object to be cleaned. Further, when the article to be cleaned is taken out, the portion to which the solvent or the like is attached is exposed from the cleaning tank to the outside.

In order to prevent the solvent from diffusing into the atmosphere due to this exposure, a sealing material such as an O-ring is conventionally provided on the top plate of the cleaning tank, and the advancing / retreating member is advanced and retracted through this sealing material to wash the cleaning tank. It blocks the communication between the inside and the outside and prevents the diffusion of the solvent. That is, the sealing member such as the O-ring is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral portion of the advancing / retreating member, and the solvent or the like adhered to the outer periphery of the advancing / retreating member is hermetically sealed in the cleaning tank or the like so as not to flow out to the outside. There is.

[0005]

However, in the case where the advancing / retreating member has a circular cross section such as a shaft and has the same diameter from one end to the other end without any change in shape, a sealing material such as an O-ring is used. The sealing by is effective to some extent. However, in the case of a chain or the like having a large change in shape and severe irregularities, the sealing member such as an O-ring cannot maintain airtightness. Further, even if the advancing / retreating member has a circular cross section such as a shaft, in order for the advancing / retreating member to be able to advance / retreat, a space for enabling the advancing / retreating is necessarily provided between the advancing / retreating member and the top plate of the cleaning tank. The airtightness is not certain.

Even in the case of an advancing / retreating member having a circular cross section such as a shaft, it is difficult in terms of work to make the shaft have the same shape from one end to the other end and the surface is smooth. In many cases, fine irregularities are deformed or the diameter is changed. In such a case, as the advancing / retreating member advances / retracts, the solvent may be discharged to the outside while being attached to the uneven portion and the deformed portion.

Further, in order to prevent such a situation, if the sealing member and the advancing / retreating member are made close to each other in strength, a strong force is required for advancing / retreating the advancing / retreating member, which causes a hindrance to the advancing / retreating. Further, in order to make the advancing / retreating member move well, if the sealing strength of the sealing material to the advancing / retreating member is reduced, the solvent will flow out. Further, the sealing by such a sealing member is effective only when the advancing / retreating member has a uniform shape such as a shaft as described above, and cannot be used at all for a chain or the like.

Further, when performing the intended work by depressurizing the cleaning tank and the drying tank equipped with the advancing / retreating member, it is impossible to depressurize the tank with the advancing / retreating member being capable of advancing and retracting. It was something. That is, even if the advancing / retreating member has a circular cross section such as a shaft, if it can be advanced / retracted with respect to the top plate of the cleaning tank, a space is inevitably formed between the advancing and retracting member and the top plate of the cleaning tank. Is.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and even if the advancing / retreating member has a shape such as a chain having a large unevenness, the shaft has a uniform diameter. Whatever the case, it is an object of the present invention to provide an airtightness holding device for a forward / backward member that enables reliable airtightness and does not diffuse the solvent in the cleaning tank or the like to the outside.

Further, while allowing the advancing / retreating member to move back and forth with respect to the top plate of the cleaning tank , a high degree of airtightness is ensured,
The inside of a drying tank or the like is decompressed so that the intended work can be performed.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention covers the outer periphery of the advancing / retreating member which is connected to the advancing / retreating mechanism and penetrates the top plate of the cleaning tank with an elastic coating. Airtightly projecting the upper and lower ends of the advancing / retreating member from the upper and lower ends of the elastic cover to form a closed chamber in the elastic cover, and connecting the fluid inflow and outflow pipes to the closed chamber and sealing the elastic cover with a sealing material. It is formed by slidably penetrating the top plate of the cleaning tank .

Further, the elastic cover may be formed by advancing and retracting the advancing and retracting members directly from both upper and lower ends.

The elastic cover may be formed by hermetically sealing the upper and lower ends with a top plate and a bottom plate, and airtightly projecting the advancing / retreating member from the top plate and the bottom plate. .

Further, the advancing / retreating member may be formed by a shaft having a lower end to which a mounting table for the object to be cleaned is connected.

Further, the advancing / retreating member may be formed by a chain capable of connecting an article to be cleaned at its lower end.

[0016]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the outer periphery of the advancing / retreating member is hermetically covered by the elastic coating, and the upper and lower ends of the elastic coating are closely connected to the advancing / retreating member. There is no communication with the outside air. When the elastic cover and the advancing / retreating member are connected to each other, such as a chain, which is highly uneven, a melted rubber, synthetic resin, or the like is arranged on the outer periphery of the advancing / retreating member and is flown into the uneven portion to form the molding. According to the method, the advancing / retreating member and the elastic cover can be configured so as to maintain close contact and integrity.

Further, the elastic coating is adhered and fixed to the shaft and the like by the above method or another appropriate method,
The advancing / retreating member such as a shaft is fixedly arranged with respect to the elastic cover. An elastic cover is arranged on the outer circumference of the advancing / retreating member, and an inflow / outflow pipe for fluid from the outside is connected to the closed chamber formed by the elastic cover. A fluid such as gas or liquid is introduced into the closed chamber via a pipe.

By introducing a fluid such as a gas or a liquid into the closed chamber, the closed chamber is expanded and presses the elastic cover outward. This pressurization degree is determined by the amount of fluid introduced. Therefore, in order to increase the degree of contact and sealing between the seal member and the elastic cover, a large amount of fluid is introduced into the sealed chamber and Good sealing contact with the outer periphery of the cover.

In addition, when the vertical movement of the advancing / retreating member is prioritized and the adhesiveness between the elastic cover and the sealing member may be made somewhat gentle, the fluid in the closed chamber is transferred from the inflow / outflow pipe to the outside. By discharging an appropriate amount, the degree of sealing can be adjusted.

When a high degree of airtightness is maintained, such as when the work is performed under reduced pressure in the cleaning tank, the drying tank, etc.,
A large amount of fluid is introduced into the sealed chamber until the vertical movement of the advancing / retreating member is eliminated, and the sealing contact between the sealing member and the outer peripheral portion of the elastic cover is made highly sophisticated so that the sealing property of the depressurized state is also maintained. It becomes possible. Further, when decompressing the cleaning tank and the drying tank, even if a large amount of fluid is not necessarily introduced into the closed chamber, the pressure difference between the closed chamber and the decompressed cleaning tank and the drying tank causes the gas in the closed chamber to be reduced. If expanded, the sealing contact between the sealing member and the outer peripheral portion of the elastic cover may be enhanced.

Further, even when an advancing / retreating member such as a chain whose shape changes drastically is used, the advancing / retreating member does not come into direct contact with the seal member, and the elastic covering member that hermetically covers a part of the advancing / retreating member serves as the seal member. Since they come into contact with each other, the airtightness of the advancing / retreating member is not impaired regardless of the shape of the advancing / retreating member.

Therefore, even when cleaning an object to be cleaned with a solvent or the like which is harmful to the cleaning solution when it is released into the atmosphere,
Even if the advancing / retreating member or the elastic covering is brought into contact with the solvent freely and the contact portion is projected from the cleaning tank to the outside, the solvent is not diffused to the outside. Further, it is possible to perform a work in which the inside of the cleaning tank, the drying tank, and the like is depressurized if necessary.

Since the introduction of the fluid through the inflow / outflow pipe into the closed chamber in the elastic cover can be adjusted arbitrarily as described above, in the case where the advancing / retreating member is frequently moved back and forth. In addition, the advancing / retreating member can be easily moved back and forth by reducing the amount of fluid flowing into the closed chamber and slightly loosening the contact between the seal material and the outer peripheral surface of the elastic cover.

For a solvent having a high diffusivity depending on the type of the solvent, it is possible to introduce a large amount of fluid into the closed chamber to improve the adhesion between the seal material and the elastic coating. In addition, by introducing a larger amount of fluid into the closed chamber to improve the adhesion between the sealing material and the elastic covering to the immovable state, the cleaning tank, the drying tank, etc. are decompressed and the work is advanced. It is possible to maintain the airtightness and the airtightness even under a reduced pressure condition.

Further, by adjusting the amount of the fluid introduced into the closed chamber in this way, the adhesion between the seal material and the elastic cover can be adjusted as desired, so that the working accuracy of the elastic cover can be improved. Even if an elastic coating that is not strictly required and has relatively low accuracy is used, the pressing force on the sealing material can be adjusted by the amount of fluid filled inside, so a high degree of machining accuracy can be achieved. Not required.

Further, by providing a top plate and a bottom plate at the upper and lower ends of the elastic cover, it becomes easy to closely adhere to and fix the advancing / retreating member, so that the advancing / retreating member is not a uniform shape such as a shaft, but also in a chain or the like. It is possible to secure a high degree of airtightness.

[0027]

EXAMPLE An example of using the present invention in a cleaning apparatus will be described below. (1) is an advancing / retreating mechanism, which is formed of a cylinder or the like, and an advancing / retreating rod (2) protruding upward can be advanced and retracted in the vertical direction. Then, the advancing / retreating member (4) is attached to the mounting rod (3) connected at a right angle to the tip of the advancing / retreating rod (2).
It is fixedly formed parallel to the vertical direction of the advancing / retreating mechanism (1).

The advancing / retreating member (4) is inserted into the cleaning tank (6) of the cleaning device (5), and the mounting table (8) for the object (7) to be cleaned is provided at the lower end.
Are connected. The mounting table (8) is connected to the advancing / retreating member (4) and can move up and down in the cleaning tank (6). The cleaning tank (6) is filled with an appropriate amount of a cleaning liquid (21) made of a solvent suitable for the cleaning operation. Also, this retractable member
(4) penetrates the top plate (12) provided at the upper end of the cleaning tank (6),
It is possible to move back and forth inside and outside the cleaning tank (6).

Further, the advancing / retreating member (4) has an outer periphery covered with an airtight elastic coating (11) such as rubber or soft elastic resin. The elastic cover (11) is formed in a tubular shape, and a top plate (12) and a bottom plate (13) are formed at the upper and lower ends of the elastic cover (11) to seal the elastic cover (11). ) Is formed. Further, the top plate (12) and the bottom plate (13) are closely fixed to the shaft (15) constituting the advancing / retreating member (4) to form a closed chamber.
The degree of sealing of (14) is to be improved.

The elastic coating (11) is a cleaning tank.
The top plate (12) of (6) can be moved up and down so as to move up and down, but a sealing material (16) such as an O-ring is arranged on the top plate (12) of the cleaning tank (6) . And this sealing material (16)
Close to the outer periphery of the elastic cover (11),
It is possible to move up and down.

Further, a fluid inflow / outflow pipe (17) is connected to the elastic cover (11) to allow a fluid such as liquid, air, or nonflammable gas to flow into the closed chamber (14) or to close it. Chamber (14)
It is designed so that it can be drained from within. A lid (20) is formed on a part of the top plate (12 ) of the cleaning tank (6) to cover the entrance (18) of the object (7) to be cleaned.

In the structure constructed as described above, the advancing / retreating member
In order to move the (4) forward and backward to wash the object to be cleaned (7), first, the forward and backward mechanism (1) is extended and the forward and backward rod (2) is projected upward. Along with the protrusion of the advancing / retreating rod (2) in the upper direction, the upper direction of the advancing / retreating member (4) fixed to the mounting rod (3) protrudes from the cleaning tank (6), and together with the elastic cover (11), the cleaning tank (11). 6) Increase the amount of protrusion in the upper direction. And
The mounting table (8) connected to the lower end of the advancing / retreating member (4) also has cleaning liquid (2
Since it can rise from the inside of 1) and near the entrance (18), the lid (20) is opened and the entrance (18) is opened.
Then, the article to be cleaned (7) is placed on the placing table (8).

Then, when the advancing / retreating mechanism (1) is retracted and the advancing / retreating rod (2) is lowered, the elastic cover (11) and the advancing / retreating member (4) are lowered into the cleaning tank (6). The object to be cleaned (7) mounted on the mounting table (8) can be cleaned by contact with a solvent. After completing this cleaning, the advance / retreat mechanism
By extending (1) and raising and retracting rod (2),
Guide the object to be cleaned (7) to the entrance (18) in the cleaning tank (6),
The object to be cleaned (7) can be taken out by opening the lid (20).

With the extension of the advancing / retreating rod (2), the advancing / retreating member (4) ascends together with the elastic cover (11) as described above. At a the rise, the partial elastic covering member (11) is adhered to the cleaning solution (21) to the outer periphery in contact with the washing liquid (21), the top plate (12) or al outward of the cleaning tank (6) It will be protruding. In this protrusion, since the sealing material (16) provided on the top plate (12) of the cleaning tank (6) is in close contact with the outer periphery of the elastic cover (11), the elastic cover is formed. The cleaning liquid (21) adhering to the outer periphery of (11) is entirely scraped off by the sealing material (16), and the gas of the cleaning liquid (21) does not leak to the outside of the cleaning tank (6).

The sealing material (16) and the elastic coating are
The higher the contact strength, the better the adhesion with (11), but if the contact strength is too strong, the up-and-down movement of the advancing / retreating member (4) cannot be performed smoothly. Further, if the contact strength between the sealing material (16) and the elastic cover (11) is too weak, the advancing / retreating member (4)
It is easy to move up and down, but there is a possibility that the solvent will diffuse to the outside.

Therefore, in order to adjust to the best condition, the amount of fluid introduced from the inflow / outflow pipe (17) into the closed chamber (14) is adjusted so that the elastic cover (11) is directed outward. It becomes possible by expanding and adjusting the amount. That is, the closed chamber (14)
If a large amount of fluid is introduced into the inside, the expansion rate of the elastic coating body (11) increases, so that the contact strength between the outer periphery of the elastic coating body (11) and the sealing material (16) increases, and the airtightness is improved. I can do things.

If the amount of fluid introduced into the closed chamber (14) is reduced, the sealing strength between the seal material (16) and the elastic cover (11) becomes weaker. Therefore, the elastic cover (11) can be easily moved up and down, and the workability can be improved. And, as described above, the degree of sealing is the sealed chamber (14).
It can be easily adjusted according to the amount of fluid introduced into the interior, so empirically or by making various measurements,
The optimal inflow amount can be adjusted arbitrarily.

Further, since the sealing degree can be adjusted by adjusting the inflow amount according to the type of the solvent or the like, or the working accuracy of the elastic cover (11), etc., the elastic cover (1
Even when the work precision of 1) is not high, the closed chamber (14)
By adjusting the flow rate of fluid into the seal material (16)
The degree of sealing between the elastic cover and the outer periphery of the elastic cover (11) can be adjusted arbitrarily. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a low-priced product with good airtightness without requiring a high degree of machining accuracy.

In addition, the above-mentioned operation is performed by using the advancing / retreating member (4) for the cleaning tank
It is assumed that it moves up and down with respect to the top plate (12) of (6) . However, when maintaining a high degree of airtightness, such as when depressurizing the washing tank (6) and the drying tank, etc.,
Closed chamber until the vertical movement of the retractable member (4) is lost.
A large amount of fluid is introduced into (14). And the sealing material
If the sealing contact between (16) and the outer peripheral portion of the elastic cover (11) is made highly sophisticated, it is possible to maintain the sealing property even in a depressurized state. Therefore, the forward / backward movement member (4) which was impossible in the past
It is possible to form a decompression tank equipped with.

Further, in the above embodiment, the advancing / retreating member
Although (4) is formed by the shaft (15), in another different embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the advancing / retreating member (4) is constituted by a chain (22). When the advancing / retreating member (4) is composed of the chain (22), the sealing material (16)
It is completely impossible to maintain the airtightness between the inside of the cleaning tank (6) and the outside of the cleaning tank (6) even if the seal is brought into contact with the outer periphery.
It is impossible to secure this sealing property by contacting (16) with the chain (22).

However, in the embodiment of the present invention,
A top plate (12) and a bottom plate (13) are attached to the outer periphery of the chain (22),
It can be formed integrally and adhered closely. In this case, when forming the top plate (12), the material of the top plate (12) or the bottom plate (13) in a molten state is brought into contact with the advancing / retreating member (4) constituted by the chain (22) to solidify the material. ,Top board
The (12) or the bottom plate (13) can be securely fixed and adhered to the advancing / retreating member (4). By fixing the top plate (12) or bottom plate (13) and the elastic cover (11), the closed chamber (14)
The inside can be sealed.

The sealing material (16) provided on the top plate (12) of the cleaning tank (6) is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the elastic covering body (11) to seal the elastic cover body (11), so that an irregular shape such as a chain is formed. Even when the advancing / retreating member (4) is used, it is possible to secure the sealing property without any problem. Therefore, this chain
By using (22), a mechanism for advancing and retracting cylinders (1)
Since the advancing / retreating mechanism (1) can be replaced by a simpler motor or the like without using the above, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the installation target device such as the cleaning device (5). In this case, when the advancing / retreating mechanism (1) is a motor or the like, the entrance / exit (18) of the object to be cleaned (7) can be provided on the top plate (12), but the cleaning tank (6) is also provided.
It is also possible to form a door (18) for the article (7) to be cleaned by providing a door on the side surface of the article.

In the above embodiment, the elastic coating (1
The contact sealing between 1) and the advancing / retreating member (4) was performed via the top plate (12) and the bottom plate (13), but the contact sealing between the elastic cover (11) and the advancing / retreating member (4) is arbitrary. The method can be used, and the elastic cover (11) and the advancing / retreating member (4) may be directly fixed. As for the fixing method, if the shaft (15) or the like has a uniform shape, the advancing / retreating member (4) is made by using an adhesive or the like.
The elastic cover (11) may be fixed to the outer periphery of the. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when using an irregular advancing / retreating member (4) such as a chain (22), a joining material such as a molten resin is used.
The advancing / retreating member (4) and the elastic cover (11) may be closely fixed to each other via (23).

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when an indeterminate advancing / retreating member such as a chain is used, the elastic cover and the sealing material make contact in a sealed state to penetrate the top plate of the cleaning tank. Therefore, even when the advancing / retreating member is used in a portion that comes into contact with a liquid that is not preferable to diffuse to the outside, such as the solvent of the cleaning device, the advancing / retreating member can be secured in a state where a reliable sealing property is secured. It is possible to move forward and backward.

Also, when maintaining a high degree of airtightness, such as when performing work while decompressing the inside of the washing tank and the drying tank,
A large amount of fluid is introduced into the sealed chamber until the vertical movement of the advancing / retreating member is lost, and if the sealing contact between the seal member and the outer peripheral portion of the elastic cover is made highly sophisticated, the depressurizing member is equipped with the advancing / retreating member. It is possible to maintain the tightness of the situation.

Further, by adjusting the amount of fluid flowing into the closed chamber, the tightness between the outer peripheral surface of the elastic cover and the seal member can be adjusted arbitrarily, so that a high degree of working precision is required. In addition to the above, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the sealing property, slidability, etc. to select the optimum operating conditions at any time, improving workability and sealing performance, and enabling safe work. It is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment in which a shaft is used as an advancing / retreating member.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment in which a chain is used as an advancing / retreating member.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sealing material portion in a state where a chain is used as an advancing / retreating member and a sealed chamber is filled with a large amount of fluid.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a seal material portion in a state where a chain is used as an advancing / retreating member and a closed chamber is filled with a small amount of fluid.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a state in which an advancing / retreating member and an elastic covering body are fixedly adhered to each other without using a top plate.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Advancement mechanism 4 Retractable member 5 cleaning equipment 6 cleaning tank 7 Items to be cleaned 8 table 11 Elastic coating 12 Top plate 13 Bottom plate 14 closed chamber 15 shaft 16 Seal material 17 Inlet / Outlet pipe 22 chains

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. An outer periphery of an advancing / retreating member connected to an advancing / retreating mechanism and penetrating a top plate of a cleaning tank is covered with elastic coatings, and upper and lower ends of the advancing / retreating member are hermetically sealed from upper and lower ends of the elastic coating. Form a closed chamber in the elastic coating by projecting it, connect a fluid inflow / outflow pipe to the closed chamber, and slide the elastic coating through the sealing material through the top plate of the cleaning tank. A characteristic airtight holding device for a retractable member. 2. The airtightness maintaining device for an advancing / retreating member according to claim 1, wherein the elastic cover is formed by directly advancing the advancing / retreating member from both upper and lower ends in an airtight manner. 3. The elastic cover is formed by hermetically sealing both upper and lower ends with a top plate and a bottom plate, and advancing and retracting the advancing and retracting member from the top plate and the bottom plate in an airtight manner. Airtight holding device for forward and backward movement members. 4. The airtight holding device for the advancing / retreating member according to claim 1, wherein the advancing / retreating member is formed by a shaft having a lower end to which a mounting table for the object to be cleaned is connected. 5. The airtight holding device for the advancing / retreating member according to claim 1, wherein the advancing / retreating member is formed by a chain to which an object to be cleaned can be connected at the lower end.