JP4902399B2 - Dry cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dry cleaning apparatus that removes dust and powder adhering to a workpiece to be cleaned using a solid cleaning medium without using water or a solvent, and is particularly used in an electrophotographic apparatus (such as a copying machine or a laser printer). It can be used for dry cleaning equipment for parts with relatively complicated shapes with toner (average particle size of about 5 to 10 μm), dry cleaning of electronic substrates with dust, polishing, peeling of coating films, etc. It can be done.

  In order to realize a resource-recycling society, manufacturers of office equipment such as copiers, facsimiles, and printers disassemble, clean, and reassemble used products or units after collecting them from users and reuse them as parts, or as resin materials We are actively engaged in recycling activities. In order to reuse the parts used in these products or units, it is necessary to remove and clean the toner that is fine particle powder adhering to these units and parts. Reducing cost and environmental burden is a big issue.

In the case of a wet cleaning method using water or a solvent, there is a problem that the energy consumption and environmental burden of the waste liquid processing including toner and the drying processing after cleaning are large and costly.
On the other hand, in the case of dry cleaning methods using air blow, cleaning capability is not sufficient for toner with strong adhesion, and post-processing such as manual wiping is necessary, so cleaning is a bottleneck process in product reuse and recycling It is one of.
In addition, blast cleaning using dry ice consumes a large amount of dry ice, so the running cost is high and the environmental load is large.

  The present invention relates to a dry cleaning apparatus. As a conventional dry cleaning technique, there is a “static discharge dust removing apparatus” described in Japanese Patent No. 3288462, and “surface” described in Japanese Patent No. 2889547 is disclosed. There are “recovery treatment apparatus and method for deposits” and “dry cleaning apparatus and dry cleaning method” of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-182168.

[Problems of conventional technology]
As a dry cleaning method that does not use water or a solvent, there is the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 3288462. In this method, a chargeable workpiece to be cleaned is stirred in a rotating cylinder together with an elastically deformable contact member, and the dust adhering force adhering to the member to be cleaned is weakened and removed while removing electricity. However, the contact force between the contact member and the member to be cleaned by stirring is not sufficient, and it is difficult to remove dust with strong adhesion.
As a dry cleaning method capable of removing dust with strong adhesion, there is a cleaning method using a dry cleaning medium described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-182168 (hereinafter referred to as “the invention of the prior application”). Called). Although the invention of the prior application exhibits a remarkable cleaning effect by using a flaky cleaning medium as a dry cleaning medium, it is required to further improve cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency.

In order to increase the cleaning efficiency, it is necessary to increase the frequency of collision of the cleaning medium with the workpiece to be cleaned. However, when the amount of the cleaning medium is increased, the cleaning medium tends to stay at the bottom of the cleaning tank, and the spatial density of the cleaning medium cannot be increased.
In particular, flake-like cleaning media are characterized by poor fluidity once they are retained and stacked, so a large amount of air flow is required to move the stacked cleaning media only by stirring action by airflow, and energy efficiency Was bad.

Further, when a plurality of cleaning nozzles are used for a relatively large size workpiece to be cleaned, it is easy to cause unevenness in location of the collision frequency of the cleaning medium only by the stirring action by the air flow, and the overall cleaning quality can be improved. There was a problem that I could not.
Moreover, the technique which isolate | separates a deposit | attachment from a to-be-processed object (cleaning object workpiece | work) using a shot blasting apparatus is well-known (patent number 2889547). However, when the projection material (cleaning medium) is in the form of flakes, both the deposit and the cleaning medium are likely to float in the air, so in a general shot blasting device, the deposit and the cleaning medium are separated to remove only the deposit. It was difficult to suck and discharge.
Japanese Patent No. 3288462 Japanese Patent No. 2889547 Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-182168

  An object of the present invention is to provide a dry cleaning apparatus using a flake-like flexible cleaning medium so that the cleaning medium is separated from the deposits, collected and circulated, and can be supplied in a large quantity to a plurality of nozzles. It is.

(1) Means of the Invention of Claim 1 The means of the invention of claim 1 is a deposit that adheres to the workpiece to be cleaned by ejecting a flaky flexible cleaning medium from the nozzle to collide with the workpiece to be cleaned. a dry cleaning apparatus for removing comprises comprises a mechanical conveying means for circulating reused again supplied to the nozzle washing medium after colliding with the cleaning target workpiece, said mechanical conveying means, the distribution belt The cleaning medium deposited on the nozzle is passed through a predetermined gap, and the deposition thickness is leveled, and a fixed amount is supplied to the nozzle .

(2) Means of the Invention of Claim 2 The means of the invention of claim 2 is the dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deposit removed from the workpiece to be cleaned and the cleaning medium are separated and the deposit is discharged. The separation means is provided.

(3) Means of the Invention of Claim 3 The means of the invention of claim 3 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claim 2, comprising a mesh portion through which deposits can pass but not through the cleaning medium, and heading toward the mesh portion. It is to separate the deposit and the cleaning medium by an air flow.

(4) The means of the invention of claim 4 The means of the invention of claim 4 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cleaning medium is separated from the mesh portion by changing the direction of the air flow with respect to the mesh portion. It is.

(5) Means of the Invention of Claim 5 The means of the invention of claim 5 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein a plurality of mesh portions for separating the deposit and the cleaning medium, and each mesh portion are provided. A switching valve for switching the suction airflow is provided, and the cleaning medium is separated from the mesh portion by blocking the suction airflow to the mesh portion.

(6) Means of the Invention of Claim 6 The means of the invention of claim 6 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein a suction port for generating a suction air flow to the mesh portion, and ejection to the mesh portion It is provided with a nozzle for generating an airflow and a moving means for moving the mesh portion for changing the direction of the airflow with respect to the mesh portion, and separating the cleaning medium from the mesh portion.

(7) The means of the invention of claim 7 The means of the invention of claim 7 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claims 1 to 6, comprising a holding unit for holding the cleaning medium as the mechanical conveying means. Further, the cleaning medium is conveyed upward using an endless belt or an endless chain.

(8) Means of the Invention of Claim 8 The means of the invention of claim 8 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein the holding portion for holding the cleaning medium is a flexible fin provided on the endless belt. That is.

(9) Means of the Invention of Claim 9 The means of the invention of claim 9 is the dry cleaning apparatus of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of mechanical conveying means are used in parallel to a plurality of cleaning nozzles. Dispensing the cleaning medium.

( Delete )

(1) The effect of the invention of claim 1 Since the cleaning medium is again supplied to the nozzle by the mechanical conveying means and circulated and reused, a large amount of the cleaning medium can be stably supplied. Therefore, the frequency with which the cleaning medium collides with the object to be cleaned increases, and the cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency can be improved.
Further, the cleaning medium deposited on the distribution belt is leveled by passing through a predetermined gap, and the supply amount of the cleaning medium can be stabilized by quantitatively supplying the cleaning medium to the nozzle. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent clogging due to an excessive supply amount of the cleaning medium, or to cause uneven cleaning due to insufficient supply amount, thereby stabilizing the cleaning quality .

(2) The effect of the invention of claim 2 By providing a separation means for separating the deposit removed from the workpiece to be cleaned and the cleaning medium and discharging the deposit, the deposit adhering to the cleaning medium and floating Dust and the like are removed by the separating means, and the cleanliness of the cleaning medium is always maintained. Therefore, the removed deposits, floating dust, and the like are not reattached to the workpiece to be cleaned, and high cleaning quality can be obtained.

(3) Effect of the Invention of Claim 3 The deposit and the cleaning medium can be separated by utilizing the difference in size between the cleaning medium and the deposit and the energy of the airflow toward the mesh portion.

(4) The effect of the invention of Claim 4 By changing the direction of the airflow with respect to the mesh portion and separating the cleaning medium from the mesh portion, the cleaning medium can be prevented from covering and closing the mesh portion. Therefore, the deposit and the cleaning medium can be continuously separated.

(5) The effect of the invention of claim 5 A switching valve for switching the suction airflow for each mesh portion is provided, and the cleaning medium is separated from the mesh portion without moving the mesh portion by blocking the suction airflow for the mesh portion. can do. Therefore, the shape and arrangement of the mesh part can be set freely.

(6) Effect of the Invention of Claim 6 A suction port for generating a suction airflow with respect to the mesh portion, a nozzle for generating a jetted airflow with respect to the mesh portion, and a mesh portion for changing the direction of the airflow with respect to the mesh portion Since the moving means is provided, the mesh portion and the cleaning medium can be continuously separated. Therefore, it is possible to increase the processing amount of the separation process of the cleaning medium and the deposit in the mesh portion.

(7) The effect of the invention of claim 7 As a mechanical conveying means, an endless belt or an endless chain provided with a holding portion for holding the cleaning medium is used to convey the cleaning medium upward, so that a large amount of cleaning medium can be obtained. It can be supplied stably.
Moreover, the energy required for conveyance is also small, and the environmental load in the cleaning process can be reduced.

(8) Effect of the Invention of Claim 8 Since the holding portion for holding the cleaning medium is a flexible fin provided on the endless belt, even a lamellar cleaning medium can be scooped up.

(9) Advantages of the Invention of Claim 9 By using a plurality of mechanical conveying means in parallel to distribute and supply the cleaning medium to the plurality of cleaning nozzles, the cleaning medium can be simultaneously supplied to each cleaning nozzle. .
Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform cleaning without causing uneven cleaning when cleaning a large area.

( Delete )

First, the meanings of main terms in the description of this embodiment will be described.
“Dry” cleaning means cleaning using a cleaning medium that is solid at room temperature without using a liquid such as water or a solvent as a cleaning medium.
Among the dry cleaning media, in particular, the “flaky” cleaning media means flexible resin film pieces, cloth pieces, paper pieces, metal thin pieces having an area of 1-1000 mm ² and a thickness of about 1-500 μm. .
"Mechanical" conveying means means means for holding or contacting the cleaning medium to apply a force to move the cleaning medium, and specifically includes a belt conveyor, a bucket elevator, a screw conveyor and the like.
The “separation means” has a function of confining the cleaning medium in the cleaning tank (separating the airflow and the cleaning medium) and allowing dust and the like to pass through and discharging from the cleaning tank (separating the cleaning medium and dust). A net-like material having a large number of small holes through which the cleaning medium cannot pass, such as a wire mesh, a plastic mesh, a mesh, a net, a nonwoven fabric, a sponge, a filter, a punching (porous hole) plate, a honeycomb plate, a porous plate, etc. . “Mesh” in the following examples is a representative example of the above.

In the following embodiments, a dry toner (dust having an average particle diameter of about 5 to 10 μm) used in electrophotographic apparatuses such as copying machines and laser printers is assumed as an object to be removed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a general powder or dust adhering cleaning device, coating film removing device, or the like. In that case, the type of the cleaning medium and the flow rate of the air flow may be appropriately selected according to the properties of the workpiece w to be cleaned and the deposits.
For example, when the workpiece w to be cleaned is easily damaged, if a soft material such as a resin film and a thin material is used as the cleaning medium, the thin piece flexes flexibly so that the object to be cleaned is not damaged. In addition, when a strong removal force such as removal of a coating film is necessary, a strong removal action can be obtained by using a metal flake.

Next, specific examples will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Configuration of Example 1]
The dry cleaning apparatus of Example 1 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the configuration related to the main points of the present invention is as follows: (1) Cleaning tank body, (2) Nozzle part, (3) The description will be divided into the cleaning medium transport unit.
(1) Cleaning tank main body The cleaning tank main body is a hollow body that accommodates the workpiece to be cleaned and the cleaning medium, and the cleaning tank 1 is opened upward, so that the work holder 2 can be taken in and out from this opening. The workpiece w to be cleaned is accommodated in the workpiece holder 2 and dry-cleaned. The dry cleaning apparatus has an actuator arm 4 that is driven up and down by an elevating device 3, and the work holder 2 is detachably supported on a support frame 5 of the actuator arm, and the work holder 2 is moved up and down by the elevating device 3. Operated.
The cleaning lid 6 is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the support frame 5 and is supported by a lid stopper fixed to the support frame. When the support frame 5 is lowered by driving the lifting device 3 and the work holder 2 is completely accommodated in the cleaning tank 1, the cleaning lid 6 is separated from the lid stopper and the cleaning tank 1 is closed by the cleaning lid 6.

In order to discharge the dust separated from the workpiece w to be cleaned, a plurality of suction ports 20 connected to the dust collector are provided in the cleaning tank wall surface 1a, and dust can pass through these suction ports 20. A mesh that cannot pass through the cleaning medium is attached ( see FIG. 5 ). By making the flow rate of the suction air flow f of the dust collector sufficiently larger than the flow rate from the nozzle 22 , the inside of the cleaning tank is maintained at a negative pressure, and dust does not leak from the cleaning tank body.

The plurality of suction ports 20 are alternately switched so that the mesh is not clogged with the cleaning medium sucked to the suction ports 20 of the cleaning tank 1 and the suction ports 20 are not completely closed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of suction ports 20 are selectively communicated with the dust collector via the switching valve v.
While the air flow in the suction direction is acting on the suction port 20, the cleaning medium z is sucked to the suction port 20, separated by the mesh, and only dust is discharged from the cleaning tank 1 (see FIG. 5). ). When the switching valve v is switched so that the airflow in the suction direction with respect to the suction port 20 does not act, the cleaning medium z sucked to the suction port 20 is separated from the mesh (claims 4 and 5). Corresponding).
In order to prevent an early decline in the filtration performance of the filter of the dust collector, a cyclone filter is installed between the filter of the dust collector and the cleaning tank 1, and relatively large dust is separated by the cyclone filter. Only the filter may be separated.

(2) Nozzle part This nozzle part is a means for accelerating the cleaning medium using the energy of compressed air and spraying it onto the workpiece w to be cleaned, and is connected to a compressed air source such as a compressor, blower or pressure tank. ing.
In this embodiment, a cleaning nozzle array 22A in which a plurality of nozzles 22 are arranged in a row is arranged facing each other, and this is provided on the cleaning tank wall 1a so that both surfaces of the workpiece w to be cleaned can be cleaned. ing.
The work holder 2 is moved up and down by the lifting device 3 so that the workpiece w to be cleaned in the workpiece holder 2 is moved up and down, thereby changing the relative position between the workpiece w to be cleaned and the nozzle 22 to perform cleaning. The entire surface of the target workpiece w can be cleaned evenly.
The opposing nozzles 22 may be driven simultaneously, or may be driven alternately to increase the airflow per nozzle and increase the ability to remove deposits.

(3) Cleaning medium transport unit The cleaning medium transport unit is for stably supplying a large amount of cleaning medium to the nozzle 22, and an example of the configuration thereof is as follows. This includes a horizontal transport / recovery nozzle 24, a cleaning medium regeneration unit 25, a vertical transport unit 26, and a horizontal transport / distribution unit 27.

(3) -1. Horizontal transport / collection unit The cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle unit onto the workpiece w to be cleaned repeatedly collides with the workpiece to be cleaned w while flying in the cleaning tank 1, and finally falls to the lower part of the cleaning tank 1. The dropped cleaning medium is sent to the cleaning medium regeneration unit 25 by the horizontal conveyance / collection belt 28 provided at the lower part of the cleaning tank.
Then, instead of using the horizontal conveyance / collection belt 28, a horizontal conveyance / collection nozzle 24 as shown in FIG. 1 may be used to collect the dropped cleaning medium.
In this method, the cleaning medium dropped on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank is blown off or sucked and conveyed. However, in FIG. 1, illustration of a duct connecting the horizontal transfer / recovery nozzle 24 and the other part of the cleaning tank is omitted.

(3) -2. Cleaning medium regeneration unit The cleaning medium regeneration unit is for recycling the recovered cleaning medium z and recycling it. As shown in FIG. 7, a suction pipe 30 is disposed inside the cylindrical mesh 21. It is configured. One end of the suction pipe 30 is connected to a dust collector via a suction duct 33 and a hose (not shown).
The suction pipe 30 has an opening 31 about ¼ of the circumferential surface, and a strong suction air flow f can be generated in the area of the opening 31 by the negative pressure generated by the dust collector.
The suction pipe 30 is provided with a compressed air supply port 32 and a nozzle hole 32h. When compressed air is supplied from the supply port 32, the compressed air is passed through the nozzle hole 32h and the numerous holes 21b of the cylinder 21a. The ejected air flow f1 can be ejected from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical mesh 21.
The cylindrical mesh 21 is formed by adhering a mesh (mesh) 21c to the outside of a cylinder 21a having a large number of holes 21b through which the cleaning medium can pass sufficiently. The cylindrical mesh 21 is driven to rotate from the outside of the cleaning tank by a drive shaft 21s.

The cleaning medium z sent from the horizontal conveyance / recovery unit is attracted to the mesh 21c by the suction action, and the deposit s is separated from the cleaning medium z on the mesh.
When the cleaning medium z adsorbed on the outer surface of the mesh moves together with the mesh and rotates to the position exposed to the jetted air flow f1 blown from the nozzle holes 32h arranged inside the mesh by the rotation of the cylindrical mesh 21, this jetted airflow To separate from the mesh.

This is because the direction of the air flow with respect to the mesh 21c moves from the position facing the opening 31 of the suction pipe 30 to the position facing the compressed air supply port 32 by the rotational movement of the mesh 21c, and the air flow. Is changed from suction to blow-out, the cleaning medium z attracted to the mesh 21c at the position of the opening 31 is separated from the mesh 21c at the position of the compressed air supply port 32. Therefore, the mesh 21c is not blocked by the cleaning medium z, and the cleaning medium z and the deposit can be continuously separated (corresponding to claims 4 and 6).
The cleaning medium z separated from the mesh 21c is sent to the vertical conveyance unit 26 through the cleaning medium passage port 48 of FIG.

(3) -3. Vertical Conveying Unit Since the cleaning device has a substantially target shape, only the vertical conveying unit on one side is shown in FIG. 4 for simplicity.
The vertical conveyance unit 26 is a belt conveyor disposed between the lower cleaning medium receiving unit 40 and the upper horizontal conveyance / distribution belt 50. The vertical conveyance unit 26 includes a belt 43 connected to an upper drive pulley 41 and a lower driven pulley 42. It is configured by winding.
In the vertical conveyance unit 26, the cleaning medium is conveyed in the vertical direction by the fins 44 attached to the belt 43.
The fins 44 are made of a flexible material, for example, a thin resin plate. In addition, since the fin 44 does not need to be flexible as a whole, the attachment portion to the belt may be flexible and bendable at this portion.

The cleaning medium z collected in the cleaning medium receiving portion 40 below the driven pulley 42 is scraped between the belt 43 and the fins 44 and conveyed upward. Since the fins 44 are flexible, the tips of the fins can be brought into close contact with the cleaning medium receiving portion 40 and the flaky cleaning medium z can be scraped out.
Since the cleaning medium z is in the form of a flake, a sufficient amount of the cleaning medium z can be transported even in a narrow space between the fins 44 and the belt 43.
The cleaning medium z sandwiched between the fins and the belt and transported upward passes through the drive pulley 41 and falls onto the horizontal transport / distribution belt 50.

There is an idle pulley 45 between the drive pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42 located on the upper side, and the belt 43 is bent inward by the idle pulley 45 just below the drive pulley 41 and horizontally below the drive pulley 41. A transport / distribution belt 50 is disposed. With the above configuration, a space-saving belt layout in which the conveying direction is substantially vertical is possible.
In order to assist the cleaning medium z falling from the fins 44 of the belt 43, a hook 46 as shown in FIG. 4 may be provided. The cleaning medium z can be reliably dropped by the effect that the fin 44 is caught by the hook 46 by the rotation of the belt and lifted, and the vibration effect when the fin 44 is detached from the hook 46.
In order to help the fins 44 pass through the idle pulley 45 without difficulty, a guide plate 47 as shown in FIG. 4 may be provided. As a result, since the fins 44 have flexibility, they are crushed following the guide plate 47 and pass smoothly through the idle pulley 45.
In the present embodiment, the structure in which the fin is attached to the endless belt as the mechanical conveying means is shown. However, the structure in which the bucket is attached to the endless chain (bucket elevator) or the spiral blade shaft is rotated in the cylinder. It is good also as a structure (screw conveyor).

(3) -4. Horizontal conveyance / distribution unit The horizontal conveyance / distribution unit 27 is composed of a horizontal conveyance / distribution belt 50, a drive pulley 52, a backup roller 53, a driven roller 54, etc., and has four lengths as shown in FIG. Different endless belts (configuration shown in FIG. 8) are arranged in parallel to the horizontal plane, and the cleaning medium dropped from the vertical conveyance unit by the vertical conveyance belt is conveyed to the nozzle array of the washing tank by this horizontal conveyance / distribution unit. (See FIG. 5). Since a plurality of endless belts having different lengths are used, the cleaning medium can be distributed and supplied to the plurality of nozzles.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a partition 51 is provided above the horizontal transport / distribution belt 50 of the horizontal transport / distribution unit 27, and cleaning is performed by the belt by the gap g between the partition 51 and the horizontal transport / distribution belt 50. It is preferable to regulate the amount of the medium z. Even if the supply amount of the cleaning medium z to the distribution belt 50 by the vertical transport unit 26 (by the belt 43) fluctuates with time, the cleaning medium z stored in the partition 51 functions as a buffer, so that the horizontal transport is performed. The amount of the cleaning medium z supplied by the horizontal conveyance / distribution belt 50 of the / distributing unit 27 can be stabilized.
Since the distribution belt of the horizontal conveyance / distribution unit 27, that is, the horizontal conveyance / distribution belt 50 is located above the cleaning nozzle array 22A (see FIG. 5), the cleaning medium z is at the folded end of the distribution belt 50. It falls near the nozzle array 22A. As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning medium z dropped near the nozzle array 22 </ b> A is carried on the air flow around the nozzles, accelerated by the air flow ejected from each nozzle 22, and collides with the workpiece w to be cleaned.

[Cleaning action of flaky cleaning media]
Next, the cleaning action of the lamellar cleaning medium will be described.
Even an adhering substance s such as dust that is relatively strong and difficult to remove by air blow alone is separated from the workpiece w to be cleaned by contact and collision of the cleaning medium z accelerated by the air flow ejected from the nozzle. (See FIG. 9). In particular, when the flaky cleaning medium z is used, high cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency can be obtained by the following actions.

[Operation by lamellar cleaning medium]
Next, the operation of the lamellar cleaning medium will be described.
(1) Interaction with airflow a) Since the flaky cleaning medium has a larger projected area than the mass, it is easily accelerated by the airflow and flies at high speed.
b) The lamellar cleaning medium has a low air resistance in the direction in which the projected area is small, and high speed movement is maintained for a long distance when flying in that direction.
c) Since the lamellar cleaning medium has a large projected area compared to the mass, the dwell time is long even after colliding with the workpiece to be cleaned, and the collision can be repeated again on the workpiece to be cleaned by riding on the rising airflow.

(2) Behavior at the time of contact / impact d) Since the contact force concentrates on the edge when colliding from the edge of the laminar cleaning medium, the force necessary to remove dust etc. is obtained even though the mass is small. It is done.
In the case of flaky cleaning media, the contact force increases and the force is deflected to release the force. Unlike ordinary blast shot materials and barrel polishing media, the workpiece to be cleaned is damaged with an excessive force. There is no end.
e) At the time of contact / collision, the viscous resistance received from the air is greatly affected by bending of the flakes, resulting in an inelastic collision. Therefore, rebounding hardly occurs at the time of a collision, and in the case of an oblique collision, a sliding contact is made, so that a large area can be contacted by a single collision and cleaning efficiency is high (FIG. 9).

In contrast, general shot materials and elastic sponges tend to rebound at the time of collision, and the contact efficiency in a single collision is lower than that of a lamellar cleaning medium.
f) A force parallel to the contact surface is easily applied to the adhered particles by a scraping action or a rubbing action by sliding contact at the time of contact / collision. In general, it is known that the adhered particles can be separated with a smaller force when a force is applied to the adhered particles in a direction parallel to the adhered surface than when a force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the adhered surface.
g) When the flaky cleaning medium is attracted to and collides with the separation means, the dust attached to the cleaning medium is easily separated by being greatly bent and deformed or vibrated. Therefore, the cleanliness of the cleaning medium is maintained, and the reattachment to the non-cleaning target can be suppressed, so that the cleaning quality is high.
The above is considered to be the reason why the flaky cleaning medium has high cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency.

Further, as a further advantage of the flaky cleaning medium, there are the following points.
h) Since the cleaning medium is made into a thin piece, the amount of material used as the cleaning medium is very small, and the environmental load and running cost of the cleaning process can be reduced.
These are epoch-making features not found in conventional blast shot materials and barrel polishing media materials. The dry cleaning apparatus according to the present invention has a configuration particularly suitable for cleaning by circulating a flaky cleaning medium.
As mentioned above, although typical embodiment was shown, various modifications are possible in the range which does not deviate from the range of the thought of this invention besides the explained example.

These are front views of an Example. These are the side views of an Example. These are top views of an Example. These are the block diagrams of a vertical conveyance part. These are top views which show arrangement | positioning of a horizontal conveyance / distribution belt, a nozzle, and a suction opening. These are the reference drawings for description of switching of a suction port. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a cleaning medium regeneration unit of a cleaning tank, (a) is a front view thereof, and (b) is a side view. These are the reference drawings for description of a horizontal conveyance / distribution part. FIG. 6 is a reference diagram for explaining a cleaning action by collision / contact of a flaky cleaning medium, in which (a) shows a state before contact, and (b) shows a state after contact.

Explanation of symbols

f: suction air flow f1: jetting air flow g: gap s: deposit w: work to be cleaned 1: cleaning tank 2: work holder 3: lifting device 4: actuator arm 5: support frame 6: cleaning lid 20: suction port 21: Cylindrical mesh 21a: Cylinder 21b: Hole 21c: Mesh 21s: Drive shaft 22: Nozzle 22A: Nozzle array 24: Horizontal transport / recovery nozzle 25: Cleaning medium regeneration unit 26: Vertical transport unit 27: Horizontal transport / distribution unit 28: Horizontal Conveying / collecting belt 50: Horizontal conveying / distributing belt 51: Partition 52: Driving roller

Claims (9)

A cleaning device that ejects a flake-shaped flexible cleaning medium from a nozzle and collides with a workpiece to be cleaned to remove deposits attached to the workpiece to be cleaned,
Become equipped with mechanical conveying means for circulating reused again supplied to the nozzle washing medium after colliding with the cleaning target workpiece,
The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical conveying means feeds the cleaning medium deposited on the distribution belt through a predetermined gap, leveling the deposition thickness, and supplying a fixed amount to the nozzle . The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 1,
A dry cleaning apparatus comprising: a separating unit that separates a deposit and a cleaning medium removed from a workpiece to be cleaned, and discharges the deposit. The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 2,
A dry cleaning apparatus comprising a mesh portion through which deposits can pass but not through a cleaning medium, and separating the deposits and the cleaning medium by an air flow toward the mesh portion. The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 3,
A dry cleaning apparatus, wherein a cleaning medium is separated from a mesh portion by changing a direction of an air flow with respect to the mesh portion. The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 4,
Provided with a plurality of mesh portions for separating the deposit and the cleaning medium, and a switching valve for switching the suction airflow to each mesh portion, and separating the cleaning medium from the mesh portion by blocking the suction airflow to the mesh portion A dry cleaning device. The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 4,
Equipped with a suction port that generates a suction airflow to the mesh part, a nozzle that generates a jet airflow to the mesh part, and a means for moving the mesh part to change the direction of the airflow with respect to the mesh part. A dry cleaning apparatus for separating a medium. The dry cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A dry cleaning apparatus for transporting a cleaning medium upward using an endless belt or an endless chain provided with a holding unit for holding the cleaning medium as a mechanical transport unit. The dry cleaning apparatus according to claim 7,
A dry cleaning apparatus, wherein the holding portion for holding the cleaning medium is a flexible fin provided on an endless belt. The dry cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A dry cleaning apparatus that distributes and supplies a cleaning medium to a plurality of cleaning nozzles using a plurality of mechanical conveying means in parallel.

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