JP7469810B2 - Cleaning Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning device, and in particular to a cleaning device that can prevent cleaning liquid from splashing onto areas other than the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass.

Conventionally, there has been a cleaning device that cleans lenses by spraying cleaning liquid from a nozzle whose spray position is adjusted to an appropriate position relative to the lens (Patent Document 1).

JP 2016-112495 A (paragraphs 0011 to 0020 and FIG. 1, etc.)

However, the conventional cleaning devices described above had the problem of the cleaning liquid splashing onto areas other than the cleaning area of the lens.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a cleaning device that can prevent the cleaning liquid from splashing onto areas other than the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass.

In order to achieve this object, the cleaning device of the present invention is provided with a nozzle formed so as to be capable of spraying a cleaning liquid from its tip, and which sprays the cleaning liquid onto a cleaning area of a lens or lens protection glass fixed to a laser processing machine, and is provided with a cleaning section unit having the nozzle, a base member to which the base end side of the nozzle opposite to the tip is connected, and a cover means formed in a cylindrical shape covering the periphery of the nozzle and the base end side of which is covered by the base member, and the cover means surrounds the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass when its tip is in contact with the lens or lens protection glass , and the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto a cleaning area of a lens or lens protection glass fixed to a laser processing machine. The cleaning device comprises a first container capable of storing the cleaning liquid, a supply means capable of supplying compressed gas to the first container, a supply pipe that supplies the cleaning liquid stored in the first container to the nozzle using the compressed gas supplied from the supply means, and a discharge pipe that discharges the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle to the outside of the cleaning unit, and after the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle, only the compressed gas is sprayed from the nozzle, and the spray direction of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle can be changed by elastically deforming the supply pipe and the discharge pipe to change the orientation of the cleaning unit .

According to the cleaning device described in claim 1, the device is provided with a base member to which the base end side opposite the tip of the nozzle is connected, and a cover means formed in a cylindrical shape that covers the periphery of the nozzle and whose base end side is covered by the base member.The cover means surrounds the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass when its tip is in contact with the lens or lens protection glass, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle from splashing outside the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass.
According to the cleaning device of claim 1, the cleaning device includes a first container capable of storing cleaning liquid, a supply means capable of supplying compressed gas to the first container, a supply pipe for supplying the cleaning liquid stored in the first container to the nozzle by the compressed gas supplied from the supply means, and a discharge pipe for discharging the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle to the outside of the cleaning unit, and after the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle, only the compressed gas is sprayed from the nozzle. This makes it possible to cause the cleaning liquid adhering to the lens or lens protective glass, the cleaning liquid adhering to the inside of the cover means, and the cleaning liquid adhering to the nozzle and base member to flow by the compressed gas and be discharged from the discharge pipe.
In addition, according to the cleaning device described in claim 1, the direction of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle can be changed by elastically deforming the supply pipe and the discharge pipe to change the orientation of the cleaning unit, so that the cleaning liquid can be sprayed in the direction of gravity or horizontally.

According to the cleaning device of claim 2, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of claim 1, at least one of the cover means or the base member is formed with an outlet that connects the space surrounded by the cover means and the base member to the outlet pipe , and the outlet is formed closer to the base end than the tip of the nozzle, so that when the cleaning liquid is sprayed upward from the nozzle, the cleaning liquid after cleaning the lens or lens protection glass can be made to flow down to the base end side of the nozzle and discharged from the outlet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid after cleaning from being sprayed onto the lens or lens protection glass together with the cleaning liquid before cleaning sprayed from the nozzle. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the cleaning effect of the lens or lens protection glass.

In addition, because the outlet is formed closer to the base end than the tip of the nozzle, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle from being discharged directly from the outlet.

According to the cleaning device of claim 3, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of claim 2, the cover means is formed so that its inner diameter increases from the tip side to the base end side, and the outlet is formed in the base member and at a position along the inner circumferential surface of the base end side of the cover means. Therefore, when the cleaning liquid is sprayed horizontally from the nozzle, the cleaned cleaning liquid can be easily caused to flow down along the inner circumferential surface of the cover means toward the outlet, and the cleaned cleaning liquid can be prevented from accumulating inside the cover means. Therefore, the cleaned cleaning liquid can be prevented from being sprayed onto the lens or lens protective glass together with the pre-cleaning cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle. As a result, the cleaning effect of the lens or lens protective glass can be prevented from decreasing.

According to the cleaning device of claim 4, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of any one of claims 1 to 3, the cover means is detachably arranged on the base member , and the cover means can be removed from the base member with the nozzle fixed thereto, so that the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass can be changed by replacing the cover means with one having a different inner diameter at the tip. Therefore, when cleaning lenses or lens protection glasses with different sizes of cleaning areas, it is not necessary to replace the base member and the nozzle. In other words, the base member and the nozzle can be shared. As a result, it is possible to prevent the number of types of parts in the cleaning device from increasing.

In addition, the cover means can be removed from the base member, making it easier to clean the inside of the cover means, the nozzle, and the base member.

According to the cleaning device of claim 5, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device of any of claims 1 to 4, the cover means is composed of a base end member arranged on the base member side and a tip member arranged in a detachable manner on the tip side of the base end member, and the tip member surrounds the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass when its tip is in contact with the lens or lens protection glass, so that only the tip member can be replaced .

According to the cleaning device of claim 6, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of claim 5, the tip member is formed from an elastic body that can be elastically deformed, so that when the tip of the tip member is brought into contact with the lens or lens protection glass, the adhesion between the tip member and the lens or lens protection glass can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from scattering between the tip member and the lens or lens protection glass to areas other than the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass.

According to the cleaning device of claim 7, in addition to the effect of the cleaning device of claim 6, the tip member is formed so that the inner diameter becomes larger toward the tip side and the thickness becomes thinner toward the tip side, so that it is easy to increase the contact pressure between the tip member and the lens or lens protection glass when the tip of the tip member is contacted with the lens or lens protection glass. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from scattering from between the tip member and the lens or lens protection glass to areas other than the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass.

According to the cleaning device of claim 8, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of claim 6 , a recess is formed at the base end of the tip member into which the cylindrical tip portion of the base member is inserted, and the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass can be changed by replacing the tip member attached to the base member with a tip member having a different inner diameter. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace the entire cover means when cleaning lenses or lens protection glasses with different sizes of cleaning areas. Therefore, compared to replacing the entire cover means, the replacement parts (tip members) required when cleaning lenses or lens protection glasses with different sizes of cleaning areas can be made smaller. As a result, the space required for storing replacement parts can be reduced .

According to the cleaning device of claim 9, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of any one of claims 1 to 8, at least one of the cover means or the base member is formed with an outlet that connects the space surrounded by the cover means and the base member to the outlet pipe, and the cleaning device includes a second container that is connected to the outlet pipe and can store the cleaning liquid discharged from the outlet, so that the cleaning liquid used for cleaning can be collected in the second container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent flammable cleaning liquid from being discharged to the outside of the cleaning device and igniting the cleaning liquid discharged to the outside. As a result, the safety of the cleaning operation of the lens or lens protective glass can be improved.

In addition, after the lens or lens protection glass is cleaned, only compressed gas is sprayed onto the lens or lens protection glass, and the cleaning liquid adhering to the lens or lens protection glass, the cleaning liquid adhering to the inside of the cover means, and the cleaning liquid adhering to the nozzle and base member are caused to flow by the compressed gas and discharged from the discharge port. As a result, the work efficiency of the lens or lens protection glass cleaning work can be improved.

According to the cleaning device of claim 10, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of any one of claims 1 to 9, since at least a part of the first container is made of a transparent material that allows the inside to be seen through, it is possible to check the remaining amount of cleaning liquid in the first container. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the cleaning of the lens or lens protection glass is complete without directly visually checking the lens or lens protection glass. As a result, the work efficiency of the cleaning work of the lens or lens protection glass can be improved.

According to the cleaning device of claim 11, in addition to the effects of the cleaning device of any one of claims 1 to 10, the cover means has a holding part that is held by the laser processing machine, so there is no need to hold the cover means or base member by hand during the cleaning operation of the lens or lens protection glass. As a result, the work efficiency of the cleaning operation of the lens or lens protection glass can be improved.

In addition, the force pressing the cover means against the lens or lens protection glass can be prevented from weakening during the cleaning operation of the lens or lens protection glass. This can prevent a gap from being created between the cover means and the lens or lens protection glass during the cleaning operation of the lens or lens protection glass, and can prevent cleaning liquid from splashing between the cover means and the lens or lens protection glass onto areas other than the cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cleaning device according to the first embodiment. 1A is a front view of the cleaning unit, FIG. 1B is a front view of the base member and the tip member, and FIG. 1C is a front view of the base member and the spray nozzle. 13A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laser processing machine and a cleaning unit, and FIG. 13B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laser processing machine and a cleaning unit in a second embodiment. 13A and 13B are schematic cross-sectional views of a laser processing machine and a cleaning unit according to a third embodiment.

Below, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a cleaning device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3(a).

First, the overall configuration of the cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a front view of the cleaning device 1 in the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the injection nozzle 62, a part of the fourth pipe 74, and the recess 51a1 of the base 51 are illustrated with dashed lines, and a cross section of the laser processing machine 5 is also illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning device 1 in the first embodiment is a device for cleaning the lens 2 of a laser processing machine 5. The lens 2 cleaned by the cleaning device 1 is a lens for focusing the laser light (CO2 laser) of the laser processing machine 5 or suppressing the aberration of the laser light, and is disposed in the laser device body 3 of the laser processing machine 5. The lens 2 is entirely made of zinc selenide, and a transparent coating (AR coating) with a refractive index different from that of zinc selenide is formed on the surface of the zinc selenide to improve the transmittance of the laser light (reducing the reflection of light on the surface of the lens 2).

The AR coating is formed thinly relative to the zinc selenide, and is therefore easily damaged. Therefore, if the cleaning area of the lens 2 is cleaned by directly touching the lens 2, there is a high possibility that the AR coating will peel off from the surface of the zinc selenide or be damaged. Furthermore, zinc selenide is toxic to the human body. Therefore, it is dangerous if the AR coating peels off or is damaged. Therefore, the cleaning device 1 is configured to spray a cleaning liquid onto the lens 2 to clean it, so that the AR coating does not peel off or become damaged.

The cleaning device 1 is mainly composed of an adjustment device 30 that is configured to be able to receive compressed gas and adjust the received compressed gas to a predetermined pressure, a button device 40 that can be switched between an allowable state that allows the supply of compressed gas adjusted to a predetermined pressure by the adjustment device 30 and a restrictive state that restricts it, a first container 10 that can store cleaning liquid before cleaning the lens 2 and can supply the stored cleaning liquid together with compressed gas by switching the button device 40 to the allowable state, a cleaning unit 60 that can spray the cleaning liquid and compressed gas supplied from the first container 10 toward the lens 2, a second container 20 that stores the cleaning liquid after being sprayed from the cleaning unit 60 toward the lens 2, and a mounting table 50 on which the first container 10, the second container 20, the adjustment device 30, and the button device 40 are placed. The compressed gas used is air or a gas obtained by compressing non-flammable nitrogen or carbon dioxide gas.

The cleaning device 1 is also provided with hollow first to sixth pipes 71 to 76 that connect the first container 10, the second container 20, the adjustment device 30, the button device 40, and the cleaning unit 60, and the first to sixth pipes 71 to 76 supply compressed gas or cleaning liquid from the first container 10 to the second container 20 via the cleaning unit 60.

The mounting table 50 mainly comprises a base 51, gripping parts 52 provided at two locations on the upper surface side of the base 51, a first coupler 53 for connecting the third pipe 73 to the fifth pipe 75, a second coupler 54 for connecting the fourth pipe to the sixth pipe 76, and a bracket 55 for mounting the first coupler 53 and second coupler 54 to the base 51.

The first container 10, the second container 20, the adjustment device 30, and the button device 40 are fixed to the upper surface of the base 51, and the second container 20 is housed in a recess 51a1 recessed into the upper surface of the base 51.

The gripping parts 52 are handles for carrying the cleaning device 1, and are arranged in pairs at horizontally spaced positions. This makes it easy to carry the cleaning device 1.

The first coupler 53 and the second coupler 54 are detachably connected to a fifth pipe 75 and a sixth pipe 76, the other ends of which are connected to a third coupler 64 and a fourth coupler 65 of the cleaning unit 60, which will be described later.

The adjustment device 30 is fixed to the side of a bracket 55 arranged on the base 51. The adjustment device 30 mainly includes an inlet 31 capable of receiving compressed gas supplied from a compressor (not shown), a pressure regulator 32 capable of adjusting the compressed gas received from the inlet 31 to a predetermined pressure, and a flow regulator 33 for supplying the compressed gas adjusted to the predetermined pressure by the pressure regulator 32 at a predetermined flow rate, and is capable of supplying the compressed gas adjusted to the predetermined pressure by the pressure regulator 32 to the first pipe 71 via the flow regulator 33.

The button device 40 mainly comprises a push button 41 that can be pressed by an operator cleaning the lens 2, and a switching unit 42 on which the push button 41 is disposed and through which the first pipe 71 and the second pipe 72 are connected, and is configured so that the connection state between the first pipe 71 and the second pipe 72 can be switched by the switching unit 42. In addition, the switching of the connection state by the switching unit 42 is linked to the pressing of the push button 41, and the first pipe 71 and the second pipe 72 are connected in response to the pressing of the push button 41, and the compressed gas passing through the second pipe 72 is supplied to the first container 10 from above.

The first container 10 mainly comprises a storage section 11 having a space inside in which cleaning liquid can be stored, an input section 12 that is connected to the upper end side of the storage section 11 and allows cleaning liquid to be input into the storage section 11, a shutoff cock 13 that is disposed at the connection between the storage section 11 and the input section 12 and that shuts off communication between the storage section 11 and the input section 12, and a pressure relief valve (not shown) that is disposed in the storage section 11 and releases pressure in the storage section 11 when the pressure in the storage section 11 becomes higher than a predetermined value.

The storage section 11 is composed of a cylindrical member 11a that forms the side of the storage section 11, and a pair of plate members 11b that cover both ends of the cylindrical member 11a. In addition, the cylindrical member 11a of the storage section 11 is formed from a light-transmitting material, and the remaining amount of cleaning liquid stored in the storage section 11 can be visually confirmed through the cylindrical member 11a.

In addition, a dispersion plate (not shown) formed to conform to the inner surface of the storage section 11 is disposed at the upper interior side of the storage section 11 with a specified gap between it and the inner surface of the storage section 11. Therefore, when compressed gas is supplied to the interior of the storage section 11 from the upper side of the storage section 11 via the second pipe 72, the compressed gas collides with the dispersion plate and flows downward along the inner surface of the storage section 11. The compressed gas flowing downward along the inner surface of the storage section 11 causes droplets of cleaning liquid adhering to the inner surface of the storage section 11 to flow downward. As a result, the remaining amount of cleaning liquid stored in the storage section 11 can be easily visually confirmed via the cylindrical member 11a.

The input section 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter on the upper side larger than the inner diameter on the lower side. This makes it easier to input the cleaning liquid from above the input section 12. In addition, the cleaning liquid input into the input section 12 can flow from the input section 12 into the storage section 11 when the shutoff cock 13 is released.

In addition, a second pipe 72 is connected to the downstream side (storage section 11 side) of the shutoff cock 13, and the position where the cleaning liquid is introduced into the storage section 11 and the position where the compressed gas is supplied to the storage section 11 are the same. This allows the cleaning liquid and compressed gas to follow the same flow path (the path where they collide with the above-mentioned dispersion plate and flow downward along the inner surface of the storage section 11), making it easier for the compressed gas to flow downward the droplets of cleaning liquid adhering to the inner surface of the storage section 11. As a result, the remaining amount of cleaning liquid stored in the storage section 11 can be easily visually confirmed through the cylindrical member 11a.

The third pipe 73 is connected to the lower side of the first container 10, and compressed gas is supplied from the second pipe 72 to the upper side of the first container 10, so that cleaning liquid and compressed gas can be supplied to the cleaning unit 60 via the third pipe 73 and the fifth pipe 75 to which the third pipe 73 is connected.

In the cleaning device 1, the cleaning liquid stored in the first container 10 is supplied to the cleaning unit 60 by compressed gas, which makes it possible to prevent ignition of flammable cleaning liquid such as acetone or absolute alcohol, compared to a system in which an electrically operated electric pump is provided between the first container 10 and the cleaning unit 60 (i.e., on the supply path of the third pipe 73) to supply the cleaning liquid stored in the first container 10 to the cleaning unit 60. As a result, the safety of the lens cleaning operation can be improved.

Furthermore, in the cleaning device 1, the cleaning liquid stored in the first container 10 is supplied to the cleaning unit 60 by compressed gas, so that after the lens is cleaned, only compressed gas is sprayed onto the lens 2, and the cleaning liquid adhering to the lens 2 and the cleaning liquid adhering to the inside of the cleaning unit 60 (the inside of the cover means 63 described below, the spray nozzle 62, and the base member 61) can be circulated by the compressed gas and discharged from the cleaning unit 60 (the second opening 61b described below). As a result, the efficiency of the cleaning operation of the lens 2 can be improved.

In addition, in the cleaning device 1, the maximum amount of cleaning liquid that can be stored in the first container 10 is set to the amount needed to clean the lens 2 once. This makes it possible to prevent the lens 2 from being cleaned more than necessary. In addition, the cylindrical member 11a of the first container 10 is formed from a light-transmitting material, and the amount of cleaning liquid stored inside can be visually confirmed, so it is possible to check whether cleaning of the lens 2 is complete without directly visually checking the lens 2 or emptying the first container 10. As a result, the work efficiency of the lens 2 cleaning operation can be improved.

The cleaning unit 60 is configured to be capable of injecting the cleaning liquid and compressed gas supplied from the fifth pipe 75 from the injection nozzle 62 toward the lens 2, and is also configured to be capable of discharging the cleaning liquid after being injected onto the lens 2 from the sixth pipe 76 and supplying it to the second container 20 via the fourth pipe 74 that is connected to the sixth pipe 76. A detailed explanation of the cleaning unit 60 will be given later.

The fifth pipe 75 and the sixth pipe 76 are formed from elastically deformable nylon or Teflon (registered trademark) hoses. This allows the cleaning unit 60 to move by elastically deforming the fifth pipe 75 and the sixth pipe 76. Therefore, with the lens 2 disposed in the laser device body 3, the cleaning unit 60 can be brought close to the lens 2 to clean it.

In addition, since the cleaning unit 60 can be moved relative to the lens 2, it is possible to change the position of the cleaning unit 60 and spray cleaning liquid toward the lens 2, regardless of whether the laser processing machine 5 irradiates the laser light in the direction of gravity or the horizontal direction.

The second container 20 mainly comprises a storage section 21 having a space inside in which cleaning liquid can be stored, and an air vent 22 provided above the storage section 21 for removing air from within the storage section 21. In addition, a fourth pipe 74 made of an elastically deformable nylon or Teflon (registered trademark) hose is inserted into the second container 20 from above.

Therefore, in the cleaning device 1, the cleaning liquid discharged through the second opening 61b (see FIG. 2(a)) formed in the cleaning unit 60 can be stored in the second container 20, so that it is possible to prevent flammable cleaning liquid such as acetone or absolute alcohol from being discharged outside the cleaning device 1 and catching fire. As a result, the safety of the cleaning operation of the lens 2 can be improved.

The fourth pipe 74 is restricted from being displaced out of the storage section 21 by a fall prevention device (not shown) on the top lid of the storage section 21. This makes it possible to prevent the fourth pipe 74 from coming out of the storage section 21 due to a pressure increase caused when cleaning liquid or compressed gas is supplied to the storage section 21 through the fourth pipe 74.

When discharging the cleaning liquid from the second container 20, the top lid of the storage section 21 is removed together with the fourth pipe 74 arranged on the top lid of the storage section 21, and the second container 20 is pulled upward from the recess 51a, whereby the second container 20 can be removed from the mounting table 50 and carried to a designated discharge location by itself. Note that, during transportation of the second container 20, a lid other than the top lid can be used to prevent the cleaning liquid from leaking out of the second container 20.

Next, the detailed configuration of the cleaning unit 60 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3(a). Figure 2(a) is a front view of the cleaning unit 60, Figure 2(b) is a front view of the cylindrical member 68 and the packing 69, and Figure 2(c) is a front view of the base member 61 and the injection nozzle 62. Figure 3(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the laser processing machine 5 and the cleaning unit 60.

2(a) and 2(b), a part of the inside of the cover means 63 is shown by a chain line, and in FIG. 2(c), a part of the third coupler 64, the fourth coupler 65, and the nozzle member 67 are shown by a chain line. Furthermore, in FIG. 2(a), the spray direction of the cleaning liquid and compressed gas sprayed from the tip of the spray nozzle 62 and the flow direction of the cleaning liquid after cleaning the lens 2 are shown by arrows, and in FIGS. 2(a) to (c), the axis O passing through the center of the base member 61 is shown by a dashed line, and in FIG. 3(a), a cross section when cut along a plane passing through the axis O is shown diagrammatically.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3(a), the cleaning unit 60 mainly comprises a disk-shaped base member 61, a spray nozzle 62 arranged on one side of the base member 61, a cover means 63 formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the spray nozzle 62 and having its base end covered by the base member 61, and a third coupler 64 and a fourth coupler 65 arranged on the other side opposite to the one side of the base member 61. The cleaning liquid and compressed gas supplied to the spray nozzle 62 via the third coupler 64 can be sprayed from the tip of the spray nozzle 62, and the cleaning liquid sprayed from the tip of the spray nozzle 62 can be discharged via the fourth coupler 65.

The base member 61 mainly comprises a first opening 61a that opens in the center of the disk and into which one end of the third coupler 64 is inserted, and a second opening 61b that opens radially outward of the base member 61 from the first opening 61a.

The second opening 61b is an opening for connecting the space surrounded by the cover means 63 and the base member 61 to the outside, and is formed at a position where its inner circumferential surface is along the inner circumferential surface of the cover means 63. In addition, a cylindrical tube portion 61c that surrounds the second opening 61b is disposed on the other side of the base member 61, and a fourth coupler 65 is fastened and fixed to a female screw threaded on the inner circumferential surface of the tube portion 61c.

The injection nozzle 62 mainly comprises an extension member 66 formed in a long columnar shape in the direction of the axis O, and a nozzle member 67 fastened and fixed to the tip side of the extension member 66, and is configured to be able to inject cleaning liquid and compressed gas supplied from the third coupler 64 from the tip of the nozzle member 67 through a through hole (see FIG. 2(a)) formed through the extension member 66 and the nozzle member 67 along the axis O.

The extension member 66 is provided with female threads at both ends in the axial O direction for fastening the nozzle member 67 and the third coupler 64. As described above, one end of the third coupler 64 is inserted into the first opening 61a of the base member 61. Therefore, by fastening the extension member 66 to one end of the third coupler 64, the extension member 66 (jet nozzle 62) can be disposed on the base member 61 together with the third coupler 64. Therefore, the thickness of the base member 61 in the axial O direction can be made thinner than when the base member 61 is provided with respective female threads for fastening the two members, the third coupler 64 and the extension member 66 (jet nozzle 62).

In addition, the cleaning device 1 is capable of changing the length from the base end to the tip end of the injection nozzle 62 by replacing it with an extension member 66 with one having a different length in the axial O direction.

The nozzle member 67 is a nozzle for spraying cleaning liquid and compressed gas onto the cleaning area of the lens 2, and the through hole formed along the axis O (see FIG. 2(a)) is narrowed at the tip side. This makes it possible to increase the momentum of the cleaning liquid and compressed gas sprayed from the tip of the nozzle member 67.

The cover means 63 prevents the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle member 67 from scattering around, and is formed so that its length from the base end to the tip in the axial direction O is longer than the length from the base end to the tip of the spray nozzle 62.

The second opening 61b, which connects the space surrounded by the cover means 63 and the base member 61 to the outside, is formed on the base end side of the tip of the injection nozzle 62. Therefore, when the injection nozzle 62 is used by injecting cleaning liquid and compressed gas upward from the tip (i.e., when the axis O is oriented in the direction of gravity), the cleaning liquid used to clean the lens after cleaning the lens 2 can be made to flow down the base end side of the injection nozzle 62 and discharged from the second opening 61b. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning liquid used to clean the lens from being sprayed onto the lens together with the cleaning liquid before the lens is cleaned that is sprayed from the injection nozzle 62. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the cleaning effect of the lens 2.

Furthermore, in the cleaning unit 60, the second opening 61b is formed closer to the base end than the tip of the spray nozzle 62, so that the cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 62 can be prevented from being discharged directly from the second opening 61b.

In addition, while the lens 2 is being cleaned, the tip of the cover means 63 is covered by the lens 2. Therefore, when the cleaning liquid and compressed gas are sprayed from the spray nozzle 62, the internal pressure of the space surrounded by the cover means 63 and the base member 61 increases, and this increase in internal pressure makes it easier to discharge the cleaning liquid used to clean the lens from the second opening 61b after cleaning the lens 2.

The cover means 63 is formed from two members: a cylindrical member 68 disposed on the base end side, and a packing 69 disposed on the tip side of the cylindrical member 68. This allows only the packing 69 to be replaced if the packing 69 deteriorates.

The cylindrical member 68 mainly comprises a cover portion 68a formed in a cylindrical shape of approximately constant thickness and a holding portion 68b formed in a plate shape extending radially outward from the base end of the cover portion 68a. The holding portion 68b (cover means 63) is removably arranged on one side of the base member 61 by a clamp (e.g., a sanitary clamp) not shown. Since the cover means 63 is removably arranged on the base member 61, the cover means 63 can be removed from the base member 61 to easily clean the inside of the cover means 63, the injection nozzle 62, and the base member 61 after cleaning the lens. In addition, a packing (not shown) made of a material having solvent resistance to the cleaning liquid is interposed between the holding portion 68b and the base member 61. This prevents the cleaning liquid from leaking out of the cleaning unit 60 from between the cylindrical member 68 and the base member 61.

In addition, the cover portion 68a of the cylindrical member 68 is formed with an expanded diameter portion 68a1 whose inner diameter increases from the tip side toward the base end side, and the expanded diameter portion 68a1 is positioned at a position where it overlaps with the tip of the nozzle member 67 in a direction perpendicular to the axis O. This makes it easier for the cleaning liquid (cleaning liquid that has already been used to clean the lens) and compressed gas that are sprayed toward the lens 2 and then bounced back toward the base member 61 by the lens 2 to flow around to the base member 61 side (see the arrow in FIG. 2(a)). This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning liquid after cleaning the lens 2 from being sprayed toward the lens 2 together with the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle member 67. As a result, the cleaning effect of the lens 2 can be improved.

Furthermore, since the second opening 61b is formed at a position along the inner peripheral surface of the cover means 63 after providing the enlarged diameter portion 68a1, when the cleaning liquid is sprayed horizontally from the nozzle (i.e., when the axis O is oriented horizontally), the second opening 61b is positioned below the first opening 61a, so that the cleaning liquid used for cleaning the lens can be easily caused to flow down along the inner peripheral surface of the cover means 63 toward the second opening 61b, and the cleaning liquid used for cleaning the lens can be prevented from remaining inside the cover means 63. Therefore, the cleaning liquid used for cleaning the lens can be prevented from being sprayed onto the lens 2 together with the cleaning liquid before lens cleaning sprayed from the spray nozzle 62. As a result, the cleaning effect of the lens 2 can be prevented from decreasing.

In addition, since the cleaning fluid used to clean the lens can be prevented from remaining inside the cover means 63, it is not necessary to drain the cleaning fluid remaining inside the cover means 63 after cleaning the lens. As a result, the efficiency of the lens cleaning operation can be improved.

The packing 69 is a member whose tip abuts against the lens 2, and is made of a silicone-based elastic member that is elastically deformable. This makes it possible to prevent the coating on the lens 2 from coming off or the surface of the lens 2 from being scratched when the tip of the packing 69 abuts against the lens 2.

When the tip of the packing 69 of the cleaning unit 60 is brought into contact with the lens 2, the tip of the packing 69 surrounds the cleaning area of the lens 2 (see FIG. 3(a)). In this state (where the cleaning unit 60 is held by hand and the tip of the packing 69 is brought into contact with the lens 2), pressing the push button 41 (see FIG. 1) of the button device 40 allows cleaning liquid and compressed gas to be sprayed from the tip of the spray nozzle 62 to clean the cleaning area of the lens 2.

Here, when laser processing is performed by irradiating the laser from the laser processing machine 5, a part of the object to be laser processed evaporates, burns, and vaporizes into fine powder that adheres to the lens 2. In order to remove the powder that adheres to the lens 2 from the lens 2 (to clean the lens 2), cleaning with acetone or absolute alcohol, which does not damage the AR coating of the lens 2, is necessary. However, acetone and absolute alcohol can dissolve general resins. Therefore, if a cleaning liquid of acetone or absolute alcohol is applied to the laser device main body 3 on which the lens 2 is disposed, there is a risk that the surface coating of the metal fixing member disposed around the lens 2 to fix the lens 2 and the resin housing of the laser device main body 3 (a member that constitutes the laser processing machine 5) will be dissolved by the cleaning liquid.

In contrast, in the cleaning device 1 of the first embodiment, the tip of the packing 69 surrounds the cleaning area of the lens 2, so that the cleaning liquid is prevented from leaking out of the cleaning area of the lens 2. As a result, the cleaning liquid is prevented from adhering to the laser device body 3 on which the lens 2 is disposed.

The packing 69 also has a recess 69a at its base end that is recessed to the shape of the tip side of the tubular member 68, and is attached to the tubular member 68 by inserting the tip side of the tubular member 68 into the recess 69a. The recessed direction of the recess 69a coincides with the direction in which the tubular member 68 is pressed into the packing 69 when the tip of the packing 69 is abutted against the lens 2 (upward in FIG. 3(a)). This makes it possible to prevent the packing 69 from coming off the tubular member 68 while the lens 2 is being cleaned.

The packing 69 is further formed in an annular shape and has an abutment portion 69b that protrudes from its tip in the axial O direction. The abutment portion 69b is formed with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the fixing member of the laser device body 3 that fixes the lens 2, and the protruding distance in the axial O direction is made larger than the distance from the end of the fixing member of the laser device body 3 to the end of the lens 2. This allows the tip of the abutment portion 69b to be inserted inside the fixing member of the laser device body 3 and abutted against the lens 2 when cleaning the lens 2.

In this case, the pressing force applied when the packing 69 is brought into contact with the lens 2 can cause the tip of the contact portion 69b of the packing 69 to be elastically deformed (see the enlarged portion of FIG. 3(a)). This can improve the adhesion between the lens 2 and the packing 69. This can prevent the cleaning liquid from leaking out of the cleaning area of the lens 2 from between the packing 69 and the lens 2. As a result, it can prevent the cleaning liquid from adhering to the laser device body 3 in which the lens 2 is disposed.

In addition, the contact portion 69b of the packing 69 is formed so that its inner diameter increases toward the tip and its thickness in the direction perpendicular to the axis O decreases toward the tip, which makes it easier to increase the contact pressure between the packing 69 and the lens 2 when the tip of the packing 69 is brought into contact with the lens 2. This makes it possible to prevent cleaning liquid from leaking out of the cleaning area of the lens from between the packing 69 and the lens 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent cleaning liquid from adhering to the laser device body 3 in which the lens 2 is disposed.

In addition, the inner diameter of the contact portion 69b of the packing 69 increases toward the tip, making it easier to ensure a cleaning area for the lens 2 compared to when the outer diameter decreases toward the tip.

Next, referring to FIG. 3(b), the cleaning unit 260 in the second embodiment will be described. In the above first embodiment, the case where the diameter of the lens 2 is set to dimension A (see FIG. 3(a)) is described, but in the second embodiment, the case where the diameter of the lens 202 is set to dimension B (see FIG. 3(b)) which is larger than dimension A is described. Note that the same parts as those in the above first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figure 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the laser processing machine 205 and the cleaning unit 260 in the second embodiment. Note that Figure 3(b) shows a schematic cross-section at a position corresponding to the cross-section of the laser processing machine 5 and the cleaning unit 60 in the first embodiment shown in Figure 3(a).

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the laser processing machine 205 in the second embodiment is mainly composed of a lens 201 formed to a diameter dimension B, and a laser device body 203 in which the lens 201 is disposed.

The cleaning unit 260 in the second embodiment is the same as the cleaning unit 60 in the first embodiment except for the inner diameter of the gasket 269 of the cover means 263, so a description of everything other than the gasket 269 will be omitted.

The packing 269 is formed with an inner diameter different from that of the packing 69 in the first embodiment, and the inner diameter of the tip is set to a size corresponding to the cleaning area of the lens 202. Therefore, when cleaning lenses 202 with different diameter dimensions, the cleaning area of the lens 202 can be changed by replacing the packing 269 with one with a different inner diameter at the tip. Therefore, when cleaning lenses 202 with different cleaning areas, it is not necessary to replace the entire cover means 263. Therefore, the replacement part (packing 269) required when cleaning lenses 202 with different cleaning areas can be made smaller than when the entire cover means 263 is replaced. As a result, the space required for storing replacement parts can be reduced.

In addition, since the cleaning area of the lens 202 can be changed by replacing the gasket 269 with one having a different inner diameter at the tip, there is no need to replace the cylindrical member 68, base member 61, and spray nozzle 62 when cleaning lenses 202 with cleaning areas of different sizes. In other words, the cylindrical member 68, base member 61, and spray nozzle 62 can be shared. As a result, the number of types of parts in the cleaning device 1 can be reduced.

Next, the cleaning unit 360 in the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In the first embodiment, the cleaning unit 60 is held by hand, but in the third embodiment, the cleaning unit 360 is held by the holding portion 368d. Note that the same parts as those in the above embodiments are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

Figures 4(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views of the laser processing machine 5 and cleaning unit 360 in the third embodiment. Note that Figures 4(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views of positions corresponding to the cross-sectional views of the laser processing machine 5 and cleaning unit 60 in the first embodiment shown in Figure 3(a). Also, Figure 4(a) shows the state before the packing 69 is brought into contact with the lens 2, and Figure 4(b) shows the state after the packing 69 is brought into contact with the lens 2.

As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the cleaning unit 360 in the third embodiment is the same as the cleaning unit 60 in the first embodiment, except that the cylindrical member 368 of the cover means 362 has a bracket 368c and a holding portion 368d. Therefore, a description of parts other than the bracket 368c and the holding portion 368d will be omitted.

The bracket 368c is a member for arranging the holding portion 368d (described later) on the tubular member 368, and is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the enlarged diameter portion 68c1. The bracket 368c includes an attachment portion 368c1 formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter that conforms to the outer peripheral surface of the enlarged diameter portion 68c1, and a flange portion 368c2 that extends radially outward from the tip of the attachment portion 368c1, and the attachment portion 368c1 is fixed to the enlarged diameter portion 68c1, and the holding portion 368d is fixed to the flange portion 368c2.

The holding portion 368d is a magnet clamp equipped with a magnet, and is fastened and fixed to the flange portion 368c2 of the bracket 368c. The holding portion 368d is disposed in a position overlapping with a part of the installation plate P on which the laser device main body 3 is disposed in the axial O direction (see FIG. 2(a)). The installation plate P is a metal plate member for disposing the laser device main body 3 at a predetermined position, and is disposed along the lower surface of the laser device main body 3 (in a direction perpendicular to the direction of irradiation of the laser light from the laser processing machine 5). This allows the holding portion 368d to be adsorbed to the installation plate P of the laser processing machine 5 when the tip of the packing 69 is abutted against the lens 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold the cleaning unit 360 by hand during the cleaning operation of the lens 2. As a result, the work efficiency of the cleaning operation of the lens 2 can be improved.

In addition, because the holding portion 368d is attached to the mounting plate P, it is possible to prevent the force that brings the tip of the cover means 363 into contact with the lens 2 from weakening during the cleaning operation of the lens 2. This prevents a gap from being created between the cover means 363 and the lens 2 during the cleaning operation of the lens 2, and prevents the cleaning liquid from leaking out of the cleaning area of the lens 2 from between the cover means 363 and the lens 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from adhering to the laser device main body 3 on which the lens 2 is disposed.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, since the holding portion 368d is composed of a magnetic clamp made of a magnetic material, there is no need to form a held portion (e.g., a recess for engaging an engaging member such as a protrusion) for holding the holding portion 368d on the laser device body 3 or the installation plate P.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is in no way limited to the above embodiment, and it can be easily imagined that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

In the above first to third embodiments, the laser beam of the laser processing machine 5, 205 is described as a CO2 laser, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the laser processing machine may be one that uses other laser beams (for example, a fiber laser or a YAG laser).

In the above first to third embodiments, the cleaning device 1 is used to clean the lens 2, 202 of the laser processing machine 5, 205, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, if the laser processing machine 5, 205 is equipped with a lens protective glass (not shown) on the laser light irradiation side of the lens 2, 202, the lens protective glass may be cleaned by the cleaning device 1. Note that in this case, the object to be cleaned by the cleaning device 1 in the above first to third embodiments is simply changed from the lens 2, 202 to the lens protective glass, and therefore a detailed description of the cleaning will be omitted.

In the above first to third embodiments, a case where an AR coating film is formed on the lens 2, 202 has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the lens 2, 202 may be made of zinc selenide on which an AR coating film is not formed. Also, in the above first to third embodiments, a case where a zinc selenide lens 2, 202 is cleaned has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the lens made of another material may be cleaned.

In the above first to third embodiments, a push button 41 that can be pushed in is provided on the button device 40, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the push button 41 of the button device 40 may be replaced with an open/close lever or selector switch. In this case, tilting the lever to the open side allows the spray of cleaning liquid and compressed gas from the spray nozzle 62, and tilting the lever to the closed side restricts the spray of cleaning liquid and compressed gas from the spray nozzle 62.

In the above first to third embodiments, a case has been described in which the second opening 61b is provided to connect the space surrounded by the cover means 63, 263, 363 and the base member 61 to the outside, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the second opening 61b may not be provided. In this case, it is preferable to be able to store the cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 62 in the space surrounded by the cover means 63, 263, 363 and the base member 61.

In the above first to third embodiments, a case has been described in which the second opening 61b is formed in the base member 61 to connect the space surrounded by the cover means 63, 263, 363 and the base member 61 to the outside, but this is not necessarily limited to this.

For example, an opening may be formed on the side of the cover means 63, 263, 363 to connect the space surrounded by the cover means 63, 263, 363 and the base member 61 to the outside, and when the cleaning liquid is sprayed horizontally from the nozzle (i.e., when the axis O is oriented horizontally), the cleaning liquid may be discharged from the side of the cover means 63, 263, 363.

In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, the second opening 61b for connecting the space surrounded by the cover means 63, 263, 363 and the base member 61 to the outside is formed at a position along the inner peripheral surface of the cover means 63, 263, 363, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the second opening 61b may be formed inside the inner peripheral surface of the cover means 63, 263, 363.

In the above first to third embodiments, the packing 69, 269 is formed from an elastic material, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the packing 69, 269 may be formed from a metal material, and a cloth may be provided at the tip of the packing 69, 269 to prevent the lens 2, 202 from being scratched when the tip of the packing 69, 269 is brought into contact with the lens 2, 202. In this case, the cover means 63, 263, 363 does not need to be formed from two members, and may be formed from one member.

In the above first to third embodiments, the cleaning liquid used is acetone or absolute alcohol, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and other types of cleaning liquids such as water, methanol, and fluorine-based cleaning agents may be used as long as they are capable of cleaning lenses.

In the above first to third embodiments, the inner diameter of the cover means 63, 263, 363 is described as increasing from the tip side to the base end side, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The cover means may be formed to have the same diameter, or the inner diameter may increase in a stepped manner.

In the above first to third embodiments, the cleaning liquid stored in the first container 10 is supplied to the cleaning unit 60, 260, 360 by compressed gas, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The cleaning liquid stored in the first container 10 may be supplied to the cleaning unit 60, 260, 360 by an electric pump arranged between the first container 10 and the cleaning unit 60, 260, 360.

In the above first to third embodiments, the cover means 63, 263, 363 are described as being detachably arranged on the base member 61, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The cover means 63, 263, 363 may be fixed to the base member 61, or the cover means 63, 263, 363 and the base member 61 may be formed from a single member.

In the above first to third embodiments, the inner peripheral surface of the packing 69, 269 is described as being circular, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the shape of the inner edge of the packing 69, 269 may be polygonal, such as rectangular or pentagonal, to match the cleaning area of the lens 2, 202.

In the above first to third embodiments, the inner diameter of the abutment portion 69b of the packing 69 is described as increasing toward the tip side, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the outer diameter of the abutment portion 69b of the packing 69 may be reduced toward the tip side.

In the above first to third embodiments, the cylindrical member 11a of the first container 10 is formed from a light-transmitting material, making the inside of the storage section 11 visible, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the entire storage section 11 may be formed from a non-transmitting material, making the inside of the storage section 11 invisible.

In the above first to third embodiments, the cleaning liquid and compressed gas are supplied to the storage section 11 of the first container 10 from the same position, but this is not necessarily limited to the above, and the cleaning liquid and compressed gas may be supplied to the storage section 11 from different positions. In this case, it is preferable that the supply ports for the cleaning liquid and compressed gas are both formed on the upper side of the storage section 11. This is because the paths for the cleaning liquid and compressed gas can be brought closer together, making it easier for the cleaning liquid supplied to the storage section 11 to flow downstream by the compressed gas.

In the second embodiment, the gasket 269 is replaced with one having a different inner diameter when cleaning lenses 202 of different sizes, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the cleaning area of the lens 202 may be changed by replacing the cover means 263 with one having a different inner diameter at the tip. In other words, the entire cover means 263 may be replaced with respect to the base member 61. In this case, the base member 61 and the injection nozzle 62 can be shared, so the number of types of parts in the cleaning device 1 can be reduced.

In the above third embodiment, the case where the holding portion 368d is formed from a magnet clamp has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cleaning unit 360 may be held on the laser device body 3 (laser processing machine 5) by forming a held portion on the laser device body 3 or the installation plate P and arranging an engagement member that engages with the held portion on the cover means 363. Also, for example, the cleaning unit 360 may be held on the laser device body 3 (laser processing machine 5) by the restoring force of a spring arranged between the cover means 363 and the laser device body 3 or the installation plate P.

When the cleaning unit 360 is held to the laser device main body 3 (laser processing machine 5) by these engaging members and springs, the laser processing machine 5 can be prevented from being affected by magnetic forces, compared to when the holding portion 368d is formed from a magnetic clamp (third embodiment described above).

1 Cleaning device 2, 202 Lens 5, 205 Laser processing machine 10 First container 20 Second container 30 Adjustment device (supply means)
61 Base member 61b Second opening (discharge port)
62 Injection nozzle (nozzle)
63, 263, 363 Cover means 68, 368 Cylindrical member (base end member)
69, 269 Packing (tip member)
75 5th pipe (supply pipe)
76 6th Pipe (Exhaust Pipe)
368d holding part

Claims (11)

A cleaning device having a nozzle formed so as to be capable of spraying a cleaning liquid from a tip thereof, and for spraying the cleaning liquid onto a cleaning area of a lens or a lens protection glass fixed to a laser processing machine,
a cleaning unit including the nozzle, a base member to which a base end side of the nozzle opposite to a tip end side is connected, and a cover means formed in a cylindrical shape to cover the periphery of the nozzle and the base end side of the cover means being covered by the base member;
the cover means surrounds a cleaning area of the lens or the lens protection glass with a tip of the cover means in contact with the lens or the lens protection glass,
the cleaning device includes a first container capable of storing the cleaning liquid, a supply means capable of supplying compressed gas to the first container, a supply pipe that supplies the cleaning liquid stored in the first container to the nozzle by the compressed gas supplied from the supply means, and a discharge pipe that discharges the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle to the outside of the cleaning unit;
After the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle, only compressed gas is sprayed from the nozzle;
A cleaning device, characterized in that the spray direction of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle can be changed by changing the orientation of the cleaning unit by elastically deforming the supply pipe and the discharge pipe . At least one of the cover means and the base member is formed with a discharge port that communicates a space surrounded by the cover means and the base member with the discharge pipe ;
2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet is formed closer to the base end than the tip of the nozzle. The cover means is formed such that the inner diameter increases from the distal end side to the proximal end side,
3. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the outlet is formed in the base member and at a position along an inner circumferential surface of the base end side of the cover means. The cover means is detachably disposed on the base member ,
4. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover means is removable from the base member with the nozzle fixed thereto. the cover means is composed of a base end member disposed on the base member side and a tip end member disposed detachably on a tip side of the base end member,
5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the tip member surrounds a cleaning area of the lens or lens protection glass when the tip of the tip member is in contact with the lens or lens protection glass. The cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that the tip member is formed from an elastic body that can be elastically deformed. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that the tip member is formed so that its inner diameter becomes larger toward the tip side and its thickness becomes thinner toward the tip side. A recess is formed at the base end of the tip member into which a cylindrical tip portion of the base end member is inserted,
7. The cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein the tip member attached to the base member is replaceable with a tip member having a different inner diameter at the tip. At least one of the cover means and the base member is formed with a discharge port that communicates a space surrounded by the cover means and the base member with the discharge pipe ;
9. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second container that is connected to the discharge pipe and is capable of storing the cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port. 10. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first container is made of a transparent material that allows the inside of the first container to be seen through. 11. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cover means comprises a holder that is held by the laser processing machine.

Images