JPH0334311Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial field of application The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning mechanical parts, medical instruments, and various other objects. ) is intended to reliably prevent the leakage of

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Traditionally, a steam cleaning tank has been formed airtight, with a sealing lid mounted on the top opening at the upper end. When the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber increases or changes in pressure, there is a problem in that cleaning steam leaks outside from the mounting part of the airtight lid, which has an adverse effect on the human body of the worker.

An invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-209690 has been proposed for the purpose of eliminating such adverse effects. Although it is effective in eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks, it is not necessarily perfect. That is, the tendency of pressure fluctuation in the steam cleaning chamber becomes remarkable when the object to be cleaned enters and exits the steam cleaning chamber. In other words, when the object to be cleaned comes in and out, the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber changes up and down due to volume changes as the object to be cleaned comes in and out.
This is caused by the intense movement of cleaning steam and air inside.

However, in the above conventional example, the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction body is as follows.
This is done naturally according to pressure fluctuations in the steam cleaning chamber without applying any special force to the adjustment chamber. Therefore, there is a drawback that the expansion and contraction body may not be able to follow sudden pressure fluctuations that occur when the object to be cleaned enters and exits the steam cleaning chamber.

Problems that the invention attempts to solve This invention attempts to solve the problems mentioned above. However, the pressure of the cleaning space during steam cleaning is adjusted to a constant level to effectively prevent the leakage of cleaning steam.

Also, make sure to prevent cleaning steam from leaking to the outside, which occurs when the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber changes rapidly and the cleaning steam flows violently due to changes in volume as the object to be cleaned comes in and out. That is.

Means for solving the problems In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the present invention
A top opening is provided at the upper end of the steam cleaning chamber that performs steam cleaning of the objects to be cleaned, and this top opening is used as a lifting section for the objects to be cleaned, and a lid is provided to cover the top opening so that it can be opened and closed. An expansion and contraction body that expands and contracts its volume in response to changes in the pressure in the steam cleaning chamber to keep the pressure in the steam cleaning chamber constant is connected to the body, and the expansion and contraction body is
When the top opening is opened, the top plate portion facing the top surface of the inflatable body can be pressed.

Function Since the present invention is constructed as described above, first, to perform steam cleaning, cleaning steam is generated from a separately provided steam generation tank or by heating the cleaning liquid provided at the lower end of the steam cleaning chamber. generate. This cleaning steam fills the steam cleaning chamber and comes into contact with the object to be cleaned, allowing steam cleaning to be performed.

During this steam cleaning, if the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber increases due to fluctuations in steam pressure, etc., the expansion/contraction body expands to compensate for the increase, thereby alleviating the pressure increase. Further, when the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber decreases, the expansion and contraction body contracts and discharges the internal gas into the steam cleaning chamber, thereby alleviating the pressure drop.

In this way, the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber is adjusted to a constant level by the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction body, so that cleaning steam does not leak outside due to the lid being lifted due to an increase in the pressure in the steam cleaning chamber.

In addition, in general, the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber fluctuates particularly due to volume changes as the object to be cleaned comes in and out, causing the cleaning steam to flow violently, making it easy to prevent the cleaning steam from flowing outside. becomes.

In this invention, in order to take out the object to be cleaned from the steam cleaning chamber after the cleaning work is completed, the lid is also pushed up at the same time, and the expanding and contracting body such as the bellows is pressed against the top plate, so that the gas inside the expanding and contracting body is removed by steam cleaning. Forced to flow into the room. Since the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber that has decreased due to the removal of the items to be cleaned is replenished, there is no need for strong inflow of outside air into the steam cleaning chamber or generation of turbulence, and the outflow of cleaning steam to the outside. can be prevented.

In addition, in order to store the items to be cleaned in the steam cleaning room,
The object to be cleaned is inserted through the upper opening of the steam cleaning chamber, and the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber increases due to the volume of the object to be cleaned due to this insertion, causing the cleaning steam to flow out to the outside. However, as the object to be cleaned is introduced into the steam cleaning chamber, the expansion and contraction body that was pressed against the top plate also descends and expands, absorbing the increased pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber and causing the inside of the steam cleaning chamber to rise. There is no pressure increase.

In this way, even if sudden pressure fluctuations occur in the steam cleaning chamber when the cleaning steam is entering and exiting the object to be cleaned, where cleaning steam is most likely to flow out, the expansion and contraction body is forcibly expanded and contracted at the top plate, and the inside of the steam cleaning chamber is maintained. This makes it possible to adjust the pressure and reduce pressure changes within the steam cleaning chamber.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a cleaning tank, the lower part of which contains a suitable cleaning liquid 2 such as trichlorethylene to form a liquid cleaning tank 3. Further, the space above this liquid cleaning tank 3 is a steam cleaning chamber 4. A cleaning table 6 on which an object to be cleaned 5 is placed is inserted into the cleaning tank 1 so as to be vertically movable. This washing stand 6 is fixed to the lower end of a vertically movable body 8 that moves up and down within the washing tank 1 in conjunction with an elevating cylinder 7 located outside the washing tank 1. Then, the lid body 1 which will be explained later
A push-up frame 11 for pushing up 0 is protruded from the upper surface.

Further, next to the cleaning tank 1, an independent steam generation tank 12 is arranged which is separated and isolated from the cleaning tank 1. Inside this steam generation tank 12, an annular groove wall 1 is provided.
3 is provided around the annular groove wall 13, and an inner lid 15 that closes the flow port 14 by its own weight is fitted into the upper end of the annular groove wall 13 so as to be able to move up and down. and a cooling chamber 17.

Further, a heater 18 is located at the bottom side of the steam generation chamber 16, and this heater 18 is connected to the cleaning liquid 20.
is immersed in Moreover, on the inner peripheral side of the cooling chamber 17,
A cooling coil 21 through which cooling water flows is located, and steam leaking from the steam generation chamber 16 by pushing up the inner lid 15 is condensed and liquefied by cooling. Note that the upper surface of the cooling chamber 17 is hermetically sealed with an outer lid 19.

Further, inside the steam generation chamber 16, a steam introduction pipe 22 is provided which extends near the inner lid 15 with the opening surface facing upward.
and an overflow pipe 23 with one end inserted into the cleaning liquid 20. The tip of the steam introduction pipe 22 is connected via a valve 24 to a steam introduction opening 25 provided in the lower part of the steam cleaning chamber 4 . Further, the tip of the overflow pipe 23 is connected to an overflow port 26 provided slightly above the surface of the cleaning liquid 2.

Further, a cooling coil 30 serving as a cooling means through which cooling water flows is located in the upper half of the inner circumference of the steam cleaning chamber 4, that is, in the cooling section. Further, the steam cleaning chamber 4 and the liquid cleaning tank 3 communicate with each other via a moisture separator 31. The liquid condensed by the cooling of the cooling coil 30 is separated into water and the cleaning liquid 2, and only the cleaning liquid 2 is returned to the liquid cleaning tank 3.

On the other hand, the upper surface opening 27 of the steam cleaning chamber 4 serves as an entrance for lifting the object 5 to be cleaned.
is closed by a lid 10 that is vertically movable.
A communication pipe 33 is provided upright in the center of the lid 10, and an inflatable body 28 such as a bellows is connected to the tip of the communication pipe 33. It communicates with the steam cleaning chamber 4 via 33. Further, the upper part of this lid body 10 is connected to a hood 3.
2, and a mounting table 35 is formed at an entrance/exit 34 provided in a shutter (not shown).

In addition, the expansion and contraction body 28 and the communication pipe 33 are connected to the hood 32.
The top plate part 37 is fixedly positioned so as to protrude to the upper surface so as not to impede the entry and exit of the object 5 to be cleaned, and to face the upper surface of the inflatable body 28. When the lid 10 is opened to allow the object to be cleaned 5 to be taken in and out, the expansion and contraction body 28 is pressed against the top plate part 37 to forcibly contract the volume.

In the structure as described above, if the object 5 to be cleaned is placed on the cleaning platform 6 which can be moved up and down by the lifting cylinder 7 and inserted into the liquid cleaning tank 3, the cleaning liquid 2 will wash the object 5. Can be washed.
After this liquid cleaning, the cleaning table 6 is raised by the lift cylinder 7, the object to be cleaned 5 is placed in the steam cleaning chamber 4, and steam cleaning is performed. To perform this steam cleaning, first, the heater 18 of the steam generation tank 12 is driven to heat the cleaning liquid 20, and the cleaning steam 36 is generated in the steam generation chamber 16. This cleaning steam is generated with the valve 24 closed. When the steam generation chamber 16 is filled with the cleaning steam 36, the valve 24 is opened, and the cleaning steam 36 is introduced into the steam cleaning chamber 4 through the steam introduction opening 25 through the steam introduction pipe 22.

By introducing this steam, the cleaning steam 36 fills the steam cleaning chamber 4 and comes into contact with the object to be cleaned 5 to perform steam cleaning. During this steam cleaning, if the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber 4 changes due to pressure fluctuations in the introduced cleaning steam 36 or some other cause, the bellows 28 expands and contracts in a direction to alleviate the pressure change. For example, when the pressure within the steam cleaning chamber 4 increases, the bellows 28 expands in response to the increased pressure, absorbing and relieving the increased pressure. Further, when the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber 4 decreases, the bellows 28 contracts in accordance with the pressure decrease, and discharges the internal gas to the steam cleaning chamber 4, absorbing and alleviating the pressure decrease.

Due to the pressure regulating action of the bellows 28, the pressure within the steam cleaning chamber 4 is regulated to a constant level.
Therefore, due to the pressure increase in the steam cleaning chamber 4, the lid body 1
The device of this embodiment can reliably prevent the inconvenience that 0 is pushed up and the cleaning steam leaks out from between the two.

Next, after the steam cleaning is completed, the valve 24 is closed to stop introducing the cleaning steam 36 into the steam cleaning chamber 4. On the other hand, the cleaning steam 36 remaining in the steam cleaning chamber 4 is condensed and liquefied by the cold air of the cooling coil 30, so that the cleaning steam 36 in the steam cleaning chamber 4 disappears and the cooling coil 30
The object to be cleaned 5 can be cooled and dried by the cold air.

When the pressure in the steam generation chamber 16 increases due to the closing of the valve 24, the inner lid 15 is pushed up and the cleaning steam 36 flows into the cooling chamber 17, and the cleaning steam flows into the cooling coil 21. Since the steam is cooled and condensed and liquefied, there is no risk that the steam generating tank 12 will explode due to pressure increase.

After the object to be washed has been cooled and dried, the lifting cylinder 7 is operated to further raise the washing table 6 as shown in FIG. Then, the lid 10 that prevents the cleaning steam 36 from flowing out is pushed up and opened using the push-up frame 11, the shutter (not shown) is opened, and the object 5 to be cleaned is placed through the entrance 34. It is taken out onto a table 35.

In this case, as mentioned above, the cleaning steam 36 in the steam cleaning chamber 4 has disappeared due to condensation and liquefaction.
Even if the lid body 10 is pushed up, cleaning steam will not come out, but even if a small amount of cleaning steam 36 remains without being liquefied, the specific gravity of the cleaning steam 36 is greater than that of air, so it will not come out. Residual cleaning steam 36
will accumulate in the lower part of the steam cleaning chamber 4, and will be less likely to leak out from the elevator opening of the steam cleaning chamber 4.

However, in general, due to volume changes in the steam cleaning chamber 4 as the object to be cleaned 5 enters and exits, the pressure within the steam cleaning chamber 4 rapidly fluctuates up and down, and the cleaning steam 36
As the cleaning vapor 36 flows vigorously, it is easy to prevent the cleaning vapor 36 from flowing out to the outside.

In the present invention, in order to take out the object 5 to be cleaned from the steam cleaning chamber 4 after the cleaning operation is completed, the lid 10 is
is simultaneously pushed up and presses the expansion and contraction body 28 such as a bellows against the top plate portion 37, so that the gas in the expansion and contraction body 28 is forced to flow into the steam cleaning chamber 4. The steam cleaning chamber 4 was reduced due to the removal of the objects 5 to be cleaned.
By replenishing the internal pressure, external air does not flow violently into the steam cleaning chamber 4 and turbulence does not occur.
It is possible to prevent the cleaning steam 36 from flowing out.

After taking out the object 5 to be cleaned from the steam cleaning chamber 4, the next object 5 to be cleaned is inserted through the entrance/exit 34, placed on the cleaning table 6, and the lifting cylinder 7 is lowered. When the object 5 is inserted into the liquid cleaning tank 3, the lid 10 closes the opening of the steam cleaning chamber 4 and prevents the cleaning steam 36 from flowing out.

However, when storing the objects 5 to be cleaned in the steam cleaning chamber 4, as described above, the steam cleaning chamber 4
The object to be cleaned 5 is inserted through the top opening 27, but this insertion causes a sudden increase in the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber 4 due to the volume of the object to be cleaned 5, which acts as a pressure that causes the cleaning steam 36 to flow outside. do. However, as the object 5 to be cleaned is introduced into the steam cleaning chamber 4, the expansion/contraction body 28 pressing against the top plate 37 also descends and expands, so that it absorbs the increased pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber 4. However, the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber 4 is not increased.

In this way, the expansion and contraction body 28
The steam cleaning chamber 4 is forcibly expanded and contracted to adjust the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber 4, thereby making it possible to reduce pressure changes inside the steam cleaning chamber 4.

As described above, according to this embodiment, since the expansion and contraction body 28 is connected to the lid body 10, the structure of the pressure adjustment mechanism in the steam cleaning chamber 4 is not only simplified, but also the expansion and contraction body 28 is connected to the lid body 10. Since the weight of 28 is added to the lid body 10, the opening can be more completely closed.

In the above embodiment, the expansion and contraction body 28 is formed of a bellows, but it is not necessarily limited to this, and other structures may be used. For example, the expansion/contraction body 28 may be formed of a stretched fabric made of nylon, Tetron, rubber, etc. so that the volume can be freely changed in response to changes in the pressure of the cleaning steam 36 or the like. Alternatively, the expansion and contraction body 28 is made of a non-expandable material to form a regular cylinder, and by inserting a piston into this cylinder and sliding this piston, the volume inside the cylinder can be changed freely. It's good as well.

Further, in the above embodiment, the liquid cleaning tank 3 is formed below the steam cleaning chamber 4, but this is not necessarily necessary and the liquid cleaning tank 3 may be omitted. The presence or absence of this can be arbitrarily determined depending on the purpose of cleaning.

In yet another embodiment, cleaning steam may be obtained by heating the cleaning liquid 2 in the cleaning tank 1 without providing the steam generation tank 12.

Effects of the invention Since the present invention is constructed as described above, pressure fluctuations and excessive pressure rises within the steam cleaning chamber are absorbed and alleviated by the expansion and contraction action of the expansion and contraction body. The pressure can be adjusted to the appropriate level. Therefore, cleaning steam does not leak out from the steam cleaning chamber due to pressure rise or pressure fluctuation.

In addition, even if there are sudden pressure fluctuations in the steam cleaning chamber when the items to be cleaned come in and out, the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber is kept almost constant by forcibly expanding and contracting the expansion and contraction body as the lid opens and closes. can be kept. Therefore, when entering and exiting the object to be cleaned, where cleaning steam is most likely to flow out, the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber can be forcibly and quickly adjusted, reducing pressure changes within the steam cleaning chamber and preventing solvent vapor from leaking out. becomes. Furthermore, since the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction body is linked to the movement in and out of the object to be cleaned, which causes pressure fluctuations, it is possible to particularly effectively adjust the pressure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing liquid cleaning and steam cleaning states;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of loading and unloading of objects to be cleaned. 3...Liquid cleaning tank, 4...Steam cleaning room, 5...Object to be cleaned, 6...Cleaning table, 7...Elevating cylinder,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Lid body, 11... Push-up frame, 12... Steam generation tank, 22... Steam introduction pipe (piping system), 24... Valve, 25... Steam introduction opening, 27... Upper surface opening, 28... Expansion/contraction body, 30... Cooling coil (cooling means), 36... Cleaning steam, 37... Top plate section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A top opening is provided at the upper end of the steam cleaning chamber for steam cleaning the object to be cleaned, and this top opening is used as a part for raising and lowering the object to be cleaned, and the top opening is opened and closed. A cover body is provided that can cover freely, and an expansion and contraction body is connected to this lid body, which expands and contracts its volume in response to changes in the pressure in the steam cleaning chamber, and adjusts the pressure inside the steam cleaning chamber to a constant level. A cleaning device characterized in that the can be pressed against a top plate portion located facing the top surface of the inflatable body when the top opening is opened. (2) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the expansion and contraction body is constituted by a bellows. (3) The steam cleaning chamber is provided separately from the steam generation tank that generates cleaning steam, and the steam introduction opening of the steam cleaning chamber communicates with the steam generation tank via a piping system having a valve. A cleaning device according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim. (4) The cleaning device according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim, characterized in that a liquid cleaning tank for cleaning with a cleaning liquid is provided below the steam cleaning chamber. (5) The lid body is moved up and down by protruding a push-up frame onto a washing table on which the object to be cleaned is placed, and by connecting an elevating cylinder located outside the steam cleaning chamber to the washing table. A cleaning device according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim. (6) The cleaning device according to claim 4 of the utility model registration, wherein the cleaning steam in the steam cleaning chamber is generated by heating a cleaning liquid.