JPH0543434B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a cleaning device using a flammable solvent, and is a method for safely cleaning mechanical parts, printed circuit boards, etc. using a flammable solvent. This is what I am trying to do.

Conventional technology In the past, fluorocarbon solvents were generally used to clean mechanical parts, printed circuit boards, etc. because they are nonflammable, pose no risk of catching fire, and have excellent cleaning power. Its use has become regulated because it is associated with destruction of the global environment.

As a solvent to replace the fluorocarbon solvent, a terpene solvent, a composition comprising a terpene solvent and a terpene emulsifying surfactant, alcohol, kerosene, and other solvents are considered. However, all of these are flammable solvents and cannot be used because they cannot ensure safety against ignition.

Furthermore, the risk of ignition is particularly high when cleaning work is performed by spraying a flammable solvent onto the object to be cleaned, because droplets are spread. Therefore, in order to prevent the risk of ignition caused by these droplets,
The invention described in Publication No. 16683, the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 184591/1983, etc. have been proposed.

However, these inventions involve forming a sealed chamber by bringing the opening of the sealing covering into contact with the liquid level of the flammable solvent;
A flammable solvent is injected onto the object to be cleaned within this sealed chamber.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Therefore, although it is effective in preventing the spread of sprayed droplets of flammable solvent, the opening of the sealing cover comes into contact with the flammable solvent liquid. Further, this flammable solvent liquid is not kept in a sealed state and is in an open state. Therefore, there is an extremely high risk that the flammable solvent gas flowing out from this open state will catch fire, and safe cleaning operations cannot be expected at all.

Furthermore, in the above two inventions, the object to be cleaned is transferred to the sealed chamber by tilting the conveyor from outside the sealed sheath, passing through the flammable solvent, and introducing it into the cleaning section inside the sealed sheath, thereby carrying out the cleaning work. conduct. Moreover, the objects to be cleaned that have been cleaned are passed through the flammable solvent or water by tilting the conveyor, and are made to protrude to the outside.

Therefore, a long slanted introduction path and a long slanted outlet path are required to introduce the object to be cleaned into the interior of the hermetic covering and to take out the object to be cleaned, which has the disadvantage of increasing the size of the apparatus.

Furthermore, since the inlet and outlet channels are inclined, it is difficult to clean large objects to be cleaned, and there is a drawback that the objects that can be cleaned are limited.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and uses a flammable solvent in the cleaning liquid that has excellent cleaning power and does not cause destruction of the global environment, while preventing the risk of ignition and providing a safe solution. Allows for cleaning.

Furthermore, the present invention aims to perform this safe cleaning using a small and economical device, which is not limited by the size of the object to be cleaned.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a storage tank that stores a non-flammable or flame-retardant storage liquid, and is positioned so as to be movable toward and away from the liquid stored in the storage tank. A hermetically sealed sheath is provided with an opening at the lower end that can be inserted into and removed from the stored liquid, and a sealed chamber formed when the opening of the hermetic sheath is inserted into the stored liquid contains flammable solvents and objects to be cleaned. A cleaning section is formed in which cleaning is performed by contacting the cleaning section.

Further, the stored liquid may be water.

Further, the stored liquid may be a flame retardant oil with a high boiling point.

Additionally, the flammable solvent may be a terpene solvent.

The flammable solvent may also be a composition comprising a terpene solvent and a terpene emulsifying surfactant.

Moreover, the flammable solvent may be alcohol.

Additionally, the flammable solvent may be kerosene.

Further, the contact between the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section may be carried out by spraying the flammable solvent onto the object to be cleaned in the form of a shower.

In addition, the contact between the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section is carried out by bringing the part of the object to be cleaned into contact with the liquid level of the flammable solvent in a filling tank housed in a sealed chamber. It's okay.

Further, a means for collecting scattered solvent may be connected to the sealed chamber.

Effect Since the present invention is constructed as described above, when the object to be cleaned is cleaned with the flammable solvent in the cleaning section where the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned come into contact, the solvent vapor generated by this cleaning is generated. The scattered droplets are located in the hermetic covering, which is sealed by inserting the opening at the lower end into a non-flammable or flame-retardant storage liquid, and does not leak to the outside.

Therefore, there is no risk of ignition unless anything that could cause ignition is placed inside this hermetic covering. Further, even if some ignition occurs, the risk of ignition can be reduced because the opening at the lower end of the hermetic covering is sealed with a non-flammable or flame-retardant stored liquid.

Moreover, if the stored liquid is water, it is economical and non-flammable, so a high degree of safety against ignition can be obtained.

In addition, if the stored liquid is a flame-retardant oil with a high boiling point, when using a solvent that dissolves in water such as alcohol, it can prevent the solvent from dissolving in the stored liquid and prevent the stored liquid from becoming flammable. becomes.

Further, the flammable solvent may be a terpene solvent, a composition consisting of a terpene solvent and a terpene emulsifying surfactant, alcohol, or kerosene. , any flammable solvent can be used.

In addition, since the sealing cover is positioned so that it can move forward and backward with respect to the stored liquid, and has an opening that can come into contact with and detach from the stored liquid, the transfer path for the object to be cleaned can be formed horizontally. Even large-sized objects can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, since the transfer path can be made horizontal, there is no need for inclined inlet and outlet paths, and the apparatus can be made smaller and occupy a smaller area. Further, by making the transfer path horizontal, it becomes possible to continuously transfer the object to be cleaned from the processing device to the cleaning device in connection with another processing device that processes the object to be cleaned.

In addition, if the flammable solvent comes into contact with the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section by spraying the flammable solvent onto the object to be cleaned in the form of a shower, it becomes possible to powerfully clean the entire object to be cleaned. .

In addition, contact between the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section shall be made by bringing the part of the object to be cleaned into contact with the liquid level of the flammable solvent in a filling tank stored in a sealed chamber. For example, it becomes possible to clean only one side of a flat object such as a printed circuit board, improving cleaning efficiency and
It is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from coming into contact with undesirable parts.

In addition, by connecting a means for collecting scattered solvent to the sealed room, it is possible to reduce the concentration of flammable solvent vapor, droplets, etc. in the sealed room, further reducing the risk of ignition. It becomes possible.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a storage tank which stores a flame-retardant storage liquid 2 such as non-flammable water or flame-retardant oil with a high boiling point. If water is used as the stored liquid 2, it is economical and non-flammable, so that a high degree of safety can be obtained in the cleaning operation.

In addition, if the storage liquid 2 is a flame-retardant oil such as heat transfer oil with a high boiling point, cutting oil, or spindle oil, when using a solvent that dissolves in water such as alcohol, the solvent can be dissolved in the storage liquid 2. This makes it possible to prevent the stored liquid 2 from becoming flammable.

Further, the storage liquid 2 in the storage tank 1 is formed with a hermetic covering 4 which is sealed by inserting an opening 3 at the lower end thereof. In the sealed chamber 5 provided within this sealed covering 4,
A cleaning section 8 that brings the flammable solvent 6 into contact with the object 7 to be cleaned.
is formed.

The flammable solvent 6 is not particularly limited as long as it meets the purpose of cleaning. For example, to clean flux residue from a printed circuit board, a terpene solvent or a composition comprising a terpene solvent and a terpene emulsifying surfactant is preferred. Further, as the flammable solvent 6, any flammable solvent such as alcohol or kerosene can be used depending on other cleaning purposes.

Further, the sealing cover 4 is positioned so as to be movable toward and away from the stored liquid 2, and has an opening 3 that can be inserted into and removed from the stored liquid 2.

By forming in this way, the transfer path for the object 7 to be cleaned can be formed horizontally, and even relatively large objects 7 to be cleaned can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, since the transfer path can be made horizontal, there is no need for inclined inlet and outlet paths, and the apparatus can be made smaller and occupy a smaller area. Further, by making the transfer path horizontal, it becomes possible to continuously transfer the object 7 from the processing device to the cleaning device when connected to another processing device that processes the object 7 to be cleaned.

Further, the above-mentioned vertical movement of the hermetically sealed sheath 4 is achieved by passing a chain 20 operated by a motor 18 around a fixedly positioned sprocket wheel 17. This is done by fixing it to

However, it is of course possible to select any other arbitrary method for this vertical movement; for example, it is also possible to connect a cylinder to the sealing cover 4 and perform vertical movement.

In addition, only the cleaning section 8 for shower cleaning may be formed in the sealing cover 4, but in other different embodiments, a plurality of cleaning sections 8 constituted by a plurality of types of cleaning means may be provided. This also makes it possible to improve the cleaning effect.

First, one of them is the flammable solvent 6 in the filling tank 14.
is sprayed onto the object 7 to be cleaned, which enables powerful cleaning of the entire object 7 to be cleaned.

Further, the next cleaning means in the cleaning section 8 is carried out by contacting only the target part of the object 7 to be cleaned with the liquid level of the flammable solvent 6 in the filling tank 14 housed in the sealed chamber 5. shall be. If formed in this manner, it becomes possible to clean only one side of a flat object such as a printed circuit board. Therefore, it is possible to improve the cleaning efficiency and to prevent the cleaning liquid from coming into contact with parts that are not desirable to come into contact with the cleaning liquid.

In this case, an overflow tank 22 is provided separately from the filling tank 14. Then, the flammable solvent 6 in the filling tank 14 is supplied to the overflow tank 22 via the water separator 24 by the pump 23, and while overflowing the flammable solvent 6, only the part to be cleaned of the object 7 to be cleaned is brought into contact. Perform cleaning.

Further, the next cleaning means is a step in which the flammable solvent 6 adhering to the object to be cleaned 7 is washed off by the stored liquid 2 in the storage tank 1 through the above-mentioned cleaning operation.

Each of the above cleaning means may be used alone or
A combination of a plurality of types may be used, and it can be determined arbitrarily depending on the purpose of cleaning. Furthermore, a separate cleaning means, such as an immersion cleaning tank, may be installed.

In addition, solvent vapor, scattered droplets, etc. generated by the above-mentioned cleaning work are located in a sealed covering 4 that is sealed by inserting the opening 3 at the lower end into a non-flammable or flame-retardant storage liquid 2, No leakage to the outside. Therefore, if nothing that could cause ignition is placed inside this hermetic covering 4, there is no danger of ignition. Furthermore, even if some ignition occurs, the opening 3 at the lower end of the hermetic covering 4 is sealed with the non-flammable or flame-retardant liquid 2, so the risk of ignition can be reduced. becomes.

Furthermore, by connecting a recovery means 25 for collecting vapor, splashed solvent, etc. to the sealed chamber 5 in the sealed covering 4, the concentration of vapor, splashed, etc. of the flammable solvent 6 in the sealed chamber 5 can be reduced. This makes it possible to further reduce the risk of ignition.

The recovery means 25 connects a suction pipe 27 with a suction port 26 protruding from the upper part of the sealed chamber 5 to the condensation chamber 30 of the recovery tank 28 . Then, the flowing liquid layer 32 formed by the cooling liquid 31 condenses the vapor introduced from the suction pipe 27, the splashed solvent, and the like.

In addition, a partition wall 33 separates the condensation chamber 30 and the coolant chamber 35.
, and the communication port 34 of this partition wall 33 is inserted into the coolant chamber 31 . Further, a discharge pipe 37 is connected to the upper space 36 of the coolant chamber 35 . and,
By circulating the clean gas in the upper space 36 into the sealed chamber 5, the concentration of vapor, droplets, etc. of the flammable solvent 6 in the sealed chamber 5 is significantly reduced. This concentration reduction makes it possible to further reduce the risk of ignition and explosion.

Effects of the Invention Since the present invention is configured as described above, solvent vapor generated during cleaning, scattered droplets, etc. will not leak outside from the hermetic covering whose lower end opening is sealed with the liquid contained therein. . Therefore, there is no risk of ignition caused by sparks, static electricity, etc. from external devices. In addition, even if it causes some ignition,
A non-flammable or flame-retardant containment liquid allows the risk of ignition to be reduced.

In addition, since the hermetic cover is positioned so that it can move forward and backward relative to the stored liquid, the transfer path for the objects to be cleaned can be formed horizontally, and even relatively large objects can be easily cleaned. The continuity with the processing equipment located before and after is improved.

Furthermore, since the transfer path can be made horizontal, there is no need for inclined inlet and outlet paths, and the apparatus can be made smaller and occupy a smaller area.

Moreover, if the liquid to be stored is water, it is economical and non-flammable, so a high degree of safety can be obtained.

Further, if the stored liquid is a flame-retardant oil with a high boiling point, when a water-soluble solvent such as alcohol is used, the solvent can be prevented from dissolving in the stored liquid, and the stored liquid can be prevented from becoming flammable.

Furthermore, if the flammable solvent is brought into contact with the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section by spraying the flammable solvent in a shower, it becomes possible to powerfully clean the entire object to be cleaned.

Additionally, if the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section are brought into contact with only the part of the object to be cleaned, it becomes possible to clean only one side of a flat object such as a printed circuit board. It is possible to improve efficiency and prevent the cleaning liquid from coming into contact with areas that are not desirable to come into contact with the cleaning liquid.

Furthermore, by connecting a means for recovering the scattered solvent to the closed chamber, it is possible to reduce the concentration of vapor, droplets, etc. of the flammable solvent, and further reduce the risk of ignition.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the sealing cover in a lowered state, which is movable up and down, and FIG. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Storage tank, 2...Stored liquid, 3...Opening, 4...Sealing cover, 5...Sealed chamber, 6...Flammable solvent, 7...Object to be cleaned, 8...Cleaning section , 10
...Chain conveyor, 14...Filling tank, 25
...Recovery means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A storage tank containing a non-flammable or flame-retardant storage liquid is provided, and the storage tank is positioned so that it can move forward and backward with respect to the storage liquid, and the opening at the lower end can be inserted into and removed from the storage liquid. A cleaning section is formed in the sealed chamber formed when the opening of the sealed covering is inserted into the stored liquid, and the cleaning part is cleaned by bringing the flammable solvent into contact with the object to be cleaned. A cleaning device that uses a flammable solvent. 2. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the stored liquid is water. 3. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the stored liquid is a flame-retardant oil with a high boiling point. 4. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the flammable solvent is a terpene solvent. 5. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the flammable solvent is a composition comprising a terpene solvent and a terpene emulsifying surfactant. 6. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the flammable solvent is alcohol. 7. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the flammable solvent is kerosene. 8. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein the contact between the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section is carried out by spraying the flammable solvent onto the object to be cleaned in a shower-like manner. . 9. The contact between the flammable solvent and the object to be cleaned in the cleaning section is carried out by bringing the target part of the object to be cleaned into contact with the liquid level of the flammable solvent in a filling tank housed in a sealed chamber. A cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1. 10. The cleaning device using a flammable solvent according to claim 1, wherein a means for collecting scattered solvent is connected to the closed chamber.