JPH0619815U - Sterilization device in air compressor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Modified) [Purpose] Bacteria are removed while water contained in compressed air produced by an air compressor is removed. [Structure] A sterilizer 4 having an air dryer 2 connected to a discharge pipe 1 of an air compressor and having a drain trap 15 directly downstream of the air dryer and capable of removing moisture that cannot be removed by the air dryer to the outside.
Is connected, and the compressed air after the water is removed by the drain trap is configured to pass through the bacteria removal membrane 8 in the sterilizer.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a sterilization device in an air compressor, and more particularly to a means for removing bacteria in a state where water contained in compressed air produced by the air compressor is removed.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 As is well known, bacteria are said to live in the compressed air discharged from the air compressor. Moreover, compressed air contains water, so even if bacteria are removed with a general filter, drain water adheres to the filter surface when compressed air passes through the filter, which in turn causes the bacterial growth environment. Was generated.

Therefore, the present applicant arranges the air compressor, the air dryer, the dust remover, and the sterilizer in order from the above, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 31485 of 1991. A device with a drain trap in the vessel was proposed.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 According to the above-mentioned prior art and patent application publication No. 31485 of 1991, first, compressed air discharged from an air compressor is dehumidified by an air dryer, and then water is removed by a dust remover to remove dust. Then, the water is removed by the sterilizer, and then the sterilization is performed. Since the filter of the dust remover and the sterilizer does not have much water, the growth environment of the bacteria can be eliminated, and the sterilization is better performed. It is something that can be done.

However, if compressed air is sent from the air compressor to the air dryer, and then to the dust remover and the sterilizer, the piping of the device becomes long, resulting in high equipment cost and troublesome maintenance. There was a problem.

Further, the pressure of the compressed air at the time of final discharge may decrease due to the lengthening of the pipe, and it becomes difficult to obtain the correct discharge pressure when it is required. There was a problem.

[0007]

【Purpose】

 Therefore, the object of the present invention is not only to dehumidify the compressed air discharged from the air compressor but then to sterilize it, but also to shorten the piping from the air compressor to the final discharge as much as possible, It is another object of the present invention to provide a sterilization device that minimizes the difference between the discharge pressure and the final discharge pressure from the discharge port.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following technical means. That is, this will be described with reference to the reference numerals in the accompanying drawings corresponding to the embodiments. In the present invention, in the means for removing bacteria contained in the compressed air of the air compressor, the discharge pipe 1 of the air compressor is described. An air dryer 2 is connected to the air dryer 2, and a sterilizer 4 having a drain trap 15 capable of removing moisture that cannot be removed by the air dryer 2 to the outside is connected directly downstream of the air dryer 2 with the drain trap 15 A sterilization device in an air compressor, characterized in that the compressed air after removing water is passed through the bacteria removal film 8 in the sterilizer 4 to remove it.

[0009]

[Action]

 Based on the above configuration, compressed air is discharged from the air compressor, the compressed air is dehumidified by the air dryer 2 and sent to the sterilizer 4. The water in the compressed air that has flowed into the sterilizer 4 is removed by the drain trap 15, and the compressed air from which the water has been removed is passed through the bacteria removal membrane 8 to remove the bacteria. is there.

[0010]

【Example】

 Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The sterilization apparatus of the first embodiment is configured by connecting an air dryer 2 and a sterilizer 4 in series to a discharge pipe 1 of an air compressor. . The compressed air discharged from the air compressor passes through the air dryer 2 and the sterilizer 4, and is directed to a discharge end (not shown).

The air dryer 2 is a refrigeration type air dryer. The air dryer 2 may be an adsorption type air dryer.

The sterilizer 4 comprises a top cover 7 and a housing 13 which is detachably attached below the top cover 7, and the inside of the housing 13 is a cylindrical bacteria removal film having a through hole. A support 9 is continuously provided below, and a cylindrical bacteria removal membrane 8 is detachably attached around the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane support 9. In addition, the top cover 7 is provided with a compressed air inflow port 5 that is continuous with the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane 8 without facing the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane 8, and the inside of the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane support 9 is formed. Is formed with an outlet 6.

A drain reservoir 14 is formed between the bottom of the housing 13 and the lower end of the cylindrical bacteria removal film 8, and the drain trap 15 is connected to the drain reservoir 14. Is attached.

In short, the inflow port 6 is connected to the outer side region of the cylindrical bacteria removal film 8 without facing the bacteria removal film 8, and the drain reservoir 14 is connected to the outflow port 6 only through the bacteria removal film 8. Line up.

The means for allowing the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane 8 to be inserted into and removed from the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane support 9 is a bolt 10 that can be screwed to the top cover 7 and a terminal of the bacteria removal membrane support 9. It connects the plate 11 and the nut 12 which can hold | maintain from below.

The above-mentioned bacteria removal film 8 usually has a thickness of about 0.1 μm to 5 μm, but in order to enable the elimination of general bacteria, fungi such as mold and yeast, Use a micrometer to 0.4 micrometer. The bacteria removal membrane 8 may be an ultrafiltration membrane, a membrane filter, a microporous hollow fiber membrane, a microfiber filter, or the like.

Next, the operation of the sterilization apparatus having the above configuration will be described. First, the compressed air generated by the air compressor flows into the air dryer 2 through the air compressor discharge pipe 1. The compressed air is cooled and dehumidified by the air dryer 2, and the dehumidified compressed air flows into the sterilizer 4 through the pipe 3.

The compressed air that has flowed in through the inflow port 5 of the sterilizer 4 flows into the outer region of the cylindrical bacteria removal membrane 8 in the sterilizer 4, where it is cooled by the outside air, Drain water is generated by the resistance and the like through the bacteria removal film 8, and the water that has become drain water is discharged to the outside along the drain reservoir 14 by the drain trap 15.

On the other hand, when the compressed air passes through the bacteria-removing membrane 8, the bacteria are collected on the surface of the bacteria-removing membrane 8, and the sterilized compressed air passes through the opening of the bacteria-removing membrane support 9 and is It flows out from the inside through the outlet 6 to the outside.

Therefore, the bacteria removal membrane 8 is not clogged with the drain water particles contained in the compressed air, and the drain water particles are attached to the bacteria removal membrane 8 so that the bacterial growth environment is rather generated. There is no such thing.

As described above, this sterilization apparatus removes the water contained in the compressed air discharged from the air compressor by the drain trap 15, and then removes the bacteria contained in the compressed air by the bacteria removal film 8. In addition to discharging the sterilized compressed air to the outside, the pipe for circulating the compressed air from the air compressor discharge pipe 1 to the outside via the air dryer 2 and the sterilizer 4 can be shortened. .

Therefore, the facility cost of the piping itself can be easily reduced and the maintenance can be facilitated. Also, since the piping is easy to shorten, it is easy to discharge the compressed air in the air compressor to the outside while keeping the pressure as it is, that is, it is difficult for the piping to reduce the pressure, and it is possible to obtain an accurate discharge pressure. The range of use of bacterial devices in air compressors will be expanded.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and only differences from the first embodiment will be described. The inside of the air dryer 2 of this embodiment is divided into two by a partition plate 16, and a cooling pipe 18 to which a refrigerator 17 forming a normal air dryer is connected is installed on the upstream side. The same bacteria removal membrane 19 as the sterilizer 4 is installed on the downstream side. A drain trap 20 is installed below the air dryer 2.

The compressed air flowing into the air dryer 2 is cooled and dehumidified by the cooling pipe 18, passes through the lower opening of the partition plate 16, and the moisture is removed by the bacteria removal film 19 in the same manner as the sterilizer 4. After being sterilized, it is sterilized and flows out to the pipe 3. At this time, the drain water is accumulated below and the drain trap 20 is removed.

In the sterilization apparatus, the compressed air is dehumidified and sterilized by the air dryer 2, and sterilized again by the sterilizer 4, so that the sterilization efficiency is increased. Since the bacteria removal film 19 is installed inside the air dryer 2, the piping of the entire device can be shortened.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, and only differences from the first embodiment will be described. In the sterilizer 4 of this embodiment, a bacterium removal film 21 is further installed on the outer periphery of the bacterium removal film 8, so that the sterilization efficiency is increased and the piping of the entire apparatus can be shortened.

[0027]

[Effect of device]

 As described in detail above, according to the invention of claim 1, the compressed air discharged from the air compressor is dehumidified by the air dryer, and the water in the compressed air is removed by the sterilizer, and then sterilization is performed to remove bacteria. Not only can the growth environment be eliminated and bacteria can be better sterilized, but also because the piping of the entire device is easily shortened, the equipment cost of the piping is easily lowered, and maintenance is also easy. Further, if the pipe is short, there is an advantage that the pressure of the compressed air finally discharged to the outside can be circulated without significantly reducing the pressure of the compressed air discharged from the air compressor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sterilization apparatus according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a sterilization apparatus of a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a sterilization apparatus according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a bacteria removal membrane.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Air dryer 4 Sterilizer 8 Bacteria removal membrane 15 Drain trap 19 Bacteria removal membrane 20 Drain trap 21 Bacteria removal membrane

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A means for removing bacteria contained in compressed air of an air compressor, wherein an air dryer 2 is connected to a discharge pipe 1 of the air compressor,
Directly downstream of the air dryer 2, a sterilizer 4 having a drain trap 15 capable of externally removing water that could not be removed by the air dryer 2 is connected, and compressed air after removing water by the train trap 15 is connected. A sterilizing device in an air compressor, wherein the sterilizer is made to pass through the bacterium removing film 8 in the sterilizer 4 to sterilize the bacterium.