JPH0796101A - Device for removing supernatant of ink mixture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a method for removing a supernatant by which a supernatant is removed from an ink mixture without convoluting ink and in which operation is automated. CONSTITUTION:This device is constituted of a disk-shaped shielding plate 2, a pump 1 arranged above the shielding plate 2, an elevating/lowering unit 7 consisting of a head 5 equipped with an ink level sensor 3 and ink rising sensors 4a, 4ba and a lifting/lowering part 6 for supporting the head 5, and a supporting base 10 equipped with a lifting/lowering motor 8 and a driving shaft 9. When the elevating/lowering unit 7 is lowered and the interface is detected by the ink level sensor 3, it is stopped from lowering and a supernatant is sucked by the pump 1. Therefore, when the ink rising is detected, the pump 1 is stopped, the ink convolution is eliminated and the operation is automated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a supernatant removing device for removing a supernatant from a solution mixed with ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of the methods for obtaining a mixture in which powders of different materials are dispersed, an ink solution in which powders of original different materials are dispersed and mixed in a solvent is prepared and centrifuged to solidify it. A method of obtaining a solid content by liquid separation is known. At this time, the operation of discharging the supernatant from the ink mixed liquid to leave the ink solution will be described.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a conventional supernatant removal method. After leaving the ink mixed solution for about 12 hours, the supernatant removal operation is performed. Conventionally, while an operator illuminates the inside of the tank with the light 14 in one hand toward the ink mixed liquid 12 (ink 12a + supernatant 12b) contained in the tank 11, the beaker 15 in one hand pumps up the supernatant 12b, It was discharged to the discharge container 16. The boundary surface 13 was confirmed by the illumination 14 and only the supernatant 12b was removed. 17 is a liquid upper surface.

[0004]

In the conventional visual determination method of the boundary surface, the work efficiency is poor because the beaker pumps up the supernatant liquid, and since the boundary surface is difficult to determine, the remaining amount of the supernatant liquid is large and the next step Ink centrifuge work time increases. Further, in the method of pumping the supernatant liquid with a pump instead of the peaker, if the pump suction port is brought close to the ink surface in the vicinity of the boundary surface, the ink is entrained when the supernatant liquid is discharged, so that the ink is wastefully discarded.

An object of the present invention is to provide a supernatant removing device for an ink mixed solution, which removes the supernatant from the ink mixed solution without entraining the ink and automates the operation.

[0006]

In a supernatant removing device of an ink mixture for removing a supernatant from an ink mixture contained in a tank, a disc-shaped shield plate and a small gap above the center of the shield plate are provided. A head provided with a pump to which a conduit that is kept open is coupled, an ink surface detection sensor arranged above the shielding plate, and an ink roll-up detection sensor facing from both sides above the shielding plate, It is composed of an elevating unit including an elevating unit that supports the head, and a support base that includes a drive shaft that elevates the elevating unit and an elevating motor. The elevating motor drives the drive shaft to move the elevating unit to the tank. When the liquid is lowered into the ink mixed liquid, and when the boundary surface between the ink liquid and the supernatant is detected by the ink surface detection sensor, the lowering of the lifting unit is stopped and the pump is turned on. Sucking the supernatant and, when detecting entrapment of ink by the ink take-up sensor,
The above object is achieved by stopping the pump.

If the ink surface detection sensor is a reflection type optical sensor, it is suitable for detecting the boundary surface.

[0008]

A head having a disk-shaped shield plate, a pump to which a conduit opening above the shield plate is coupled, an ink surface detection sensor, and an ink roll-up detection sensor, and an elevating part for supporting the head. A supernatant removing device is configured from an elevating unit consisting of, and a supporting table equipped with a drive shaft and an elevating motor,
When the elevating unit is lowered into the mixed liquid in the tank and the boundary surface between the ink and the supernatant is detected by the ink surface detection sensor, the elevating unit is stopped from descending and the pump sucks out the supernatant, and the ink take-up sensor takes in the ink. Since the pump is stopped when is detected, the supernatant liquid is sucked out from the upper side of the shield plate, and the ink is not sucked out together with the supernatant liquid. The lifting motor and pump can be controlled by the sensor, and the supernatant removal work can be automated.

[0009]

1 is a perspective view of a supernatant removing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the supernatant removing device is
It is composed of an elevating unit 7, an elevating motor 8 for elevating the elevating unit 7, and a support 10 provided with a drive shaft 9.
The elevating unit 7 includes a disc-shaped shield plate 2, a pump 1 having a gap of about 2 mm above the center of the shield plate 2, and a conduit 1a having a plurality of holes on the side surface near the opening, which is connected to the pump 1. A head 5 having a reflection type optical ink detection sensor 3 arranged about 15 mm above the plate 2 and ink roll-up detection sensors 4a and 4b facing each other above the shield plate 2 are provided. It is composed of an elevating part 6 for supporting. The drive shaft 9 is driven by the lifting motor 8 and engages with the lifting unit 6 to lift the lifting unit 6.

Next, the operation of the supernatant removing device will be described. First, the lift motor 8 is rotated to drive the drive shaft 9, the lift unit 7 is lowered, the shield plate 2 and the ink surface sensor 3 are lowered into the mixed liquid 12, and the boundary surface 13 is moved by the ink surface detection sensor 3. When detected, the lowering of the elevating unit 7 is stopped, the pump 1 sucks the supernatant 12b, and discharges it to a supernatant discharge container (not shown).

At this time, the supernatant 12b is sucked from the upper side of the shield plate 2, and the ink below the shield plate is not directly sucked into the conduit 1a. Ink winding sensor 4
When the inclusion of the ink 12a is detected by a and 4b, the pump 1 is stopped. In this way, the supernatant 12b can be removed without involving the ink 12a. Moreover, the work is started when the boundary surface 13 is detected by the ink detection sensor 3, and the ink winding detection sensor 4
Since the work is stopped when the ink rollup is detected by a and 4b, the supernatant removal work can be automated.

[0012]

According to the present invention, a head having a shield plate, an ink surface detection sensor, and an ink winding detection sensor, an elevating unit including an elevating part, a support having a drive shaft and an elevating motor. When the ink detection sensor detects the boundary surface of the mixed liquid, the supernatant removing device is configured from the table and the descent of the elevating unit is stopped, and the supernatant is sucked by the pump. When the amount of supernatant liquid is reduced and ink winding is detected, suction from the pump is stopped, so the work from detection of the boundary surface to suction of the supernatant liquid can be automated.
Moreover, since there is a shielding plate, ink is not sucked directly from the conduit.

According to this supernatant removing device, the concentration of the residual ink in the tank is increased by about 50% as compared with the conventional one, and the working time including the centrifugal separation in the next step is increased by about 30% as compared with the conventional one.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a supernatant removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a conventional supernatant removal method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Pump 1a Conduit 2 Shielding Plate 3 Ink Surface Detection Sensor 4a Ink Climbing Sensor 4b Ink Climbing Sensor 5 Head 6 Elevating Unit 7 Elevating Unit 8 Elevating Motor 9 Drive Shaft 10 Supporting Stand 11 Tank 12 Ink Mixture 12a Ink 12b Clearance 13 Boundary

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for removing supernatant of an ink mixture, which removes the supernatant from the ink mixture contained in a tank.
A disc-shaped shield plate, a pump coupled with a conduit opening with a slight gap above the center of the shield plate, an ink surface detection sensor arranged above the shield plate, and a shield plate of the shield plate. From a head provided with an ink winding detection sensor facing upward from both sides, an elevating unit including an elevating unit supporting the head, and a support base having a drive shaft and an elevating motor for elevating the elevating unit. The elevating motor drives the drive shaft to lower the elevating unit into the ink mixed liquid in the tank, and when the ink surface detection sensor detects the boundary surface between the ink liquid and the supernatant liquid, the elevating unit descends. When the pump is stopped, the supernatant liquid is sucked out through the pump, and when the ink winding sensor detects the ink winding, the pump is stopped. Supernatant removal device of the ink mixture that. 2. A supernatant removing device according to claim 1, wherein the ink surface detecting sensor is a reflection type optical sensor.