Cleaning device

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device in which residual cleaning liquid is unlikely to enter a slurry ice generation device.SOLUTION: A cleaning liquid pump 32 discharges cleaning liquid and is connected to a slurry ice pipe 22 on a downstream side of slurry ice flow, relative to an output pump 24 that discharges slurry ice. A labyrinth structure formed by an impeller and guide vanes is provided inside the output pump 24, making it difficult for the cleaning liquid in the slurry ice pipe 22 to flow backward from a downstream side of the output pump 24 through the inside of the output pump 24 to an upstream side. Therefore, when the slurry ice generation device A and a cleaning device 10 are reconnected after completion of the current cleaning operation, and slurry ice is regenerated, the residual cleaning liquid in the slurry ice pipe 22 is unlikely to enter the slurry ice generation device A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device that cleans the inside of an object to be cleaned, such as a pipe or a tank, by injecting slurry ice into the object. [Background technology]

[0002] Some of the above-mentioned cleaning devices are configured to store the cleaning slurry ice produced by the slurry ice production device in a container. This container has a conduit, and the inside of the container is connected to the object to be cleaned through the conduit. A pump is inserted in the conduit, and the slurry ice is injected from the container into the object to be cleaned through the conduit as the pump is operated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-296168 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-44017 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In cleaning devices used in food factories, pharmaceutical factories, and the like, it is desirable to improve the cleaning performance of the cleaning device by injecting slurry ice into the object to be cleaned with a cleaning liquid to keep the manufacturing equipment clean. However, some cleaning liquids are expected to contain components that interfere with the smooth production of slurry ice. Therefore, if cleaning operations are performed with this type of cleaning liquid added to the slurry ice, there is a concern that the cleaning liquid, which is undesirable for the production of slurry ice, will remain in the cleaning device's pipes. Naturally, this cleaning device is not disposable but is intended for repeated use. Therefore, if the slurry ice stored in the cleaning device is insufficient before the next cleaning operation, the slurry ice production device must be reconnected to the cleaning device's container and replenished with slurry ice. In this case, depending on the connection between the cleaning device's container and the slurry ice production device, the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning device may seep into the slurry ice production device, adversely affecting the smooth production of slurry ice.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a cleaning device that makes it difficult for cleaning liquid remaining in the pipelines to infiltrate into the slurry ice production device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the cleaning device of the first invention is that it comprises: (a) a first container that receives slurry ice from a slurry ice generator and stores the slurry ice; (b) a pipeline that connects the first container to the object to be cleaned; (c) a first pump that is disposed in the pipeline and that, while in operation, injects the slurry ice from the first container through the pipeline into the object to be cleaned; (d) a second container that stores cleaning liquid; and (e) a second pump that injects the cleaning liquid from the second container into the pipeline, and (f) the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the pipeline downstream of the flow of the slurry ice while the first pump is in operation.

[0007] The gist of the cleaning device of the second invention is that, in the first invention, (a) a control device is provided that performs a cleaning operation in which the slurry ice to which the cleaning liquid has been added is injected into the object to be cleaned in response to operating both the first pump and the second pump, and (b) when the cleaning operation is stopped, the control device stops the second pump before the first pump, and stops the first pump when a standby time has elapsed since the second pump was stopped.

[0008] The gist of the cleaning device of the third invention is that, in the first or second invention, (a) it is provided with a connecting pipe that is located downstream of the flow of the slurry ice compared to the pipe and that connects the inside of the pipe to the inside of the object to be cleaned, (b) the connecting pipe is located outside the machine and is detachable from the pipe, and (c) the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the inside of the connecting pipe outside the machine and is detachable from the connecting pipe.

[0009] The gist of the cleaning device of the fourth invention is that, in the first or second invention, (a) the second pump is located downstream of the flow of the slurry ice compared to the first pump and is provided with a connecting pipe for connecting the inside of the pipe to the inside of the object to be cleaned outside the machine, and (b) the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the connecting pipe at the end of the connecting pipe that is farthest from the first pump downstream of the flow of the slurry ice. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the pipeline downstream of the flow of slurry ice when the first pump is operating. This makes it difficult for cleaning liquid remaining in the pipeline to flow backward from the downstream side of the first pump through the first pump to the upstream side of the first pump. This reduces the possibility of the remaining cleaning liquid reaching a container upstream of the first pump. Therefore, even if the slurry ice production device and the first container of the cleaning device are connected when replenishing the slurry ice, the cleaning liquid remaining in the pipeline is unlikely to seep into the slurry ice production device.

[0011] According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the cleaning operation is stopped, the first pump is stopped after a standby time has elapsed since the second pump was first stopped. Therefore, the first pump discharges slurry ice for the standby time while the second pump stops injecting cleaning liquid into the slurry ice, so that the cleaning liquid is swept toward the object to be cleaned along with the slurry ice. This reduces the amount of remaining cleaning liquid, making it even more difficult for the remaining cleaning liquid to seep into the slurry ice production device when producing slurry ice.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the connecting pipe outside the apparatus. Therefore, cleaning liquid is added to the slurry ice outside the apparatus, and any remaining cleaning liquid also remains in the connecting pipe outside the apparatus. Because this connecting pipe is detachable from the pipe, the first container of the cleaning device can be connected to the slurry ice production apparatus with the connecting pipe removed from the pipe. In this case, slurry ice is produced without any cleaning liquid remaining in the pipe, making it possible to prevent cleaning liquid from entering the slurry ice production apparatus.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the connecting pipeline at the end of the connecting pipeline that is furthest downstream from the first pump in the direction of the slurry ice flow. Therefore, the cleaning liquid from the second pump is added to the slurry ice at the part of the connecting pipeline that is furthest downstream in the direction of the slurry ice flow. Therefore, the distance traveled by the cleaning liquid remaining in the connecting pipeline to reach the first pump is maximized, making it even more difficult for the remaining cleaning liquid to seep into the slurry ice production apparatus when producing slurry ice. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a connected state to a slurry ice production device, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of a pipe line showing an enlarged view of an X portion. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a connected state to an object to be cleaned. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing a cleaning device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0015] As shown in Figure 1(a), the cleaning device 10 is transported between the slurry ice generator A and the food production pipe B (see Figure 2) used to clean the object, and has multiple tires 12 for transportation. The slurry ice generator A is a stationary type that is installed on the floor and has a water inlet A1 through which water is poured and an inlet A2 through which salt is poured. This slurry ice generator A has a built-in generator (not shown), which produces a sherbet-like cleaning medium (slurry ice) containing ice particles from saltwater with a salt concentration of approximately 1%, which is close to fresh water.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1(a), when slurry ice is produced, the washing device 10 is detachably connected to the slurry ice production device A via connecting pipes P1 and P2. The washing device 10 incorporates a slurry ice tank 14. The slurry ice produced by the slurry ice production device A is supplied to the slurry ice tank 14 through connecting pipe P1 (see arrow). The slurry ice in the slurry ice tank 14 is returned to the slurry ice production device A through connecting pipe P2 (see arrow). The slurry ice is circulated between the slurry ice tank 14 and the slurry ice production device A, and the slurry ice is supercooled as it circulates between them. The slurry ice tank 14 corresponds to the "first container" of the present invention.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1(a), the cleaning device 10 incorporates an agitation motor 16, and a vertical agitation shaft 18 is connected to the rotation shaft (not shown) of the agitation motor 16. The agitation shaft 18 is housed in the slurry ice tank 14, and an agitation blade 20 is connected to the agitation shaft 18. The agitation blade 20 is immersed in the slurry ice in the slurry ice tank 14. The agitation blade 20 is rotated by the agitation motor 16 to agitate the slurry ice.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the cleaning device 10 incorporates a slurry ice pipe 22. This slurry ice pipe 22 is L-shaped, with a vertical short section 22a and a horizontal long section 22b, and the upper end of the short section 22a is connected to the inside of the slurry ice tank 14 at the lowest part of the slurry ice tank 14. The long section 22b of the slurry ice pipe 22 has a slurry ice discharge port 22c that opens to the outside of the cleaning device 10. An on-off valve (not shown) is attached to this slurry ice discharge port 22c, and the on-off valve switches the slurry ice discharge port 22c between an open state and a closed state. This slurry ice pipe 22 corresponds to a "pipe line."

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the cleaning device 10 incorporates an output pump 24. This output pump 24 is a mixed-flow pump and includes an impeller (moving blades), guide vanes (stationary vanes), and a pump motor (none of which are shown) that rotates the impeller. When the output pump 24 is in an operating state with the slurry ice discharge port 22c open, it discharges the slurry ice in the slurry ice tank 14 from the short and long portions 22a and 22b of the slurry ice pipe 22 through the slurry ice discharge port 22c to the outside of the machine. When the output pump 24 is stopped with the slurry ice discharge port 22c closed, the slurry ice from the slurry ice tank 14 fills the slurry ice pipe 22 and the output pump 24 under its own weight. This output pump 24 corresponds to the "first pump."

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, when piping B is being cleaned, an external pipe 26 is connected to the slurry ice discharge port 22c of the slurry ice pipe 22. This external pipe 26 is detachably attached to the slurry ice discharge port 22c outside the apparatus. This external pipe 26 corresponds to the "connecting pipe" of this invention. This external pipe 26 is detachably attached to piping B. The inside of piping B is cleaned by injecting slurry ice from the slurry ice discharge port 22c through the external pipe 26, with the slurry ice discharge port 22c connected to piping B via the external pipe 26. When cleaning piping B, connecting pipes P1 and P2 are removed from the cleaning device 10, and the slurry ice production device A and the cleaning device 10 are disconnected.

[0021] 1(a), the cleaning device 10 has a built-in cleaning liquid tank 28. Various types of cleaning liquid are poured into this cleaning liquid tank 28 according to the user's needs, and the cleaning liquid poured into the cleaning liquid tank 28 is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 28. This cleaning liquid is used to enhance the cleaning ability of the slurry ice, and is selected appropriately depending on the substances adhering to the inside of the pipe B to be cleaned, and consists of, for example, a solution containing a surfactant.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1(a), the cleaning liquid tank 28 is connected to the long portion 22b of the slurry ice pipe 22 inside the cleaning device 10 via a vertical cleaning liquid pipe 30. In other words, the connection position of the cleaning liquid tank 28 to the long portion 22b is set downstream of the output pump 24 in the direction of the flow of slurry ice (see arrow Y1) when the output pump 24 is operating. A cleaning liquid pump 32 is interposed in this cleaning liquid pipe 30, and the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the slurry ice pipe 22 on the arrow Y1 side of the output pump 24. This cleaning liquid pump 32 corresponds to the "second pump" of this invention, and the cleaning liquid tank 28 corresponds to the "second container" of this invention.

[0023] The cleaning liquid pump 32 can be switched between an operating state and an operating stopped state, and when the cleaning liquid pump 32 is operating, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 28 is injected from the cleaning liquid pipe 30 into the long section 22b of the slurry ice pipe 22. When the cleaning liquid pump 32 is operating together with the output pump 24, the cleaning liquid is added to the slurry ice flowing inside the slurry ice pipe 22 upstream of the slurry ice discharge port 22c. Therefore, slurry ice with high cleaning power to which cleaning liquid has been added is injected from the external pipe 26 into the pipe B.

[0024] 1(a) is connected to the slurry ice production device A by connecting pipes P1 and P2 with the slurry ice discharge port 22c closed during production of slurry ice. During production of this slurry ice, the agitator motor 16, output pump 24, and cleaning liquid pump 32 are all stopped. Therefore, the slurry ice in the slurry ice tank 14 flows under its own weight through the output pump 24 and fills the slurry ice pipe 22, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 28 fills the cleaning liquid pipe 30 under its own weight.

[0025] When the production of slurry ice is complete, connecting pipes P1 and P2 are removed from between slurry ice production apparatus A and cleaning apparatus 10, and cleaning apparatus 10 is transported to the installation location of piping B with connecting pipes P1 and P2 removed. This transportation of cleaning apparatus 10 is performed with slurry ice discharge port 22c closed, and while cleaning apparatus 10 is being transported, output pump 24 and cleaning liquid pump 32 are both stopped, but stirring motor 16 is in operation. During this transportation of cleaning apparatus 10, the slurry ice in slurry ice tank 14 is stirred by stirring blade 20, preventing the slurry ice from separating into water and ice.

[0026] 2, the cleaning device 10 is connected to the pipe B via an external pipe 26 at the installation location of the pipe B, and the work of connecting the cleaning device 10 to the pipe B is performed with the stirring motor 16, the output pump 24, and the cleaning liquid pump 32 all stopped. The work of connecting the cleaning device 10 to the pipe B is performed with the slurry ice discharge port 22c closed. After the work of connecting the cleaning device 10 is completed, the stirring motor 16 is put into operation again with the slurry ice discharge port 22c closed, and the slurry ice in the slurry ice tank 14 is stirred again.

[0027] When the agitation motor 16 has been operated for a fixed period of time, the agitation motor 16 is stopped and then the slurry ice discharge port 22c is switched to an open state. When this slurry ice discharge port 22c is switched to an open state, both the output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 are put into operation. With these output pump 24 and cleaning liquid pump 32 in operation, slurry ice to which cleaning liquid has been added is injected from the cleaning device 10 into the pipe B. This slurry ice scrapes off deposits in the pipe B, and the scraped off deposits are taken into the slurry ice, thereby cleaning the inside of the pipe B.

[0028] According to the first embodiment, when the output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 are not operating and the slurry ice discharge port 22c of the slurry ice pipe 22 is closed, the slurry ice S descends by its own weight within the long section 22b, as shown in Figure 1(b). As a result, a gap is created between the surface of the slurry ice S and the inner circumferential surface of the long section 22b, and the cleaning liquid L moves within the gap by capillary action along the surface of the slurry ice S toward the output pump 24 (see arrow Y2).

[0029] According to the first embodiment, the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the long section 22b of the slurry ice pipe 22 downstream of the output pump 24 in the flow of slurry ice. A labyrinth structure formed by the impeller and guide vanes within the output pump 24 makes it difficult for the cleaning liquid in the long section 22b to flow backward from the downstream side of the output pump 24 to the upstream side. This reduces the possibility of the cleaning liquid remaining in the long section 22b reaching the slurry ice tank 14 located upstream of the output pump 24. Therefore, even if the slurry ice production apparatus A and the slurry ice tank 14 of the cleaning apparatus 10 are connected to each other later when replenishing the slurry ice, the cleaning liquid remaining in the long section 22b is unlikely to pass through the output pump 24 and enter the slurry ice production apparatus A. This prevents any disruption to the smooth production of slurry ice.

[0030] In the above-described first embodiment, the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the slurry ice pipe 22 inside the cleaning apparatus 10, but it may also be connected to the slurry ice pipe 22 outside the cleaning apparatus 10. Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described, in which the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the slurry ice pipe 22 outside the cleaning apparatus 10. [Example]

[0031] 3, a horizontal cleaning liquid discharge pipe 34 is connected to the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32. One end of this cleaning liquid discharge pipe 34 is led out of the cleaning apparatus 10, and a vertical auxiliary pipe 36 is connected to one end of the cleaning liquid discharge pipe 34. This auxiliary pipe 36 is detachably connectable to the end of the external pipe 26 that is farthest downstream in the flow of slurry ice from the output pump 24. When the cleaning liquid pump 32 is operating, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 28 is injected into one end of the external pipe 26 from the cleaning liquid discharge pipe 34 through the auxiliary pipe 36.

[0032] According to the second embodiment, the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the external pipe 26 outside the cleaning apparatus 10. Therefore, when cleaning the pipe B, the cleaning liquid is added to the slurry ice outside the cleaning apparatus 10, and any remaining cleaning liquid is also present in the external pipe 26 outside the apparatus. The external pipe 26 is detachable from the slurry ice pipe 22 and the auxiliary pipe 36 on the cleaning apparatus 10 side. Therefore, after the cleaning operation is completed, the external pipe 26 can be removed from both the slurry ice pipe 22 and the auxiliary pipe 36, and with the external pipe 26 removed, the slurry ice tank 14 of the cleaning apparatus 10 can be reconnected to the slurry ice production apparatus A to produce slurry ice again. In this case, slurry ice is produced without any cleaning liquid remaining in the slurry ice pipe 22, preventing the cleaning liquid from entering the slurry ice production apparatus A.

[0033] According to the second embodiment, the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the external pipe 26 at the end of the external pipe 26 that is the farthest downstream in the direction of the slurry ice flow from the output pump 24. Therefore, cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid pump 32 is added to the slurry ice at the part of the external pipe 26 that is the farthest downstream in the direction of the slurry ice flow from the output pump 24. As a result, when cleaning liquid remaining in the external pipe 26 flows back toward the output pump 24, the distance that the cleaning liquid must travel to reach the output pump 24 is maximized, making it even more difficult for cleaning liquid to seep into the slurry ice production apparatus A when slurry ice is produced again.

[0034] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the discharge port of the cleaning liquid pump 32 is connected to the inside of the external pipe 26 at one end of the external pipe 26, but it may also be connected to the inside of the external pipe 26 at a position upstream of the flow of the slurry ice compared to the one end of the external pipe 26, such as at the center of the external pipe 26.

[0035] In each of the above-described first and second embodiments, the output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 may be controlled by a control device. Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described, in which the output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 are controlled by a control device. [Example]

[0036] The output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 are connected to a control device (not shown). This control device switches the output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 individually between an operating state and an operating stopped state, and the cleaning operation in which slurry ice with added cleaning liquid is injected into the object to be cleaned B is performed when the output pump 24 and the cleaning liquid pump 32 are put into an operating state by the control device. This control device switches the cleaning liquid pump 32 from an operating state to an operating stopped state when an operation stop command is input during the cleaning operation. This control device switches the output pump 24 from an operating state to an operating stopped state when a certain waiting time has elapsed based on the time when the cleaning liquid pump 32 was previously switched to an operating stopped state.

[0037] According to the third embodiment, the output pump 24 is stopped when the standby time has elapsed since the cleaning liquid pump 32 was stopped before the output pump 24. In this state, the cleaning liquid pump 32 stops injecting cleaning liquid into the slurry ice, and the output pump 24 discharges the slurry ice for only the standby time. As a result, the amount of remaining cleaning liquid is reduced as the cleaning liquid is swept away toward pipe B along with the slurry ice, making it even more difficult for the cleaning liquid to seep into the slurry ice production apparatus A when slurry ice is produced again.

[0038] In the third embodiment, the output pump 8 may be changed from an operating state to a stopped state when a variable waiting time has elapsed based on when the cleaning liquid pump 32 is changed from an operating state to a stopped state. The above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10: cleaning device, 14: slurry ice tank (first container), 22: slurry ice pipe (pipe), 24: output pump (first pump), 26: external pipe (connecting pipe), 28: cleaning liquid tank (second tank), 32: cleaning liquid pump (second pump), A: slurry ice generating device, B: piping (object to be cleaned)

Claims

1. A first container for storing slurry ice, which is supplied from a slurry ice generating device; a conduit connecting the inside of the first container to the inside of an object to be cleaned; a first pump interposed in the pipeline, which injects the slurry ice from the first container into the object to be cleaned through the pipeline while in operation; a second container for storing a cleaning liquid; a second pump that injects the cleaning liquid from the second container into the pipeline; A cleaning device characterized in that the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the pipeline downstream of the first pump in the flow of the slurry ice when the first pump is operating.

2. a control device that performs a cleaning operation in which the slurry ice to which the cleaning liquid has been added is injected into the object to be cleaned in response to the first pump and the second pump being put into operation; 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the control device stops the second pump before the first pump when the cleaning operation is stopped, and stops the first pump when a standby time has elapsed since the second pump was stopped.

3. The cleaning device is located downstream of the flow of the slurry ice relative to the pipeline, and includes a connecting pipeline for connecting the inside of the pipeline to the inside of the object to be cleaned, The connecting pipe is located outside the aircraft and is detachable from the pipe; 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the inside of the connecting pipe outside the machine and is detachable from the connecting pipe.

4. The pump is located downstream of the flow of the slurry ice compared to the first pump, and is provided with a connecting pipe for connecting the inside of the pipe to the inside of the object to be cleaned outside the machine, 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port of the second pump is connected to the connecting pipe at an end of the connecting pipe that is furthest downstream from the first pump in the flow of the slurry ice.

Images