Vacuum cleaning apparatus

Abstract

To provide a vacuum cleaning apparatus capable of improving heat exchange efficiency between gas containing vapor of a cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaning apparatus (1) includes a cleaning chamber (10) for cleaning a workpiece (2) with a cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid tank (20), a condenser (30) for condensing exhaust from the cleaning chamber, a vacuum pump (40) for compressing the exhaust from the condenser, and a rear stage cooling part (50). The vacuum washing apparatus further includes a feed path (R1) for feeding the cooled washing liquid to the latter-stage cooler, and a return path (R2) for feeding the waste liquid from the latter-stage cooler to the washing liquid tank. The rear-stage cooling part has a partition pipe (52) which is provided extending in the horizontal direction in a housing (51) and to which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply path, and an introduction pipe (53) which is provided along the partition pipe and introduces the exhaust of the vacuum pump into the partition pipe from a hole part (531) on the outer periphery. The rear-stage cooling unit discharges the cleaning liquid overflowing from the partition pipe into the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaning device having a cleaning chamber for cleaning a workpiece under vacuum conditions. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Vacuum cleaning devices that clean workpieces such as steel members under vacuum conditions have been known.

[0003] In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum exhaust device that includes a pump that sucks in exhaust gas containing solvent vapor exhausted from a cleaning device and dissolves it in seal water through a drain pipe, and a gas-liquid separation tank that discharges the gas from the pump through the drain pipe into water containing seal water and separates the solvent dissolved in the water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3307426 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, because the exhaust gas is introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank from the tip of the drain pipe, there is a problem that it is difficult to improve the efficiency of heat exchange, such as heating the seal water with the exhaust gas and cooling the exhaust gas with the seal water. Also, when a condenser is provided in the stage before the pump, there is a problem that the cleaning liquid condensed by the condenser is wasted.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a vacuum cleaning device that can improve the heat exchange efficiency between the cleaning liquid and the gas containing the cleaning liquid vapor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the vacuum cleaning device of the present invention comprises: a cleaning chamber in which an internal workpiece is cleaned in a vacuum state with cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid tank; a condenser that condenses gas containing vapor of the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning chamber; a vacuum pump that compresses and discharges the gas discharged from the condenser; a partition pipe that is provided so as to extend along an imaginary axis that extends horizontally within a housing and to which the cooled cleaning liquid is supplied; and a post-cooling section that is provided within the partition pipe along the partition pipe and has an inlet pipe that introduces exhaust from the vacuum pump into the partition pipe from a plurality of holes provided on the outer periphery, and discharges the cleaning liquid that has overflowed into the housing from an opening located above the partition pipe in the direction of gravity; a supply path that supplies the cooled cleaning liquid supplied from the condenser or externally to the partition pipe; and a return path that supplies the cleaning liquid discharged from the post-cooling section to the cleaning liquid tank.

[0008] The housing also has a liquid level detection unit that detects the liquid level of the cleaning liquid that has overflowed from the partition pipe at a height position between the opening of the partition pipe on the inner side and the bottom surface of the housing that is located below the direction of gravity.

[0009] In addition, the vacuum cleaning apparatus of the present invention further includes a control device that controls the operation of the supply path and the vacuum pump so that the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply path to the partition pipe, and when the liquid level detection unit detects the liquid level of the cleaning liquid, the supply of the cleaning liquid through the supply path is stopped and then gas discharged from the vacuum pump is introduced into the partition pipe from the inlet pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the vacuum cleaning device can improve the efficiency of heat exchange between the cleaning liquid and the gas containing the cleaning liquid vapor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a vacuum cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a post-cooling section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the rear-stage cooling section shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow of the vacuum cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the vacuum cleaning device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components and steps in each drawing will be designated by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a vacuum cleaning device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the vacuum cleaning device 1 mainly includes a cleaning chamber 10, a cleaning liquid tank 20, a waste liquid tank 25, a condenser 30, a vacuum pump 40, a post-cooling unit 50, a mist trap 60, and a control device 70.

[0014] In the cleaning chamber 10, the workpiece 2 accommodated therein is cleaned in a vacuum state by the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 20. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning chamber 10 by opening valve B4 from the cleaning liquid tank 20. The cleaning chamber 10 cleans the workpiece 2 by supplying the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 20 into the cleaning chamber 10 using a shower or the like provided in the cleaning chamber 10. The cleaning chamber 10 discharges the cleaning oil from the drain port 12 after cleaning the workpiece 2. The cleaning chamber 10 also exhausts gas containing the cleaning oil vapor from the exhaust port 11 after cleaning the workpiece 2.

[0015] The cleaning liquid tank 20 stores a cleaning liquid for cleaning the workpiece 2. The cleaning liquid tank 20 is supplied with cooled new cleaning liquid from an inlet 21, cleaning liquid recovered from exhaust air by a post-cooling unit 50, and the like. The cleaning liquid tank 20 also supplies cleaning liquid from an outlet 22 via a valve B4.

[0016] The waste liquid tank 25 is a tank that stores contaminated cleaning liquid used to clean the workpiece 2. The contaminated cleaning liquid is supplied to the waste liquid tank 25 from the drain port 12 of the cleaning chamber 10. The waste liquid tank 25 discharges the stored waste liquid to a mechanism (not shown) that renders the stored waste liquid harmless and discharges it to the outside. The waste liquid tank 25 may also discharge the stored waste liquid to a device (not shown) that recovers cleaning liquid components from the waste liquid by distillation or the like.

[0017] The condenser 30 is a device that condenses gas containing cleaning liquid vapor exhausted from the cleaning chamber 10. The condenser 30 is provided with a cooling pipe inside through which cooling water or cooling gas flows. The condenser 30 cools the gas containing cleaning liquid vapor supplied to an inlet 31 from the cleaning chamber 10 by opening a valve B1, using the cooling pipe. The condenser 30 discharges the cleaning liquid generated by condensation of the gas in the cooling pipe from an outlet 33 to a post-cooling section 50 via a supply path R1. The condenser 30 also exhausts the gas containing cleaning liquid cooled by the cooling pipe from an exhaust port 32 toward a vacuum pump 40.

[0018] The supply path R1 is a path for supplying the cleaning liquid, which has been liquefied by condensing gas in the condenser 30, to a partition pipe 52, which will be described later. The supply path R1 is provided with a valve B2 for adjusting the supply of the cleaning liquid between the discharge port 33 of the condenser 30 and the opening 521 of the partition pipe 52. The supply path R1 adjusts the supply and stop of the cleaning liquid discharged from the condenser 30 to the partition pipe 52 by opening and closing the valve B2.

[0019] The vacuum pump 40 compresses and discharges the gas discharged from the condenser 30. Specifically, the vacuum pump 40 compresses the gas containing the cleaning liquid vapor discharged from the exhaust port 32 of the condenser 30 to a pressure according to the operational control of the control device 70. The vacuum pump 40 discharges the compressed and heated gas into the inlet pipe 53 of the post-cooling section 50.

[0020] The post-cooling unit 50 is an aftercooler that cools the high-temperature, high-pressure gas containing cleaning liquid vapor exhausted from the vacuum pump 40, recovers the cleaning liquid components, and exhausts the gas from which the cleaning liquid components have been recovered to a mist trap 60. The post-cooling unit 50 supplies the cooled cleaning liquid from a supply path R1 to a partition pipe 52 inside the housing 51. The post-cooling unit 50 also introduces into the partition pipe 52 the gas containing cleaning liquid vapor exhausted from the vacuum pump 40 to an introduction pipe 53 inside the partition pipe 52 from the vacuum pump 40. The post-cooling unit 50 also exhausts the gas from which the cleaning liquid components have been recovered to the mist trap 60 from an exhaust port provided above the housing 51. The post-cooling unit 50 also discharges the recovered cleaning liquid from an exhaust pipe 54 to a return path R2. The post-cooling unit 50 also discharges excess moisture from the housing 51 to the outside through an openable and closable drain hole 56. The specific structure and operation of the post-cooling section 50 will be described later, and therefore will not be described here.

[0021] The mist trap 60 is, for example, a filter that filters the gas inside the housing 51 of the post-cooling section 50 and exhausts it to the outside. The intake side of the mist trap 60 is connected to an exhaust port at the top of the housing 51 of the post-cooling section 50, and the exhaust side is connected to an exhaust port (not shown) for exhausting gas from the vacuum cleaning device 1 to the outside.

[0022] The return path R2 is a path that supplies the cleaning liquid discharged from the post-cooling section 50 to the cleaning liquid tank 20. The return path R2 adjusts the supply and stop of the cleaning liquid discharged from the post-cooling section 50 to the inlet 21 of the cleaning liquid tank 20 by opening and closing the valve B3.

[0023] The control device 70 controls the operation of each component in the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1. Specifically, the control device 70 adjusts the pressure and temperature in the cleaning chamber 10, and controls the supply of cleaning liquid to the cleaning chamber 10, the exhaust of gas from the cleaning chamber 10, and the discharge of polluted liquid from the cleaning chamber 10. The control device 70 also controls the compression of gas by the vacuum pump 40. The control device 70 also controls the opening and closing of valves B1 to B4 provided in various locations in the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1. The control device 70 can be realized using an information processing device such as a dedicated or general-purpose computer, and may be composed of a single information processing device or multiple information processing devices.

[0024] The overall configuration of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 has been described above. Next, the configuration of the post-cooling section 50 in the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the post-cooling section 50 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the post-cooling section 50 taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the main part of the post-cooling section 50 includes, for example, a housing 51, a partition pipe 52, an inlet pipe 53, an outlet pipe 54, liquid level detection sections 55A and 55B, and a drain hole 56.

[0025] The housing 51 functions as the outer wall of the post-cooling section 50 and is a container for containing the cleaning liquid supplied from the partition pipe 52 and the gas from which the components of the cleaning liquid have been separated. The housing 51 is provided therein with the partition pipe 52, an inlet pipe 53, and an outlet pipe 54. The housing 51 is also provided with an outlet port at its upper end for discharging the gas to the mist trap 60, and an openable / closable drain hole 56 at its lower end for discharging excess moisture within the housing 51 to the outside. The housing 51 is also provided with the partition pipe 52 extending horizontally inside, and the inlet pipe 53 is provided inside the partition pipe 52 and extending along the partition pipe 52. The housing 51 is also provided with the outlet pipe 54 extending along the partition pipe 52 inside, with its open surface facing the bottom of the housing 51. In addition, the housing 51 has a liquid level detection unit 55A provided at a position higher than the partition pipe 52 on the inner side, and a liquid level detection unit 55B provided at a height between the opening 521 of the partition pipe 52 on the inner side and the bottom surface of the housing 51 located below in the direction of gravity.

[0026] The partition pipe 52 is formed in a gutter shape so as to extend along an imaginary axis A extending horizontally, and is a pipe provided inside the housing 51. Specifically, the partition pipe 52 is formed in a gutter shape obtained by cutting the upper surface of a cylindrical pipe extending horizontally in the direction of gravity. The partition pipe 52 has, for example, a gutter length of approximately 1500 mm and a gutter height of approximately 50 mm to 275 mm. The diameter and length of the partition pipe 52 may be any values ​​as long as the back pressure of the vacuum pump 40 is, for example, 0.001 MPaG to 0.002 MPaG and the partition pipe 52 fits into the housing 51. A pipe that is part of the supply path R1 is connected to a part of the opening 521 from above in the direction of gravity, and the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply path R1 to the opening 521. A gas containing the cleaning liquid is introduced into the partition pipe 52 from an introduction pipe 53 provided inside the gutter shape. Divider pipe 52 supplies the cleaning liquid to the space inside casing 51 and outside partition pipe 52 by overflowing the cleaning liquid from opening 521. Furthermore, partition pipe 52 supplies the gas to the space inside casing 51 and outside partition pipe 52 by releasing the gas introduced into partition pipe 52 from inlet pipe 53 to the outside of partition pipe 52 from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid inside partition pipe 52 as bubbles. Note that partition pipe 52 may be formed in a shape such that only a part of the upper surface in the gravity direction of a cylindrical pipe extending horizontally is open, for example.

[0027] The inlet pipe 53 is a pipe for introducing the gas discharged from the vacuum pump 40 into the partition pipe 52, and is provided inside the partition pipe 52 and approximately parallel to the partition pipe 52. The inlet pipe 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape, with one end connected to a path that penetrates the partition pipe 52 and the side surface of the housing 51 and leads to the vacuum pump 40, and the other end located inside the partition pipe 52. The inlet pipe 53 has a length of, for example, about 400 mm to about 1600 mm and a diameter of 42 mm or more. The inlet pipe 53 also has a plurality of holes 531 provided on its outer periphery for ejecting the gas supplied from the vacuum pump 40 to the outside. The holes 531 have a diameter of, for example, about 4 mm, and 80 or more holes are provided on the outer periphery of the inlet pipe 53. The introduction pipe 53 introduces gas containing the cleaning liquid exhausted from the vacuum pump 40 into the cleaning liquid stored inside the partition pipe 52 by spraying gas from the inside of the introduction pipe 53 to the outside through the hole 531.

[0028] The discharge pipe 54 is a pipe for discharging the cleaning liquid stored in the housing 51 of the post-cooling section 50 to the return path R2. The discharge pipe 54 is provided inside the partition pipe 52 and parallel to the partition pipe 52. One end of the discharge pipe 54 penetrates the side surface of the partition pipe 52 and is located outside the partition pipe 52 and near the bottom surface inside the housing 51, and the other end penetrates the side surfaces of the partition pipe 52 and the housing 51 and is connected to the return path R2.

[0029] Liquid level detectors 55A and 55B are, for example, electrode-type or capacitance-type level switches, and detect whether the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in housing 51 has reached a position provided within housing 51. Liquid level detectors 55A and 55B transmit the detection results to control device 70. Liquid level detector 55A is provided on a side surface within housing 51 at a position higher than opening 521 of partition pipe 52 to prevent an amount of cleaning liquid exceeding the capacity of housing 51 from being supplied into housing 51. Liquid level detector 55B is provided on a side surface within housing 51 at a height between opening 521 of partition pipe 52 and the bottom surface of housing 51 to detect whether a specified amount of cleaning liquid has been supplied into housing 51.

[0030] <Process flow> The above has described the details of the configuration of the post-cooling section 50. Next, the operation of the vacuum cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the vacuum cleaning device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0031] (Step SP10) The vacuum cleaning device 1 controls the operation of the valve B2 by the control device 70 so as to supply the cleaning liquid from the supply path R1 into the partition pipe 52 of the post-cooling section 50. Then, the process proceeds to step SP12.

[0032] (Step SP12) The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 determines whether the liquid level detection unit 55B has detected the liquid level using the control device 70. If the determination is negative, the control device 70 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 determines that the liquid level detection unit 55B has not yet supplied the specified amount of cleaning liquid into the housing 51, and the process repeats the process of step SP12. On the other hand, if the determination is positive, the control device 70 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 determines that the liquid level detection unit 55B has supplied the specified amount of cleaning liquid into the housing 51, and the process proceeds to the process of step SP14.

[0033] (Step SP14) The vacuum cleaning device 1 controls the operation of the valve B2 by the control device 70 to stop the supply of the cleaning liquid from the supply path R1 into the partition pipe 52 of the post-cooling section 50. Then, the process proceeds to step SP16.

[0034] (Step SP16) The vacuum cleaning device 1 controls the operation by the control device 70 to supply cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 20 into the cleaning chamber 10 and clean the workpiece 2. Next, the vacuum cleaning device 1 controls the operation by the control device 70 to discharge the cleaning liquid containing the dirt from the drain port 12 into the waste liquid tank 25. The vacuum cleaning device 1 also controls the operation to exhaust the gas containing the cleaning liquid from the exhaust port 11 of the cleaning chamber 10. Then, the process proceeds to the process of step SP18.

[0035] (Step SP18) The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 controls the operation of the condenser 30 via the control device 70 to drive the vacuum pump 40 and condense the gas containing the cleaning liquid exhausted from the cleaning chamber 10. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 also controls the operation via the control device 70 to exhaust the cleaning liquid produced by the condensation from the outlet 33 to the supply path R1. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 also controls the operation of the vacuum pump 40 via the control device 70 to exhaust the gas containing the cleaning liquid from the condenser 30 via the exhaust port 32. Then, the process proceeds to step SP20.

[0036] (Step SP20) The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 controls the operation of the vacuum pump 40 by the control device 70 so as to compress the gas containing the cleaning liquid exhausted from the condenser 30 at a predetermined pressure. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 also controls the operation of the vacuum pump 40 by the control device 70 so as to introduce the gas compressed by the vacuum pump 40 from the introduction pipe 53 into the partition pipe 52. Then, the process proceeds to the process of step SP22.

[0037] (Step SP22) The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 controls the operation of the valve B3 using the control device 70 to supply the cleaning liquid from the discharge pipe 54 of the post-cooling section 50 to the cleaning liquid tank 20 via the return path R2. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 also controls the operation of the vacuum pump 40 using the control device 70 to stop compressing the gas by the vacuum pump 40 and stopping the supply of the compressed gas to the post-cooling section 50. Then, the series of processes shown in FIG. 4 ends.

[0038] <Action and effect> As described above, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 has the post-cooling unit 50 provided so as to extend along the imaginary axis A extending horizontally within the housing 51, and the partition pipe 52 to which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply path R1. Moreover, in the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1, the post-cooling unit 50 is provided inside and along the partition pipe 52, and has an introduction pipe 53 that introduces exhaust from the vacuum pump 40 into the partition pipe from a plurality of holes 531 provided on the outer periphery. Moreover, in the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1, the post-cooling unit 50 discharges the cleaning liquid that has overflowed into the housing 51 into the return path R2.

[0039] According to this configuration, in the vacuum cleaning device 1, gas containing vapor of the compressed and heated cleaning liquid is introduced into the cooled cleaning liquid in the partition pipe 52, thereby warming the cleaning liquid to be returned to the cleaning liquid tank 20. In addition, in the vacuum cleaning device 1, the partition pipe 52 is provided in the housing 51, so that the depth to which the introduction pipe 53 is immersed in the cleaning liquid is shallow, thereby reducing the exhaust resistance when exhausting gas from the vacuum pump 40 into the cleaning liquid via the introduction pipe 53. Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaning device 1, the partition pipe 52 extends horizontally and the introduction pipe 53 is provided along the partition pipe 52, so that the efficiency of heat exchange between the gas introduced from the introduction pipe 53 into the partition pipe 52 and the cleaning liquid in the partition pipe 52 is improved.

[0040] In this embodiment, the supply path R1 supplies the cleaning liquid, which has been liquefied by condensing the gas by the condenser 30, to the partition pipe 52. Therefore, in the vacuum cleaning device 1, the cleaning liquid condensed by the condenser 30 is collected in the post-cooling section 50, so that the efficiency of heat exchange between the cleaning liquid and the gas containing the vapor of the cleaning liquid can be further improved.

[0041] In this embodiment, the housing 51 has a liquid level detector 55B at a position on the inner side surface at a height between the opening 521 of the partition pipe 52 and the bottom surface of the housing 51. Therefore, the vacuum cleaning device 1 detects the amount of cleaning liquid in the housing 51 of the post-cooling section 50 by detecting the liquid level of the cleaning liquid, thereby further improving the efficiency of heat exchange between the gas containing the vapor of the cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid.

[0042] Moreover, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 includes a control device 70 that controls the operation of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1. When the liquid level is detected by the liquid level detector 55B, the control device 70 controls the operation of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 so that the supply of cleaning liquid through the supply path R1 is stopped and then the gas discharged from the vacuum pump 40 is introduced from the introduction pipe 53 into the partition pipe 52. Therefore, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 introduces the gas from the introduction pipe 53 into the partition pipe 52 while a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid is supplied into the housing 51, thereby further improving the efficiency of heat exchange between the gas containing the vapor of the cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid.

[0043] In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaning device 1 has a partition pipe 52 formed in a trough shape, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply path R1 through an opening 521, and a plurality of holes 531 are provided on the outer periphery of the inlet pipe 53. Therefore, the vacuum cleaning device 1 can improve the efficiency of heat exchange between the cleaning liquid and the gas containing the cleaning liquid vapor with a simple configuration without using a complex mechanism.

[0044] In this embodiment, the housing 51 is provided with a mist trap 60 at its upper part, which filters the gas inside the housing 51 and discharges it to the outside. Therefore, the vacuum cleaning device 1 can cool the gas compressed by the vacuum pump 40 and heated to a high temperature with the cleaning liquid inside the partition pipe 52, while capturing particles such as solvents contained in the gas inside the housing 51 with the mist trap 60, making the exhaust harmless and discharging it to the outside.

[0045] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, variations of the above-described embodiments, which are appropriately modified by a person skilled in the art, are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention. Furthermore, the elements of the above-described embodiments and the modifications described below can be combined to the extent technically possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

[0046] For example, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 supplies the cleaning liquid condensed and cooled by the condenser 30 to the partition pipe 52 via the supply path R1, but this is not limited to this. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 may supply the cooled cleaning liquid supplied from outside the path circulating between the cleaning chamber 10 and the post-cooling section 50 to the partition pipe 52. Here, a configuration in which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 80 to the partition pipe 52 via the supply path R10 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0047] 5, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 100 is configured by replacing the supply path R1 and the valve B2 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 with a cleaning liquid tank 80, a supply path R10, and a valve B10. The cleaning liquid tank 80 is a tank that stores cleaning liquid supplied from outside the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 while cooling it to a predetermined temperature. The cleaning liquid tank 80 is provided on an external path within the vacuum cleaning apparatus 100 that is different from the path that circulates the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 20 via the cleaning chamber 10, the condenser 30, the vacuum pump 40, the post-cooling unit 50, and the return path R2 back to the cleaning liquid tank 20. The cleaning liquid tank 80 supplies the cleaning liquid stored in the partition pipe 52 of the post-cooling unit 50 from its outlet via the supply path R10 under the control of the control device 70.

[0048] The supply path R10 is a path for supplying cooled cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 80 to the partition pipe 52 of the post-cooling section 50. The supply path R10 is provided with a valve B10 for adjusting the supply of cleaning liquid between the discharge port of the cleaning liquid tank 80 and the opening 521 of the partition pipe 52. The supply path R10 adjusts the supply and stop of the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning liquid tank 80 to the partition pipe 52 by opening and closing the valve B10.

[0049] According to this configuration, the vacuum cleaning device 100 can improve the heat exchange efficiency between the gas containing the cleaning liquid vapor and the cleaning liquid even when the cleaning liquid supplied to the partition pipe 52 is not the cleaning liquid generated by the condenser 30 but a cleaning liquid newly supplied to the vacuum cleaning device 100 from outside.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mist trap 60 is connected above the post-cooling section 50 in the vacuum cleaning device 1, but this is not limited to this. The vacuum cleaning device 1 does not need to be provided with the mist trap 60. With this configuration, the load on the vacuum cleaning device 1 is reduced by the amount that the mist trap 60 is not provided in the post-cooling section 50, and the product life of the vacuum cleaning device 1 can be improved.

[0051] In the present embodiment, the partition pipe 52 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 1 is formed in a gutter-like shape, such as a horizontally extending cylinder with an open top, but this is not limited thereto. The partition pipe 52 may have any shape as long as it extends horizontally and has a structure that allows excess cleaning liquid to be supplied into the housing 51 when a predetermined volume or more of cleaning liquid is supplied. For example, the partition pipe 52 may be formed in a gutter-like shape, such as a horizontally extending rectangular cylinder with an open top, or a horizontally extending U-shaped gutter. The partition pipe 52 may also be formed as a horizontally extending pipe and may be provided with a drain pipe or drain hole at its upper end for discharging excess cleaning liquid into the housing 51. The partition pipe 52 may also be formed as a horizontally extending pipe and provided outside the housing 51, and may be connected at its upper end to a drain path connected to the housing 51 and for discharging excess cleaning liquid into the housing 51. According to this configuration, the vacuum cleaning device 1 can improve the efficiency of heat exchange between the cleaning liquid and the gas containing the cleaning liquid vapor even when the partition pipe 52 has various shapes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1...vacuum cleaning device, 2...workpiece, 10...cleaning chamber, 20...cleaning liquid tank, 30...condenser, 40...vacuum pump, 50...post-cooling section, 51...casing, 52...partition pipe, 53...inlet pipe, 55A, 55B...liquid level detection section, 60...mist trap, 70...control device, 521...opening, 531...hole, R1...supply path, R2...return path, R10...supply path

Claims

1. a cleaning chamber in which the workpiece inside is cleaned in a vacuum state using a cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid tank; a condenser for condensing the gas containing the vapor of the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning chamber; a vacuum pump that compresses and discharges the gas discharged from the condenser; a partition pipe that is provided within the housing so as to extend along an imaginary axis that extends horizontally, and into which the cooled cleaning liquid is supplied; and an introduction pipe that is provided within the partition pipe along the partition pipe and that introduces exhaust gas from the vacuum pump into the partition pipe from a plurality of holes provided on the outer periphery, and a post-cooling unit that discharges the cleaning liquid that has overflowed into the housing from an opening that is located above the partition pipe in the direction of gravity; a supply path for supplying the cooled cleaning liquid supplied from the condenser or an external source to the partition pipe; a return path for supplying the cleaning liquid discharged from the post-cooling section to the cleaning liquid tank; A vacuum cleaning device comprising:

2. The vacuum cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing has a liquid level detection unit that detects the liquid level of the cleaning liquid that has overflowed from the partition pipe at a height position between the opening of the partition pipe on the inner side surface and the bottom surface of the housing that is located below in the direction of gravity.

3. 3. The vacuum cleaning device according to claim 2, further comprising a control device that controls the operation of the supply path and the vacuum pump so as to supply the cleaning liquid from the supply path into the partition pipe, and when the liquid level detection unit detects the liquid level of the cleaning liquid, stop the supply of the cleaning liquid from the supply path and then introduce gas discharged from the vacuum pump into the partition pipe from the inlet pipe.

Images