Sample and ultrasonic cleaning device

Abstract

The invention provides a detection body and an ultrasonic cleaning device, which can determine whether the operation state of each part structure of the ultrasonic cleaning device is normal or abnormal under the condition that the output from a sound pressure sensor of the detection body is small. Therefore, the detection body for detecting the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid is provided with: a support body, at least a part of which is immersed in the cleaning liquid; and a plurality of sound pressure sensors which are disposed at equal intervals around the central axis of the support body in the non-liquid-contact portion of the support body, have the same detection characteristics, and each detect, as a sound pressure value, vibrations generated by the ultrasonic waves propagating through the support body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a detection body used in an ultrasonic cleaning device and an ultrasonic cleaning device equipped with the detection body. Background Art

[0002] In an apparatus for ultrasonic cleaning, in order to detect the sound pressure of liquid in a cleaning tank or a processing tank to which ultrasonic waves are applied, a structure is proposed in which a detection device and a sensor capable of detecting sound pressure are arranged. For example, the sound pressure detection device described in Patent Document 1 is composed of a probe and a monitor, and the probe has: a rod-shaped sensing piece; a holding portion for supporting the rear end of the sensing piece; and a sound pressure sensor bonded to the rear end surface of the sensing piece inside the holding portion. A piezoelectric element is used as a sound pressure sensor. By screwing the bracket into the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion in a manner that covers the rear end of the sensing piece and the front end of the holding portion from the outside, the bonding portion of the sound pressure sensor and its peripheral portion are fixed to the inner side of the front end of the holding portion.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-21412 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, the sound pressure detection device described in Patent Document 1 may sometimes cause problems such as the sound pressure sensor peeling off or floating from the sensing sheet, the bracket loosening or breaking, and the sound pressure sensor itself deteriorating due to long-term use. Due to such problems, the amplitude of the detection signal is smaller than it should be. On the other hand, when the amplitude of the detection signal becomes smaller, in addition to the sound pressure sensor, there may be a situation where the vibrator or oscillator that provides ultrasonic waves to the processing tank has a problem, and the liquid in the processing tank is reduced and becomes an empty burning state, making it difficult to determine whether the working state of each component structure is normal or abnormal.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a detection body and an ultrasonic cleaning device, which can determine whether the working state of each component structure of the ultrasonic cleaning device is normal or abnormal when an abnormality occurs such as a small output from a sound pressure sensor of the detection body that detects the sound pressure of the liquid in the cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaning device, and can determine whether the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device is normal or abnormal based on whether all the working states of the components are normal or whether there is an abnormality in the working state of at least one structure. In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide a detection body and an ultrasonic cleaning device that can determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the sound pressure sensor. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a detection body and an ultrasonic cleaning device that can determine which of the sound pressure sensor, the cleaning tank, the vibrator that irradiates the cleaning tank with ultrasonic waves, and the oscillator has an abnormality when an abnormality occurs in the output from the detection body.

[0009] Means for solving technical problems

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the detection body of the present invention is characterized in that the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid is detected in an ultrasonic cleaning device having a cleaning tank containing the cleaning liquid, a vibrator for irradiating the cleaning tank with ultrasonic waves, and an oscillator for applying a driving signal for generating the ultrasonic waves to the vibrator, and the detection body comprises: a supporting body, at least a portion of which is immersed in the cleaning liquid; and a plurality of sound pressure sensors, which are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis of the supporting body in a non-liquid contact portion of the supporting body and have mutually identical detection characteristics, and the plurality of sound pressure sensors respectively detect vibrations generated by the ultrasonic waves propagating through the supporting body as sound pressure values.

[0011] The ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a cleaning tank containing a cleaning liquid; a vibrator irradiating the cleaning tank with ultrasonic waves; an oscillator providing the vibrator with a driving signal for generating the ultrasonic waves; a detection body, which comprises: a supporting body, at least the front end of which is immersed in the cleaning liquid; and a plurality of sound pressure sensors, which are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis of the supporting body in the rear end of the supporting body and have the same detection characteristics, and the plurality of sound pressure sensors respectively detect vibrations generated by the ultrasonic waves propagating through the supporting body as sound pressure values; and a control unit connected to the detection body, wherein in the ultrasonic cleaning device, the control unit determines whether the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device is normal or abnormal based on the detection result of the detection body.

[0012] In the ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention, it is characterized in that the control unit comprises: a determination unit, which determines whether the working state of the detection object is normal or abnormal based on the sound pressure values ​​respectively detected by the multiple sound pressure sensors; and a display unit, which can display the detection results of the detection object, and the determination unit sets the multiple sound pressure sensors to a lower sound pressure sensor with the smallest sound pressure value and an upper sound pressure sensor other than the lower sound pressure sensor, and determines whether the working state of the detection object is normal or abnormal based on the lower sound pressure value detected by the lower sound pressure sensor and the reference sound pressure value corresponding to the upper sound pressure value detected by the upper sound pressure sensor.

[0013] In the ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether the operating state of the detection object is normal or abnormal based on a comparison result of the product of the reference sound pressure value and a predetermined threshold value and the lower sound pressure value.

[0014] The ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention is characterized in that, when the number of the plurality of sound pressure sensors is three or more, the reference sound pressure value is an average of the upper sound pressure values ​​of the upper two sound pressure sensors having larger sound pressure values ​​among the upper sound pressure sensors.

[0015] In the ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether the operating state of the oscillator is normal or abnormal based on the presence or absence of output of the drive signal from the oscillator.

[0016] In the ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether the operating state of the transducer is normal or abnormal based on a comparison result between a predetermined initial sound pressure value and the reference sound pressure value.

[0017] In the ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention, it is characterized in that when the number of the plurality of sound pressure sensors is two, the reference sound pressure value is the upper sound pressure value detected by one of the upper sound pressure sensors.

[0018] The ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention is characterized in that the ultrasonic cleaning device includes a control device, and when the determination unit determines that the operating state of the detection object is abnormal, the control device outputs a stop signal for stopping the operation of the ultrasonic cleaning device.

[0019] Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, in the event of an abnormality such as a small output from a sound pressure sensor of a detection body for detecting the sound pressure of liquid in a cleaning tank of an ultrasonic cleaning device, it is possible to determine whether the working state of each component structure of the ultrasonic cleaning device is normal or abnormal. Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the sound pressure sensor. Furthermore, in the event of an abnormality in the output from the detection body, it is possible to determine which of the sound pressure sensor, the cleaning tank, the vibrator for irradiating ultrasonic waves into the cleaning tank, and the oscillator has occurred an abnormality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 (a) and (b) are side views showing the structure of a support body of the detection body according to the first embodiment, and (c) is a plan view of the support body.

[0022] Figure 2 (a) and (b) are side views showing the structure of the detection body involved in the first embodiment, (c) is a diagram showing a state where wiring is fixed to the detection body shown in (a), and (d) is a top view of the detection body.

[0023] Figure 3 (a) and (b) are diagrams including block diagrams and showing the configuration of the ultrasonic cleaning device according to the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the steps of the normal / abnormal determination method according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 (a) is a side view showing the structure of a support body in variant example 1, (b) is a side view showing the structure of a detection body in variant example 1, (c) is a top view of the support body shown in (a), and (d) is a top view of the detection body shown in (b).

[0026] Figure 6 (a) is a side view showing the structure of a support body in variant example 2, (b) is a side view showing the structure of a detection body in variant example 2, (c) is a top view of the support body shown in (a), and (d) is a top view of the detection body shown in (b).

[0027] Figure 7 (a) is a top view showing the configuration of the support body and the sound pressure sensor in variant example 3, (b) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in variant example 3, (c) is a top view showing the configuration of the support body and the sound pressure sensor in variant example 4, and (d) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in variant example 4.

[0028] Figure 8(a) is a top view showing the configuration of the support body and the sound pressure sensor in variant example 5, (b) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in variant example 5, (c) is a top view showing the configuration of the support body and the sound pressure sensor in variant example 6, and (d) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in variant example 6.

[0029] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing a state where a detection body according to Modification 5 is fixed to a cleaning tank.

[0030] Fig.10 (a) and (b) are diagrams including block diagrams showing the configuration of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to a second embodiment.

[0031] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing the steps of the normal / abnormal determination method according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] <First embodiment>

[0033] A detection object and an ultrasonic cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 (a) and (b) are side views showing the structure of a support body 110 of the detection body 10 according to the first embodiment, and (c) is a plan view of the support body 110 . Figure 1 (a) is a view viewed from the 1A direction of (c), and (b) is a view viewed from the 1B direction of (c).

[0035] Figure 2 (a) and (b) are side views showing the structure of the detection body 10 involved in the first embodiment, (c) is a figure showing the state where the wiring is installed and fixed on the detection body 10 shown in (a), and (d) is a top view of the detection body 10. Figure 2 (a) is a view observed from the 2A direction of (c), and (b) is a view observed from the 2B direction of (c).

[0036] Figure 3 (a) and (b) also include block diagrams of the structure of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown in (a), an ultrasonic cleaning device 100 includes a detection body 10 ( Figure 2 (a), (b), (c)) structures, such as Figure 3 (b) or Figure 3 The structure shown in (a) is modified by adding an external device 60 having a control device 61.

[0038] The following is a description of the structure of each part.

[0039] <Sample 10>

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown in (a), (b), (c), and (d), the test body 10 has Figure 1 In the structures shown in (a), (b), and (c), three piezoelectric elements serving as sound pressure sensors are arranged on a support body 110.

[0041] The support body 110 is immersed in the cleaning tank 20 ( Figure 3 (a), (b)), a rod-shaped member capable of transmitting vibrations based on the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid 23. Such a rod-shaped member may be, for example, a rod-shaped member formed of stainless steel or quartz, and the support body 110 is cylindrical with a central axis AX1. The change in the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid 23 is transmitted by the vibrator 30 (see Figure 3 (a), (b)) are generated by applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20, and the vibration propagated to the support body 110 corresponds to the sound pressure of the ultrasonic waves applied from the vibrator 30.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown in (a) and (b), the support body 110 includes a front end portion 110a and a rear end portion 110b in the Z1-Z2 direction along the central axis AX1. Figure 3 As shown in (a) and (b), the front end portion 110a side of the support body 110 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 23, and the rear end portion 110b side is arranged on the upper side of the liquid surface 22 of the cleaning liquid 23. In other words, the front end portion 110a as a part of the support body 110 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 23. The sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are arranged at a position higher than the liquid surface 22 of the cleaning liquid 23 when the water level is the highest. Therefore, no matter how the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid 23 changes, the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are arranged at a position that will not be immersed in the cleaning liquid 23. That is, the rear end portion 110b as a non-liquid contact portion is always arranged at a position that is higher than the liquid surface 22 of the cleaning liquid 23. As a result, it is possible to prevent the change in the characteristics, degradation, and continuous development of peeling of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 caused by immersion in the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20.

[0043] like Figure 1As shown in (a), (b), and (c), three inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 are formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis AX1 on the rear end portion 110b of the support body 110. In other words, these inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 are arranged at equal angular intervals of 120° with respect to the central axis AX1. These inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 have the same or substantially the same planar shape, are arranged in the same range in the Z1-Z2 direction, and the rear end surface 110c that is closer to the rear side of the rear end portion 110b is inclined more toward the central axis AX1.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown in (a), (b), (c), and (d), three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are fixed on the three inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113, respectively. The fixation is performed using an adhesive, and as the adhesive, for example, an epoxy adhesive is used. The sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are plate-shaped piezoelectric elements having the same shape, the same deformation mode, and the same detection characteristics. The deformation mode is not limited. For example, when using a piezoelectric element having a deformation mode that deforms in the thickness direction, its bottom surface is bonded and fixed to the corresponding inclined surface (inclined surface 111, 112, and 113). The three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are arranged at positions close to each other at the corners on their Z2 side (rear end side) in the Z1-Z2 direction. As Figure 2 As shown in (d), the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are arranged at equal angular intervals of 120° with respect to the central axis AX1. The sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are arranged at the corners on the Z2 side (rear end side) in the Z1-Z2 direction and are close to the adjacent sound pressure sensors, so that the rear end surface 110c side of the rear end portion 110b of the support body 110 in the inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 is not covered by the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 and is exposed.

[0045] The sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are respectively arranged on the inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113, thereby ensuring that the area for fixing the sound pressure sensors is larger than that of a structure without an inclined surface. In addition, any one of the vibrations along the central axis AX1 of the support body 110 and the vibrations having an angle with the central axis AX1 can be detected with a certain accuracy. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the piezoelectric element as the sound pressure detection element becomes larger. Here, the inclination angle of the inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 relative to the central axis AX1 can be arbitrarily set according to the size of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123, etc.

[0046] like Figure 2 (c) Figure 3As shown in (a) and (b), in the detection body 10, one end thereof is connected to the other end of the signal lines 131, 151, 152, 153 electrically connected to the main body 50 as the control unit. These signal lines 131, 151, 152, 153 use insulated wires. The first signal line 131 is welded to the support body 110, and the three connecting wires 141, 142, 143 electrically connected thereto are connected to the negative electrodes of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, respectively. Three second signal lines 151, 152, 153 are connected to the positive electrodes of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, respectively. Through this wiring, the pressure applied to the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 respectively due to the vibration propagated in the support body 110 is converted into a voltage, and the voltage is detected in the main body 50 as the sound pressure value in the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20.

[0047] <Ultrasonic cleaning device 100>

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown in (a), the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 includes a test object 10, a cleaning tank 20, a vibrator 30, an oscillator 40, and a main body 50. Figure 3 As shown in (b), the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 may be provided with an external device 60 added thereto.

[0049] The cleaning tank 20 is filled with a cleaning liquid 23 for cleaning, and the detection body 10 is fixed to the cleaning tank 20 or to a fixing member (not shown) outside the cleaning tank 20 in such a manner that the central axis AX1 of the support body 110 is along the vertical direction, the front end portion 110a side is immersed in the cleaning liquid 23, and at least the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are located upward from the liquid surface 22 on the rear end portion 110b side. The cleaning liquid 23 is newly flowed into the cleaning tank 20 by a pump or an electromagnetic valve (not shown) in a predetermined amount of water matching the expected cleaning process, and the dirty cleaning liquid 23 is discharged to the outside by a pump or an electromagnetic valve (not shown).

[0050] Thus, the inventors found that the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are mounted and fixed on the detection body 10 as a rod-shaped member, and the signals generated by the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are the same type of signals obtained from each sound pressure sensor 121, 122, 123. However, by comparing the obtained same type of signals, when the output from the detection body 10 is abnormal, it is possible to determine which of the operating states of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, the cleaning tank 20, the vibrator 30 that irradiates the cleaning tank 20 with ultrasonic waves, and the oscillator 40 is abnormal, thereby completing the present invention. In short, since the signals generated by the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are the same type of signals, the sound pressure values ​​obtained from the generated signals can only obtain strong and weak signals, and it is difficult to directly process the determination of whether the operating states of the various components of the cleaning device according to the present invention are normal or abnormal. However, the inventors completed the present invention by comparing the same type of signals generated by the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, that is, the same detection characteristics. The details are described later.

[0051] In addition, the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are installed and fixedly arranged on the rear end portion 110b side of the detection body 10 as a rod-shaped component, and the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are arranged near the rear end portion 110b side of the detection body 10 as a rod-shaped component, thereby eliminating the deviation of the signals respectively generated from the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, etc., thereby improving the accuracy of the obtained signals.

[0052] A vibrator 30 is fixedly mounted on the bottom surface 21 of the cleaning tank 20. Any type of vibrator 30 can be used according to the cleaning specifications of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100. The vibrator 30 performs ultrasonic vibration according to the driving signal provided from the oscillator 40. The ultrasonic wave is irradiated to the cleaning tank 20 and applied to the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20. According to the vibration of the ultrasonic wave, the sound pressure in the cleaning liquid 23 changes.

[0053] The main body 50 includes a calculation unit 51, a storage unit 52, a determination unit 53, a display unit 54, an input unit 55, and a control device 61. The calculation unit 51 calculates the sound pressure value detected by each of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 based on the voltage between the first signal line 131 and each of the three second signal lines 151, 152, and 153. The calculation of these sound pressure values ​​displays the voltage value pre-stored in the storage unit 52 as the intensity of the sound pressure. Here, the storage unit 52 stores a conversion table and a conversion formula based on the correlation between the voltage value and the sound pressure value, and the calculation unit 51 calculates the sound pressure value from the voltage value based on these conversion tables and conversion formulas.

[0054] The operation unit 51 stores the calculated sound pressure value in association with the name of the corresponding sound pressure sensor (sound pressure sensor 121, 122, 123) in the storage unit 52. Furthermore, the operation unit 51 calculates the average value Ave (reference sound pressure value) of the upper two sound pressure values, that is, the larger two sound pressure values ​​(upper sound pressure values) among the sound pressure values ​​detected by the three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, and stores these sound pressure values ​​in association with the names of the two detected sound pressure sensors (upper sound pressure sensors) in the storage unit 52. In addition, the lowest sound pressure value Min, that is, the minimum sound pressure value (lower sound pressure value) is combined with the name of the sound pressure sensor (lower sound pressure sensor) that detected the sound pressure value and stored in the storage unit 52. Here, the upper sound pressure sensor is two sound pressure sensors other than the lower sound pressure sensor among the three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123.

[0055] The sound pressure value calculated by the operation unit 51 is output to the determination unit 53, which performs a comparison operation on the product of the average value Ave and the predetermined threshold value X and the lowest sound pressure value Min. Based on the comparison result, it is determined whether the working state of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 is normal or abnormal, that is, whether there is any abnormality in the working state. The determination result is stored in the storage unit 52 and stored in the storage unit 52. Figure 4 In the process shown, the predetermined format is displayed on the display unit 54. The threshold value X is input in advance by operating the input unit 55 and stored in the storage unit 52. The main unit 50 (determination unit 53) as the control unit determines that the operation state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 is normal when all the operation states of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are normal, and determines that the operation state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 is abnormal when any one of the operation states is abnormal.

[0056] The control device 61 receives the determination result of the determination unit 53, generates a control signal for the oscillator 40 based on the determination result, and outputs the control signal to the oscillator 40. As the control signal, for example, the following control signal can be cited: when it is determined in the determination result of the determination unit 53 that an abnormality has occurred in the operating state of any one of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123, the oscillator 40 stops sending the drive signal to the vibrator 30.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown in (b), the external device 60 includes a control device 61 connected to the main body 50 and the oscillator 40 of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100. The control device 61 is connected to the main body 50 and the oscillator 40 of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100. Figure 3 The structure shown in (a) has the same function as the control device 61 provided in the main body 50.

[0058] Figure 4The flowchart shows the steps of determining whether the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device involved in the first embodiment is normal or abnormal, that is, determining whether the working state of each component structure is normal or abnormal. Figure 4 The normal and abnormal determination in the first embodiment will be described.

[0059] Before starting to drive the vibrator 30, the input unit 55 is operated to preset the threshold value X and store it in the storage unit 52 ( Figure 4 The threshold value X is arbitrarily set according to the characteristics (frequency, etc.) of the ultrasonic wave generated by the transducer 30, the temperature, liquid depth, and water volume of the cleaning liquid 23, the arrangement height of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 in the cleaning tank 20, the characteristics of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123, the vibration characteristics of the support 110, the arrangement of the detection body 10 in the cleaning tank 20, the shape and type of the cleaning object, and the like.

[0060] Since the sound pressure value of the cleaning tank 20 or the like constantly fluctuates due to the environment or the like, the threshold value X is set to prevent erroneous detection due to such fluctuations.

[0061] Next, the oscillator 40 starts to output a driving signal to the vibrator 30, and the vibrator 30 irradiates the cleaning tank 20 with ultrasonic waves. At this time, a sound pressure corresponding to the irradiated ultrasonic waves is generated in the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20. In the support body 110 of the detection body 10, a vibration corresponding to the sound pressure is generated in the portion immersed in the cleaning liquid 23, and the vibration is propagated to the rear end 110b side. The vibration is converted into a voltage proportional to the deformation in the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 provided on the inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 of the rear end 110b, and the voltage is converted into a sound pressure value in the calculation unit 51, thereby detecting the sound pressure values ​​of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 (step S12). The detected sound pressure values ​​are stored in the storage unit 52 in correspondence with the names of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123.

[0062] The operation unit 51 compares the three sound pressure values ​​detected by the three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 at the same timing, and determines the order according to the size of the sound pressure values. Furthermore, the operation unit 51 calculates the average value Ave of the two upper sound pressure values, and stores it in the storage unit 52 together with the name of the corresponding sound pressure sensor (step S13). In addition, the operation unit 51 stores the lowest sound pressure value Min in the storage unit 52 together with the name of the corresponding sound pressure sensor (step S14). In the saving operation in the above steps S13 and S14, the time at this time is also stored in association.

[0063] Furthermore, the storage of the lowest sound pressure value Min may be performed when the above-mentioned order is determined.

[0064] When the sound pressure values ​​of the three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 are the same, any two of them are used as the upper two sound pressure values ​​to calculate the average value Ave (step S13), and the remaining one is used as the lowest sound pressure value Min and stored in the storage unit 52 (step S14).

[0065] The average value Ave and the lowest sound pressure value Min are provided to the determination unit 53, and the determination unit 53 reads the threshold value X from the storage unit 52, calculates the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X, and compares it with the sound pressure value Min (step S15).

[0066] When the sound pressure value Min is greater than the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X (Yes in step S15), the determination unit 53 determines that the operating state of the sound pressure sensor corresponding to the sound pressure value Min is normal (step S16). At this time, the main body 50 as the control unit determines that the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 is normal.

[0067] On the other hand, when the sound pressure value Min is less than the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X or is the same as it (No in step S15), it is determined that the working state of the sound pressure sensor corresponding to the sound pressure value Min is abnormal. When it is determined to be abnormal, the determination unit 53 causes the display unit 54 to display that the working state of the sound pressure sensor is abnormal (step S17). After that, regardless of whether there is an abnormality, following steps S16 and S17, the determination unit 53 causes the display unit 54 to display the average value Ave as the sound pressure value (step S18). At this time, the main body 50 as the control unit determines that the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 is abnormal.

[0068] As in the above step X15, when used to determine whether the sound pressure value Min is greater than the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X, the threshold value X is preferably set to a value greater than 0 and less than 1. Here, if the threshold value X is increased (for example, set to 0.7 or more), the abnormality of the working state of the sound pressure sensor can be determined in advance, so that the peeling and the like can be prevented from affecting the cleaning object. If the threshold value X is reduced (for example, set to 0.5 or less), it is possible to prevent the change of the sound pressure value caused by the cleaning condition and the abnormality of the working state of the sound pressure sensor from being confused and making a judgment.

[0069] As described above, regarding calculating the average of the upper two sound pressure values ​​and determining whether the operating state is normal or abnormal based on the average, the sound pressure value of the sound pressure sensor determined to be abnormal is a significantly low value, and considering that it is extremely difficult for two or more of the three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 to fail at the same time, the upper two average values ​​are used as a reference for determination. Therefore, according to the present invention, the detection accuracy is improved.

[0070] Regarding the determination of whether the working state of the sound pressure sensor is normal or abnormal based not on the sound pressure value itself but on the product of the average value Ave of the sound pressure value of the upper sound pressure sensor and the threshold value X, in the cleaning tank 20, the cleaning liquid 23 flows in and out, and due to changes corresponding to the environment, such as the shaking of the liquid surface, the propagation state of the vibration is always changing, so the detected sound pressure value also changes. Therefore, if the determination of whether the working state of the sound pressure sensor is normal or abnormal is performed based on the sound pressure value itself, it is possible to cause erroneous detection due to slight changes in the sound pressure value. In contrast, if the product with the threshold value X is used, erroneous detection caused by slight changes can be prevented, and the working state of the sound pressure sensor with a significantly reduced sound pressure value can be easily determined as abnormal.

[0071] Modifications will be described below.

[0072] The shape of the support body for the detection body can be any shape as long as a certain range of the support body, that is, a part of the support body is immersed in the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20 and a sound pressure sensor is arranged in the non-liquid contact part. Figure 5 (a) shows a cylindrical shape without an inclined surface, Figure 6 (a) The prismatic shape shown, Figure 7 The cylindrical shape shown Figure 8 The flanged cylindrical shape shown.

[0073] (Variant 1)

[0074] Figure 5 (a) is a side view showing the structure of the support body 210 in variant example 1, (b) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body in variant example 1, (c) is a top view of the support body 210 shown in (a), and (d) is a top view of the detection body shown in (b). Figure 5 (b) is a view viewed from the 5B direction of (d).

[0075] Figure 5 The support body 210 shown in (a) has a front end portion 210a and a rear end portion 210b in the Z1-Z2 direction along the central axis AX2. Sound pressure sensors 221, 222, 223 having the same structure as the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 of the first embodiment are respectively bonded and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 211 of the rear end portion 210b of the support body 210 at equal angular intervals relative to the central axis AX2.

[0076] (Variant 2)

[0077] Figure 6(a) is a side view showing the structure of the support body 310 in variant example 2, (b) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body in variant example 2, (c) is a top view of the support body 310 shown in (a), and (d) is a top view of the detection body shown in (b). Figure 6 (a) is a view observed from the 6A direction of (c), and (b) is a view observed from the 6B direction of (d).

[0078] Figure 6 The support body 310 shown in (a) has a front end 310a and a rear end 310b in the Z1-Z2 direction along the central axis AX3, and has a quadrangular prism shape having four outer side surfaces 311, 312, 313, 314. Four sound pressure sensors 321, 322, 323, 324 having the same structure as the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 of the first embodiment are respectively bonded and fixed to the four outer side surfaces 311, 312, 313, 314 of the rear end 310b of the support body 310. The sound pressure sensors 321, 322, 323, 324 have a smaller width than the outer side surfaces 311, 312, 313, 314, and can therefore be fixed to the support body 310 in a state where they do not contact each other.

[0079] (Variation 3, 4)

[0080] Figure 7 (a) is a plan view showing the arrangement of the support body 410 and the sound pressure sensors 421 , 422 , and 423 in Modification 3. Figure 7 (b) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in Modification Example 3. Figure 7 (c) is a plan view showing the arrangement of the support body 410 and the sound pressure sensors 451 , 452 , and 453 in Modification 4. Figure 7 (d) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in Modification Example 4. Figure 7 (a) and (c) show a state where the support body 410 is closed by the cover 413, and the internal structure is shown by a dotted line. In the modification 3 and the modification 4, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and described.

[0081] The support body 410 is a hollow cylindrical member with a bottom, and is made of the same material as that of the first embodiment.

[0082] exist Figure 7 In the modification 3 shown in (a) and (b), three sound pressure sensors 421, 422, and 423 are bonded and fixed to the bottom surface 411 inside the support body 410. These sound pressure sensors 421, 422, and 423 are symmetrical with each other at equal angles relative to the central axis AX4 of the support body 410. In other words, they are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis AX4 and are arranged to extend in the radial direction from the central axis AX4 side.

[0083] After the sound pressure sensors 421 , 422 , and 423 are arranged inside the support body 410 , the upper portion is sealed by a disc-shaped cover portion 413 , thereby preventing liquid from entering the internal space where the sound pressure sensors are arranged.

[0084] The cover 413 is provided with a connector 430, which is electrically connected to each of the sound pressure sensors 421, 422, and 423. The connector 430 is connected to a cable 440 connected to the main body 50, thereby connecting the sound pressure sensors 421, 422, and 423 and the main body 50 to each other.

[0085] exist Figure 7 In the modification 4 shown in (c) and (d), three sound pressure sensors 451, 452, and 453 are bonded and fixed to the inner peripheral surface 412 of the support body 410. These sound pressure sensors 451, 452, and 453 are symmetrical with each other at equal angles relative to the central axis AX4 of the support body 410. In other words, they are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis AX4 and are arranged in a manner extending along the central axis AX4. The structure related to the cover 413, the connector 430, and the cable 440 is the same as that of the modification 3.

[0086] In the support body 410 , the bottom wall having the bottom surface 411 and the side wall having the inner peripheral surface 412 are preferably formed with a thickness taking into consideration ultrasonic wave transmissibility, permeability, durability, and liquid tightness.

[0087] According to the structures of Modifications 3 and 4, when the support 410 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 23, the internal space functions as a non-liquid contact portion into which the cleaning liquid 23 does not enter. Thus, the detection body can be realized in a compact and easily manufactured structure in a manner that can reliably ensure liquid tightness.

[0088] (Variation 5, 6)

[0089] Figure 8 (a) is a plan view showing the arrangement of a support body 510 and sound pressure sensors 521, 522, and 523 in Modification 5. Figure 8 (b) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in Modification Example 5. Figure 8 (c) is a plan view showing the arrangement of the support body 510 and the sound pressure sensors 551, 552, and 553 in Modification Example 6. Figure 8 (d) is a side view showing the structure of the detection body involved in Modification Example 6. Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing a cross section of the cleaning tank 20 in which a sample according to Modification 5 is fixed to the cleaning tank 20 . Figure 8(a) and (c) show a state where the support body 510 is closed by the cover 513, and the internal structure is shown by the dotted line. In the fifth and sixth modifications, the same components are described with the same reference numerals.

[0090] The support body 510 is made of the same material as that of the first embodiment, and has a structure in which a hollow cylindrical main body 514 and a disc 515 having a larger diameter than the main body 514 and closing the bottom of the main body 514 are integrally formed. The main body 514 and the disc 515 have a common central axis AX5. The disc 515 has an outer peripheral portion extending outward in a flange shape in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 514.

[0091] exist Figure 8 In the modification 5 shown in (a) and (b), three sound pressure sensors 521, 522, and 523 are bonded and fixed to the bottom surface 511 inside the support body 510. These sound pressure sensors 521, 522, and 523 are arranged so as to be symmetrical with each other at equal angle intervals with respect to the central axis AX5 of the support body 510, and extend radially from the central axis AX5 side.

[0092] After the sound pressure sensors 521 , 522 , and 523 are arranged inside the support body 510 , the upper portion is sealed by a disc-shaped cover portion 513 , thereby preventing liquid from entering the internal space where the sound pressure sensors are arranged.

[0093] A connector 530 is disposed on the cover 513 and is electrically connected to each of the sound pressure sensors 521, 522, and 523. A cable 540 connected to the main body 50 is connected to the connector 530, thereby connecting the sound pressure sensors 521, 522, and 523 to the main body 50. The connector 530 and the cable 540 are disposed concentrically with the central axis AX5 and are provided within a range of a size smaller than the support body 510 in the radial direction.

[0094] exist Figure 8 In the modification 6 shown in (c) and (d), three sound pressure sensors 551, 552, and 553 are bonded and fixed to the inner peripheral surface 512 of the support body 510. These sound pressure sensors 551, 552, and 553 are arranged at positions symmetrical to each other at equal angles with respect to the central axis AX5 of the support body 510, and extend along the central axis AX5. The structure related to the cover 513, the connector 530, and the cable 540 is the same as that of the modification 5.

[0095] In the support body 510 , the disk portion 515 having the bottom surface 511 and the side wall having the inner peripheral surface 512 are preferably formed with a thickness that takes into consideration ultrasonic wave transmission, permeability, durability, and liquid tightness.

[0096] A spiral groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface 514a of the main body 514 of the support body 510. An annular nut 516 having a spiral groove on the inner circumferential surface is screwed on the outer circumferential surface 514a. The nut 516 can move in the direction along the central axis AX5 of the support body 510 as the spiral groove on its inner circumferential surface meshes with the spiral groove on the outer circumferential surface 514a of the main body 514.

[0097] like Fig. 9 As shown, a fixing hole portion 25 is formed on the side wall 24 of the cleaning tank 20 in a circular shape with the same diameter as the main body 514 of the support body 510. The detection body involved in Modification 5 is inserted into the fixing hole portion 25 from the inner side of the cleaning tank 20, and the cable 540, the connector 530 and the cover portion 513 of the main body 514 are exposed to the outside of the cleaning tank 20. In this state, the nut 516 is screwed with the main body 514 on the outside of the cleaning tank 20, and the side wall 24 of the cleaning tank 20 is clamped by the nut 516 and the circular plate portion 515, and the clamped portion is fixed by an adhesive material. Thus, in a state where the circular plate portion 515 is arranged inside the cleaning tank 20, it is possible to seal in a manner that suppresses the entry and exit of the cleaning liquid 23 in the fixing hole portion 25.

[0098] In addition, the detection body of the modified example 6 can also be configured in the same manner.

[0099] According to the structures of Modification 5 and Modification 6, the disc portion 515 of the support body 510 can be immersed in the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20 through a compact structure, and can be reliably fixed to the cleaning tank 20. In addition, when the disc portion 515 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 23, the internal space of the support body 510 functions as a non-liquid contact portion into which the cleaning liquid 23 does not invade. Thus, the detection body can be realized in a compact and easy-to-manufacture structure in a manner that can reliably ensure liquid tightness.

[0100] In the first embodiment and variants 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, a structure having three sound pressure sensors is described, and in variant 2, a structure having four sound pressure sensors is described, but the number of sound pressure sensors is not limited thereto, and two or more sound pressure sensors can be configured at equal angles. In the case where there are two sound pressure sensors, as a reference sound pressure value, the sound pressure value of one upper sound pressure sensor is used instead of the average value Ave of the sound pressure values ​​of the two upper sound pressure sensors in the case of the first embodiment. In the case where there are four or more sound pressure sensors, as a reference sound pressure value, as in the case of the first embodiment, it is preferably set to the average value Ave of the sound pressure values ​​of the two upper sound pressure sensors, but all sound pressure sensors except one lower sound pressure sensor or three or more sound pressure sensors can also be set as upper sound pressure sensors, and the average value of these sound pressure values ​​can be used as the reference sound pressure value.

[0101] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, in order to determine whether the working state of the sound pressure sensor is normal or abnormal, the product of the average value Ave of the sound pressure value of the upper sound pressure sensor and the threshold value X is compared with the lowest sound pressure value Min, but the comparison object with the sound pressure value Min is not limited to this. For example, it can also be a value obtained by adding or subtracting a threshold value that replaces the threshold value X from the average value Ave.

[0102] In the first embodiment, a piezoelectric element is used as the sound pressure sensor. However, the sensor is not limited to this as long as the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20 can be detected. For example, a diaphragm (vibration plate) may be used.

[0103] In the first embodiment, adjacent sound pressure sensors are arranged close to each other. The close distance is set according to the size of the piezoelectric element as the sound pressure sensor and the radial dimension of the support body 110. By arranging them close to each other, the deviation of the sound pressure value detected by each sound pressure sensor can be suppressed to below a certain value. In terms of the effect of suppressing such deviation, it is preferred that the minimum distance between adjacent sound pressure sensors is greater than 0 and less than 50% of the width of the sound pressure sensor.

[0104] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the detection body 10 is arranged in a manner that the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 are exposed from the cleaning liquid 23, but in the case where a cover is provided to cover the rear end portion 110b of the support body 110 in a watertight state so as not to hinder the deformation of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123, the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 may also be arranged at a position lower than the water surface of the cleaning liquid 23.

[0105] (Examples 1 and 2)

[0106] Tables 1 and 2 show numerical examples 1 and 2 of the detection results of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 according to the first embodiment, respectively.

[0107]

Table 1

[0108]

[0109]

Table 2

[0110]

[0111] In Example 1 shown in Table 1, the sound pressure value A detected by the sound pressure sensor 121 is 51 (unit mV), the sound pressure value B detected by the sound pressure sensor 122 is 48 (unit mV), and the sound pressure value C detected by the sound pressure sensor 123 is 53 (unit mV). Based on these sound pressure values, the average value Ave of the sound pressure values ​​of the two sound pressure sensors 121 and 123 as the upper sound pressure sensors is 52 (unit mV). On the other hand, the sound pressure value 48 of the sound pressure sensor 122 as the lower sound pressure sensor becomes the lowest sound pressure value Min. Moreover, when the threshold value X is set to 0.5, the average value Ave×X is 26, so when the sound pressure value 26 is compared with 48 as the sound pressure value Min, 48 is larger, so it is determined that the working state of the sound pressure sensor 122 as the lower sound pressure sensor is normal.

[0112] In Example 2 shown in Table 2, the sound pressure value A detected by the sound pressure sensor 121 is 51 (unit mV), the sound pressure value B detected by the sound pressure sensor 122 is 15 (unit mV), and the sound pressure value C detected by the sound pressure sensor 123 is 53 (unit mV). Based on these sound pressure values, the average value Ave of the sound pressure values ​​of the two sound pressure sensors 121 and 123 as the upper sound pressure sensors is 52 (unit mV). On the other hand, the sound pressure value 15 of the sound pressure sensor 122 as the lower sound pressure sensor becomes the lowest sound pressure value Min. Moreover, when the threshold value X is set to 0.5, the average value Ave×X is 26, so when the sound pressure value 26 is compared with 15 as the sound pressure value Min, 15 is smaller, so it is determined that the working state of the sound pressure sensor 122 as the lower sound pressure sensor is abnormal, and the meaning of the abnormal working state is displayed on the display unit 54.

[0113] According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, when an abnormal working state occurs, such as the output from the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 for detecting the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20 of the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 is small, it is possible to quickly and with a simple structure determine which sensor among the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, 123 has an abnormality.

[0114] <Second embodiment>

[0115] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig.10 (a) and (b) are diagrams including block diagrams showing the structure of an ultrasonic cleaning device 600 according to the second embodiment. Fig.10 As shown in (a), in the ultrasonic cleaning device 600 of the second embodiment, in addition to the same structure as the ultrasonic cleaning device 100 of the first embodiment, a signal that is the same as the driving signal provided from the oscillator 40 to the vibrator 30 is output to the main body 50 at the same time. Fig.10 As shown in (b), the ultrasonic cleaning device 600 may be configured to include an external device 60 having a control device 61 similar to that of the first embodiment.

[0116] In the ultrasonic cleaning device 600, the same drive signal is sent from the oscillator 40 to the vibrator 30 and the main body 50 at the same time. In the main body 50, the determination unit 53 identifies whether the drive signal is sent from the oscillator 40, and determines whether the oscillator 40 is in a state of correctly outputting the drive signal based on the identification result. The main body 50 (determination unit 53) as a control unit determines that the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 600 is normal when all the operating states of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123, the operating state of the vibrator 30, and the operating state of the oscillator 40 are normal, and determines that the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 600 is abnormal when there is an abnormality in the operating state of any one of the partial structures.

[0117] Fig.11 1 is a flowchart showing the normal and abnormal determination steps involved in the second embodiment. Fig.11 The flow of normal and abnormal determination in the second embodiment will be described.

[0118] Before starting to drive the vibrator 30, the input unit 55 is operated to preset the threshold values ​​X, Y and the initial sound pressure value I and store them in the storage unit 52 ( Fig.11 The threshold values ​​X and Y are set in the same manner as the threshold value X in the first embodiment, and may be set to the same values. The initial sound pressure value I is estimated to be the sound pressure value detected when the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 normally detect the ultrasonic wave generated by the driving signal provided from the oscillator 40 in a normal working state to the vibrator 30 in a normal working state. Alternatively, it may be the sound pressure value actually detected by the sound pressure sensor known to be in a normal working state.

[0119] Next, the oscillator 40 starts outputting a driving signal to the vibrator 30 and the main body 50 , and the determination unit 53 determines whether a predetermined driving signal has been transmitted from the oscillator 40 (step S22 ).

[0120] In determining whether a prescribed driving signal is delivered from the oscillator 40 (step S22), when the driving signal is delivered (yes in step S22), it is determined that the oscillator 40 is operating normally (step S23); when the driving signal is not delivered (no in step S22), the determination unit 53 determines that the operating state of the oscillator 40 is abnormal (step S34).

[0121] When a predetermined driving signal is transmitted from the oscillator 40 to the main body 50 (Yes in step S22), a driving signal is also input to the vibrator 30, and the ultrasonic wave generated by the vibrator 30 is irradiated to the cleaning tank 20. At this time, a sound pressure corresponding to the irradiated ultrasonic wave is generated in the cleaning liquid 23 in the cleaning tank 20. In the support body 110 of the detection body 10, a vibration corresponding to the sound pressure is generated in the portion immersed in the cleaning liquid 23, and the vibration is propagated to the rear end 110b side. The vibration is converted into a voltage proportional to the deformation in the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 provided on the inclined surfaces 111, 112, and 113 of the rear end 110b, and the voltage is converted into a sound pressure value in the calculation unit 51, thereby detecting the sound pressure value of each of the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 (step S24). The detected sound pressure value is stored in the storage unit 52 corresponding to the sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123.

[0122] The operation unit 51 compares the three sound pressure values ​​detected by the three sound pressure sensors 121, 122, and 123 at the same timing, and determines the order according to the size of the sound pressure values. Furthermore, the operation unit 51 calculates the average value Ave (reference sound pressure value) of the upper two sound pressure values ​​(upper sound pressure values), and saves it in the storage unit 52 together with the name of the corresponding sound pressure sensor (step S25). In addition, the operation unit 51 saves the lowest sound pressure value Min (lower sound pressure value) together with the name of the corresponding sound pressure sensor in the storage unit 52 (step S26). In the saving operation in the above steps S25 and S26, the time at this time is also saved in association.

[0123] Next, the average value Ave and the lowest sound pressure value Min are provided to the determination unit 53, and the determination unit 53 reads the threshold value X from the storage unit 52, calculates the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X, and compares it with the sound pressure value Min (step S27).

[0124] When the sound pressure value Min is greater than the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X (Yes in step S27), the determination unit 53 determines that the operating state of the sound pressure sensor corresponding to the sound pressure value Min is normal (step S28). On the other hand, when the sound pressure value Min is less than the product of the average value Ave and the threshold value X or is equal to it (No in step S27), the operating state of the sound pressure sensor corresponding to the sound pressure value Min is determined to be abnormal. When it is determined to be abnormal, the determination unit 53 causes the display unit 54 to display that the operating state of the sound pressure sensor is abnormal (step S29).

[0125] Regardless of whether the operating state of the sound pressure sensor is abnormal, following steps S28 and S29, the determination unit 53 reads the threshold value Y and the initial sound pressure value I from the storage unit 52 and compares their product with the average value Ave (step S30).

[0126] When the average value Ave is greater than the product of the threshold value Y and the initial sound pressure value I (Yes in step S30), the determination unit 53 determines that the operating state of the vibrator 30 is normal (step S31), and causes the display unit 54 to display the average value Ave as the sound pressure value (step S32). At this time, the main body 50 (determination unit 53) as the control unit determines that all the operating states of the various components are normal, and the operation state of the ultrasonic cleaning device 600 is normal.

[0127] On the other hand, when the average value Ave is smaller than or equal to the product of the threshold value Y and the initial sound pressure value I (No in step S30), the determination unit 53 determines that the operating state of the vibrator 30 is abnormal or dry-burning (step S33).

[0128] After determining that the operating state of the vibrator 30 is abnormal in step S33 and after determining that the operating state of the oscillator 40 is abnormal in step S34, the determination unit 53 sends an error signal to the control device 61 (step S35). The control device 61 that receives the error signal sends a stop signal to the oscillator 40 to stop sending the drive signal to the vibrator 30 (step S36).

[0129] Here, when the operating state of any part of the components of main body 50 as the control unit is abnormal, it is determined that the operating state of ultrasonic cleaning device 600 is abnormal.

[0130] The threshold value Y is set based on the change of the sound pressure value caused by the environment, etc. and the range of the permissible performance reduction of the sound pressure sensor. As in the above step S30, when used to determine whether the average value Ave is greater than the product of the initial sound pressure value I and the threshold value Y, it is preferably set to a value greater than 0.5 and less than 1. By setting the threshold value Y to be greater than 0.5, it is not determined that the working state of the vibrator 30 is abnormal due to a slight change in the average value Ave that changes according to the actual cleaning condition, and cleaning can be continued stably. However, since the threshold value changes according to the usage condition, it is preferably set according to the usage environment.

[0131] (Example 3)

[0132] Table 3 shows numerical examples of the detection results of the ultrasonic cleaning device 600 according to the second embodiment.

[0133]

Table 3

[0134]

[0135] In Example 3 shown in Table 3, the initial sound pressure value I is 55 (unit mV), the sound pressure value A detected by the sound pressure sensor 121 is 21 (unit mV), the sound pressure value B detected by the sound pressure sensor 122 is 21 (unit mV), and the sound pressure value C detected by the sound pressure sensor 123 is 19 (unit mV). Based on these sound pressure values, the average value Ave of the sound pressure values ​​of the two sound pressure sensors 121 and 122 as the upper sound pressure sensors is 21 (unit mV). On the other hand, the sound pressure value 19 of the sound pressure sensor 123 as the lower sound pressure sensor becomes the lowest sound pressure value Min. Moreover, when the threshold value X is set to 0.5 and the threshold value Y is set to 0.6, the average value Ave×X is 10.5, and the initial sound pressure value I×threshold value Y is 33.

[0136] In this case, in the presence of a signal from the oscillator 40 ( Fig.11 In the case where the answer is Yes in step S22 and the working state of the oscillator 40 is normal), the determination results in steps S27 and S30 are as follows.

[0137] (1) Regarding step S27 "Min>Ave×X?", since the sound pressure value Min is 19 and Ave×X is 10.5, the sound pressure value Min is large, and it is determined that the operating state of the sound pressure sensor is normal.

[0138] (2) Regarding step S30 “Ave>I×Y?”, since the average value Ave is 21 and I×Y is 33, the average value Ave is small, and therefore it is determined that the operating state of the vibrator 30 is abnormal.

[0139] According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the output from the detection object 10 , it can be determined which operation state of the sound pressure sensors 121 , 122 , 123 , the vibrator 30 , and the oscillator 40 is abnormal.

[0140] In addition, other operations, effects, and modifications are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0141] The present invention has been described with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be improved or modified within the scope of the purpose of improvement or the idea of ​​the present invention.

[0142] Description of Reference Numerals

[0143] 10 Detection

[0144] 20 Cleaning tank

[0145] 21 Bottom

[0146] 22 Liquid level

[0147] 23 Cleaning fluid

[0148] 25 Fixing hole

[0149] 30 Vibrator

[0150] 40 Oscillator

[0151] 50 Main body (control unit)

[0152] 51 Operation unit

[0153] 52 Storage

[0154] 53 Judgment Department

[0155] 54 Display

[0156] 55 Input

[0157] 60 External devices

[0158] 61 Control device

[0159] 100, 600 Ultrasonic cleaning device

[0160] 110, 210, 310, 410, 510 support

[0161] 110a, 210a, 310a front end

[0162] 110b, 210b, 310b rear end

[0163] 110c rear end

[0164] 111, 112, 113 inclined surfaces

[0165] 121, 122, 123 sound pressure sensor

[0166] 131 First signal line

[0167] 141, 142, 143 connecting wires

[0168] 151, 152, 153 second signal line

[0169] 211 outer surface

[0170] 221, 222, 223 sound pressure sensor

[0171] 311, 312, 313, 314 outer side

[0172] 321, 322, 323, 324 Sound pressure sensors

[0173] 411, 511 Bottom

[0174] 412, 512 inner surface

[0175] 413, 513 cover

[0176] 421, 422, 423 Sound Pressure Sensors

[0177] 430, 530 connectors

[0178] 440, 540 cables

[0179] 451, 452, 453 sound pressure sensors

[0180] 514 Main body

[0181] 514a Outer surface

[0182] 515 circular plate

[0183] 516 Nut

[0184] 521, 522, 523 sound pressure sensor

[0185] 551, 552, 553 sound pressure sensor

[0186] Ave is the average value of the sound pressure value of the upper sound pressure sensor

[0187] AX1, AX2, AX3, AX4, AX5 center axis

[0188] I Initial sound pressure value

[0189] MinThe sound pressure value of the lowest sound pressure sensor Min

[0190] X, Y threshold.

Claims

1. A test body, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device includes a cleaning tank containing a cleaning liquid, a vibrator for irradiating the cleaning tank with ultrasonic waves, and an oscillator for applying a drive signal for generating the ultrasonic waves to the vibrator, and detecting the sound pressure of the cleaning liquid. The detection body has: a support body, at least a portion of which is immersed in the cleaning liquid; and A plurality of acoustic pressure sensors are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis of the support body in the non-liquid contact portion of the support body and have the same detection characteristics as each other. The plurality of sound pressure sensors respectively detect vibrations generated by the ultrasonic waves propagating through the support body as sound pressure values.

2. An ultrasonic cleaning device, characterized in that: have: A cleaning tank containing a cleaning liquid; a vibrator for irradiating ultrasonic waves to the cleaning tank; an oscillator for providing a driving signal for generating the ultrasonic wave to the vibrator; A detection body, comprising: a support body, at least a front end portion of which is immersed in the cleaning liquid; and a plurality of sound pressure sensors, which are arranged at equal intervals around a central axis of the support body in a rear end portion of the support body and have the same detection characteristics, and the plurality of sound pressure sensors respectively detect vibrations generated by the ultrasonic waves propagating through the support body as sound pressure values; as well as A control unit is connected to the detection body. In the ultrasonic cleaning device, The control unit determines whether the operating state of the ultrasonic cleaning device is normal or abnormal based on the detection result of the detection object.

3. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit comprises: a determination unit, which determines whether the working state of the detection object is normal or abnormal based on the sound pressure values ​​respectively detected by the plurality of sound pressure sensors; as well as A display unit capable of displaying the test result of the test object, The determination unit sets the multiple sound pressure sensors to a lower sound pressure sensor with the smallest sound pressure value and an upper sound pressure sensor other than the lower sound pressure sensor, and determines whether the working state of the detection object is normal or abnormal based on a reference sound pressure value corresponding to the lower sound pressure value detected by the lower sound pressure sensor and the upper sound pressure value detected by the upper sound pressure sensor.

4. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The determination unit determines whether the operating state of the detection object is normal or abnormal based on a comparison result of a product of the reference sound pressure value and a predetermined threshold value and the lower sound pressure value.

5. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the number of the plurality of sound pressure sensors is three or more, the reference sound pressure value is an average value of the upper sound pressure values ​​of two upper sound pressure sensors having larger sound pressure values ​​among the upper sound pressure sensors.

6. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The determination unit determines whether an operation state of the oscillator is normal or abnormal based on the presence or absence of output of the drive signal from the oscillator.

7. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The determination unit determines whether the operating state of the vibrator is normal or abnormal based on a comparison result between a predetermined initial sound pressure value and the reference sound pressure value.

8. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the number of the plurality of sound pressure sensors is two, the reference sound pressure value is the upper sound pressure value detected by one of the upper sound pressure sensors.

9. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device includes a control device that outputs a stop signal for stopping the operation of the ultrasonic cleaning device when the determination unit determines that the operating state of the detection object is abnormal.

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