Air cleaning device and air cleaning method

Abstract

To provide an air cleaning device and an air cleaning method capable of cleaning air containing oil mist without using any filters.SOLUTION: An air cleaning device 1 comprises: a fan 10 having a suction port 11 being opened toward one side in a rotary shaft direction, discharge ports 12 communicating with the suction port 11 and being opened in an outward direction orthogonal to the rotary shaft direction, and a plurality of wires 13 provided on surfaces of blade plates; a motor 20 for rotating the fan 10; a cylindrical wall 25 forming an annular discharge space outside the fan; a box-shaped housing 30 housing the fan 10 and the like and having an inflow port 30a and an outflow port 30b; an introduction flow passage 2 for allowing the suction port 11 to communicate with the inflow port 30a in the housing 30; and a separation flow passage 3 for allowing the discharge space to communicate with the outflow port 30b in the housing 30 and being bent at a plurality of positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purification device and an air purification method for purifying air containing oil mist generated in a processing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] In machining factories, machining is carried out using a wide variety of machine tools (machines). For example, cutting and grinding processes, water-insoluble (mineral oil) or water-soluble coolants are used. The purposes for using coolants include improving machining precision, improving lubrication, improving surface accuracy, improving the life of tools such as end mills, and improving the penetration of oil into the cutting edge surface.

[0003] This type of coolant is supplied to the processing machine, then collected, purified, cooled, and supplied to the processing machine again for repeated use for a certain period of time. Therefore, in addition to additives such as rust inhibitors, the coolant also contains oil carried over from the previous process, oil-water separators, lubricating oil from the processing machine, etc.

[0004] During the processing of workpieces using a processing machine, fine dust particles are generated, and part of the coolant breaks down into fine particles, generating oil mist. In particular, large amounts of oil mist are generated during high-speed processing. This oil mist has a wide range of particle sizes, from ultrafine particles in the submicron range to coarse particles of tens or hundreds of micrometers. Fine oil mist particles with a particle size of 1.0 μm or less can enter the respiratory organs of factory workers and cause lung and liver dysfunction, as well as skin diseases.

[0005] To address the above-mentioned problems, conventional air purifiers have used filters to capture fine oil mist. However, the oil mist turns into grease or gel due to air pollution, water evaporation due to heat, etc., and the filter quickly becomes clogged, which necessitates filter replacement at short intervals. For these reasons, the development of an air purifier that does not use filters has been desired. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an air purification device and an air purification method capable of purifying air containing oil mist without using a filter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the air purifying device according to the present invention comprises: "A fan in which a plurality of blades rotate around a rotation axis, the fan having an intake port opening toward one side of the rotation axis direction, an air outlet communicating with the intake port and opening in an outward direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction between the blades, and a plurality of wires provided on the surface of the blades; A motor that rotates the fan; a cylindrical wall surrounding an outer periphery of the fan so as to form an annular discharge space outside the fan; a box-shaped housing that houses at least the fan, the motor, and the cylindrical wall, and has an air inlet that opens at a position outward in the rotational axis direction from the air intake of the fan, and an air outlet that opens at a position opposite the air inlet with the fan in between; an introduction passage that connects the intake port and the inlet port within the housing; A separation flow path that communicates the discharge space and the outlet port within the housing and is bent at multiple points. The present invention is characterized in that it comprises:

[0008] In the air purifier of this configuration, when the fan is rotated by the motor, the air in the introduction flow passage is sucked into the air intake of the fan at an airflow speed corresponding to the rotation speed of the blades, so that the introduction flow passage becomes negative pressure, and air outside the housing (e.g., dirty air containing oil mist) is sucked in through the inlet. The air sucked into the air intake of the fan is discharged radially outward from the air outlet provided on the outer circumferential surface, but since multiple wires are provided on the surface of the blades between the air intake and the air outlet, the oil mist contained in the air repeatedly collides with the multiple wires on the way from the air intake to the air outlet, causing many fine particles of the oil mist contained in the air to aggregate. Then, the droplets that have aggregated in the fan and become large in size are discharged from the air outlet into the discharge space by centrifugal force and collide with the inner circumferential surface of the tube wall surrounding the discharge space by inertia. Also, a part of the oil mist that has not aggregated in the fan will aggregate by inertia collision with the inner circumferential surface of the tube wall together with the air. The air discharged from the air outlet into the discharge space passes through the downstream separation flow path and is discharged from the outlet to the outside of the housing. At this time, since the separation flow path is bent at multiple points, the air inertially collides with the inner wall of the separation flow path every time the flow path is bent, and the remaining oil mist that inertially collides with the inner wall condenses on the inner wall, gradually reducing the amount of oil mist in the air. As a result, clean air from which droplets derived from oil mist have been removed is discharged from the outlet. Meanwhile, droplets of oil mist condensed on the inner circumferential surface of the tube wall and the inner wall of the separation flow path flow down to the bottom of the housing due to gravity.

[0009] As described above, with the air purifier of this configuration, unlike conventional devices, no filter is used and the oil mist contained in the air can be repeatedly collided by a fan with multiple wires and a separation flow path that is bent at multiple points, making it possible to physically coagulate the oil mist and separate and remove it from the dirty air containing the oil mist, and also allowing the coagulated oil mist droplets to flow down to the bottom of the housing and be collected.

[0010] In addition to the above configuration, the air purifying device according to the present invention further comprises: "The device further includes a collision receiving member that is provided along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall and is formed of a plurality of wires." This may be a feature.

[0011] Here, examples of the "collision target member" include "single or multi-layer net", "nonwoven fabric", and "woven fabric".

[0012] According to this configuration, since the collision target member made of multiple wires is provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the cylindrical wall, the fine oil mist particles discharged from the fan outlet by centrifugal force collide with the multiple wires constituting the collision target member, and the fine oil mist particles can be coagulated. This further reduces the amount of oil mist contained in the air flowing from the discharge space between the fan and the cylindrical wall to the separation flow path.

[0013] In addition, the droplets that are forcefully released by centrifugal force from the fan's air outlet do not collide directly with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall, but instead collide with the impacted member and then with the cylindrical wall, thereby preventing the droplets from bouncing off the inner surface of the cylindrical wall.

[0014] The air purification method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: "An air purification method for purifying air containing oil mist using the air purification device according to claim 1, The fan is rotated by the motor so that air containing oil mist is sucked into the intake port, and the sucked air is made to collide with the multiple wires in the fan, and then with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion in the discharge space, and then with the inner wall that is bent at multiple points in the separation flow path, thereby condensing the oil mist contained in the air and separating it from the air. It is characterized by:

[0015] According to the air purification method of the present configuration, air containing oil mist can be purified using the air purification device configured as described above. Effect of the Invention

[0016] As described above, the effect of the present invention is to provide an air purification device and an air purification method capable of purifying air containing oil mist without using a filter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air purifying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air purifying device cut vertically along the rotation axis of the fan. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the air purifying device disassembled into its main components. [Figure 4] 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the air flow within the air purification device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] An air purifying device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the motor 20 is omitted in Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 5(b). Also, the collision target member 43 is omitted in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The air purifying device 1 of this embodiment is intended to remove and purify the air containing oil mist of a coolant generated in a processing machine installed in a factory.

[0019] The air purifier 1 includes a fan 10, a motor 20 for rotating the fan 10, a cylindrical wall 25 surrounding the fan 10 and forming an annular discharge space S between the fan 10, and a box-shaped housing 30 containing at least the fan 10, the motor 20, and the cylindrical wall 25.

[0020] The fan 10 has a number of blades 16 that rotate around a rotation axis, and has an air intake 11 that opens toward one side of the rotation axis direction, an air outlet 12 that is connected to the air intake 11 and opens outward in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction, and a number of wires 13 that are arranged between the air intake 11 and the air outlet 12.

[0021] In the following description, the direction in which the intake port 11 of the fan 10 is open will be referred to as the front, the direction of its rotation axis will be referred to as the front-to-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction when looking from the front to the rear will be referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0022] More specifically, the fan 10 includes a disk-shaped base plate 14 and an annular tip plate 15 provided in front of the base plate 14 with the air inlet 11 opening in the center, and multiple vanes 16 are provided between the base plate 14 and the tip plate 15. The air outlet 12 opens outward between the adjacent vanes 16 between the base plate 14 and the tip plate 15. Each vane 16 is curved in an arc shape with respect to a radial line centered on the rotation axis (see FIG. 4(b)). The multiple vanes 16 are provided at equal angular intervals centered on the rotation axis. The multiple wires 13 are planted in a brush-like manner on the curved convex surface of all the vanes 16.

[0023] Motor 20 is provided behind fan 10 with its rotation shaft facing forward. Cylinder wall 25 is provided coaxially with fan 10. The length of cylinder wall 25 in the front-to-rear direction (rotation axis direction) is slightly longer than the length of fan 10 in the front-to-rear direction. Note that a discharge hole may be provided at the lowest portion of cylinder wall 25 to discharge condensed droplets of oil mist downward.

[0024] The housing 30 has an inlet 30a that opens in a position forward of the fan 10, and an outlet 30b that opens in a position rearward of the fan 10. Provided within the housing 30 are an introduction flow path 2 that connects the inlet 30a to the intake port 11 of the fan 10, and a separation flow path 3 that connects a discharge space S between the fan 10 and the cylindrical wall 25 to the outlet 30b and is bent at multiple points.

[0025] The separation channel 3 is composed of a first separation channel 3a and a second separation channel 3b. The first separation channel 3a is provided behind the release space S, communicates with the release space S, and is bent at multiple locations inside the channel. The second separation channel 3b is provided behind the first separation channel 3a, communicates with the first separation channel 3a and the outlet 30b, and is bent at multiple locations inside the channel. The separation channel 3 is formed so that the area of ​​the cross section perpendicular to the flow direction (hereinafter referred to as the "channel cross-sectional area") increases toward the outlet 30b. In this embodiment, the channel cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b is larger than the channel cross-sectional area of ​​the first separation channel 3a. In other words, the separation channel 3 is formed so that the channel cross-sectional area increases stepwise.

[0026] More specifically, the housing 30 has a rectangular cylindrical main body 31 whose axial direction faces the front-rear direction, a front wall 32 provided to close an opening at the front end side of the main body 31, and a rear wall 34 provided to close an opening at the rear end side of the main body 31. The housing 30 also has a first partition wall 35, a second partition wall 36, and a third partition wall 37 that divide the inside of the housing 30 into a plurality of spaces between the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34. The first partition wall 35, the second partition wall 36, and the third partition wall 37 are arranged in a row from front to rear in this order at a distance in the front-rear direction (see Figures 2 and 3, etc.).

[0027] The main body 31 has a plurality of discharge holes 31a formed in the bottom wall (bottom) and an upper opening 31b opening at the rear of the upper wall. The upper opening 31b opens in a rectangular shape at the center in the left-right direction and at a position between the rear wall 34 and the third partition wall 37. An inlet 30a and an outlet 30b open at the upper wall of the main body 31. The inlet 30a opens in a circular shape at a position close to the front wall 32 between the front wall 32 and the first partition wall 35 and at a position to the left of the center in the left-right direction. The outlet 30b opens in a rectangular shape at a position between the rear wall 34 and the third partition wall 37 and at a position to the right of the upper opening 31b. The outlet 30b is provided with a lattice-shaped net. As described later, the outlet 30b communicates with the separation channel 3, but the upper opening 31b does not communicate with the separation channel 3.

[0028] The front wall 32 has an opening 32a penetrating therethrough large enough to allow the fan 10 to pass through. This opening 32a is closed from the front by a front cover 33. The rear wall 34 has an opening 34a penetrating therethrough large enough to allow the motor 20 to pass through.

[0029] The first partition wall 35 is provided near the center in the front-rear direction of the housing 30. The first partition wall 35 is flat, and the front end of the cylindrical wall 25 abuts against the rear surface of the first partition wall 35. The first partition wall 35 has a first opening 35a that penetrates the first partition wall 35 at the center and has the same inner diameter as the cylindrical wall 25.

[0030] The second partition wall 36 is flat and is provided so as to sandwich the cylindrical wall 25 between the first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36. The second partition wall 36 has a second opening 36a that opens to communicate with the discharge space S, and an insertion hole 36b that opens so that the rotation shaft of the motor 20 passes through. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4(b), the second opening 36a opens in an arc shape concentric with the rotation shaft from a position slightly below and to the left of the rotation shaft, passing directly below the rotation shaft, to a position slightly above and to the right of the rotation shaft. The second opening 36a has an outer edge that coincides with the inner peripheral edge of the cylindrical wall 25, and an inner edge that is arc-shaped with a diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of an insertion hole 37b (described later) of the third partition wall 37. The motor 20 is attached to the rear surface of the second partition wall 36.

[0031] The third partition wall 37 is flat. The third partition wall 37 has a third opening 37a that opens at a different position in the front-rear direction from the second opening 36a, and an insertion hole 37b that opens to allow the front part of the motor 20 to pass through. As shown in Figures 3 and 5(a), the third opening 37a opens by being cut out at the upper left corner of the third partition wall 37. The insertion hole 37b opens with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the arc of the inner edge of the second opening 36a of the second partition wall 36.

[0032] Furthermore, the housing 30 has a front guide wall 38 that is sandwiched between the second partition wall 36 and the third partition wall 37 and that forms the first separation flow path 3a, and a rear guide wall 39 that is sandwiched between the third partition wall 37 and the rear wall 34 and that forms the second separation flow path 3b.

[0033] The front guide wall 38 has a cylindrical inner wall 38a and a partition wall 38b extending from the inner wall 38a to the inner surface of the main body 31. The inner wall 38a is a cylinder with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the intake port 11 of the fan 10, and is provided coaxially with the rotation axis. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the partition wall 38b extends horizontally leftward from the top of the inner wall 38a to the left side wall of the main body 31. The upper surface of the partition wall 38b and the lower end of the third opening 37a are at the same height. The partition wall 38b divides the annular space between the main body 31 and the inner wall 38a to form a C-shaped space with an end. The first separation channel 3a is included in this space.

[0034] In addition, the front guide wall 38 has an outer wall 38c extending in an arc shape to surround the inner wall 38a, an end wall 38d connecting one end edge of the outer wall 38c to the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall 38a, and an extension wall 38e extending in a straight line from the other end edge of the outer wall 38c parallel to the partition wall 38b.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the outer wall 38c extends in an arc shape concentric with the inner wall 38a from a position slightly below and to the left of the center of the inner wall 38a, passing below the inner wall 38a to a position directly above the center of the inner wall 38a. The inner diameter of the outer wall 38c is the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 25. The end wall 38d extends horizontally to the right from the lower end of both ends of the outer wall 38c to the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall 38a. One end of the arc-shaped space between the inner wall 38a and the outer wall 38c is closed by this end wall 38d. The end wall 38d is at the same height as the left end of the second opening 36a.

[0036] The extension wall 38e extends horizontally to the left from the upper end edge of the outer wall 38c to the third opening 37a of the third partition wall 37. The left end side of this extension wall 38e is bent upward along the third opening 37a and extends to the upper end of the third partition wall 37. The space between the extension wall 38e and the partition wall 38b is continuous with the arc-shaped space between the inner wall 38a and the outer wall 38c, and the vicinity of the left end thereof is open rearward via the third opening 37a.

[0037] The front guide wall 38, by means of an inner wall 38a and an outer wall 38c, forms a first separation flow path 3a connecting the second opening 36a and the third opening 37a, and forms a part of the space for accommodating the motor 20 inside the inner wall 38a. The first separation flow path 3a extends in an arc shape from the left side to above the motor 20, passing under the motor 20, at a portion rearward of the discharge space S (and the second opening 36a) and outside the accommodating space of the motor 20, and then extends in a straight line to the left side to the inner wall of the main body 31 (a portion in front of the third opening 37a), and the flow path is bent at a plurality of points. In other words, the first separation flow path 3a has a shape like a J-shape inverted in a counterclockwise direction. The area of ​​the cross section of the first separation flow path 3a perpendicular to the flow direction is substantially constant over the entire length. The volume of the first separation flow path 3a is larger than the volume of the discharge space S. In addition, a discharge hole may be provided at the lowest portion of the outer wall 38c of the front guide wall 38 to discharge condensed droplets of oil mist downward.

[0038] The front guide wall 38 may be composed of only the inner wall 38a and the partition wall 38b. In this case, the space between the main body 31 and the front guide wall 38 becomes the first separation channel 3a.

[0039] The rear guide wall 39 has a semi-cylindrical lower wall 39a whose axial direction is oriented in the front-rear direction and which is open upward, and a first side wall 39b and a second side wall 39c which extend upward in parallel from both ends of the lower wall 39a. The inner diameter of the lower wall 39a is the same as the inner diameter of the inner wall 38a of the front guide wall 38, and the lower wall 39a is disposed coaxially with the rotation axis. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the first side wall 39b extends from the left end edge of the lower wall 39a to the same height as the upper end of the rear wall 34. The second side wall 39c extends upward from the right end edge of the lower wall 39a, bends toward the first side wall 39b, extends obliquely upward, and then bends parallel to the first side wall 39b and extends to the same height as the upper end of the rear wall 34.

[0040] When the rear guide wall 39 is assembled to the housing 30, the upper edges of the first side wall 39b and the second side wall 39c are located on both the left and right outer sides of the upper opening 31b of the main body 31. Moreover, the rear edges of the lower wall 39a, the first side wall 39b and the second side wall 39c of the rear guide wall 39 coincide with parts of the outer periphery of the opening 34a of the rear wall 34. Therefore, the space inside the rear guide wall 39 is open upward through the upper opening 31b of the main body 31 and is also open rearward through the opening 34a of the rear wall 34.

[0041] Between the rear guide wall 39 and the main body 31, a second separation flow path 3b is formed, which connects the third opening 37a and the outlet 30b. The space inside the rear guide wall 39 is connected to the space inside the inner wall 38a of the front guide wall 38, and both spaces accommodate the motor 20. The second separation flow path 3b extends downward from the upper wall to the bottom wall of the main body 31 at a position rearward of the first separation flow path 3a (and the third opening 37a) and on the left outer side of the motor 20, and then extends rightward from the left side wall to the right side wall of the main body 31 through the lower part of the motor 20, and then extends upward from the bottom wall of the main body 31 to the outlet 30b on the upper wall through the right outer side of the motor 20, and the flow path is bent at multiple points. In other words, the second separation flow path 3b is an angular U-shape. The area of ​​the cross section perpendicular to the flow direction (flow path cross-sectional area) of the second separation flow path 3b is almost constant over the entire length. The cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the first separation channel 3a, and the volume of the second separation channel 3b is larger than the volume of the first separation channel 3a.

[0042] The housing 30 forms an introduction flow path 2 that communicates the intake port 11 and the inlet 30a with the main body 31, the front wall 32 (closed by the front cover 33), and the first partition wall 35. The housing 30 also forms a separation flow path 3 that communicates the discharge space S and the outlet 30b with the main body 31, the second partition wall 36, the third partition wall 37, the rear wall 34, the front guide wall 38, and the rear guide wall 39. The separation flow path 3 is composed of a first separation flow path 3a and a second separation flow path 3b. As described above, the first separation flow path 3a is a flow path shaped like an inverted J, and the second separation flow path 3b is a flow path shaped like a U, so that the separation flow path 3 is bent at multiple points. In addition, since the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation flow path 3b is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first separation flow path 3a, the separation flow path 3 becomes larger in stages (here, in two stages) as it approaches the outlet 30b.

[0043] Furthermore, the air purification device 1 includes an inlet collision plate 40 provided below the inlet 30a, a first screen 41 provided between the front wall 32 and the first partition wall 35, and a second screen 42 provided between the first screen 41 and the first partition wall 35.

[0044] 4(a), the inlet collision plate 40 is provided in a portion of the housing 30 (main body 31) directly below the inlet 30a so as to block the gap between the inlet 30a and the first screen 41. The inlet collision plate 40 is inclined so that the left end side is lower.

[0045] The first screen 41 is a cylindrical mesh whose inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the intake port 11 of the fan 10, and its axial direction is directed in the front-rear direction. The front end side of the first screen 41 is closed, and the rear end side is in contact with the front surface of the second screen 42. At least the mesh portion of the first screen 41 is formed of stainless steel wire. The second screen 42 is a disk-shaped flat plate with an outer diameter capable of closing the first opening 35a of the first partition wall 35 from the front, and a plurality of communication holes 42a are formed in the central portion that is the inside of the first screen 41. The second screen 42 is attached to the front surface of the first partition wall 35, and the plurality of communication holes 42a are located in front of the intake port 11 of the fan 10.

[0046] The air purifying device 1 also includes a collision receiving member 43 (see FIG. 4(b)) provided along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 25, a tray 44 attached to the lower surface of the housing 30, and a control unit 45 attached to the side surface of the housing 30. The collision receiving member 43 is a net made of stainless steel wires folded in three.

[0047] The tray 44 is formed in a box shape that opens upward, and is provided below the multiple drain holes 31a in the housing 30. The bottom surface of the tray 44 is formed in a V shape with the center lowered in the left-right direction, and is formed so that the entire tray 44 is lowered toward the front. The tray 44 has a cylindrical connecting pipe portion 44a at the front end. This tray 44 is for collecting waste liquid discharged downward from the multiple drain holes 31a and discharging it to the outside from the connecting pipe portion 44a at the front end.

[0048] The control unit 45 is for controlling the motor 20 and the cleaning device (not shown), etc. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the control unit 45 is provided with operation switches such as "run", "stop", "interlock", "manual", "reset", and "clean". The control unit 45 also has lamps that indicate power on / off, which operation switch has been operated, the occurrence of an abnormality such as an overload or overvoltage, when to inspect the first screen 41, the second screen 42, etc., etc.

[0049] Although not shown, the air purifier 1 is provided with a cleaning device for cleaning the first screen 41. The cleaning device includes an on-off valve connected to a supply pipe through which a cleaning liquid is supplied, a cleaning pipe extending from the on-off valve into the introduction flow path 2 so as to go around the outer periphery of the first screen 41, and a plurality of nozzles attached to the cleaning pipe at intervals and capable of spraying the cleaning liquid toward the first screen 41. The on-off valve is attached to the rear surface of the third partition wall 37 between the first side wall 39b and the second side wall 39c of the rear guide wall 39. As the cleaning liquid, industrial water or clean coolant is supplied. This cleaning device can spray the cleaning liquid from the plurality of nozzles onto the first screen 41 and clean the first screen 41 and the second screen 42 by opening the on-off valve.

[0050] Although not shown in the drawings, a nonwoven fabric is attached to the inner surface of the housing 30. In this embodiment, the nonwoven fabric is attached to the portion of the second separation flow path 3b. This nonwoven fabric is intended to absorb the impact of the air containing oil mist colliding with the inner surface of the main body 31 and the like, thereby reducing the collision noise, and to promote the coagulation of the oil mist by reducing the air flow speed, thereby further purifying the air.

[0051] Although not shown, the air purifying device 1 of this embodiment has an inflow duct connected to the inflow port 30a, which communicates with the processing space of a processing machine provided in a factory. An air cooling device is connected to the outflow port 30b of the air purifying device 1. A drain pipe is connected to the connecting pipe portion 44a of the tray 44, and waste liquid collected by the tray 44 is sent to the coolant purifying device via the drain pipe.

[0052] Next, the purification of air containing oil mist by the air purifier 1 of this embodiment will be described. First, when the motor 20 rotates the fan 10 in a predetermined direction (here, counterclockwise in FIG. 4(b)), the air in the introduction flow path 2 is sucked into the intake port 11 of the fan 10 at an airflow speed corresponding to the rotation speed, creating a negative pressure in the introduction flow path 2. As a result, dirty air (polluted air) containing oil mist in the machining space of the processing machine is sucked into the introduction flow path 2 from the inlet 30a through an inflow duct connected to the inlet 30a.

[0053] The contaminated air that has passed through the inlet 30a collides with the inlet collision plate 40, and the inclination of the inlet collision plate 40 causes the flow direction of the air to be directed toward the inner wall of the main body 31, where it collides with the inner wall of the main body 31, and while flowing around the cylindrical first screen 41, it passes through the first screen 41 and flows inside (see FIG. 4(a)). This allows the contaminated air that has flowed in from the inlet 30a to flow around the first screen 41 while colliding with the inner wall of the main body 31, and the collision with the main body 31 causes the relatively large oil mist particles contained in the contaminated air to coagulate.

[0054] In addition, because the contaminated air flows so as to circle around the cylindrical first screen 41, it is possible to prevent the contaminated air from passing inward through only a portion of the mesh of the first screen 41, and it is possible for the contaminated air to pass inward through the entire mesh of the first screen 41. Therefore, the mesh of the first screen 41 can remove dirt, dust, and the like contained in the contaminated air.

[0055] The contaminated air that has passed through the first screen 41 passes through a plurality of communication holes 42a of the second screen 42 and is sucked into the intake port 11 of the fan 10. This second screen 42 can further remove dirt, dust, and the like.

[0056] Furthermore, while the fan 10 is rotating, there is a negative pressure inside the inlet passage 2 between the front wall 32 and the first partition wall 35, so that droplets of oil mist that have condensed due to collisions with the inner wall of the main body 31, the first screen 41, and the second screen 42 are hardly discharged from the discharge hole 31a in the bottom wall of the main body 31 to the tray 44.

[0057] The polluted air sucked into the intake port 11 of the fan 10 is discharged radially outward from the exhaust port 12 (see FIG. 4(b)). At this time, since multiple wires 13 are provided between the intake port 11 and the exhaust port 12, the oil mist contained in the polluted air repeatedly collides with the multiple wires 13 on its way from the intake port 11 to the exhaust port 12, and many fine particles of the oil mist contained in the polluted air coagulate on each wire 13.

[0058] Then, droplets that have condensed in the fan 10 and become large particles, and oil mist that has not condensed in the fan 10 are discharged from the air outlet 12 into the discharge space S by centrifugal force and collide with the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 25 surrounding the discharge space S by inertia. As a result, a part of the oil mist discharged by centrifugal force from the air outlet 12 of the fan 10 condenses, and the amount of oil mist contained in the polluted air can be reduced. At this time, in this embodiment, the collision member 43 made of a three-layer net is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 25, so that the oil mist contained in the air discharged from the air outlet 12 collides with many thin wires that constitute the net, which is the collision member 43, and the oil mist can be effectively condensed. In this way, the oil mist can be condensed not only on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 25 but also on the collision member 43, so that the amount of oil mist contained in the polluted air can be further reduced, and the polluted air can be purified to a certain degree of clean air.

[0059] Furthermore, the momentum of the droplets and oil mist discharged from the fan 10 by centrifugal force is slowed by colliding with the collision target member 43 made of a net, and therefore the droplets do not bounce off the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 25. Then, droplets of oil mist condensed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 25 or the collision target member 43 move downward along the cylindrical wall 25 curved in an arc, and drop from the lower end to the bottom of the main body 31. Oil mist that does not condense on the cylindrical wall 25 or the collision target member 43 flows downstream together with the air.

[0060] The air discharged from the fan 10 to the discharge space S passes through the second opening 36a of the second partition wall 36 provided behind the fan 10 and flows into the first separation flow path 3a formed by the front guide wall 38. Since the first separation flow path 3a is provided behind the discharge space S, the air that has passed through the second opening 36a collides with a portion of the front surface of the third partition wall 37 behind the second opening 36a (see FIG. 6). Since one end of the first separation flow path 3a is closed by the end wall 38d, the air that has collided with the front surface of the third partition wall 37 flows around the inner wall 38a in the direction opposite to the end wall 38d (counterclockwise in FIG. 5(a)), while repeatedly colliding with the inner surface of the outer wall 38c by inertial collision, to a portion above the inner wall 38a, and then flows leftward between the extension wall 38e and the partition wall 38b. Thereafter, the air collides with the inner surface of the main body 31, flows from the left toward the rear, and flows through the third opening 37a of the third partition wall 37 into the second separation channel 3b.

[0061] In this way, in the first separation flow path 3a, the air containing oil mist changes direction and flows around the inner wall 38a in a J-shape, causing repeated inertial collisions with the inner surface of the main body 31 and the inner surface of the outer wall 38c, etc., causing a part of the oil mist to condense with each collision, reducing the amount of oil mist contained in the air. The oil mist that has condensed in this first separation flow path 3a moves downward as droplets and falls from the lower end of the front guide wall 38 to the bottom of the main body 31.

[0062] The air that flows from the first separation flow path 3a to the second separation flow path 3b collides with a portion of the upper front surface of the rear wall 34 behind the third opening 37a, and then flows downward between the left side wall of the main body 31 and the first side wall 39b of the rear guide wall 39 (see FIG. 5(b)). Then, when it collides with the bottom wall of the main body 31, it flows to the right so as to pass under the bottom wall 39a, and then collides with the inner surface of the right side wall of the main body 31, changing its direction upward, passes between the main body 31 and the second side wall 39c, and is discharged to the outside (cooling device) from the outlet 30b.

[0063] In this way, in the second separation flow path 3b, the air containing oil mist changes direction and flows around the rear guide wall 39 in a U-shape, causing repeated inertial collisions with the inner surface of the main body 31 and the surface of the rear guide wall 39, resulting in some of the oil mist coagulating with each collision. Also, since nonwoven fabric is attached to the inner surface of the second separation flow path 3b, the air flows while colliding with the nonwoven fabric, and the oil mist contained in the air collide with the fine fibers of the nonwoven fabric, causing it to coagulate more effectively. As a result, the amount of oil mist contained in the air is reduced in the second separation flow path 3b as well.

[0064] In the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the second separation flow path 3b has a larger flow path cross-sectional area than the first separation flow path 3a. In other words, the flow paths become larger in stages from the release space S toward the downstream side where the outlet 30b is located. As a result, the flow speed decreases in the order of the release space S, the first separation flow path 3a, and the second separation flow path 3b, making it easier for droplets carried by the air to fall.

[0065] Incidentally, when the flow velocity at the intake port 11 of the fan 10 is 73 m / s, the flow velocity discharged from the exhaust port 12 of the fan 10 is 50 m / s, the flow velocity passing through the second opening 36a is 30 m / s, the flow velocity passing through the third opening 37a and colliding with the front surface of the rear wall 34 is 12 m / s, and the flow velocity discharged to the outside from the outlet 30b is 7 m / s. In this air purifier 1, in the oil mist contained in the air, large particles are aggregated and separated upstream, and small particles are aggregated and separated by repeated collisions, and are separated downstream by becoming easier to fall due to the decrease in flow velocity. This makes it possible to remove oil mist containing large and small particles from the air.

[0066] As a result, purified air containing almost no oil mist can be discharged from the outlet 30b. The clean air discharged from the outlet 30b is cooled by the air cooling device and released into the factory. Since the air from which the oil mist has been removed is discharged from the outlet 30b, the inside of the air cooling device is not contaminated by the oil mist, and the cooling is not hindered, so that the purified air can be reliably cooled. The purified air may be discharged directly into the factory from the outlet 30b without passing through the air cooling device.

[0067] The droplets of oil mist condensed in the discharge space S, the first separation flow path 3a, and the second separation flow path 3b flow down to the bottom wall of the main body 31 and are discharged as waste liquid through a plurality of drain holes 31a provided in the bottom wall into a tray 44. The waste liquid discharged into the tray 44 is sent to a coolant purification device through a drain pipe connected to the connection pipe section 44a, and is sent back to the processing machine as coolant after being purified.

[0068] Incidentally, since the motor 20 is housed in a space (housing space) surrounded by the inner wall 38a of the front guide wall 38 and the rear guide wall 39, contaminated air (oil mist) does not adhere to the motor 20. In addition, the space housing the motor 20 is open rearward through the opening 34a of the rear wall 34 and upward through the upper opening 31b of the main body 31, so that heat from the motor 20 can be released to the outside, and overheating of the motor 20 can be suppressed.

[0069] In the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 45 rotates the fan 10 for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes to 6 hours) and then stops the fan 10, and opens the opening / closing valve of the cleaning device for a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds or less) to spray cleaning water from the nozzle, thereby automatically cleaning the inside of the inlet flow path 2 including the first screen 41 periodically. When the rotation of the fan 10 is stopped, the negative pressure in the inlet flow path 2 is eliminated, so that the droplets of oil mist condensed in the inlet flow path 2 move downward and are discharged from the multiple discharge holes 31a provided in the bottom wall of the main body 31 to the tray 44. In addition, the cleaning liquid, which is sprayed from the nozzle of the cleaning device and contains dirt and dust removed from the first screen 41, is also discharged as waste liquid from the multiple discharge holes 31a to the tray 44. The cleaning of the first screen 41 and the like by this cleaning device can also be performed manually by operating a switch of the control unit 45.

[0070] In the air purifying device 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 45 is connected to the control unit of the processing machine, so that the fan 10 and the cleaning device can be operated in conjunction with the operation of the processing machine. In addition, the control unit 45 is configured to operate the fan 10 with a delay of a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds to 1 minute) after issuing a command to stop rotation of the fan 10. This makes it possible to suck in contaminated air remaining in the processing space and inlet duct of the processing machine, and to prevent it from leaking into the factory.

[0071] As described above, the air purifying device 1 of this embodiment differs from conventional air purifying devices in that it does not use a filter and can repeatedly collide oil mist contained in contaminated air with the fan 10 having the cylindrical wall 25 facing the multiple wires 13 and the air outlet 12, and the separation flow path 3 that is bent at multiple points, thereby physically coagulating the oil mist and separating and removing it from the contaminated air that contains the oil mist. This makes it possible to purify the air in a factory where processing machines are installed, thereby improving the environment (work environment) in the factory and suppressing the occurrence of pulmonary dysfunction, liver dysfunction, skin diseases, and the like.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the air purifier 1 of this embodiment, the droplets of condensed oil mist can be made to flow down to the bottom of the housing 30 (main body 31) and discharged from the multiple discharge holes 31a to the tray 44, so that the droplets derived from the oil mist generated from the coolant can be collected as waste liquid. Therefore, by purifying the waste liquid from the air purifier 1 with a coolant purifier or the like, the coolant can be reused, and since waste liquid does not accumulate inside the air purifier 1, anaerobic or aerobic bacteria will not grow and putrid odors will not be generated.

[0073] Furthermore, unlike conventional air purifiers, the air purifier 1 of this embodiment does not use a filter that captures oil mist by passing contaminated air through it, so there is no need to replace the filter every time it becomes clogged, as in the past, and this makes it possible to suppress increases in maintenance costs.

[0074] In addition to purifying air containing oil mist generated from the crank, the air purifier 1 of this embodiment is also capable of removing and purifying air containing mist made of other liquids such as water, oil, and paint.

[0075] The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0076] For example, in the above embodiment, the fan 10 has multiple wires 13 implanted in the blade plate 16, but this is not limited to this, and multiple wires 13 may be implanted in the base plate 14 or the tip plate 15.

[0077] In addition, in the above embodiment, the impact member 43 is formed from a mesh made of stainless steel wire, but this is not limited to this and may be formed from a mesh made of other metal wire such as iron or aluminum, or may be formed from a non-woven or woven fabric made of wire containing a metal.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a nonwoven fabric is attached to the inner surface of the second separation channel 3b, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a nonwoven fabric may be attached to the inner surface of the first separation channel 3a or the inner surface of the introduction channel 2. Also, a woven fabric or a net may be attached instead of a nonwoven fabric.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the separation channel 3 is formed by the first separation channel 3a and the second separation channel 3b having different channel cross-sectional areas, so that the channel becomes larger in two stages as it approaches the outlet 30b, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the channel cross-sectional area may be increased in three or more stages, such as a third separation channel and a fourth separation channel. Alternatively, the separation channel may have a channel cross-sectional area that gradually increases as it approaches the outlet 30b.

[0080] In addition, in the above embodiment, the contaminated air in the processing space of the processing machine is sucked into the inlet 30a of the housing 30 through the inlet duct, but this is not limited to this, and air from within the factory may also be sucked into the inlet 30a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Air Purifier 2. Inlet Channel 3 Separation channel 10 Fan 11 Air Intake 12 Vent 13 Wire 16 Slats 20 Motor 25 Cylinder wall 30 Housing 30a Inlet 30b Outlet 43 Collided member S emission space

Claims

1. a fan having a plurality of blades rotating around a rotation axis, the fan having an intake port opening toward one side of the rotation axis direction, an air discharge port communicating with the intake port and opening in an outward direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction between the blades, and a plurality of wires provided on the surfaces of the blades; A motor for rotating the fan; a cylindrical wall surrounding an outer periphery of the fan so as to form an annular discharge space outside the fan; a box-shaped housing that houses at least the fan, the motor, and the cylindrical wall, and has an air inlet that opens at a position outward in the rotational axis direction from the air intake of the fan, and an air outlet that opens at a position opposite the air inlet with the fan in between; an introduction passage that connects the intake port and the inlet port within the housing; a separation flow path that communicates the discharge space and the outlet port in the housing and is bent at a plurality of points; An air purifying device comprising:

2. The impact member is provided along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall and is formed of a plurality of wires.

2. The air purifying device according to claim 1.

3. An air purification method for purifying air containing oil mist by using the air purification device according to claim 1, The fan is rotated by the motor so that air containing oil mist is drawn into the intake port, and the drawn air is made to collide with the wires in the fan, and then with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion in the discharge space, and then with the inner walls bent at multiple points in the separation flow path, thereby condensing the oil mist contained in the air and separating it from the air. An air purification method comprising:

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