Dust injection device

Abstract

To provide a dust injection device which allows a test using dust efficiently even on a large test target object.SOLUTION: A dust injection device 1 is for running a test of the protective performance of a test target object 200 from dust. The dust injection device 1 includes: an injection nozzle 15 for injecting dust to the test target object 200; and a plurality of blow-up nozzles 17 for blowing up dust which was injected from an injection nozzle 15 and then dropped, to the test target object 200. The blow-up nozzle 17 can be arranged freely with respect to the test target object 200 when the blow-up nozzle is viewed in a planar view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dust injection device for testing the protective performance of a test object against dust. [Background technology]

[0002] As is well known, IP testing is a test for evaluating the protective performance of electrical equipment against the ingress of water and solid objects, and one of the tests is to evaluate the dustproofness and dust resistance of electrical equipment. In these tests, electrical equipment is exposed to gas containing dust to evaluate whether dust can be prevented from entering the housing of the electrical equipment and whether dust that has entered the housing affects the performance of the electrical equipment. In IP testing, the former is called dustproofness and the latter is called dust resistance.

[0003] Figure 3 of Patent Document 1 shows a conventional test device for testing dust resistance, which uses a fan and a motor attached to the bottom of the test container to stir and stir up sand and dust inside the test container. This test device tests by exposing the test object placed in the test container to an airflow containing sand and dust. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-191342 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the test device of Patent Document 1 is limited to a size that allows the test object to be placed in the test container. In order to perform IP testing on a larger test object, a large test space is required, but in that case, the efficiency of dust usage becomes an issue.

[0006] That is, the dust contained in the gas will eventually fall and accumulate on the floor of the test space. If the test container is small, it is relatively easy to collect and reuse the dust, but if the test space is large, it becomes difficult to collect and reuse the dust. Therefore, if the dust prepared in advance is used up, it becomes necessary to replenish the dust, which leads to longer tests and an increase in the amount of dust used.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a dust injection device that enables testing using dust efficiently, even for large test objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a dust injection device for testing the protective performance of a test object against dust, the dust injection device having an injection nozzle that injects dust toward the test object, and a plurality of blow-up nozzles that blow the dust that has fallen after being injected from the injection nozzle up toward the test object, the position of the blow-up nozzles relative to the test object when viewed in a plane being freely changeable.

[0009] The blow-up nozzle is, for example, a tubular member with one end closed, and a slit is provided on one surface of the blow-up nozzle along the longitudinal axis direction of the blow-up nozzle, and gas is sprayed from the slit.

[0010] The injection nozzle is also swung to inject the dust while changing the direction of the injection nozzle.

[0011] The blowing nozzle is disposed so as to surround the test object when the test object is viewed in a plan view. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the dust injection device of the present invention, even if the test object is large, testing can be performed by efficiently using dust. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view that shows an example of the configuration of a dust ejection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a top view of the dust ejection device of FIG. 1, seen from a direction II in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a state in which dust is injected onto and blown up by the dust injection device of FIG. 1 toward a test object. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a connection point between the link mechanism of the dust ejection device in FIG. 1 and the ejection nozzle. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a blow-up nozzle and an installation stand in the dust ejection device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the blow-up nozzle of FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a side view that shows a schematic example of the configuration of a dust injection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a top view of the dust injection device 1 of Fig. 1, as seen from a direction II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram that shows a schematic state in which dust is injected and blown up onto a test object 200 by the dust injection device 1 of Fig. 1.

[0016] The dust injection device 1 is intended to test the protective performance of a test object 200 against dust, and its main parts are composed of a housing 3, a hopper 5, blowers 7, 9, flow paths 11, 13, an injection nozzle 15, and a blow-up nozzle 17.

[0017] The test object 200 is a relatively large object, such as, but not limited to, an industrial device such as a robot. In the dust injection device 1, a test container for accommodating the test object 200 is not required, and the IP test of the large test object 200 can be performed in the large test space 100.

[0018] The test performed using the dust jetting device 1 is not limited to the IP test. The above-mentioned "protective performance of the test object 200 against dust" includes, but is not limited to, dustproofness and dust resistance evaluated by the IP test, and also includes protective performance evaluated by tests other than the IP test (for example, antifouling performance, etc.).

[0019] The housing 3 accommodates the fans 7, 9 and parts of the flow paths 11, 13, etc. in its interior. The housing 3 in this embodiment is a rectangular parallelepiped box member with all sides closed, and is made of steel such as SUS (stainless steel). However, the shape, configuration, and materials used for the housing 3 are not particularly limited as long as they have appropriate strength and rigidity. For the sake of explanation, the internal configuration of the housing 3 is shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, casters 31 and adjusters 32 are provided on the bottom surface of the housing 3. The casters 31 and the adjusters 32 are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the housing 3.

[0021] On the other hand, the casters 31 are wheels that allow the dust injection device 1 to travel, and in this embodiment, stoppers (not shown) for stopping the rotation of the wheels are also provided. Each caster 31 can rotate 360° with respect to the floor surface that the caster 31 contacts, and the travel direction of the dust injection device 1 is not limited. Also, reference numeral 33 in Fig. 2 denotes a handle for pushing provided on the side of the housing 3, and the dust injection device 1 can be moved by pushing it by hand.

[0022] On the other hand, the adjuster 32 adjusts the height of the housing 3 and protrudes downward (towards the floor surface) from the bottom surface of the housing 3. After the travel of the dust injection device 1 is stopped, the protruding length of the adjuster 32 from the bottom surface of the housing 3 can be adjusted so that the housing 3 can be supported from the floor surface of the test space 100 by the adjuster 32. At this time, by appropriately determining the protruding length of each adjuster 32 and adjusting the height of the housing 3, the horizontality of the housing 3 can be maintained even if the floor surface is inclined or uneven.

[0023] The hopper 5 stores dust to be sprayed onto the test subject 200. The hopper 5 is a cylindrical member disposed so as to penetrate the upper surface of the housing 3, and is made of a steel material such as SUS, but is not limited to this.

[0024] The upper part of the hopper 5 is in the shape of a square cylinder, while the lower part of the hopper 5 is in the shape of a mortar narrowing toward the supply pipe 51 at the lower end of the hopper 5, and three of the four side surfaces are inclined surfaces 53. The dust stored in the hopper 5 slides down the inclined surfaces 53 and is smoothly supplied to the flow path 11 below via the supply pipe 51. A shutter 511 is provided on the supply pipe 51, and the amount of dust supplied to the flow path 11 is adjusted by opening and closing the shutter 511 with an actuator (not shown).

[0025] The blower 7 takes in gas such as air from outside the housing 3 and sends it to the flow path 11 in order to spray the dust supplied from the hopper 5 to the flow path 11 toward the test object 200. A filter 71 for purifying the gas is provided at the gas intake port.

[0026] The flow path 11 extends from the blower 7 toward the outside of the housing 3. The supply pipe 51 is connected midway through the flow path 11 inside the housing 3. Dust supplied to the flow path 11 from the hopper 5 through the supply pipe 51 moves toward the tip of the flow path 11 by the gas being sent out through the flow path 11. The tip of the flow path 11 is the end on the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. This also applies to the tips of the flow path 13, the injection nozzle 15, and the blow-up nozzle 17 described below.

[0027] The tip of the flow path 11 is located outside the housing 3. The tip is a flexible hose 111, to which the injection nozzle 15 is connected.

[0028] The injection nozzle 15 is a tubular member. The tip of the injection nozzle 15 is arranged facing the test object 200, and as shown by the arrow A in Fig. 3, dust is injected from the tip toward the test object 200. The injection nozzle 15 is made of a steel material such as SUS, but is not limited to this.

[0029] A motor 21 is disposed on the side of the housing 3. The motor 21 is housed in a motor cover 23 provided on the side of the housing 3. The motor 21 is connected to the injection nozzle 15 via a link mechanism 25. The link mechanism 25 converts the rotational motion of the motor 21 into the swinging motion of the injection nozzle 15.

[0030] In this embodiment, dust can be evenly sprayed toward the test object 200 by driving the motor 21 to swing the jet nozzle 15 and change its direction as indicated by the arrow S in FIG.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a connection point with the injection nozzle 15 in the link mechanism 25 of the dust injection device 1 in Fig. 1. At the connection point, bolts 253, 153 are respectively provided to protrude from one end of a link plate 251 of the link mechanism 25 and an attachment plate 151 provided on the injection nozzle 15. Meanwhile, the bolt 153 of the attachment plate 151 is passed through a hole (not shown) at the bottom of a connecting plate 255, and a nut 155 is fastened to the portion protruding from the hole.

[0032] On the other hand, the bolt 253 of the link plate 251 is passed through a long hole 257 in the upper part of the connecting plate 255, and a nut 259 is tightened onto the part protruding from the long hole 257. This connects the link mechanism 25 and the jet nozzle 15 by the connecting plate 255. By changing the position of the bolt 253 within the long hole 257, it is possible to adjust the distance from the link plate 251 to the jet nozzle 15 and change the height and inclination of the jet nozzle 15.

[0033] After being sprayed onto the test object 200, the dust falls onto the floor of the test space 100. The blower 9 takes in gas from outside the housing 3 and sends it to the flow path 13 so as to blow the dust back up toward the test object 200. As shown in Fig. 2, a filter 91 for purifying the gas is provided at the gas intake port.

[0034] The flow path 13 extends from the blower 9 toward the outside of the housing 3. As shown in Fig. 2, a bifurcated branch pipe 132 is provided at the tip of a root portion 131 of the flow path 13. This causes the flow path 13 to branch into two branch portions 133. The tip of each branch portion 133 is located outside the housing 3, and a bifurcated branch pipe 134 is also provided at the tip. The branch portion 133 of the flow path 13 is further branched into two branch portions 135 by the branch pipe 134.

[0035] These branching parts 135 are flexible, and the blowing nozzles 17 are detachably connected to their tips. The blowing nozzles 17 are tubular members with one end (tip) closed, and eject the gas sent out in the flow path 13 to blow dust accumulated on the floor surface up toward the test object 200 as indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 3. A total of four blowing nozzles 17 are provided, corresponding to the number of branching parts 135.

[0036] The blow-up nozzles 17 are disposed on a mounting table 19. The arrangement of the blow-up nozzles 17 with respect to the test object 200 when viewed from above can be freely changed along with the mounting table 19, as indicated by the arrow P in Fig. 2. In this embodiment, when the test object 200 is viewed from above, four blow-up nozzles 17 are disposed at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to surround the test object 200, and a total of two pairs of blow-up nozzles 17 are provided, each pair being disposed at a position sandwiching the test object 200.

[0037] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the blow-up nozzle 17 and the installation stand 19 in the dust injection device 1 of Fig. 1. A plurality of slits 171 are provided on one surface of the blow-up nozzle 17 along the longitudinal axis direction of the blow-up nozzle 17, and gas is injected from the slits 171. The blow-up nozzle 17 is made of steel such as SUS, but is not limited thereto, and may be made of any material having appropriate strength and rigidity. The above-mentioned plurality of slits 171 are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal axis direction of the blow-up nozzle 17, and a decrease in strength of the blow-up nozzle 17 caused by the slits 171 being continuous is suppressed.

[0038] The installation stand 19 has a square cylindrical base 191 that is placed horizontally on the floor surface, and a pair of support plates 193, 195 that are erected on the upper surface of the base 191 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the base 191.

[0039] The end of the blow-up nozzle 17 in the longitudinal direction, which is connected to the branched portion 135, is disposed through a hole 194 in one support plate 193 and is pivotally supported by the support plate 193. The end of the blow-up nozzle 17 on the one end side in the longitudinal direction is screwed to the other support plate 195 by a screw 196 passed through a hole (not shown) in the other support plate 195. In this way, both ends of the blow-up nozzle 17 are supported by the pair of support plates 193, 195. By loosening the screw 196, the blow-up nozzle 17 can be rotated around the longitudinal axis, and the direction of the gas injection can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the slit 171.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, a damper 14 is provided at a branch pipe 134 in the middle of the flow path 13, and the amount of air passing through each branch portion 135 and being blown out from the blow-up nozzle 17 can be adjusted.

[0041] Additionally, although not shown, a control panel is disposed on the outer surface of the housing 3, and the fans 7, 9, etc. can be turned on and off and the amount of dust supply can be adjusted using switches and buttons on the control panel. Also provided inside the housing 3 are a control device for controlling the drive of the fans 7, 9, motor 21, etc., and a stand for installing the fans 7, 9, etc. The drive of the fans 7, 9 and motor 21, and the adjustment of the amount of dust supply can also be automatically controlled by the control device.

[0042] As described above, the dust injection device 1 of this embodiment has, in addition to the injection nozzle 15 that injects dust toward the test object 200, a blow-up nozzle 17 that blows up the dust that has fallen after injection toward the test object 200 again. This allows the dust to be reused at all times, and the dust can be used efficiently even for a large test object 200, making dust collection and refilling unnecessary or reducing the amount of dust required. As a result, the test time can be shortened and the amount of dust used can be reduced. Furthermore, since a dust collection structure is not required, the device can be made smaller and simpler.

[0043] Furthermore, in the dust injection device 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of blow-up nozzles 17 are prepared, and the arrangement of each blow-up nozzle 17 relative to the test object 200 when viewed from above can be freely changed. Therefore, when the test object 200 is viewed from above, these blow-up nozzles 17 can be arranged to surround the test object 200, and dust can be blown up toward the test object 200 from a plurality of directions, making it possible to effectively use the dust accumulated around the test object 200.

[0044] In addition, the blow-up nozzle 17 of this embodiment is a tubular member having a slit 171 on one side, and dust over a wide range along the longitudinal direction of the slit 171 can be blown up by gas ejected from the slit 171 at high speed.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, dust is sprayed onto the test object 200 while the jet nozzle 15 is swung to change the direction of the jet nozzle 15, so that dust can be blown out evenly towards the test object 200.

[0046] In this embodiment, the test object 200 is an industrial device such as a robot, but the test object 200 is not particularly limited and may be any electrical device that requires evaluation of protective performance against dust. The test space 100 is also not particularly limited and may be indoors or outdoors. The dust injection device 1 is not a stationary type but can be moved on casters 31, so that the dust injection device 1 can be moved to various locations for testing, which is highly convenient.

[0047] Besides, the detailed configuration of the dust ejection device 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the dust ejection device 1 of this embodiment has four blow-up nozzles 17, but as long as there are two or more blow-up nozzles 17, the number of blow-up nozzles 17 is not particularly limited. The configuration of the flow path 13 also differs depending on the number of blow-up nozzles 17, etc.

[0048] 5, the blow-up nozzle 17 of this embodiment is a tubular member in which a slit 171 is formed, but the configuration and shape of the blow-up nozzle 17 are not particularly limited. For example, the shape of the blow-up nozzle 17 in a plan view may be an arc instead of a straight line, and as shown in the blow-up nozzle 17a of FIG. 6, the blow-up nozzle 17 may have a large number (plurality) of round holes 172 for injecting gas formed on one side.

[0049] In addition, the arrangement, shape, configuration, etc. of the blowers 7, 9, hopper 5, flow path 11, etc. in the housing 3 are not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the purpose and situation of use of the dust injection device 1.

[0050] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this application, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1: Dust injection device 3: Housing 5: Hopper 7, 9: Blower 11, 13: Flow path 15: Injection nozzle 17, 17a: blowing nozzle 19: Installation stand 31: Caster 100: Test space 171: Slit 172: Round hole 200: Test object

Claims

1. A dust injection device for testing the protective performance of a test object against dust, an injection nozzle that injects the dust toward the test object; a plurality of blow-up nozzles that blow up the dust that has been sprayed from the spray nozzles and then fallen toward the test object; having A dust injection device, characterized in that the position of the blow-up nozzle relative to the test object when viewed in a plan view can be freely changed.

2. The blow-up nozzle is a tubular member having one closed end, A slit is provided on one surface of the blow-up nozzle along the longitudinal axis direction of the blow-up nozzle, 2. The dust injection device according to claim 1, wherein gas is injected from the slit.

3. 2. The dust injection device according to claim 1, wherein the injection nozzle is swung to inject the dust while changing the direction of the injection nozzle.

4. The dust injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the blow-up nozzle is disposed so as to surround the test object when the test object is viewed from above.

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