Disassembly and cleaning method for dust collection duct in rice milling facility

Abstract

To provide a disassembly and cleaning method for a dust collection duct in which there is no risk of an occurrence of moisture after cleaning while enabling cleaning of the inside of a dust collection duct of a rice milling facility, especially removal of solid matter of persistent bran that is generated inside the dust collection duct.SOLUTION: In a disassembly and cleaning method for a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility composed by connecting a rice milling machine, a rice packaging device, a dust collector, etc. through a dust collection duct, disassembly and cleaning of the dust collection duct includes processes of the under-mentioned (a) to (g): (a) a facility curing process for curing the periphery of cleaning spots, (b) an air quantity measuring process for measuring an air quantity before cleaning the dust collection duct, (c) a disassembly marking process for marking disassembly spots of the dust collection duct, (d) a duct disassembly process for disassembling the dust collection duct, (e) a bran lump pulverizing process for pulverizing and removing the solid matter of bran accumulated inside the dust collection duct, (f) a garbage removal process for removing garbage of bran, dust, etc. accumulated thinly inside the dust collection duct, and (g) a duct assembly process for assembling the dust collection duct according to the marking.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility in which a rice milling machine, a rice packaging device, a dust collector, etc. are connected via a dust collection duct.

Background Art

[0002] In a rice milling facility for milling rice, a dust collector is provided to collect bran generated during rice milling and fine dust that could not be removed in the processes before the rice milling operation, all at once by the suction air. Machines such as a rice milling machine and a packaging machine provided in the rice milling facility and the dust collector are connected by a hollow dust collection duct, which serves as an air flow path for the suction air to the dust collector.

[0003] It is known that the bran sucked by the dust collector contains oil and will solidify into a solid state if it remains in the dust collection duct during suction. If lumps of this bran accumulate inside the dust collection duct, it may hinder the air flow and reduce the suction force of the dust collector. In addition, since bran contains a certain amount of nutrients, it may become food for pests and may occur in large quantities inside the dust collection duct. If a large number of pests occur, there is a risk of pests mixing in during rice milling or rice packaging, which can also pose a serious problem in terms of hygiene.

[0004] However, the dust collection duct of the rice milling facility generally has not been cleaned because it has a complex shape and the volume ratio of bran during normal use may not be known. That is, when the suction force by the dust collector visibly drops or when a solid bran substance called bran balls is seen in the rice milling machine or the like, the problem has often been solved by replacing the dust collection duct rather than by cleaning.

[0005] By the way, a duct cleaning tool provided with a rotary brush at the tip of a flexible shaft connected to a rotary tool and a cleaning method using such a cleaning tool for cleaning the inside of ducts connected to exhaust vents or air conditioners provided in a building are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

[0006] The duct cleaning tools described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 can enter a long flexible shaft into the inside of the duct and rotate a circular rotating brush connected to the tip by the rotational drive of a rotating tool to remove dust inside the duct and dust adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the duct.

[0007] When the duct cleaning tools described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are used for cleaning the dust collection duct of a rice milling facility, it is possible to remove dust, dirt, or bran thinly deposited on the inner peripheral surface of the dust collection duct.

[0008] However, the bran that had accumulated enough to affect the suction power of the dust collector had become hard lumps and stuck to the inside of the dust collection duct, and could not be completely removed only by the force of the rotating brush.

[0009] Therefore, attempts have been made to clean the inside of the dust collection duct while pulverizing solid bran by spraying dry ice formed into pellets with a blasting device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] However, by using dry ice, the humidity inside the dust collection duct after cleaning increases. Due to the increased humidity, there is a risk that mold and bacteria will generate inside the dust collection duct. The generation of mold and bacteria inside the dust collection duct is a problem that should be avoided especially when dealing with rice milling, that is, food.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and while enabling cleaning inside the dust collection duct of a rice milling facility, particularly removing stubborn solid bran generated in the dust collection duct, it aims to provide a method for disassembling and cleaning the dust collection duct that does not pose a risk of moisture generation after cleaning.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] This invention is characterized in that in a method for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility where a rice milling machine, a rice packaging device, a dust collector, etc. are connected via a dust collection duct, the disassembly and cleaning of the dust collection duct includes the following steps (a) to (g). (a) Equipment curing step of curing the periphery of the cleaning location (b) Air volume measurement step of measuring the air volume before cleaning the dust collection duct (c) Disassembly marking step of making marks at the disassembly locations of the dust collection duct (d) Duct disassembly step of disassembling the dust collection duct (e) Bran lump pulverization step of pulverizing and removing the solid bran deposited inside the dust collection duct (f) Dust removal step of removing dust such as thinly deposited bran and dust inside the dust collection duct (g) Duct assembly step of assembling the dust collection duct according to the marks

[0014] Also, the bran lump pulverization step is characterized by using an air lance that utilizes compressed air sent from a connected compressor, and the dust removal step is characterized by using a spiral brush that utilizes the rotation and torque of a connected rotary tool.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] The method for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in rice milling equipment of the present invention includes an equipment protection process for protecting the area around the cleaning area, an air volume measurement process for measuring the air volume of the dust collection duct before cleaning, a disassembly marking process for marking the disassembly points of the dust collection duct, a duct disassembly process for disassembling the dust collection duct, a bran lump crushing process for crushing and removing solid bran accumulated inside the dust collection duct, a dust removal process for removing dust such as bran and dust that has accumulated thinly inside the dust collection duct, and a duct assembly process for assembling the dust collection duct in accordance with the marks, thereby making it possible to remove solidified bran and the like that has accumulated inside the dust collection duct of the rice milling equipment and reliably clean the inside of the dust collection duct.

[0016] In addition, by disassembling and cleaning the dust collection duct, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from getting into the rice during polishing and packaging, and to improve the performance of the dust collector and increase work efficiency. Furthermore, by reducing the frequency of replacing the dust collection duct, it is possible to reduce the costs associated with operating the rice polishing equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017]

Figure 1

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Figure 6

[0018] The present invention relates to a method for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility in which a rice milling machine, a rice packaging device, a dust collector, etc. are connected via a dust collection duct. The disassembly and cleaning of the dust collection duct includes the steps from (a) to (g) below, and is characterized in that it is configured as follows. (a) Facility curing step of curing the periphery of the cleaning location (b) Air volume measurement step of measuring the air volume of the dust collection duct before cleaning (c) Disassembly marking step of making marks at the disassembly locations of the dust collection duct (d) Duct disassembly step of disassembling the dust collection duct (e) Husk lump pulverization step of pulverizing and removing the solid husk deposits inside the dust collection duct (f) Dust removal step of removing dust such as thinly deposited husk and dust inside the dust collection duct (g) Duct assembly step of assembling the dust collection duct according to the marks

[0019] Also, the husk lump pulverization step uses an air lance that utilizes compressed air sent from a connected compressor, and the dust removal step is also characterized by using a spiral brush that utilizes the rotation and torque of a connected rotary tool.

[0020] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a method M for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility according to the present invention will be described. The following embodiments are an example of embodying the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the method M for disassembling and cleaning the dust collection duct. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the dust collection duct 2 and the marks 21a described in the disassembly marking step S5. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the air lance 5. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state of the husk lump pulverization step S7. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the spiral brush 7. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the state of the dust removal step S8.

[0022] Method M for disassembling and cleaning the dust collection duct in a rice milling facility (hereinafter simply referred to as the method M for disassembling and cleaning the dust collection duct) includes a preparation step S1 of preparing tools to be brought into the rice milling facility, a cleaning location confirmation step S2 of confirming the cleaning locations of the dust collection duct 2 connecting each device (dust collector 1, rice milling machine, packaging device, etc.) in the rice milling facility, a facility curing step S3 of curing the periphery of the cleaning location, an air volume measurement step S4 of measuring the air volume before cleaning the dust collection duct 2, a disassembly marking step S5 of marking the disassembly locations of the dust collection duct 2, a duct disassembly step S6 of disassembling the cleaning locations, a bran lump pulverization step S7 of pulverizing and removing the solid bran (bran lump 3) deposited inside the dust collection duct 2, a dust removal step S8 of removing dust 4 such as bran and dust thinly deposited inside the dust collection duct 2, a duct assembly step S9 of assembling the disassembly locations according to the markings, and a restoration to original state step S10 of removing the curing of the work place and confirming the tools brought in.

[0023] The method M for disassembling and cleaning the dust collection duct is basically carried out by a cleaning contractor commissioned by a rice milling processor. Therefore, the tools to be brought into the food factory need to be confirmed in terms of type and number in advance and then enter the rice milling facility. This is the preparation step S1 carried out first.

[0024] The tools brought in during the preparation step S1 include curing materials, tools used for disassembling and assembling the dust collection duct 2, tapes used for marking, etc. Among them, the tools that particularly play a key role in the method M for cleaning the dust collection duct 2 are the air lance 5, the air compressor 6 connected to the air lance 5, the spiral brush 7, and the rotary tool 8 such as an impact driver connected to the spiral brush 7. The detailed configurations of the air lance 5 and the spiral brush 7 will be described later.

[0025] The cleaning location confirmation step S2 is a step of confirming the disassembly and cleaning locations of the dust collection duct 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the dust collection duct 2 is formed by connecting a plurality of cylindrical duct bodies 21 of a predetermined length. At the connection locations, that is, at the ends of each duct body 21, flange portions 22 for connection are formed, and these flange portions 22 are fixed to each other by fixtures 23 such as bolts and nuts. For cleaning the dust collection duct 2, it is necessary to disassemble it from this connected state once and then perform the cleaning. This cleaning location confirmation step S2 is a step for confirming this disassembly location before the operation. Note that this cleaning location confirmation step S2 can also be performed in advance. That is, it may be performed in conjunction with a prior on-site investigation by the person in charge of the cleaning company or the person responsible for the operation who will clean the dust collection duct 2.

[0026] The equipment curing step S3 is a step of curing the floor directly below the disassembly location of the dust collection duct 2 confirmed in the cleaning location confirmation step S2 and the machines installed in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, in order to prevent the inside of the equipment from being soiled or the fragments of the chaff blocks 3 generated by the dust flying during cleaning or the removal work from entering the inside of the machines, curing materials such as blue sheets or vinyl are laid or covered.

[0027] The air volume measurement step S4 is a step of measuring the air volume inside the dust collection duct 2 before cleaning. When the chaff blocks 3 are deposited so as to block the inside of the dust collection duct 2, the air flow inside the dust collection duct 2 is obstructed by the chaff blocks 3. That is, the air volume inside the dust collection duct 2 will decrease. In this state, the dust collection performance of the dust collector 1 (the ability to collect the chaff generated during rice polishing by the suction of the dust collector 1) will be significantly reduced. The reduction of the dust collection function by the dust collector 1 increases the risk of the chaff and minute dust that could not be absorbed during rice polishing or rice packaging from being mixed in. Therefore, in the dust collection duct disassembly and cleaning method M, in order to confirm the recovery of the dust collection performance after cleaning, the air volume inside the dust collection duct 2 before cleaning is measured.

[0028] In addition, this air volume measurement step S4 also includes the purpose of checking whether there are any malfunctions in the dust collector 1 and the dust collection duct 2. Specifically, if the reduction in the dust collection function of the dust collector 1 is due to the accumulation of chaff lumps 3 inside the dust collection duct 2, the dust collection function can be restored by removing them through cleaning. However, if there are other factors such as a malfunction of the dust collector 1 itself or air leakage due to cracks in the dust collection duct 2, the dust collection function will not be restored even if cleaning is performed. Therefore, by measuring the air volume inside the dust collection duct 2 in the air volume measurement step S4, it is possible to confirm the effect of cleaning and check for malfunctions in the dust collector 1 and the dust collection duct 2.

[0029] The disassembly marking step S5 is a step of marking the disassembly locations of the dust collection duct 2 confirmed in the cleaning location confirmation step S2. Specifically, it is a step of marking the disassembly locations with marks 21a so that the dust collection duct 2 can be correctly and quickly assembled when it is disassembled for cleaning and then reassembled to its original state. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the marks 21a are those with corresponding characters, numbers, or symbols described near both ends of the duct body 21 to be removed and near the connecting side ends of the duct body 21 connected to the duct body 21 to be removed. These marks 21a can be considered to be described on top of a curing tape or the like so that they can be easily erased.

[0030] The duct disassembly step S6 is a step of disassembling the dust collection duct 2 according to the marks 21a made in the disassembly marking step S5. Specifically, the fixture 23 connecting the duct bodies 21 is removed and disassembled using the tools brought into the facility in the preparation step S1. At this time, the location to be disassembled is the location confirmed in the cleaning location confirmation step S2. Specifically, the duct body 21 located downstream of the dust collector 1 of the duct body 21 to be the cleaning target location is removed. By doing so, the chaff lumps 3 and dust 4 removed from the dust collection duct 2 in the next chaff lump pulverization step S7 and dust removal step S8 will pass through the inside of the connected dust collection duct 2 and be absorbed by the dust collector 1.

[0031] The rice husk lump crushing step S7 is a step of finely crushing the rice husk lumps 3 deposited inside the dust collection duct 2. The rice husk lumps 3 are formed by the husk generated during rice polishing remaining inside the dust collection duct 2 and solidifying, and may accumulate to the extent of blocking the inside of the dust collection duct 2. Since the rice husk lumps 3 are hardened and adhered to the inner surface of the dust collection duct 2, they are removed by finely crushing them.

[0032] This rice husk lump crushing step S7 is performed by an air lance 5 that is connected to a compressor 6 and uses the compressed air sent from the compressor 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the air lance 5 includes an air hose portion 51 for flowing high-pressure air, a whip portion 52 provided at one end of the air hose portion 51, and a compressor connection portion 53 for connecting to the compressor 6 provided at the other end.

[0033] The whip portion 52 is composed of one or two or more elongated linear whip bodies 52a. When the air lance 5 discharges the compressed air sent from the compressor 6 from the tip of the air hose portion 51, the whip body 52a moves violently with the expansion of the compressed air and strikes the object strongly. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, in the rice husk lump crushing step S7, the rice husk lumps 3 deposited inside the dust collection duct 2 are struck and crushed by the whip portion 52 of the air lance 5 connected to the compressor 6.

[0034] The dust removal step S8 is performed by a spiral brush 7 that is connected to a rotary tool 8 such as an impact driver and rotates a rotary driven portion 72 provided at the tip. As shown in FIG. 5, the spiral brush 7 includes a flexible long flexible shaft portion 71, a rotary driven portion 72 provided at one end of the flexible shaft portion 71, and a rotary tool connection portion 73 for connecting to the rotary tool 8 provided at the other end.

[0035] The flexible shaft portion 71 can transmit the rotation and torque of the rotary tool 8 connected to the rotary tool connection portion 73 to the rotary passive portion 72 provided at the other end. Further, the flexible shaft portion 71 is long and flexible, so that it can be inserted deep into the long dust collection duct 2.

[0036] The rotary passive portion 72 receives the rotation and torque of the rotary tool 8 transmitted through the flexible shaft portion 71 and rotates in a certain direction. The rotary passive portion 72 is made of a sponge-shaped material formed by molding a soft resin such as urethane or a relatively hard resin such as nylon into a circular shape, or a brush-shaped material formed by molding a relatively hard resin such as nylon into a plurality of linear bodies. The selection of this material and form is carried out according to the work, and it is considered that it can be detachable from the flexible shaft portion 71 and can be exchanged according to the situation.

[0037] The spiral brush 7 can rotate the rotary passive portion 72 by the connected rotary tool 8, and the rotated rotary passive portion 72 can polish the object. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in the dust removal step S8, the dust 4 such as bran and dust thinly adhering to the inner surface of the dust collection duct 2 is scraped off by the rotation stress and friction of the rotary passive portion 72 by the spiral brush 7 connected to the rotary tool 8.

[0038] The bran lump crushing step S7 and the dust removal step S8 are steps for substantially cleaning the inside of the dust collection duct 2. The bran lump crushing step S7 and the dust removal step S8 are basically performed with the dust collector 1 driven. By doing so, the crushed bran lumps 3 and the scraped-off dust 4 are absorbed by the dust collector 1 and collected in the dust collection tank of the dust collector 1. The waste generated during cleaning collected in the dust collection tank can be processed in the same manner as in the normal use of the dust collector 1.

[0039] The duct assembly process S9 is a process of restoring the parts disassembled in the duct disassembly process S6 to the dust collection duct 2 that has been cleaned. This duct assembly process S9 is carried out based on the marks 21a previously marked in the disassembly marking process S5. Therefore, the dust collection duct 2 that has been easily and quickly disassembled can be assembled.

[0040] The restoration process S10 is a process of removing the curing performed in the equipment curing process S3, checking and tidying up the tools brought into the interior of the rice milling equipment in the preparation process S1, etc. Also, it is conceivable to measure the air volume of the dust collection duct 2 assembled in the duct assembly process S9 after the cleaning is completed. By measuring the air volume of the dust collection duct 2 after cleaning, it is possible to confirm whether the dust collection performance of the dust collector 1 has recovered by comparing it with the air volume inside the dust collection duct 2 before cleaning performed in the air volume measurement process S4.

[0041] If the dust collection function has not been restored in the air volume measurement after the cleaning is completed, or if the recovered ability due to the cleaning is significantly inferior compared to the original ability, a failure of the dust collector 1 or the dust collection duct 2 may be considered. Therefore, by cleaning the dust collection duct 2 by the dust collection duct disassembly and cleaning method M, it is possible to trigger the discovery of failures in the dust collection duct 2 and the dust collector 1.

[0042] As described above, the dust collection duct disassembly and cleaning method M can perform the internal cleaning of the dust collection duct 2 in the rice milling equipment that is not generally performed. By cleaning the inside of the dust collection duct 2, it is possible to remove the bran lumps 3 generated by the remaining bran during rice milling, and eliminate the reduction in the dust collection performance of the dust collector 1 that may occur due to the thick accumulation of the bran lumps 3.

[0043] Also, by removing the bran lumps 3 and the dust and dirt 4 accumulated inside the dust collection duct 2, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the rice milling machine and the rice packaging device connected by the dust collection duct 2. In addition, although the bran lumps 3 may be inhabited by pests in search of nutrients in the bran, it is also possible to control the pests together with the removal of the bran lumps 3 and the dust and dirt 4, which can also be effective in improving the hygiene of the inside of the dust collection duct 2.

[0044] In addition, since the dust collection duct disassembly and cleaning method M does not use any moisture, unlike conventional techniques, it also has the advantage that it does not cause the generation of mold or bacteria inside the dust collection duct 2 after cleaning.

[0045] The description of the dust collection duct disassembly and cleaning method M in the rice milling equipment described above is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, even outside the above-described embodiment, various modifications can be made according to the design and the like as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of the present invention. Also, the various effects described above are merely a list of preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in this embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0046] M Dust collection duct disassembly and cleaning method 1 Dust collector 2 Dust collection duct 21 Duct body 21a Mark 22 Flange portion 23 Fixture 3 Rice bran mass 4 Dust and debris 5 Air lance 51 Air hose portion 52 Wipe portion 52a Wipe body 53 Compressor connection portion 6 Compressor 7 Spiral brush 71 Flexible shaft portion 72 Rotation passive portion 73 Rotation tool connection portion 8 Rotation tool

Claims

1. A method for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility configured by connecting a rice milling machine, a rice packaging device, a dust collector, etc. via a dust collection duct, wherein the disassembly and cleaning of the dust collection duct includes the following steps (a) to (g). (a) Facility curing step of curing the periphery of the cleaning location (b) Air volume measurement step of measuring the air volume before cleaning the dust collection duct (c) Disassembly marking step of making marks at the disassembly locations of the dust collection duct (d) Duct disassembly step of disassembling the dust collection duct (e) Chaff lump pulverization step of pulverizing and removing the solid chaff deposited inside the dust collection duct (f) Dust removal step of removing dust such as thinly deposited chaff and dust inside the dust collection duct (g) Duct assembly step of assembling the dust collection duct according to the marks

2. The chaff lump pulverization step is using an air lance that utilizes compressed air sent from a connected compressor, and The dust removal step is A method for disassembling and cleaning a dust collection duct in a rice milling facility according to Claim 1, characterized in that a spiral brush that utilizes the rotation and torque of a connected rotary tool is used.

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