Cleaning device

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device capable of improving cleaning efficiency of an object to be cleaned having a thick plate shape.SOLUTION: A lid W1 being an object W to be cleaned having a thick plate shape is conveyed while leaning against a front support surface 84 and a rear support surface 85 of a link 80 so as to be sandwiched therebetween. Both a first front surface 84a in a lower side and a second front surface 84b in an upper side of the front support surface 84 have a linear shape. Since an inclination angle θ1 of the first front surface 84a is larger than an inclination angle θ2 of the second front surface 84b, the lid W1 is easy to line-contact with one of the first front surface 84a and the second front surface 84b and is hard to contact with the other. As a result, cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly to a cleaning device capable of improving the cleaning efficiency of a thick plate-shaped object to be cleaned.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a cleaning device that cleans an object to be cleaned such as a dish, a tray, or a lid of a food can by spraying cleaning water or the like onto the object to be cleaned while conveying it by a conveyor. In the cleaning device of Patent Document 1, a conveyor is configured by connecting a plurality of rods arranged in the conveying direction with a plurality of substantially U-shaped links. When a plate-shaped object to be cleaned is inserted into this substantially U-shaped link, the object to be cleaned is leaned against the link so as to be sandwiched between the front support surface and the rear support surface of the link. Further, in order to increase the cleaning efficiency by inclining the object to be cleaned upward and rearward, the front support surface and the rear support surface are inclined upward and rearward as a whole.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when a thick plate-shaped object to be cleaned such as a lid of a food can is leaned against the link of Patent Document 1, the front surface of the object to be cleaned is pressed against the front support surface. Since the front support surface is curved as a whole in the left-right direction view, the contact position between the front support surface and the object to be cleaned is not stable. The inclination angle of the object to be cleaned is determined by the angle of the tangent line at this contact position. However, since the contact position is unstable, the inclination angle also becomes unstable. Therefore, it is difficult to set a cleaning method suitable for the inclination angle of the object to be cleaned, and there is a risk that the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned will decrease.

[0005] The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cleaning device capable of improving the cleaning efficiency of a thick plate-shaped object to be cleaned.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve this object, the cleaning device of the present invention cleans an object to be cleaned while conveying it in the conveying direction by a conveyor. The conveyor includes a plurality of rods extending in the left-right direction side by side in the conveying direction, and a plurality of links connecting the adjacent rods in the conveying direction. The link has a front through-hole through which the rod on the front side in the conveying direction penetrates rotatably, and a front support surface which is a surface on the rear side in the conveying direction, and has a front portion extending in the up-down direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the left-right direction. The link also has a rear through-hole through which the rod on the rear side in the conveying direction penetrates rotatably, and a rear support surface facing the front support surface in the conveying direction, and has a rear portion extending in the up-down direction. The link further has a bottom portion connecting the lower ends of the front support surface and the rear support surface. The front support surface includes a first front surface linearly extending from the front end of the bottom support surface upward and rearward, and a second front surface linearly extending from the upper end of the first front surface upward and rearward. The inclination angle of the first front surface with respect to the up-down direction is larger than the inclination angle of the second front surface with respect to the up-down direction.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the cleaning device described in claim 1, the object to be cleaned is leaned and conveyed so as to be sandwiched between the front support surface and the rear support surface of the link. When the object to be cleaned is in the form of a relatively thick thick plate, the front surface of this object to be cleaned is pressed against the front support surface. Since both the lower first front surface and the upper second front surface of the front support surface are linear, and the inclination angle of the first front surface is larger than the inclination angle of the second front surface, the object to be cleaned is likely to be in line contact (hereinafter simply referred to as "line contact") with either the first front surface or the second front surface when viewed in the left-right direction. Based on the inclination angle of the line-contact first front surface or second front surface, the inclination angle of the object to be cleaned is easily determined. By a cleaning method suitable for this inclination angle, the cleaning efficiency of the thick plate-shaped object to be cleaned can be improved.

[0008] Furthermore, when the object to be cleaned is in line contact with one of the first front surface and the second front surface, due to the difference in the inclination angle, it is difficult for the object to be cleaned to contact the other of the first front surface and the second front surface. Thereby, the contact area between the front support surface and the object to be cleaned can be reduced. Although it may be difficult to wash away dirt or the like from the portion of the object to be cleaned that contacts the link, the ease of washing away can be ensured by reducing the contact area. As a result, even if there is line contact for determining the inclination angle of the object to be cleaned, the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned can be improved.

[0009] According to the cleaning device described in claim 2, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 1, the following effects are achieved. When the object to be cleaned is as thick as approximately the minimum distance between the front support surface and the rear support surface, the object to be cleaned is likely to be in line contact with the second front surface. Since the dimension from the lower end to the upper end of the second front surface is shorter than the dimension from the lower end to the upper end of the first front surface, the contact area between the object to be cleaned having a thickness that allows line contact with the second front surface and the front support surface can be further reduced. Therefore, the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned can be further improved.

[0010] According to the cleaning device described in claim 3, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 1, the following effects are achieved. The rear support surface includes a first rear surface extending upward and rearward from the rear end of the bottom support surface, and a second rear surface extending upward from the upper end of the first rear surface. Thereby, when inserting the object to be cleaned between the front support surface and the rear support surface, the lower end of the object to be cleaned is guided forward along the first rear surface, so that the object to be cleaned can be easily placed in a posture of falling backward.

[0011] The inclination angle of the second rear surface with respect to the vertical direction is 10° or less, and the second rear surface rises substantially vertically. Thereby, when the object to be cleaned tends to fall forward due to the force of cleaning or the like, the tendency for the lower end of the object to be cleaned to be lifted along the first rear surface can be restricted by pressing the object to be cleaned against the second rear surface. As a result, it is possible to suppress the object to be cleaned from being lifted and coming out of the link, and it is easy to maintain the state where the object to be cleaned is leaned against the link.

[0012] According to the cleaning device described in claim 4, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 3, the following effects are achieved. The rear support surface includes a third rear surface that extends upward from the upper end of the second rear surface and is inclined rearward with respect to the second rear surface. Even if the object to be cleaned is in line contact with one of the second rear surface and the third rear surface, it is difficult for the object to be cleaned to contact the other of the second rear surface and the third rear surface. Therefore, the contact area between the rear support surface and the object to be cleaned can be reduced, and the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned can be further improved.

[0013] According to the cleaning device described in claim 5, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 4, the following effects are achieved. The first rear surface, the second rear surface, and the third rear surface are all linear, and the inclination angles with respect to the vertical direction are all different among the first front surface, the second front surface, the first rear surface, the second rear surface, and the third rear surface. Even if the object to be cleaned is in line contact with any one of these surfaces, it is difficult for the object to be cleaned to be in line contact with the other surfaces. Thereby, the contact area between the link and the object to be cleaned can be made smaller, and the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned can be further improved.

[0014] According to the cleaning device described in claim 6, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 1, the following effects are achieved. The front part includes an insertion guide surface that extends upward and forward from the upper end of the front support surface. When inserting the object to be cleaned between the front support surface and the rear support surface of the link, the insertion guide surface can facilitate guiding the object to be cleaned between the front support surface and the rear support surface. Therefore, the insertability of the object to be cleaned into the link can be improved.

[0015] According to the cleaning device described in claim 7, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the following effects are achieved. Since a concave portion that is recessed downward is formed on the bottom support surface, the lower edge of a thin plate-shaped object to be cleaned such as a tray is received in the concave portion. Since the concave portion includes a concave rear surface facing the front side in the conveying direction, when the thin plate-shaped object to be cleaned tends to fall forward, the lower edge of the object to be cleaned is caught by the concave rear surface, making it difficult for the object to be cleaned to fall forward significantly. Therefore, even if the distance between the front support surface and the rear support surface of the link is suitable for a thick plate-shaped object to be cleaned, the same link can appropriately convey a thin plate-shaped object to be cleaned, improving the versatility of the cleaning device.

[0016] According to the cleaning device described in claim 8, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 7, the following effects are achieved. Since the concave portion is formed up to the front end (front support surface) of the bottom support surface, when inserting a thin plate-shaped object to be cleaned into the link, the lower end edge of the object to be cleaned can be easily accommodated in the concave portion.

[0017] According to the cleaning device described in claim 9, in addition to the effects achieved by the cleaning device described in claim 7, the following effects are achieved. The concave portion includes a concave front surface facing the rear side in the conveying direction. Since this concave front surface is located at a position away from the front end of the bottom support surface toward the rear, by hooking the lower end edge of the thin plate-shaped object to be cleaned on the concave front surface, it is possible to prevent the object to be cleaned from falling too far backward. As a result, the inclination angle of the thick plate-shaped object to be cleaned sandwiched between the front support surface and the rear support surface of the link and the inclination angle of the thin plate-shaped object to be cleaned caught on the concave front surface of the concave portion can be made closer to each other. By using a cleaning method suitable for the inclination angle, the cleaning efficiency of both objects to be cleaned can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning device 1 in one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleaning device 1 schematically showing the internal structure. In addition, the arrows U, D, L, R, F, and B in each drawing indicate the upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward, and backward directions of the cleaning device 1, respectively.

[0020] The cleaning device 1 is a device that cleans an object to be washed W while conveying it by conveyors 60 and 70. The conveyors 60 and 70 are conveying devices for conveying the object to be washed W in the conveying direction. This conveying direction is the front-rear direction of the cleaning device 1.

[0021] The front end portion and the rear end portion of the conveyors 60 and 70 are respectively exposed from the housing 2 of the cleaning device 1. The conveyors 60 and 70 convey the object to be washed W placed on the front end portion from the inlet 3 opened on the rear side of the housing 2 to the outlet 4 opened on the front side of the housing 2.

[0022] The conveyor 60 is disposed on the right side of the cleaning device 1, and the conveyor 70 is disposed on the left side of the cleaning device 1. The conveyor 60 is suitable for conveying large objects such as canned foods, dish baskets, pots, and deep containers among the objects to be washed W. The conveyor 70 is suitable for conveying plate-shaped objects such as the lids W1 of canned foods, trays W2 (see FIG. 12), plates, and other lids in a state where they are leaned against each other.

[0023] The conveyor 70 is formed by winding a chain belt 73 around a driven roller 71 and a driving roller 72. The driven roller 71 is disposed at the rear end portion of the cleaning device 1, and the driving roller 72 is disposed at the front end portion of the cleaning device 1. By driving a drive motor (not shown), the driving roller 72 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2, and accordingly, the chain belt 73 and the driven roller 71 also rotate counterclockwise. Thereby, the object W to be cleaned placed on the chain belt 73 is conveyed from the rear side to the front side in the conveying direction.

[0024] The chain belt 73 is an endless belt-shaped portion that is wide in the left-right direction on which the plate-shaped object W to be cleaned is placed so as to be leaned, and is formed in a lattice shape. The detailed configuration of the chain belt 73 will be described later. Note that the conveyor 60 is configured substantially the same as the conveyor 70 except that the configuration of the chain belt is different from that of the conveyor 70.

[0025] Since the object W to be cleaned is leaned against the conveyor 70, for example, it is necessary for an operator to extract the object W that has come out from the outlet 4 and convey the object W to the next process. If this extraction is forgotten or delayed, the object W to be cleaned may be caught in the conveyor 70, and there is a risk that the cleaning device 1 and the object W to be cleaned are damaged. To avoid this, the cleaning device 1 is provided with a proximity sensor 72a for detecting that the object W to be cleaned has approached the vicinity of the driving roller 72. When the proximity sensor 72a detects the object W to be cleaned, the conveyor 70 is temporarily stopped.

[0026] In the housing 2 of the cleaning device 1, a first cleaning unit 10, a second cleaning unit 20, a third cleaning unit 30, and a blower B are arranged in order from the inlet 3 toward the outlet 4. The object W to be cleaned conveyed by the conveyors 60 and 70 is primarily cleaned in the first cleaning unit 10, secondarily cleaned in the second cleaning unit 20, rinsed in the third cleaning unit 30, and the water droplets are dropped by the blower B.

[0027] Next, among the first cleaning unit 10, the second cleaning unit 20, the third cleaning unit 30, and the blower B, the configuration for cleaning the object to be cleaned W on the conveyor 70 will be described. However, since the configuration for cleaning the object to be cleaned W on the conveyor 60 is substantially the same, some explanations will be omitted.

[0028] The first cleaning unit 10 includes a first tank 11 for storing cleaning water, a first pump 12 for pumping the cleaning water in the first tank 11, a pipe 13 through which the cleaning water pumped from the first pump 12 passes, and an upper nozzle 14 and a lower nozzle 15 provided on the pipe 13 for spraying the cleaning water onto the object to be cleaned W. Note that the cleaning water is water in which a detergent is dissolved.

[0029] The first tank 11 is provided with a detergent supply unit (not shown) for supplying a detergent to the stored cleaning water and a heating unit (not shown) for heating the stored cleaning water. The detergent supply unit may control the supply amount of the detergent according to the concentration of the detergent in the cleaning water, the amount of added water, etc., or may continuously supply a fixed amount of the detergent. The heating unit of the present embodiment heats the cleaning water by steam, but it may also be one that heats the cleaning water by electricity or the like.

[0030] The first tank 11 is arranged below those nozzles 14, 15 and the conveyor 70 in order to collect and reuse the cleaning water sprayed from the upper nozzle 14 and the lower nozzle 15. The first cleaning unit 10 is provided with a removal unit (not shown) for removing dirt, dust, etc. washed away from the object to be cleaned W from the cleaning water. Thereby, clean cleaning water can be pumped from the first pump 12 to the upper nozzle 14 and the lower nozzle 15 again, and water can be saved. Since the collected cleaning water is warm, the energy required for reheating can be reduced.

[0031] The upper nozzle 14 is arranged above the object to be cleaned W on the conveyor 70 and sprays the cleaning water downward. The lower nozzle 15 is arranged below the object to be cleaned W on the conveyor 70 and sprays the cleaning water upward. The upper nozzle 14 and the lower nozzle 15 are formed to extend in the left - right direction and spray the cleaning water in a curtain shape across the left - right direction of the conveyor 70.

[0032] Furthermore, a plurality of these upper nozzles 14 and lower nozzles 15 are arranged in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, although part of the illustration is omitted, seven upper nozzles 14 are arranged and five lower nozzles 15 are arranged. Since the plate-shaped object to be washed W is mainly leaned against the conveyor 70, the number of upper nozzles 14 is made larger than the number of lower nozzles 15 so that dirt and the like can easily fall from top to bottom.

[0033] Also, at least one more upper nozzle 14 is arranged on both the front and rear sides than the plurality of lower nozzles 15. Thereby, water from the upper nozzle 14 can be sprayed onto the object to be washed W at both timings before and after the water from the lower nozzle 15 is sprayed onto the object to be washed W. As a result, it is possible to suppress the object to be washed W, which is leaned so as to incline upward and rearward, from falling forward due to the momentum of the water from the lower nozzle 15 by being pressed downward by the water from the upper nozzle 14.

[0034] Since the object to be washed W such as a container with the opening facing downward is often placed on the conveyor 60 rather than the conveyor 70, the number of lower nozzles 15 and the number of upper nozzles 14 are made the same on the conveyor 60 side. Also, since the dirt on the object to be washed W is basically less on the conveyor 70 side than on the conveyor 60 side, the injection force of the upper nozzle 14 and the lower nozzle 15 can be adjusted to be weak.

[0035] Note that the number of the upper nozzles 14 and the lower nozzles 15 may be appropriately changed on each of the conveyor 60 and 70 sides. On the conveyor 60 side, the number of upper nozzles 14 may be less than or more than the number of lower nozzles 15. On the conveyor 70 side, the number of upper nozzles 14 may be less than the number of lower nozzles 15, or they may be the same. Also, the injection force of the upper nozzle 14 and the lower nozzle 15 may be stronger on the conveyor 70 side than on the conveyor 60 side, or they may be of the same degree.

[0036] The second cleaning unit 20 includes a second tank 21 for storing cleaning water, a second pump 22 for pumping the cleaning water in the second tank 21, a pipe 23 through which the cleaning water pumped from the second pump 22 passes, and an upper nozzle 24 and a lower nozzle 25 provided on the pipe 23 for spraying the cleaning water onto the object to be cleaned W. Since each part of these second cleaning units 20 is configured substantially the same as each part of the first cleaning unit 10, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] The third cleaning unit 30 includes a third tank 31 for storing rinsing water, a third pump 32 for pumping the cleaning water in the third tank 31, a pipe 33 through which the cleaning water pumped from the third pump 32 passes, an upper circulation nozzle 34 and a lower circulation nozzle 35 provided on the pipe 33 for spraying the cleaning water onto the object to be cleaned W, a heat exchanger 40 provided in the middle of a water supply pipe 8 for supplying tap water, and an upper finishing nozzle 37 and a lower finishing nozzle 38 for spraying the water supplied from the water supply pipe 8 onto the object to be cleaned W. The heat exchanger 40 is a device for heating tap water using the heat of the drain, and details will be described later.

[0038] The third tank 31 is a container for storing rinsing water (tap water) that basically does not contain detergent. The third tank 31 is provided with a heating unit (not shown) for heating the stored water.

[0039] The third tank 31 is arranged below those nozzles 34, 35, 37, 38 and the conveyor 70 in order to collect and reuse the water sprayed from the upper circulation nozzle 34, the lower circulation nozzle 35, the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 respectively. Thereby, similar to the first cleaning unit 10, water can be saved and the energy consumption for reheating can be suppressed even in the third cleaning unit 30.

[0040] The upper circulation nozzle 34 and the upper finishing nozzle 37 are configured substantially the same as the upper nozzle 14 of the first cleaning unit 10, and the lower circulation nozzle 35 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 are configured substantially the same as the lower nozzle 15 of the first cleaning unit 10. Therefore, some of these descriptions will be omitted.

[0041] From the upper circulation nozzle 34 and the lower circulation nozzle 35, the reused water from the third tank 31 is sprayed. On the other hand, cleaner tap water is sprayed from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38. Since the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 are respectively arranged in front of the upper circulation nozzle 34 and the lower circulation nozzle 35 (on the side of the outlet 4), finally, the object to be cleaned W can be rinsed with clean water, and the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned W can be improved.

[0042] The blower B is a device for spraying air (wind) onto the object to be cleaned W after the finishing cleaning to drop the water droplets of the object to be cleaned W into the tank 31. The blower B compresses the air sucked from the suction port B1 and sprays it from the injection port B2. The injection port B2 is arranged above the object to be cleaned W on the conveyor 70 and sprays air downward. According to such a blower B, the reuse rate of the water used for rinsing can be improved, and further water can be saved.

[0043] In addition, the injection port B2 is formed to extend in the left - right direction and sprays air in a curtain shape across the left - right direction in the housing 2. That is, since the blower B forms an air curtain between the third cleaning section 30 and the outlet 4, it is difficult for the heat on the side of the third cleaning section 30 to escape to the outside from the outlet 4. As a result, it is difficult to cool the water stored in the first to third tanks 11 to 31, and the energy consumption required for heating the water can be suppressed.

[0044] The suction port B1 opens to the exhaust port 5 erected on the ceiling near the outlet 4 of the housing 2. Thereby, the blower B can spray the warm air discharged from the housing 2 onto the object to be cleaned W so as to circulate it near the outlet 4 in the housing 2. As a result, it is more difficult for the heat in the housing 2 to escape, and the energy consumption required for heating the water stored in the first to third tanks 11 to 31 can be further suppressed.

[0045] Next, referring to FIG. 3, the flow of water and steam in the cleaning device 1 will be described in more detail. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing these flows. The cleaning device 1 includes a steam pipe 6 through which steam is supplied from the outside of the cleaning device 1, and a water supply pipe 8 through which tap water is supplied from the outside of the cleaning device 1. This steam pipe 6 branches from its upstream portion into a first steam pipe 6a, a second steam pipe 6b, and a third steam pipe 6c.

[0046] The first steam pipe 6a is a pipe that supplies steam to the heating part of the first cleaning part 10. A first steam valve 7a, which is an electromagnetic valve for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of steam to its heating part, is provided in the first steam pipe 6a. The second steam pipe 6b is a pipe that supplies steam to the heating part of the second cleaning part 20. A second steam valve 7b, which is an electromagnetic valve for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of steam to its heating part, is provided in the second steam pipe 6b. The third steam pipe 6c is a pipe that supplies steam to the heating part of the third cleaning part 30. A third steam valve 7c, which is an electromagnetic valve for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of steam to its heating part, is provided in the third steam pipe 6c.

[0047] The water supply pipe 8 branches from its upstream portion into a first water supply pipe 8a, a second water supply pipe 8b, a third water supply pipe 8c, and a finishing water supply pipe 8d. In FIG. 3, each part of these water supply pipes 8 is shown by a broken line. The first water supply pipe 8a is a pipe that supplies water to the first tank 11. A first water supply valve 9a, which is an electromagnetic valve for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of water to the first tank 11, is provided in the first water supply pipe 8a.

[0048] The second water supply pipe 8b is a pipe that supplies water to the second tank 21. A second water supply valve 9b, which is an electromagnetic valve for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of water to the second tank 21, is provided in the second water supply pipe 8b. The third water supply pipe 8c is a pipe that supplies water to the third tank 31. A third water supply valve 9c, which is an electromagnetic valve for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of water to the third tank 31, is provided in the third water supply pipe 8c.

[0049] The finishing water supply pipe 8d is a pipe that supplies water to the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 and passes through the heat exchanger 40. A finishing water supply valve 9d, which is a solenoid valve for switching the supply (opening) and cutoff (closing) of water to those nozzles 37, 38, is provided upstream of the heat exchanger 40 in the finishing water supply pipe 8d.

[0050] The heat exchanger 40 includes a drain tank 41 in which the finishing water supply pipe 8d is disposed inside, and a drain pipe 42 that sends the drain from the first to third tanks 11 to 31 to the drain tank 41. In FIG. 3, the drain pipe 42 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The drain pipe 42 communicates with the upper parts of the first to third tanks 11 to 31 respectively, and sends the drain due to the overflow of the first to third tanks 11 to 31 to the drain tank 41.

[0051] Since the heated drain is stored in the drain tank 41, the water in the finishing water supply pipe 8d can be heated by the heat of the drain. Further, the finishing water supply pipe 8d is arranged in a spiral shape inside the drain tank 41 and is formed to be sufficiently long. Thereby, the temperature of the water in the finishing water supply pipe 8d downstream of the drain tank 41 can be sufficiently increased. Thus, according to the heat exchanger 40, the rinsing water sprayed from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 can be heated using the heated drain, so that the energy consumption for the heating can be suppressed.

[0052] Note that a temperature sensor and a heating unit may be provided in the drain tank 41 so that the temperature of the water sprayed from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 is maintained around 80°C. This heating unit controls the heating by switching the supply and cutoff of the steam from the steam pipe 6 based on the measurement result of the temperature of the water in the drain tank by the temperature sensor.

[0053] The drain due to the overflow of the drain tank 41 and the drain due to the overflow of the first to third tanks 11 to 31 that exceeds the allowable discharge amount from the drain pipe 42 are each discharged to the outside of the cleaning device 1.

[0054] In FIG. 3, the pipes 13 to 33 described above are indicated by a dashed line. The second pump 22, the pipe 23, the upper nozzle 24, and the lower nozzle 25 are provided in pairs, one in front of and one behind, with respect to one second tank 21, and the cleaning efficiency of the secondary cleaning by the second cleaning unit 20 is enhanced.

[0055] The pipe 33 includes a first reduction pipe 33a and a second reduction pipe 33b that branch off from the main body portion connecting the third pump 32, the upper circulation nozzle 34, and the lower circulation nozzle 35. The first reduction pipe 33a is a pipe that supplies the water in the third tank 31 to the first tank 11. An electromagnetic valve, the first reduction valve 33c, for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of water to the first tank 11 is provided in the first reduction pipe 33a.

[0056] The second reduction pipe 33b is a pipe that supplies the water in the third tank 31 to the second tank 21. An electromagnetic valve, the second reduction valve 33d, for switching the supply (open) and cutoff (closed) of water to the second tank 21 is provided in the second reduction pipe 33b.

[0057] In this way, the heated water from the third tank 31 is supplied to each of the first and second tanks 11 and 21 from the first and second reduction pipes 33a and 33b. As a result, the energy required for heating the cleaning water in the first and second tanks 11 and 21 can be reduced as compared with the case of supplying unheated water to the first and second tanks 11 and 21 from the first and second water supply pipes 8a and 8b.

[0058] In addition, the water in the third tank 31 supplied from the first and second reduction pipes 33a and 33b is used for rinsing and is relatively clean. Therefore, the cleaning water in the first and second tanks 11 and 21 can be made clean.

[0059] The first tank 11 is provided with a first temperature sensor 11a for measuring the temperature of the cleaning water inside, a first full water sensor SH1, a first middle water level sensor SM1, and a first low water level sensor SL1 for measuring the water level in the first tank 11.

[0060] The first full - water sensor SH1 is a float switch that turns on when the first tank 11 is full of water and turns off otherwise. The first low - water level sensor SL1 is a float switch that turns on when the water in the first tank 11 is at or above the lower limit (low water level) for the normal operation of the cleaning device 1 and turns off when it falls below that lower limit. The first middle - water level sensor SM1 is a float switch that turns on when the water in the first tank 11 is at or above half (middle water level) of the full - water level and the lower limit and turns off when it falls below that half.

[0061] The second tank 21 is provided with a second temperature sensor 21a for measuring the temperature of the cleaning water inside it, a second full - water sensor SH2, a second middle - water level sensor SM2, and a second low - water level sensor SL2 for measuring the water level inside the second tank 21.

[0062] The second full - water sensor SH2 is a float switch that turns on when the second tank 21 is full of water and turns off otherwise. The second low - water level sensor SL2 is a float switch that turns on when the water in the second tank 21 is at or above the lower limit for the normal operation of the cleaning device 1 and turns off when it falls below that lower limit. The second middle - water level sensor SM2 is a float switch that turns on when the water in the second tank 21 is at or above half of the full - water level and the lower limit and turns off when it falls below that half.

[0063] The third tank 31 is provided with a third temperature sensor 31a for measuring the temperature of the cleaning water inside it, a third full - water sensor SH3, a third middle - water level sensor SM3, a third low - water level sensor SL3, and a conductivity sensor 31b. The conductivity sensor 31b is a sensor for measuring the degree of dirt of the water from the conductivity of the water in the third tank 31 to maintain the cleanliness of the water.

[0064] The third full water sensor SH3 is a float switch that turns on when the third tank 31 is full of water and turns off otherwise. The third low water level sensor SL3 is a float switch that turns on when the water in the third tank 31 is above the lower limit for normal operation of the cleaning device 1 and turns off when it falls below that lower limit. The third middle water level sensor SM3 is a float switch that turns on when the water in the third tank 31 is more than half of the full water level and the lower limit and turns off when it falls below that half.

[0065] The opening and closing of various valves are switched by the various sensors described above, and the operation of the cleaning device 1 is controlled. The control method of this cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the cleaning device 1.

[0066] The control device 50 of the cleaning device 1 includes a CPU 51, a ROM 52, and a RAM 53. These are respectively connected to an input / output port 55 via a bus line 54. Further connected to the input / output port 55 are a main power switch 56, a conveyor operation switch 57, a pump operation switch 58, conveyors 60, 70, a blower B, first to third pumps 12 to 32, first to third full water sensors SH1 to SH3, first to third middle water level sensors SM1 to SM3, first to third low water level sensors SL1 to SL3, a conductivity sensor 31b, first to third water supply valves 9a to 9c, first and second reduction valves 33c, 33d, a finish water supply valve 9d, first to third temperature sensors 11a to 31a, first to third steam valves 7a to 7c, and a proximity sensor 72a.

[0067] The CPU 51 is an arithmetic device that controls each part connected by the bus line 54. The ROM 52 is a non-rewritable non-volatile memory that stores programs, fixed value data, etc. to be executed by the CPU 51. Note that instead of the ROM 52, a storage device such as a flash ROM, SSD, or HDD may be used. The RAM 53 is a memory for storing various work data, flags, etc. in a rewritable manner when the program of the CPU 51 is executed.

[0068] The ROM 52 is provided with a control program 52a. When the control program 52a is executed by the CPU 51, the main process shown in FIG. 5 is executed. This main process (control program 52a) is executed when the main power switch 56 is turned on.

[0069] The main power switch 56 is a switch for switching on and off the main power supply of the cleaning device 1. The conveyor operation switch 57 is a switch mainly for switching the operation and stop of the conveyors 60 and 70. The pump operation switch 58 is a switch mainly for switching the operation and stop of the first and second pumps 12 and 22.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the main process executed by the CPU 51. The main process is executed when the main power is turned on, and first, the operation preparation of the cleaning device 1 is performed. When the main power is turned on, basically, each device connected to the input / output port 55 is stopped, and each valve is closed.

[0071] In the main process, first, n = 1 is set (S11). This n = 1 is set to control each part of the first cleaning unit 10. Note that "n" varies in the process of S21 described later. When n = 2, each part of the second cleaning unit 20 is controlled, and when n = 3, each part of the third cleaning unit 30 is controlled.

[0072] After the process of S11, it is confirmed whether "n" is 3 or less (S12). If "n" becomes 4 or more (S12: No), the process returns to S11 and n = 1 is set, and "n" is varied between 1 and 3.

[0073] On the other hand, if "n" is 3 or less (S12: Yes), it is confirmed whether the n-th full water sensor is off (S13). That is, when n = 1, it is confirmed whether the first full water sensor SH1 is off. If the first full water sensor SH1 (n-th full water sensor) is off (S13: Yes), since the water in the first tank 11 (n-th tank) is not sufficiently accumulated, the first water supply valve 9a (n-th water supply valve) is opened (S14), and water is supplied to the first tank 11.

[0074] In the process of S13, if the first full water sensor SH1 (the n-th full water sensor) is on (S13: No), since there is enough water accumulated in the first tank 11 (the n-th tank), the first water supply valve 9a (the n-th water supply valve) is closed (S15), and the supply of water to the first tank 11 is stopped.

[0075] After the process of S14 or S15, it is confirmed whether the first low water level sensor SL1 (the n-th low water level sensor) is on (S16). When the first low water level sensor SL1 (the n-th low water level sensor) is on (S16: Yes), since there is enough water accumulated in the first tank 11 to heat the water in the first tank 11, it is confirmed whether the measurement result of the first temperature sensor 11a (the n-th temperature sensor) is less than the threshold value (S17). This threshold value is 60°C when n = 1, 70°C when n = 2, and 80°C when n = 3.

[0076] When the measurement result of the first temperature sensor 11a (the n-th temperature sensor) is less than the threshold value (S17: Yes), in order to make the temperature of the water in the first tank 11 equal to or higher than the threshold value, the first steam valve 7a (the n-th steam valve) is opened (S18), and the water in the first tank 11 is heated.

[0077] In the process of S17, when the first temperature sensor 11a (the n-th temperature sensor) is equal to or higher than the threshold value (S17: No), since the temperature of the water in the first tank 11 has been heated to equal to or higher than the threshold value, the first steam valve 7a (the n-th steam valve) is closed (S19), and the heating of the water in the first tank 11 is stopped.

[0078] Also, in the process of S16, when the first low water level sensor SL1 (the n-th low water level sensor) is off (S16: No), since there is not enough water accumulated in the first tank 11 to heat the water in the first tank 11, the process of S19 is executed, and the water in the first tank 11 is not heated. At this time, an error indicating that the first tank 11 is at a low water level may be reported to the operator or the like.

[0079] After the processing of S18 or S19, it is confirmed whether all of the first to third full water sensors SH1 to SH3 are on and whether all of the first to third temperature sensors 11a to 31a are equal to or higher than the threshold value (S20). If any one of the first to third full water sensors SH1 to SH3 is off, or if any one of the first to third temperature sensors 11a to 31a is lower than the threshold value (S20: No), since the operation preparation of the cleaning device 1 is not completed, n = n + 1 is performed (S21), and the process returns to the process of S12.

[0080] When the process of S21 is executed when n = 1, n becomes 2. In this case, by the processes from S12 to S20, water is supplied into the second tank 21 or the water in the second tank 21 is heated. Also, when the process of S21 is executed when n = 2, n becomes 3. In this case, by the processes from S12 to S20, water is supplied into the third tank 31 or the water in the third tank 31 is heated. When the process of S21 is executed when n = 3, n becomes 4, but immediately after that, by the process of S12, the process returns to the process of S11 and n becomes 1.

[0081] The processes of S11 to S20 are repeated. When all of the first to third full water sensors SH1 to SH3 are on and all of the first to third temperature sensors 11a to 31a are equal to or higher than the threshold value (S20: Yes), since the operation preparation of the cleaning device 1 is completed, the conveyor operation process S30 and the pump operation process S50 are repeatedly executed.

[0082] Although the description is omitted, in order to maintain the temperature of the water in the first to third tanks 11 to 31 equal to or higher than the threshold value even while the conveyor operation process S30 and the pump operation process S50 are being executed, interrupt processes substantially the same as S16 to S19 are being executed.

[0083] Also, if, after opening the nth water supply valve in the process of S14, the nth full water sensor does not turn on in the process of S13 even after a predetermined time during which the nth tank should be full of water has elapsed, a failure in the nth full water sensor, the nth water supply valve, etc. is suspected, and an error may be reported to an operator or the like. Similarly, if, after opening the nth steam valve in the process of S18, the nth temperature sensor does not reach the threshold value or higher in the process of S17 even after a predetermined time during which the temperature of the water in the nth tank should be at or above the threshold value has elapsed, a failure in each part is suspected, and an error may be reported to an operator or the like.

[0084] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the conveyor operation process S30. The conveyor operation process S30 is a process executed after the operation preparation of the cleaning device 1 is completed. First, it is confirmed whether the conveyor operation switch 57 is on (S31). If the conveyor operation switch 57 is on (S31: Yes), the conveyors 60, 70, the blower B, and the third pump 32 are started (S32). Note that this "start operation" indicates that the conveyor 70 and the third pump 32 are operated while they are stopped, and it indicates that they are not operated during their temporary stops (the process of S35 in FIG. 6, the process of S59 in FIG. 7).

[0085] When the third pump 32 is operated, if it is immediately after the operation preparation is completed, since the first and second reduction valves 33c and 33d are closed, the water in the third tank 31 is jetted from the upper circulation nozzle 34 and the lower circulation nozzle 35. The opening and closing of the first and second reduction valves 33c and 33d are controlled during the third pump operation process S70 in the pump operation process S50.

[0086] After the process of S32, the finish water supply valve 9d is opened (S33), and water is jetted from the upper finish nozzle 37 and the lower finish nozzle 38. If it is immediately after the operation preparation is completed, the jetted water is collected in the third tank 31 that is full of water. Thereby, the heated water in the third tank 31 is sent to the drain tank 41 through the drain pipe 42, and the water jetted from the upper finish nozzle 37 and the lower finish nozzle 38 can be heated.

[0087] By the processes of S32 and S33, while operating the conveyors 60 and 70, water is sprayed from the upper circulation nozzle 34, the lower circulation nozzle 35, the upper finishing nozzle 37, and the lower finishing nozzle 38, so that the object to be washed W is rinsed. At this time, water droplets adhering to the object to be washed W or the conveyors 60 and 70 tend to be carried outside the third washing section 30. However, by operating the blower B almost simultaneously, the water droplets can be easily dropped into the third tank 31, and water can be saved.

[0088] After the process of S33, it is confirmed whether the proximity sensor 72a is on (S34). If this is on (S34: Yes), since the object to be washed W leaned against the conveyor 70 is approaching the vicinity of the drive roller 72, the conveyor 60 is left as it is and the conveyor 70 is temporarily stopped (S35). Thereby, it is possible to suppress the object to be washed W from being caught by the conveyor 70, and it is possible to suppress the washing device 1 and the object to be washed W from being damaged.

[0089] On the other hand, in the process of S34, if the proximity sensor 72a is off (S34: No), if the conveyor 70 is temporarily stopped, it is restarted (S36). At this time, if the conveyor 70 is operating or stopped, it remains operating or stopped. After the process of S35 or S36, the conveyor operation process S30 is terminated, and the process proceeds to the pump operation process S50.

[0090] Also, in the process of S31, when the conveyor operation switch 57 is off (S31: No), the conveyors 60 and 70 and the blower B are stopped (S37), and the finishing water supply valve 9d is closed (S38). Next, it is confirmed whether the pump operation switch 58 is off (S39). When the pump operation switch 58 is off (S39: Yes), the third pump 32 is stopped (S40), and the conveyor operation process S30 is terminated.

[0091] The third pump 32 is basically operated or stopped in conjunction with the operation or stop of the conveyors 60 and 70, but this is not always the case under certain predetermined conditions. Therefore, in the process of S39, when the pump operation switch 58 is on (S39: No), in order to control the operation or stop of the third pump 32 in the pump operation process S50, the process of S40 is skipped and the conveyor operation process S30 is terminated.

[0092] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the pump operation process S50. The pump operation process S50 is a process executed after the operation preparation of the cleaning device 1 is completed. First, it is checked whether the pump operation switch 58 is on (S51). When the pump operation switch 58 is off (S51: No), the first and second pumps 12 and 22 are stopped (S60), and the pump operation process S50 is terminated.

[0093] On the other hand, when the pump operation switch 58 is on (S51: Yes), the first and second pumps 12 and 22 are operated (S52), the cleaning water in the first tank 11 is sprayed from the upper nozzle 14 and the lower nozzle 15, and the cleaning water in the second tank 21 is sprayed from the upper nozzle 24 and the lower nozzle 25. At this time, if the conveyor operation switch 57 is also on, the object to be cleaned W conveyed by the conveyors 60 and 70 is cleaned.

[0094] During this cleaning, a part of the water sprayed on the object to be cleaned W is carried downstream while adhering to the object to be cleaned W and the conveyors 60 and 70, and the water in the first to third tanks 11 to 31 decreases. In order to replenish this water, the processes of S53 to S59 and S70 are executed. However, if the conveyor operation switch 57 is off and the conveyors 60 and 70 are stopped, the water in the first to third tanks 11 to 31 hardly decreases, so the processes of S53 to S59 and S70 can be skipped and the pump operation process S50 can be terminated.

[0095] After the process of S52, it is checked whether all of the first to third low water level sensors SL1 to SL3 are on (S53). If any one of the first to third low water level sensors SL1 to SL3 is off (S53: No), it is suspected that there is a failure in the cleaning device 1, so the cleaning device 1 is stopped completely (S54). At this time, an error indicating that any one of the corresponding first to third tanks 11 to 31 is at a low water level may be reported to an operator or the like.

[0096] On the other hand, in the process of S53, if all of the first to third low water level sensors SL1 to SL3 are on (S53: Yes), it is checked whether the conductivity sensor 31b is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (S55). When the conductivity sensor 31b is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S55: Yes), since the concentration of the detergent or dirt dissolved in the water in the third tank 31 is equal to or greater than the reference value, the third water supply valve 9c is opened (S56), and tap water is supplied from the third water supply pipe 8c to the third tank 31 to reduce the concentration of the detergent or dirt.

[0097] In the process of S55, if the conductivity sensor 31b is less than the threshold value (S55: No), since the concentration of the detergent or dirt dissolved in the water in the third tank 31 is less than the reference value, the third water supply valve 9c is closed (S57), and the supply of tap water from the third water supply pipe 8c to the third tank 31 is stopped.

[0098] Basically, tap water is stored in the third tank 31, but the cleaning water attached to the object to be cleaned W and the conveyors 60, 70 is washed off into the third tank 31, so that the concentration of the detergent and dirt increases as described above. When this concentration exceeds the reference value, it becomes difficult to perform appropriate rinsing. However, by providing the conductivity sensor 31b and performing the processes of S55 to S57, it is easy to suppress the concentration to less than the reference value. Therefore, even if the water for rinsing is recycled by the third pump 32, the cleanliness of the water for rinsing can be maintained, and the cleaning efficiency can be ensured.

[0099] After the rinsing of the third tank 31 with water, final rinsing is performed with fresh tap water from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38. Therefore, even if the concentration of the detergent or dirt in the third tank 31 slightly exceeds the reference value, the rinsing efficiency can be ensured.

[0100] Also, since fresh tap water from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 continues to be supplied to the third tank 31, it is easy to keep the concentration of the detergent or dirt in the third tank 31 below the reference value, and the frequency of opening the third water supply valve 9c can be reduced. Although the tap water from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 has been heated by the heat exchanger, the tap water supplied when the third water supply valve 9c is opened is unheated. Therefore, by making it difficult to open the third water supply valve 9c, the energy consumption associated with heating the water in the third tank 31 can be suppressed.

[0101] After the process of S56 or S57, it is confirmed whether the third middle water level sensor SM3 is on (S58). If the third middle water level sensor SM3 is off (S58: No), the third pump 32 is temporarily stopped (S59), and the pump operation process S50 is terminated. By this temporary stop, the tap water jetted from the upper finishing nozzle 37 and the lower finishing nozzle 38 is stored in the third tank 31 to recover the water level.

[0102] In the process of S58, if the third middle water level sensor SM3 is on (S58: Yes), the third pump operation process S70 is executed, and the pump operation process S50 is terminated. Under the predetermined conditions during this third pump operation process S70, the operation of the temporarily stopped third pump 32 is restarted.

[0103] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the third pump operation process S70. In the third pump operation process S70, first, it is confirmed whether at least one of the first and second full water sensors SH1 and SH2 is off (S71). If at least one of them is off (S71: Yes), in order to supply water from the third tank 31 to at least one of the first and second tanks 11 and 21, the third pump 32 is started or restarted (S72).

[0104] Next, it is confirmed whether the first full water sensor SH1 is off (S73). If this is off (S73: Yes), the first reducing valve 33c is opened (S74), and water is supplied from the third tank 31 to the first tank 11. Then, it is confirmed whether the first middle water level sensor SM1 is off (S76). If this is off (S76: Yes), since the recovery of the water level in the first tank 11 may not be in time only by the supply from the third tank 31, the first water supply valve 9a is opened (S77), and tap water is supplied to the first tank 11.

[0105] On the other hand, when the first middle water level sensor SM1 is on (S76: No), since the water level in the first tank 11 can be maintained by the supply from the third tank 31, the first water supply valve 9a is closed (S78), and the supply of tap water to the first tank 11 is stopped. Also, in the process of S73, when the first full water sensor SH1 is on (S73: Yes), since the supply of water to the first tank 11 is unnecessary, the first reducing valve 33c is closed (S75), and the first water supply valve 9a is also closed (S78).

[0106] Thus, in the processes of S73 to S78, when the water in the first tank 11 falls below the middle water level, not only the water from the third tank 31 but also the tap water is supplied to the first tank 11, so that the supply amount of water to the first tank 11 can be increased. As a result, it is possible to prevent the first tank 11 from falling below the low water level and to recover the water level at an early stage.

[0107] Also, if the water in the first tank 11 is above the middle water level, unheated tap water is not supplied to the first tank 11, and the water from the heated third tank 31 is supplied. Thereby, when there is a margin in the water level in the first tank 11, the energy consumption associated with the heating of the water in the first tank 11 can be suppressed.

[0108] After the processing of S77 or S78, the same processing as that of S73 to S78 for the first washing unit 10 is performed on the second washing unit 20, and the third pump operation process S70 is terminated. Specifically, when the second full water sensor SH2 is off (S79: Yes), the second reducing valve 33d is opened (S80). Next, when the second middle water level sensor SM2 is off (S82: Yes), the second water supply valve 9b is opened (S83), and when it is off (S82: No), the second water supply valve 9b is closed (S84). Also, when the second full water sensor SH2 is on (S79: No), both the second reducing valve 33d and the second water supply valve 9b are closed (S81, S84).

[0109] In the process of S71 of the third pump operation process S70, when both the first full water sensor SH1 and the second full water sensor SH2 are on (S71: No), since water supply to the first tank 11 and the second tank 21 is unnecessary, the processes of S72 to S84 are skipped, and it is confirmed whether the conveyor operation switch 57 is on (S85).

[0110] If the conveyor operation switch 57 is on (S85: Yes), basically the third pump 32 is operating, but if the third pump 32 was temporarily stopped in the process of S59 in FIG. 7, the operation of the third pump 32 is resumed (S86). Next, the first reducing valve 33c is closed and the second reducing valve 33d is opened (S87), and the third pump operation process S70 is terminated.

[0111] By the processes of S86 and S87, water is supplied from the third tank 31 to the full second tank 21. As a result, the water in the second tank 21 can be actively overflowed, and it is easy to maintain the cleanliness of the water in the second tank 21 used for secondary washing. As a result, even if water moves from the second tank 21 to the third tank 31 due to the adhesion of water to the object to be washed W, it is easy to maintain the cleanliness of the water in the third tank 31 used for rinsing washing, and the washing efficiency of the washing device 1 can be improved.

[0112] In the process of S85, if the conveyor operation switch 57 is off (S85: No), although the third pump 32 is basically stopped, it may be exceptionally started in the process of S72. Therefore, the third pump 32 is stopped (S88), and the third pump operation process S70 is terminated.

[0113] As described above, the cleaning device 1 is equipped with a plurality of technologies for water conservation and technologies for suppressing the energy consumption required for heating water (technologies for energy conservation). On the other hand, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-083057, technologies for water conservation and energy conservation are described by circulating water in each of the first cleaning section, the second cleaning section, and the third cleaning section, but it cannot be said to be sufficient. Therefore, it can be said that the cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment is an invention made to meet the further requirements for water conservation and energy conservation with respect to the above-mentioned document.

[0114] Next, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12, the chain belt 73 of the conveyor 70 of the cleaning device 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the chain belt 73 of the conveyor 70 of the cleaning device 1. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the chain belt 73. Note that in FIGS. 9 and 10, a part of the circumferential direction of the endless belt-shaped chain belt 73 is shown. FIG. 11 is a side view of the link 80 of the chain belt 73. FIG. 12 is a side view of the chain belt 73 schematically showing the conveyance state of the lid W1 and the tray W2 of the object to be cleaned W.

[0115] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the chain belt 73 includes a plurality of rods 74 arranged from the rear to the front in the conveyance direction, and end links 75 and links 80 that connect the adjacent rods 74 in the conveyance direction (front-rear direction). The rod 74 is a bar extending in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the chain belt 73, and is formed in a circular cross-sectional shape. These plurality of rods 74 are parallel to each other and arranged at equal intervals.

[0116] The end link 75 is a member that connects the left and right ends of adjacent rods 74 to each other. The end link 75 is formed in a plate shape that extends in the front-rear direction with the left-right direction being the plate thickness direction. Through holes through which the rods 74 can rotate are formed at both the front and rear ends of the end link 75, respectively.

[0117] Donut-shaped link collars 76 are attached to the left and right ends of the rod 74, respectively, and two end links 75 are stacked on each of the left and right sides of the link collar 76. One of the two end links 75 is connected to the front rod 74, and the other end link 75 is connected to the rear rod 74. By configuring the end of the chain belt 73 in this way, the chain belt 73 can be moved smoothly more easily.

[0118] The chain belt of the conveyor 60 is obtained by replacing the link 80 of this chain belt 73 with another link, and is configured substantially the same as the chain belt 73 except for that. The link of the conveyor 60 is formed in a plate shape that extends in the front-rear direction like the end link 75.

[0119] The link 80 of the chain belt 73 is a member that connects adjacent rods 74 to each other on the left and right center side rather than the end link 75. The link 80 is formed in a plate shape with the left-right direction being the plate thickness direction. The link 80 includes a front portion 81 that extends in the up-down direction, a rear portion 82 that is disposed behind the front portion 81 and extends in the up-down direction, and a bottom portion 83 that connects the lower ends of the front portion 81 and the rear portion 82, and is substantially U-shaped when viewed in the left-right direction. In the conveyor 70, mainly, the lid W1 and the tray W2, which are plate-shaped objects to be washed W, are inserted and conveyed in a standing state into the space surrounded by the front portion 81, the rear portion 82, and the bottom portion 83 and opening upward (see FIG. 12).

[0120] As shown in FIG. 11, a circular front through-hole 81a penetrating in the left-right direction is formed in the upper part of the front portion 81. A circular rear through-hole 82a penetrating in the left-right direction is also formed in the upper part of the rear portion 82. In the link 80, the direction in which a straight line connecting the center point of the front through-hole 81a and the center point of the rear through-hole 82a extends is the front-rear direction (conveying direction), and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the plate thickness direction is the up-down direction.

[0121] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, in each link 80, the rod 74 on the front side in the conveying direction penetrates through the front through-hole 81a rotatably, and the rod 74 on the rear side in the conveying direction penetrates through the rear through-hole 82a rotatably. That is, the front through-hole 81a, the rear through-hole 82a, and the rod 74 are fitted by a clearance fit.

[0122] Cylindrical collars 77 are inserted into the rods 74 on both the left and right sides of the front portion 81, and the front portion 81 is sandwiched by a pair of left and right collars 77. Similarly, cylindrical collars 78 are inserted into the rods 74 on both the left and right sides of the rear portion 82, and the rear portion 82 is sandwiched by a pair of left and right collars 78. The collars 77 and 78 have the same shape and the same dimensions.

[0123] The end of the collar 77 on the side opposite to the front portion 81 and the end of the collar 78 on the side opposite to the rear portion 82 are in contact with each other, and a plurality of links 80 connecting the rods 74 are arranged in a staggered manner. Note that the collars 77 and 78 are not limited to being separate parts from the link 80, and the collar 77 may be integrally formed with the front portion 81, or the collar 78 may be integrally formed with the rear portion 82.

[0124] The front portion 81 includes a front protrusion 81b protruding above the front through-hole 81a. The rear portion 82 includes a rear protrusion 82b protruding above the rear through-hole 82a. The amount of upward protrusion of these front protrusion 81b and rear protrusion 82b is larger than the thickness from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface of the collars 77 and 78. That is, the front protrusion 81b and the rear protrusion 82b protrude upward from the collars 77 and 78.

[0125] Basically, the lid W1 and the tray W2 are leaned against the conveyor 70, but the object to be washed W such as a container with the opening facing downward like the conveyor 60 may be placed on the colors 77, 78. In this case, when the front protrusion 81b and the rear protrusion 82b hit the opening of the object to be washed W, the movement of the object to be washed W in the front-back, left-right directions with respect to the conveyor 70 can be suppressed.

[0126] With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, each part of the link 80 will be described in more detail. In the description using FIGS. 11 and 12, unless otherwise indicated, the shape, dimensions, angles, etc. of the link 80 in the left-right direction view will be described.

[0127] The rear surface (edge) of the front part 81 includes a front support surface 84 that slopes upward and rearward, and an insertion guide surface 81c that extends linearly upward and forward from the upper end of the front support surface 84. The front surface (edge) of the rear part 82 is a rear support surface 85 that faces the front support surface 84 in the front-rear direction. The upper surface (edge) of the bottom part 83 is a bottom support surface 86 that connects the lower ends of the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85. The front support surface 84, the rear support surface 85, the bottom support surface 86, and the insertion guide surface 81c are all formed parallel to the left-right direction.

[0128] The front support surface 84 is a part that supports the front surface (inside the container side) of the lid W1 and the like. The front support surface 84 includes a first front surface 84a that extends linearly upward and rearward from the front end of the bottom support surface 86, and a second front surface 84b that extends linearly upward and rearward from the upper end of the first front surface 84a.

[0129] The inclination angle θ1 of the first front surface 84a with respect to the vertical direction is about 15°. The inclination angle θ2 of the second front surface 84b with respect to the vertical direction is about 8°. The inclination angle θ1 is larger than the inclination angle θ2. Also, the length (dimension from the lower end to the upper end) of the second front surface 84b is shorter than the length (dimension from the lower end to the upper end) of the first front surface 84a.

[0130] The rear support surface 85 is a part that supports the rear surface (outside the container side) such as the lid W1. The rear support surface 85 includes a first rear surface 85a linearly extending upward and rearward from the rear end of the bottom support surface 86, a second rear surface 85b linearly extending upward from the upper end of the first rear surface 85a, and a third rear surface 85c linearly extending upward and rearward from the upper end of the second rear surface 85b.

[0131] The inclination angle θ3 of the first rear surface 85a with respect to the vertical direction is about 45°. The second rear surface 85b rises substantially vertically with respect to the vertical direction. This substantially vertical is defined as the case where the inclination angle θ4 of the second rear surface 85b with respect to the vertical direction is 10° or less, preferably 5° or less, and more preferably 3° or less. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ4 is about 0°. The inclination angle θ5 of the third rear surface 85c with respect to the vertical direction is about 5°.

[0132] The bottom support surface 86 is a part that supports the object to be washed W from below. However, depending on the type of the object to be washed W, there may be cases where the object to be washed W is not supported by the bottom support surface 86. For example, in this embodiment, the lid W1 inserted into the link 80 is tilted rearward and floats from the bottom support surface 86, and the lid W1 is supported from below by the first rear surface 85a. The bottom support surface 86 is formed substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. This substantially parallel is defined as the case where the inclination angle of the bottom support surface 86 with respect to the front-rear direction is 10° or less, and in this embodiment, it is about 0°.

[0133] A recess 87 recessed downward is formed on the bottom support surface 86 up to the front end (front support surface 84) of the bottom support surface 86. This recess 87 includes a recess bottom surface substantially parallel to the bottom support surface 86 other than the recess 87, and a recess rear surface 87a rising substantially vertically from the rear end of the recess bottom surface and facing the front side in the conveying direction. The recess rear surface 87a is located on the rear side of the center of the bottom support surface 86 in the front-rear direction and on the rear side of the rearmost end of the front portion 81 (front support surface 84).

[0134] When a lid W1, a tray W2, or the like, which is a plate-shaped object to be washed, is inserted into the link 80 described above, the lid W1 or the like is leaned against the link 80 so as to be sandwiched between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85. Further, since the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85 are inclined upward and rearward as a whole, the lid W1 or the like is also inclined upward and rearward, so that dirt and the like can be easily removed by water injection from above, and the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 or the like can be improved.

[0135] Since the rear support surface 85 includes a first rear surface 85a extending upward and rearward from the rear end of the bottom support surface 86, when the lid W1 or the like is inserted into the link 80, the lower end of the lid W1 or the like is guided forward along the first rear surface 85a. Thereby, the lid W1 or the like can be easily placed in a posture of falling upward and rearward.

[0136] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the lower end of the lid W1 is supported from below by the first rear surface 85a extending upward and rearward and is slightly floating from the bottom support surface 86. Therefore, a reaction force for guiding the lower end forward is continuously applied to the lower end of the lid W1 from the first rear surface 85a. Therefore, it is easy to maintain a posture in which the lid W1 or the like falls backward. As a result, the posture of the lid W1 or the like is determined, and the cleaning efficiency can be further improved.

[0137] Here, when the inclination angle θ3 is larger than 60°, it becomes difficult for the lower end of the lid W1 or the like to be guided forward along the first rear surface 85a, and there is a possibility that it becomes difficult to determine the posture of the lid W1 or the like. In this case, it is not possible to provide an optimal cleaning method according to the posture, and the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 or the like may decrease.

[0138] Also, when the inclination angle θ3 of the first rear surface 85a is smaller than 30°, when the lid W1 or the like tends to fall forward due to the force of cleaning or the like, the lid W1 or the like is greatly lifted upward along the first rear surface 85a, and the lid W1 or the like may fall out of the link 80 and fall. When the fallen lid W1 or the like contacts another lid W1 or the like, the other lid W1 or the like also falls in the same manner, and a plurality of lids W1 or the like overlap each other. Since the overlapped portion cannot be sufficiently cleaned, as a result, the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 or the like may decrease.

[0139] Therefore, the inclination angle θ3 of the first rear surface 85a is preferably between 30° and 60°, more preferably between 40° and 50°. Within this range, it is possible to suppress the lid W1 etc. from falling forward out of the link 80 and to easily determine the posture of the lid W1 etc. That is, the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 etc. can be improved.

[0140] In the link of Utility Model Registration No. 3191641 (the above Patent Document 1), the portion corresponding to the rear support surface 85 of the present embodiment is formed in a single straight line extending upward and rearward from the upper end to the lower end. That is, the rear support surface 85 is formed only by the first rear surface 85a. In this case, when the lid W1 etc. tend to fall forward due to the force of cleaning etc., the lid W1 etc. are easily lifted upward along the straight rear support surface 85 (the first rear surface 85a), and there is a problem that the lid W1 etc. are likely to fall out of the link in the above document.

[0141] The cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment is also an invention for solving the problems of the above document. Specifically, the rear support surface 85 of the present embodiment includes a second rear surface 85b extending upward from the upper end of the first rear surface 85a, and the second rear surface 85b stands up substantially vertically. Thereby, when the lid W1 etc. tend to be lifted along the first rear surface 85a, it is possible to regulate by hitting the lid W1 etc. against the second rear surface 85b. As a result, it is possible to suppress the lid W1 etc. from falling out of the link 80 and to easily maintain the state where the lid W1 etc. are leaned against the link 80.

[0142] When a lid W1 having a thickness approximately the same as the minimum distance between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85 is inserted into the link 80, the front surface of the lid W1 is in line contact (hereinafter simply referred to as "line contact") with the second front surface 84b in a left-right direction view. Due to this line contact, the inclination angle of the lid W1 with respect to the vertical direction becomes substantially the same as the inclination angle θ2 of the second front surface 84b. Although not shown, if the object to be cleaned W is a thick plate slightly thinner than the lid W1, the front surface of the object to be cleaned W is in line contact with the first front surface 84a, and the inclination angle of the object to be cleaned W with respect to the vertical direction becomes substantially the same as the inclination angle θ1 of the first front surface 84a.

[0143] As described above, based on the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 of the first front surface 84a and the second front surface 84b, the inclination angle of the thick plate-shaped object to be washed W including the lid W1 can be easily determined. As a result, the cleaning method such as the direction and strength of the water sprayed from each nozzle of the cleaning device 1 can be set to a cleaning method suitable for the inclination angle, so that the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 and the like can be improved.

[0144] Furthermore, due to the difference between the inclination angle θ1 of the first front surface 84a and the inclination angle θ2 of the second front surface 84b, when the lid W1 is in line contact with the first front surface 84a, it is difficult for the lid W1 to contact the second front surface 84b. Conversely, when the object to be washed W is in line contact with the second front surface 84b, it becomes difficult for the lid W1 to contact the first front surface 84a. As a result, the contact area between the front support surface 84 and the object to be washed W such as the lid W1 can be reduced.

[0145] Here, the portion where the lid W1 and the like come into contact with the link 80 may be difficult to wash away dirt or the like because the water sprayed from each nozzle does not hit it or dirt gets caught. However, by reducing the contact area between the front support surface 84 and the lid W1 and the like as described above, it is possible to ensure the ease of washing away dirt and the like. Therefore, even if there is line contact for determining the inclination angle of the lid W1 and the like, the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 and the like can be improved.

[0146] In particular, since the second front surface 84b is shorter than the first front surface 84a, the contact area between the lid W1 in line contact with the second front surface 84b and the front support surface 84 can be further reduced. Therefore, the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 can be further improved.

[0147] The inclination angles θ1 to θ5 are all different among the first front surface 84a, the second front surface 84b, the first rear surface 85a, the second rear surface 85b, and the third rear surface 85c. Even if the lid W1 or the like is in line contact with any one of these surfaces, it is difficult for the lid W1 or the like to be in line contact with the other surfaces. Specifically, in the case of the lid W1, in a side view in the left-right direction, the front surface of the lid W1 is in line contact with the first front surface 84a, the rear surface of the lid W1 is in point contact near the upper end of the third rear surface 85c, and the lower end of the lid W1 is in point contact with the first rear surface 85a. As a result, the contact area between the link 80 and the lid W1 can be made smaller, and the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 can be further improved.

[0148] The insertion guide surface 81c extending obliquely upward and forward from the upper end of the front support surface 84 is the surface (edge) on the rear side of the front side protrusion 81b in the front portion 81. When inserting the lid W1 or the like between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85 of the link 80, the insertion guide surface 81c can easily guide the lid W1 or the like between them, and the insertability of the lid W1 or the like into the link 80 can be improved.

[0149] The insertion guide surface 81c is longer than the inner diameter of the front through hole 81a. By forming the insertion guide surface 81c to be long in this way, it is possible to more easily guide the lid W1 or the like between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85. Further, the upper end of the insertion guide surface 81c is located on the front side of the front through hole 81a, and the insertion guide surface 81c is formed so as to cover the upper portion of the front through hole 81a. Thereby, in addition to avoiding the collision between the lid W1 or the like when inserting into the link 80 and the rod 74 and the collars 77, 78, since the insertion guide surface 81c is also long in the front-rear direction, it is possible to more easily guide the lid W1 or the like between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85.

[0150] Also, the inclined surface 82c, which is the surface (edge) on the rear side of the rear side protrusion 82b, linearly extends obliquely upward and forward from the rearmost end 82d of the rear portion 82 to the upper end of the rear side protrusion 82b in the same manner as the insertion guide surface 81c. As shown in FIG. 12, in the overlapping portion of the front and rear links 80 when viewed in the left-right direction, the inclined surface 82c is recessed forward along the entire length with respect to the insertion guide surface 81c. Thereby, it is possible to make it difficult for the lid W1 or the like guided along the insertion guide surface 81c to hit the front link 80. As a result, the insertability of the lid W1 or the like into the link 80 can be further improved.

[0151] The upper end of the rear side protrusion 82b is formed in a straight line substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. Thereby, when inserting the lid W1 or the like, by sliding the lid W1 or the like applied to the upper end of the rear side protrusion 82b forward along the rear side protrusion 82b, it is possible to easily guide the lid W1 or the like into the link 80.

[0152] In addition to this, the upper end of the rear protrusion 82b is slightly higher than the upper end of the front protrusion 81b (insertion guide surface 81c). Further, as shown in FIG. 12, in the portion where the front and rear links 80 overlap when viewed in the left - right direction, the upper end of the rear protrusion 82b of the front link 80 extends to the upper end of the front protrusion 81b of the rear link 80. As a result, when inserting the lid W1 or the like, even if the lid W1 or the like applied to the upper end of the rear protrusion 82b is slid backward, it can be moved without being caught by the insertion guide surface 81c of the rear link 80. Therefore, the insertability of the lid W1 or the like into the link 80 can be further improved.

[0153] As shown in FIG. 11, the front - to - rear distance L1 from the front through - hole 81a to the upper end of the front support surface 84 (the rearmost end of the front portion 81) is larger than the front - to - rear distance L2 from the rear through - hole 82a to the rearmost end 82d of the rear portion 82. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, in the portion where the front and rear links 80 overlap when viewed in the left - right direction, even if the front surface of the lid W1 or the like comes into contact with the vicinity of the rearmost end of the front portion 81 in the rear link 80, it is difficult for the rearmost end 82d of the rear portion 82 and the collar 78 (shown by a two - dotted chain line in a part of FIG. 12) in the front link 80 to come into contact with the front surface of the lid W1 or the like. As a result, a gap is formed between the rearmost end 82d and the collar 78 and the front surface of the lid W1 or the like, and the washing water flowing down the front surface of the lid W1 or the like flows smoothly without stagnation, so that a decrease in washing efficiency due to their contact can be suppressed.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 11, the front - to - rear distance L3 from the front through - hole 81a to the foremost end 81d of the front portion 81 is smaller than the front - to - rear distance L4 from the rear through - hole 82a to the second rear surface 85b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, in the portion where the front and rear links 80 overlap when viewed in the left - right direction, even if the rear surface of the lid W1 or the like comes into contact with the rear support surface 85 of the front link 80, it is difficult for the foremost end 81d of the front portion 81 in the rear link 80 to come into contact with the lid W1 or the like. As a result, a gap is formed between the foremost end 81d and the rear surface of the lid W1 or the like, and a decrease in washing efficiency due to their contact can be suppressed.

[0155] Also, the distances L1 and L4 are sufficiently larger than the thicknesses of the colors 77 and 78. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper end of the front support surface 84 projects rearward with respect to the colors 77 and 78, and the second rear surface 85b projects forward. Consequently, when inserting the lid W1 or the like between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85, it is possible to prevent the lid W1 or the like from contacting the colors 77 and 78, and the insertability can be improved. In particular, due to the distance L4, a sufficient gap is formed between the color 77 (illustrated by a two-dot chain line in a part of FIG. 12) adjacent to the rear through hole 82a and the rear surface of the lid W1 or the like. Therefore, the washing water flowing down the rear surface of the lid W1 or the like flows smoothly without stagnation, and a decrease in the washing efficiency due to their contact can be suppressed.

[0156] When inserting the object to be washed W such as a round dish or a tray W2 into the link 80 with it standing upright, since its edge is raised, it may be inserted into the link 80 while aligning the edge along the colors 77 and 78. The distance L2 to the rearmost end 82d is substantially the same as the thickness of the colors 77 and 78, and the vicinity of the rearmost end 82d of the rear portion 82 is curved with substantially the same curvature as the colors 77 and 78. Therefore, the rearmost end 82d does not protrude from the colors 77 and 78. As a result, when the edge of the object to be washed W is inserted along the colors 77 and 78, it is difficult for the edge to be caught in the vicinity of the rearmost end 82d. Consequently, the insertability of the object to be washed W such as a round dish or a tray W2 can be improved.

[0157] The link 80 is optimized for transporting the thick-plate-shaped object to be washed W such as the lid W1 or the like, but is also suitable for transporting the thin-plate-shaped object to be washed W. This function is mainly provided by the recess 87 provided in the bottom support surface 86. Examples of the thin-plate-shaped object to be washed W include a tray W2 or a dish which is a shallow container.

[0158] For example, in a link without the recess 87, such as in Utility Model Registration Gazette No. 3191641 (the above Patent Document 1), when the tray W2 or the like tends to fall forward due to the force of washing or the like, the lower edge of the tray W2 or the like moves so as to rotate backward with the rod 74 and the collars 77, 78 as fulcrums. Since the distance between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85 is of a size suitable for the lid W1 or the like, it is difficult for the movement of the lower edge of the tray W2 or the like to be restricted by the rear support surface 85. Therefore, there is a risk that the tray W2 or the like will come out of the link and fall over.

[0159] On the other hand, in the link 80 of the present embodiment, since the bottom support surface 86 has the recess 87, the lower edge of the tray W2 or the like can be accommodated in the recess 87. When the tray W2 or the like tends to fall forward, the lower edge of the tray W2 or the like is caught by the concave rear surface 87a at the rear end of the recess 87, and the backward movement of the lower edge can be restricted early. As a result, it is possible to suppress the tray W2 or the like from coming out of the link 80 and falling forward greatly, and it is easy to maintain the state where the tray W2 or the like is leaned against the link 80. Therefore, although the distance between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85 of the link 80 is of a size suitable for the lid W1 or the like, the thin plate-shaped object to be washed W such as the tray W2 can be appropriately conveyed by the same link 80, and the versatility of the cleaning device 1 can be improved.

[0160] Here, when the recess 87 is not formed up to the front end (front support surface 84) of the bottom support surface 86, it is formed like the recess 113 in FIG. 13(b), for example. In this case, it is suitable for cleaning the object to be washed W that is thinner than the tray W2. By fitting the lower edge of the object to be washed W into the recess 113, the movement of the lower edge can be restricted, and it can be appropriately conveyed in a stable state without falling forward or backward.

[0161] On the other hand, since the recess 87 of the present embodiment is formed up to the front end of the bottom support surface 86, it is easy to accommodate the lower edge of the tray W2 or the like in the recess 87 when the tray W2 or the like is inserted into the link 80. As a result, it is easy for the lower edge of the tray W2 or the like that tends to fall forward to be caught by the concave rear surface 87a.

[0162] The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments at all, and it can be easily inferred that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. The shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component described in the above embodiments may be changed as appropriate. Also, regarding each process shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the specific process content and order may be changed as appropriate.

[0163] For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the inclination angle θ2 of the second front surface 84b is about 8° and the inclination angle of the lid W1 that makes line contact with the second front surface 84b is the same about 8° was described. This is because an experimental result was obtained that the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1 is the highest when the inclination angle of the lid W1 with respect to the vertical direction is about 8°. However, in order to ensure the cleaning efficiency of the lid W1, this inclination angle θ2 is not limited to about 8°, preferably 6 to 10°, and more preferably 7 to 9°.

[0164] In the above embodiment, the case where the lid W1 and the object to be cleaned W that is slightly thinner than it make line contact with the first front surface 84a or the second front surface 84b was described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. Depending on the thickness of the plate-shaped object to be cleaned W, the rear surface of the object to be cleaned W may make line contact with the second rear surface 85b, the third rear surface 85c, etc. In this case, even if the object to be cleaned W makes line contact with one of the second rear surface 85b and the third rear surface 85c, it is difficult for the object to be cleaned W to contact the other of the second rear surface 85b and the third rear surface 85c. Therefore, the contact area between the rear support surface 85 and the object to be cleaned W can be reduced, and the cleaning efficiency of the object to be cleaned W can be improved.

[0165] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the front support surface 84, the rear support surface 85, the bottom support surface 86, and the insertion guide surface 81c are all formed parallel to the left-right direction has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, large R chamfers may be provided at the left-right direction edges of the front support surface 84, the rear support surface 85, the bottom support surface 86, and the insertion guide surface 81c, and the surfaces may be formed non-parallel to the left-right direction. Since this R chamfer functions as a draw taper, it becomes easier to mold the link 80 with a mold that opens in the left-right direction. Also, with such a mold that opens, it becomes easier to mold an integrally formed product of the colors 77, 78 and the link 80. If the colors 77, 78 and the link 80 are separate parts, the link 80 may be cut out from a plate material.

[0166] In the above-described embodiment, the link 80 provided with the recess 87 on the bottom support surface 86 has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(a), as a first modification example, a link 100 in which the recess 87 is omitted from the bottom support surface 102 of the bottom portion 101 can be cited. The link 100 is configured identically to the link 80 of the above-described embodiment, except that the recess 87 is omitted. According to this link 100, cleaning of the corners of the recess 87 etc. can be made unnecessary, and the cleaning efficiency of the link 100 can be improved.

[0167] Also, FIG. 13(b) shows a link 110 of a second modification example. In this link 110, a recess 113 that is recessed downward is formed in the bottom support surface 112 of the bottom portion 111. The link 110 is configured identically to the link 80 of the above-described embodiment, except that the shape (arrangement) of the recess 113 is different from that of the recess 87 of the link 80. The recess 113 includes a concave bottom surface that is substantially parallel to the bottom support surface 112 other than the recess 113, a concave rear surface 87a that rises substantially vertically from the rear end of the concave bottom surface and faces the front side in the conveyance direction, and a concave front surface 114 that rises substantially vertically from the front end of the concave bottom surface and faces the rear side in the conveyance direction.

[0168] The concave front surface 114 is located at a position rearward from the front end of the bottom support surface 112 (the lower end of the front support surface 84). By hooking a tray W2 or the like (a thin-plate-shaped object to be cleaned W) on the concave front surface 114, it is possible to prevent the tray W2 or the like from tilting too far backward. As a result, the inclination angle of a lid W1 or the like (a thick-plate-shaped object to be cleaned W) sandwiched between the front support surface 84 and the rear support surface 85 of the link 110 and the inclination angle of the tray W2 or the like hooked on the concave front surface 114 can be made closer to each other. By using a cleaning method suitable for the inclination angle, the cleaning efficiency of both objects to be cleaned can be improved.

[0169] In the above embodiment, the case where both conveyors 60 and 70 are operated by turning on the conveyor operation switch 57 has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. A switch for switching the operation and stop of only the conveyor 60 or a switch for switching the operation and stop of only the conveyor 70 may be provided.

Explanation of Signs

[0170] 1 Cleaning device 70 Conveyor 74 Rod 80, 100, 110 Link 81 Front part 81a Front through-hole 81c Insertion guide surface 82 Rear part 82a Rear through-hole 83, 101, 111 Bottom part 84 Front support surface 84a First front surface 84b Second front surface 85 Rear support surface 85a First rear surface 85b Second rear surface 85c Third rear surface 86, 102, 112 Bottom support surface 87, 113 Concave part 87a Concave rear surface 114 Concave front surface

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning an object to be cleaned while conveying it in a conveying direction by a conveyor, wherein the conveyor comprises a plurality of rods extending in a left-right direction and arranged in the conveying direction, and a plurality of links connecting the adjacent rods in the conveying direction, wherein the link has a front through-hole through which the rod on the front side in the conveying direction penetrates rotatably, and a front support surface which is a surface on the rear side in the conveying direction, and has a front portion extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the left-right direction, a rear through-hole through which the rod on the rear side in the conveying direction penetrates rotatably, and a rear support surface facing the front support surface and has a rear portion extending in the vertical direction, and a bottom portion having a bottom support surface connecting the lower ends of the front support surface and the rear support surface, wherein the front support surface comprises a first front surface linearly extending from the front end of the bottom support surface upward and rearward, and a second front surface linearly extending from the upper end of the first front surface upward and rearward, and a cleaning device, characterized in that an inclination angle of the first front surface with respect to the vertical direction is larger than an inclination angle of the second front surface with respect to the vertical direction.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that a dimension from the lower end to the upper end of the second front surface is shorter than a dimension from the lower end to the upper end of the first front surface.

3. wherein the rear support surface comprises a first rear surface extending upward and rearward from the rear end of the bottom support surface, and a second rear surface extending upward from the upper end of the first rear surface, and a cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that an inclination angle of the second rear surface with respect to the vertical direction is 10° or less.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that the rear support surface comprises a third rear surface extending upward from the upper end of the second rear surface and inclined rearward with respect to the second rear surface.

5. wherein each of the first rear surface, the second rear surface and the third rear surface is linear, and a cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that inclination angles with respect to the vertical direction of the first front surface, the second front surface, the first rear surface, the second rear surface and the third rear surface are all different.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front portion extends upward and forward from the upper end of the front support surface.

7. a recess recessed downward is formed in the bottom support surface, and a cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the recess has a concave rear surface facing the front side in the conveying direction.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein the recess is formed up to the front end of the bottom support surface.

9. The recess has a concave front surface facing the rear side in the conveying direction, The cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein the concave front surface is located at a position rearward from the front end of the bottom support surface.

Images