Cleaning tool and cleaning method

Abstract

To enhance cleaning effect of piping.SOLUTION: A cylindrical cleaning tool which is pressure-fed and moved inside piping and has elasticity includes a vibrator for vibrating the cleaning tool inside the cleaning tool.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to cleaning implements and cleaning methods. [Background technology]

[0002] In the above-mentioned technical field, Patent Document 1 discloses that the position of a moving object is determined by electrically isolating the pipes using an insulator provided at the joint of the pipes, and receiving a signal transmitted from the moving object via the insulator with a receiver (paragraph

[0009] of the same document). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-44555 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the technology described in Patent Document 1 can grasp the position of the moving object in the pipe, it cannot improve the effectiveness of cleaning the pipe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the cleaning implement according to the present invention comprises: A cylindrical cleaning tool that is elastic and moves through the inside of a pipe by pressure, A vibrator is provided inside the cleaning implement for vibrating the cleaning implement.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the cleaning method according to the present invention comprises: A method for cleaning the inside of a pipe using an elastic cylindrical cleaning tool, comprising: an insertion step of inserting the cleaning tool into the inside of the pipe while vibrating a vibrator of the cleaning tool, the vibrator being provided inside the cleaning tool; a pumping step of injecting high-pressure water into the inside of the piping to pump the cleaning tool and push it out to an outlet provided in the piping; Includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the cleaning effect of the pipes can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a backfill material pumping system for a shield excavator that is cleaned by a cleaning tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating pipe cleaning using a cleaning tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the details of the configuration of a cleaning tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations, numerical values, processing flows, functional elements, etc. described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are open to modification and alteration, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the following description.

[0010] A cleaning tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the overall configuration of a shield boring machine that is cleaned by the cleaning tool according to this embodiment.

[0011] The shield tunneling machine 10 starts excavating from a starting shaft 20. The shield tunneling machine 10 is composed of a shield machine 11, subsequent equipment 12, and an aboveground plant 13. Inside the excavation tunnel, the shield machine 11 excavates the ground on the face side with a cutter head 14, and the soil and sand excavated by the cutter head 14 is taken into a chamber 15, which is the space between the cutter head 14 and a partition wall 16.

[0012] Furthermore, the trailing equipment 12 is equipment arranged behind the shield machine 11, and is equipped with power for driving the cutter head 14, equipment for discharging excavated soil and sand, etc. The trailing equipment 12 is equipped with a polymer tank 121, a silicate tank 122, a mud-adding liquid B tank 123, and associated pumps. These pieces of equipment are mounted on a trailing carriage and are designed to follow the excavation of the shield machine 11.

[0013] Furthermore, above ground, an above ground plant 13 is installed, which is equipped with a pump 131 for pumping mud-adding liquid A, a pump 132 for pumping backfill liquid A, and a pump 133 for pumping silicic acid. Tanks for storing these liquids are not shown. The liquids pumped from these pumps 131 to 133 located above ground are guided into the excavation pit via piping or the like via the starting shaft 20.

[0014] Then, the pump 133 pumps silicic acid toward the silicic acid tank 122. The silicic acid stored in the silicic acid tank 122 is then separated into two parts: one that is mixed with the backfilling A liquid through piping, and the other that is mixed with the polymer pumped from the polymer tank 121 to become the sludge-added B liquid, which is stored in the sludge-added B liquid tank 123.

[0015] The muddy liquid A pumped from the pump 131 (muddy liquid A pump) of the ground plant 13 and the muddy liquid B pumped from the muddy liquid B tank 123 are mixed, injected into the chamber 15, and added to the excavated soil, sand, etc.

[0016] Backfill A liquid pumped from pump 132 (backfill A liquid pump) is mixed with silicic acid pumped from silicic acid tank 122, and the resulting backfill liquid is injected into the gap between the segment and the excavation wall surface. Note that adding silicic acid increases the viscosity of the backfill liquid, and if the backfill liquid after mixing with silicic acid is pumped long distances, there is a risk of the piping becoming clogged. Therefore, in order to shorten the pumping distance after mixing with silicic acid, silicic acid is mixed in at a position close to the tip of the backfill A liquid piping.

[0017] In this way, in the shield tunneling machine 10, various chemicals are pumped through pipes from the ground plant 13 installed on the ground, etc. For this reason, in the shield tunneling machine 10, the inside of the pipes used to pump the chemicals needs to be cleaned periodically.

[0018] Here, we will explain the cleaning pig for cleaning the inside of pipes, which is the premise technology of this invention. As mentioned above, when excavating a shield tunnel with a shield tunneling machine 10, backfilling of segments is performed to prevent loosening or subsidence of the ground, prevent water leakage from the segments, and stabilize the segments early. Backfilling materials used for backfilling include Liquid A, which uses cement or bentonite, and Liquid B, which uses silica. The backfilling materials are sent from respective tanks for Liquid A and Liquid B installed on the ground to the inside of the shield tunneling machine 10 via piping by pumps 132 and 133. Liquid A and Liquid B are mixed just before backfilling and injected into the gap between the backside of the segment and the surface of the ground.

[0019] Piping for delivering cement-based liquid A needs to be cleaned about once a week, as repeated delivery of cement-based injection liquid causes the cement-based injection liquid to harden and adhere to the inner surface of the piping.

[0020] The pipes are cleaned using a cleaning pig made of sponge or rubber. The cleaning pig is dropped into a cleaning pig inlet located near a tank for backfill liquid installed on the ground, and is pumped through the pipes with high-pressure water to a cleaning pig outlet located on the shield drilling machine 10. The waste liquid after cleaning the pipes is pushed out by the high-pressure water and the cleaning pig, and is sucked out by a vacuum from a valve located near the cleaning pig outlet.

[0021] The amount of waste liquid can be calculated from the length and diameter of the pipe, so the cleaning pig can be removed by measuring the amount of liquid with an integrating flow meter attached to the pipe. That is, when the integrated amount of waste liquid reaches a predetermined amount, the pump for pumping the cleaning pig is stopped, and the cleaning pig reaches the vicinity of the removal port, so it can be removed from the removal port. However, the cleaning pig is a cylindrical cleaning tool with a circular cross section equal to the inner diameter of the pipe, and it sometimes gets clogged inside the pipe during cleaning or is not cleaned sufficiently.

[0022] Next, with reference to Fig. 2, cleaning of a pipe 110 using the cleaning tool 100 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in the figure, the cleaning tool 100 is pressure-fed through the pipe. The cleaning tool 100 is first set at the inlet of the pipe 110, and then moves through the inside of the pipe 110 by sending water into the pipe 110. The pressure of the water sent into the pipe 110 can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, the water pressure of the water sent into the pipe is 0.1 to 0.3 [Pa].

[0023] As the cleaning tool 100 moves inside the pipe 110, it scrapes off the backfilling material 111 adhering to the inner surface of the pipe 110. Here, the cleaning tool 100 moves inside the pipe 110 while vibrating at a predetermined vibration period. When the cleaning tool 100 is moved while vibrating in this way, the cleaning tool 100 not only passes through the inside of the pipe 110 but also applies vibrations to the backfilling material 111 as it passes through, thereby scraping off the backfilling material 111 adhering to the inside of the pipe 110 as it moves. This further improves the cleaning effect of the inside of the pipe 110. Note that the maximum diameter of the cleaning tool 100 is larger by a predetermined amount than the inner diameter of the pipe 110 to be cleaned. By setting the maximum diameter of the cleaning tool 100 in this way, the cleaning tool 100 comes into close contact with the inner surface of the pipe 110, so that the backfilling material 111 adhering to the inner surface can be reliably scraped off, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the cleaning tool 100.

[0024] Next, the detailed configuration of the cleaning tool 100 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The cleaning tool 100 is made of an elastic material, such as polyurethane. The cleaning tool 100 may also be made of other materials, such as highly absorbent materials or plastics.

[0025] The cleaning tool 100 has an overall cylindrical shape, with a dome-shaped tip in the direction of movement (arrow 130), making it easy to move inside the pipe 110. The shape of the cleaning tool 100 can be various shapes other than the cylindrical shape shown in the figure depending on the level of cleaning finish, etc., but it is preferable to use a shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the pipe 110.

[0026] Also, resin or the like may be applied to the side of the cleaning tool 100 to allow the cleaning tool 100 to move smoothly inside the pipe 110. Furthermore, a wire brush may be attached to the side of the cleaning tool 100 to increase frictional resistance with the inner surface of the pipe 110, thereby ensuring that the backfill material 111 adhering to the inner surface can be removed.

[0027] Furthermore, cleaning tool 100 has built-in vibrator 120 for vibrating cleaning tool 100. In other words, vibrator 120 is a mechanism for vibrating cleaning tool 100. Vibrator 120 is sized to be able to be housed inside cleaning tool 100, and a vibrator 120 of an appropriate size is selected to match the size of cleaning tool 100.

[0028] The vibrator 120 is arranged on the tip side of the cleaning tool 100 in the direction of movement of the cleaning tool 100. As shown in the figure, the vibrator 120 is arranged forward of the central axis 101 that is perpendicular to the direction of travel (arrow 130) of the cleaning tool 100. By providing the vibrator 120 on the front (tip) side of the cleaning tool 100 in this way, the tip side of the cleaning tool 100 can be vibrated reliably, which is expected to improve the cleaning effect.

[0029] Furthermore, the central axis 102 of the vibrator 120 is coaxial with the central axis 103 of the cleaning tool 100. That is, the vibrator 120 is embedded inside the cleaning tool 100 so that the central axes 102, 103 of the cleaning tool 100 and the vibrator 120 overlap. By arranging the two on the same axis in this way, uneven vibration is less likely to occur, and the entire cleaning tool 100 can be vibrated evenly.

[0030] The embedding position of the vibrator 120 is not limited to the above example. For example, the vibrator 120 may be placed at a position where the center point of the vibrator 120 overlaps with the intersection point of the central axes 101 and 103 (the center point of the cleaning tool 100). Alternatively, the vibrator 120 may be placed on the rear (rear end) side of the cleaning tool 100.

[0031] The size of the vibrator 120 is selected appropriately according to the size of the cleaning tool 100. For example, if the cleaning tool 100 has a total length of 90 to 120 mm and an outer diameter of 50 to 70 mm, the vibrator 120 selected should have a total length of 60 to 90 mm and an outer diameter of 20 to 40 mm. Furthermore, the vibration frequency of the vibrator 120 is preferably 50 to 200 Hz. By setting the vibration frequency of the vibrator 120 and the moving speed of the cleaning tool 100 by pressure feeding to appropriate values, the cleaning effect can be further improved.

[0032] Furthermore, because vibrator 120 is embedded in cleaning tool 100 and vibrates constantly while cleaning tool 100 is inside pipe 110, even if cleaning tool 100 clogs the pipe, the location of the clog can be immediately identified by the vibration sound. This is a simpler and more reliable way to identify the location than the method used in the underlying technology of this embodiment, which measures the flow rate of water sent to pipe 110 with an integrating flow meter and estimates the location from the flow rate measured up to the time cleaning tool 100 clogs.

[0033] The vibrator 120 always vibrates at a constant cycle, and control such as changing the vibration cycle of the vibrator 120 during pipe cleaning may or may not be performed. The vibrator 120 is made of a highly waterproof material such as plastic or resin, but is not limited to these. A commercially available small massager or the like may also be used as the vibrator 120.

[0034] The method of using such cleaning tool 100 is as follows: first, cleaning tool 100 is inserted into pipe 110 while vibrating vibrator 120. Then, high-pressure water is injected into pipe 110 using a pump or the like to pressurize cleaning tool 100 and push it out to an outlet provided in pipe 110, thereby cleaning pipe 110.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the cleaning tool 100 vibrates as it moves through the inside of the pipe, which improves the cleaning effect of the pipe and also makes it less likely for the cleaning tool to become clogged inside the pipe. Even if the cleaning tool becomes clogged inside the pipe, the vibrator is constantly vibrating, so the location of the clog can be easily identified by observing the vibration sound of the vibrator.

[0036] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, systems or devices that combine separate features included in each embodiment in any manner are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10 Shield Excavator 11 Shield Machine 12 Subsequent equipment 13 Ground Plant 14 cutter head 15 Chamber 16 Bulkhead 20 Departure shaft 100 cleaning equipment 101 Center axis 102 Center axis 103 Center axis 110 Piping 120 vibrator 121 Polymer Tank 122 Silicic Acid Tank 123 Mud-adding liquid B tank 130 Arrow 131 Pump 132 Pump 133 Pump

Claims

1. A cylindrical cleaning tool that is elastic and moves through the inside of a pipe by pressure, A cleaning implement comprising a vibrator disposed inside the cleaning implement for vibrating the cleaning implement.

2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is disposed on the tip side of the cleaning tool in the direction of movement of the cleaning tool, and further, the central axis of the vibrator is coaxial with the central axis of the cleaning tool.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum diameter of the cleaning tool is larger than the inner diameter of the pipe by a predetermined amount.

4. A method for cleaning the inside of a pipe using an elastic cylindrical cleaning tool, comprising: an insertion step of inserting the cleaning tool into the inside of the pipe while vibrating a vibrator of the cleaning tool, the vibrator being provided inside the cleaning tool; a pumping step of injecting high-pressure water into the inside of the piping to pump the cleaning tool and push it out to an outlet provided in the piping; A method for cleaning the inside of a pipe, including:

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