Container cleaning apparatus

Abstract

To efficiently wash the inner surface of a container equipped with a stirring blade.SOLUTION: The container washing device 2 has a washing unit 21 provided with an injection nozzle 25 for injecting a washing liquid inside a container 1. A stirring blade 14 rotated by a stirring blade driving means 15 is provided inside the container 1. The washing device is provided with a moving means 22 for moving the washing unit 21 in the vertical direction, the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction, a detecting means for detecting the position of the stirring blade 14 of the vessel 1, and a control means for controlling the washing unit 21 and the moving means 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container washing device, and more particularly to a container washing device having a washing unit equipped with a spray nozzle for spraying a cleaning liquid inside a container. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a container cleaning device for cleaning the inside of a container has been known that includes a cleaning unit equipped with a spray nozzle for spraying a cleaning liquid inside the container (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Of these, Patent Document 2 is configured to clean a container with an agitator blade inside, and the entire inside of the container is cleaned by rotating the agitator blade sequentially so that the spray nozzle of the cleaning unit does not collide with the agitator blade. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4636956 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7022923 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the case of the container cleaning device of Patent Document 2, the operator has to rotate the agitator blades in sequence to clean the entire inner surface of the container, and if this step is forgotten, there is a risk that the cleaning unit will come into contact with the agitator blades and be damaged, which creates a problem of heavy burden on the operator. Furthermore, in the case of the container cleaning device of Patent Document 2, depending on the shape and arrangement of the agitator blades, the cleaning liquid from the spray nozzle may not reach the entire agitator blade, particularly the back side of the agitator blade (the side facing the inner surface of the container), resulting in blind spots in the cleaning, and making it impossible to adequately clean the agitator blades or parts of the inner surface of the container. In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a container washing device that can more efficiently wash a container equipped with an agitating blade. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] That is, the container washing device according to the invention of claim 1 is a container washing device for washing a container having an agitating blade rotated by a driving means inside, The cleaning device comprises a cleaning unit having a cleaning nozzle for spraying a cleaning liquid into the inside of a container, a moving means for moving the cleaning unit in a vertical direction, a front-rear direction and a left-right direction, a detecting means for detecting the position of an agitating blade of the container, and a control means for controlling the cleaning unit and the moving means, The control means is characterized in that it moves the cleaning unit using the moving means based on the position of the stirring blade detected by the detection means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the above invention, the control means moves the cleaning unit up and down, back and forth, left and right based on the position of the agitator blade detected by the detection means, thereby eliminating blind spots in the cleaning by the agitator blade and preventing collisions between the cleaning unit and the agitator blade without the operator having to operate the agitator blade. Furthermore, by moving the cleaning unit in the vertical, front-rear and left-right directions based on the position of the agitating blade detected by the detecting means, it is possible to reduce the amount of the agitating blade and the inner surface of the container that remain unwashed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a container cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] Side view of container cleaning device [Figure 3] Plan view of the container cleaning device [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a standby state of the container cleaning device; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present embodiment will now be described. Figures 1 to 4 show a container cleaning device 2 that cleans the inside of a container 1 that constitutes a mixing device for mixing food ingredients, etc. Figures 1 to 3 show the container cleaning device 2 in use, and Figure 4 shows it in an unused state. 1 shows a front view, FIG. 2 shows a side view, and FIG. 3 shows a plan view. In the following explanation, the left-right direction shown in FIG. 1 will be referred to as the front-to-back direction, the left-to-right direction shown in FIG. 2 will be referred to as the left-to-right direction, and the up-to-down direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be referred to as the up-to-down direction. The container cleaning device 2 of this embodiment can be moved by a cart 3, and when ingredients are being stirred in the required stirring device, it can be left waiting in a position away from the container 1, and after stirring is completed, it can be moved to a position adjacent to the stirring device and used.

[0009] The container 1 to be cleaned in this embodiment includes a container portion 11 that contains the material to be stirred, a lid portion 12 that is attached to the top of the container portion 11, an agitating blade 14 that is rotatably provided inside the container 1, and an agitating blade driving means 15 that drives the agitating blade 14. The agitating blade driving means 15 is also provided with an encoder as detection means, which will be described later. The container portion 11 is, for example, a cylindrical metal container with a bottom and an opening with a diameter of about 2 m. An approximately hemispherical lid portion 12 is provided on the top of the container portion 11, and the lid portion 12 is provided with a material feeding hole 16. When mixing the material, the material is fed through the material feed hole 16, and after mixing of the material is completed, the mixed material is removed from a discharge port (not shown) provided at the bottom of the container portion 11.

[0010] The agitating blade 14 has a substantially U-shape, and its outer periphery is shaped to fit the inner periphery of the container 11. A drive shaft 14a is fixed to the center of the agitating blade 14 so as to coincide with the central axis of the container 11. The shape and arrangement of the agitating blade 14 are not limited to this, and may be determined as appropriate depending on the material to be agitated, etc. The agitator blade driving means 15 is composed of a motor, and a gear provided on the agitator blade driving means 15 engages with a gear provided on the upper end of the drive shaft 14a, so that when the drive shaft 14a is driven by the agitator blade driving means 15, the agitator blade 14 rotates in a horizontal plane, and the agitator blade 14 rotates along the inner surface of the container portion 11, agitating the materials in the container 1.

[0011] Since the drive shaft 14a of the agitator blade 14 is located at the center of the lid portion 12, the material feeding hole 16 is located adjacent to the drive shaft 14a, which is offset from the center of the lid portion 12. The material feeding hole 16 is located above an opening 12a formed in the lid portion 12, and the opening 12a is formed with a certain degree of width in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions when viewed in a plane in order to feed a large amount of material. The material feeding hole 16 is a cylindrical member that is provided to cover the opening 12a, and is provided at an angle toward the outside of the container 1 so that the material can be fed from diagonally above the container 1. The material feeding hole 16 is provided with a cover member (not shown) to prevent the cleaning liquid sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 25 of the container cleaning device 2 from scattering outside the container 1.

[0012] The container cleaning device 2 comprises a cleaning unit 21 that sprays cleaning liquid into the inside of the container 1 to perform cleaning, a moving means 22 that moves the cleaning unit 21, a high-pressure pump 23a that delivers cleaning liquid to the cleaning unit 21, and a control panel 23b for controlling these, and the cleaning unit 21 and control panel 23b are each movable by the cart 3 (see Figure 4). The control panel 23b has a control means for controlling the cleaning unit 21, the moving means 22, and the high-pressure pump 23a, a memory means for storing pre-inputted sizes and shapes of the container 1 and the stirring blades 14, a cleaning recipe set for cleaning the container 1, and the like, and an operation panel for displaying the operation of the container cleaning device 2 and the progress and history of cleaning. The cleaning unit 21 has the configuration described in Patent Document 2, and although detailed explanation of the configuration and operation will be omitted, it is equipped with a spray nozzle 25 provided at the tip of a tubular member 24 and a rotation drive means (not shown) for rotating the spray nozzle 25, and a part of the rotation drive means is housed in a housing 26 provided at the upper end of the tubular member 24. The rotary drive means comprises a plurality of motors provided inside the housing 26, an outer tube and an inner tube provided in the tubular member 24 for transmitting the driving force of the motors, and a rotary shaft provided at the tip of the tubular member 24 and rotating around the central axis of the tubular member 24, and the injection nozzle 25 is arranged to rotate around the rotary shaft. With the above-described configuration, the injection nozzle 25 is configured to rotate at the tip of the tubular member 24, and the injection port located at the tip of the injection nozzle 25 can be moved along a three-dimensional movement locus. The movement trajectory, such as the direction and movement of the jet nozzle 25, can be controlled by the control means, and for example, the jet nozzle 25 can be stopped in a state facing a predetermined direction. The cleaning unit 21 is not limited to this, as long as it can move the spray nozzle 21 along a three-dimensional movement locus.

[0013] The moving means 22 is configured to move the cleaning unit 21 in the left-right, front-back and up-down directions, and is equipped with an elevator section 27 that raises and lowers the cleaning unit 21 in the up-down direction, a lateral movement section 28 that moves the cleaning unit 21 in the left-right direction, and a front-back movement section 29 that moves the cleaning unit 21 in the front-back direction. According to the moving means 22, the spray nozzle 25 provided at the tip of the tubular member 24 is inserted into the inside of the container 1, and the spray nozzle 25 together with the cleaning unit 21 is moved in the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions, so that the spray nozzle 25, which rotates three-dimensionally by the rotating drive means, is moved within the required movable range S set inside the container 1. The movable range S is set for each container 1 depending on the shape of the container 1, the shape of the opening 12a of the lid portion 12, etc., and the movable range S shown in the figure is simplified for the purpose of explanation.

[0014] The lifting section 27 includes a pair of slide rails 27a obliquely fixed to the carriage 3, a reel 27b for lifting and lowering the cleaning unit 21, and a driving means 27g for driving the reel 27b. The pair of slide rails 27a are arranged diagonally as shown in FIG. 1, and are arranged parallel to the left and right as shown in FIG. 3, and a slider 27c that moves along each slide rail 27a is provided with a lifting member 27d that straddles the slide rail 27a. A roller chain 27e is wound around the reel 27b, and one end of the roller chain 27e is connected to the lifting member 27d via a pulley 27f provided at the upper end of the slide rail 27a. An encoder is provided on the drive means 27g of the reel 27b, and when the control means controls the drive means 27g to rotate the reel 27b, the lifting member 27d moves forward and backward in an oblique direction along the slide rail 27a as the reel 27b rotates. As a result, the cleaning unit 21 held via the lifting member 27d moves up and down and back and forth in accordance with the inclination of the slide rail 27a, and the control means accurately recognizes the position of the cleaning unit 21 in this case based on the amount of displacement detected by the encoder.

[0015] The lateral movement section 28 includes a slide rail 28a provided on the upper surface of the lifting member 27d, a slider 28b that moves left and right along the slide rail 28a, and a drive means 28c that moves the slider 28b back and forth along the slide rail 28a. An encoder is provided on the drive means 28c of the slider 28b, and when the control means controls the drive means 28c to move the slider 28b left and right, the control means accurately recognizes the left and right position of the cleaning unit 21 in that case based on the amount of displacement detected by the encoder.

[0016] The forward / backward moving section 29 is composed of an arm 29a swingably mounted on the slider 28b of the lateral moving section 28, a first swinging means 29b that swings the arm 29a forward / backward relative to the slider 28b, and a second swinging means 29c that swings the cleaning unit 21 mounted at the tip of the arm 29a forward / backward, and the first and second swinging means 29b, 29c are driven by driving means 29d, 29e. The drive means 29d, 29e of the first and second oscillating means 29b, 29c are provided with encoders, and when the control means oscillates the arm 29a and the cleaning unit 21 using the first and second oscillating means 29b, 29c, the tubular member 24 tilts and the injection nozzle 25 moves back and forth, and the control means accurately recognizes the position of the cleaning unit 21 in this case based on the amount of displacement detected by each encoder.

[0017] The movable range S is set within a range in which the tubular member 24 and the spray nozzle 25 do not come into contact with the inner surface of the container 1 even when the cleaning unit 21 is moved or the spray nozzle 25 is rotated. In particular, in the container 1 of this embodiment, the material inlet hole 16 is not provided in the center of the lid portion 12, and the material inlet hole 16 is provided at an angle, so that in order to insert the spray nozzle 25 of the cleaning unit 21 into the inside of the container 1, the tubular member 24 must be inserted in an angled state. Therefore, the range S of left-right movement by the moving means 22 is set within a range in which the tubular member 24 of the cleaning unit 21 does not interfere with the opening 12a formed in the lid portion 12 of the container 1 or the material feeding hole 16. Similarly, the range S of movement in the forward / backward and upward directions by the moving means 22 is set so that the tubular member 24 of the cleaning unit 21 does not interfere with the material feeding hole 16 and the inner surface of the container 1 is not positioned within the range in which the injection nozzle 25 rotates.

[0018] Furthermore, the container 1 of this embodiment is equipped with the above-mentioned agitating blade 14, and if the spray nozzle 25 of the above-mentioned cleaning unit 21 is positioned inside the container 1 and rotated without taking into consideration the position of the agitating blade 14, there is a risk that the spray nozzle 25 will come into contact with the agitating blade 14. Furthermore, depending on the position of the agitator blade 14, the cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 25 may be blocked by the agitator blade 14, which may prevent the inner surface of the container 1 located behind the agitator blade 14 from being adequately cleaned.Furthermore, unless the position of the agitator blade 14 is accurately recognized, it may not be possible to clean the agitator blade 14, especially the back side thereof. Therefore, the control means of this embodiment is capable of recognizing the position of the agitator blade 14 through a detection means such as an encoder provided on the agitator blade driving means 15 of the drive shaft 14a of the agitator blade 14 of the container 1. When the control means recognizes the rotational position of the agitator blade 14 from the detection means, it is able to recognize where inside the container 1 the agitator blade 14 and drive shaft 14a are located based on the shape of the agitator blade 14 that has been registered in advance in the memory means. In addition, if the agitator blade driving means 15 of the agitator blade 14 of the above-mentioned container 1 does not have an encoder, a camera or various sensors can be used as a detection means.For example, a camera installed inside the container 1 or inserted from the outside can capture an image of the agitator blade, and image analysis can be performed on this captured image to recognize the position of the agitator blade 14.

[0019] The control means is configured to register an operation command (cleaning recipe) for cleaning the container 1 by the container cleaning device 2 based on the movable range S of the cleaning unit 21 and the rotational position of the agitating blade 14. The above operation command is a combination of the movement path of the cleaning unit 21 by the moving means 22 and the rotation direction of the spray nozzle 25 by the above rotation drive means so that the entire inner surface of the container 1 and the stirring blades 14 are cleaned with the cleaning liquid. Specifically, the control means uses the moving means 22 to position the spray nozzle 25 provided at the tip of the tubular member 24 at the required position within the movable range S, and then rotates the spray nozzle 25 in the required direction in that state, thereby spraying the cleaning liquid onto the inner surface of the container 1 and the required position of the stirring blade 14. At this time, the control means generates the above operation command so that the agitating blade 14 does not come into contact with the injection nozzle 25. Furthermore, when cleaning a container in which part of the agitator blade 14 is in contact with the inner surface of the container 1, an operation command can be created that adds an operation to rotate the agitator blade 14 by a predetermined amount to shift the part in contact with the inner surface of the container 1 from its position at the start of cleaning, while taking into consideration that the part of the agitator blade 14 in contact with the inner surface of the container 1 does not come into contact with the cleaning unit 21 during the cleaning process. The above operation command can be automatically created by the control means based on the shapes of the container 1 and the agitating blade 14, etc., which are registered in advance in the storage means, but when the operator creates the command, the control means can assist in creating the operation command by performing a simulation to ensure that the spray nozzle 25 is positioned within the above-mentioned movable range S and that the spray nozzle 25 does not collide with the agitating blade 14. In addition, the agitating blade 14 can be stopped at a position suitable for cleaning that has been confirmed in advance based on the position information of the agitating blade 14 obtained by the detection means, and cleaning can be performed based on a preset operation command.

[0020] A cleaning liquid pipe for circulating the cleaning liquid is provided between the high-pressure pump 23a and the cleaning unit 21, and electrical wiring for driving the driving means is provided between the control panel 23b and the cleaning unit 21 and the moving means 22.

[0021] Hereinafter, a method of using the container cleaning device 2 having the above configuration will be described. First, as shown in Figure 4, while the ingredients are being stirred in the stirring device, the container cleaning device 2 waits at a position separated from the stirring device, and at that time the moving means 22 positions the cleaning unit 21 at the raised end using the lifting section 27. From this state, when the stirring of ingredients is completed in the required stirring device and the stirred ingredients are removed from the container part 11, the inside becomes ready for cleaning. In addition, the position of the stirring blades 14 at the time when the stirring of ingredients is completed is detected by the detection means, and this position information is stored in the memory means. The operator moves the container cleaning device 2 to a position adjacent to the container 1 using the cart 3, and selects the container 1 to be cleaned using the operation panel. Based on the shapes of the container 1 and the agitator blade 14 that have been input in advance and the position information of the agitator blade 14 detected by the detection means, the control means creates an operation command to clean the inner surface of the container 1 and the agitator blade 14, taking into consideration that the spray nozzle 25 will not come into contact with the inner surface of the container 1 or the agitator blade 14.

[0022] Meanwhile, the operator moves the carriage 3 so that the cleaning unit 21 is adjacent to the material feeding hole 16, and the container 1 and the container cleaning device 2 are positioned by a positioning means (not shown). When the operator operates the operation panel to give an instruction to start the cleaning operation, the control means lowers the cleaning unit 21 using the lifting section 27 of the moving means 22, and inserts the spray nozzle 25 provided on the tubular member 24 through the material inlet hole 16 of the container 1. At this time, since the material inlet 16 of the container 1 is provided at an angle, the lifting section 27 of the moving means 22 moves the cleaning unit 21 diagonally downward so that the tubular member 24 and the spray nozzle 25 do not interfere with the material inlet 16.

[0023] When the injection nozzle 25 is positioned inside the cleaning unit 21 in this way, the control means controls the moving means 22 and the cleaning unit 21 in accordance with the above-mentioned operation command, and starts cleaning the inside of the container 1. At this time, the control means accurately recognizes the position of the cleaning unit 21 via the encoders provided on the drive means 27g that drives the reel 27b of the lifting section 27 of the moving means 22, the drive means 28c that drives the slider 28b of the horizontal moving section 28, and the drive means 29d, 29e that drive the first and second swinging means 29b, 29c of the forward / backward moving section 29, and moves the spray nozzle 25 within the movable range S, causing the cleaning liquid to be sprayed from the spray nozzle 25 onto the entire inner surface of the container 1 and the stirring blade 14. In addition, the control means recognizes the position of the agitator blade 14 via the detection means, and the spray nozzle 25 sprays the cleaning liquid onto the entire inner surface of the container 1 and the agitator blade 14 without coming into contact with the agitator blade 14 or its drive shaft 14a located inside the container 1. Furthermore, in the case where a portion of the agitator blade 14 is in contact with the inner surface of the container 1, by controlling the position and orientation of the spray nozzle 25, the agitator blade 14 can be rotated a predetermined amount to shift the portion in contact with the inner surface of the container 1 from its position at the start of cleaning, and then cleaning liquid can be sprayed toward that portion to clean it. In addition, since the control means recognizes the position of the agitator blade 14, by controlling the position and orientation of the spray nozzle 25, the cleaning liquid can also be sprayed onto the agitator blade 14, making it possible to clean even agitator blades 14 with complex shapes. If it is difficult to spray the cleaning liquid directly onto the backside of the agitator blade 14, cleaning can be performed by controlling the position and direction of the spray nozzle 25, and then reflecting the cleaning liquid sprayed onto a predetermined position on the inner surface of the container 1 so that the cleaning liquid hits the backside of the agitator blade 14 indirectly.

[0024] When cleaning of the container 1 is completed in this manner, the control means uses the moving means 22 to move the cleaning unit 21 to the required position, for example, positioning the tubular member 24 in the center of the material feeding hole 16, in accordance with the operation command, and matches the inclination angle of the tubular member 24 to the angle of the slide rail 27a of the lifting section 27. From that state, when the lifting section 27 raises the cleaning unit 21 to the standby state shown in Figure 4, the tubular member 24 and the spray nozzle 25 are detached from the container 1, and then the operator moves the container cleaning device 2 from the agitator to the standby position.

[0025] Thus, according to the container cleaning device 2 of this embodiment, even if an agitator blade 14 is provided inside the container 1, the cleaning unit 21 can be freely moved up and down, back and forth, and left and right inside the container 1 while preventing collision between the spray nozzle 25 and the agitator blade 14, thereby enabling the inside of the container 1 and the agitator blade 14 to be cleaned well. In other words, since the control means recognizes the position of the agitator blade 14 via the detection means, the moving means 22 can move the cleaning unit 21 so that it does not collide with the agitator blade 14, and by moving the spray nozzle 25 so that the sprayed cleaning liquid is not blocked by the agitator blade 14, blind spots in the cleaning can be eliminated.

[0026] In the above embodiment, the agitator blade 14 is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane, but even in a container 1 configured so that the agitator blade 14 rotates in a vertical plane or a container 1 configured so that the agitator blade 14 rotates in an inclined plane, by recognizing the position of the agitator blade 14 using a detection means, it is possible to prevent collision between the spray nozzle 25 and the agitator blade 14 and to effectively clean the inner surface of the container 1 and the agitator blade 14. Furthermore, if the agitator blade driving means 15 of the agitator blade 14 is connected to the control means and the rotation of the agitator blade 14 is controlled by the control means, the control means can rotate the agitator blade 14 while moving the injection nozzle 25 so as not to collide with the agitator blade 14, thereby making it possible to more effectively clean the inner surface of the container 1. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cart 3 on which the high-pressure pump 23a and control panel 23b are installed and the cart 3 on which the cleaning unit 21 is installed can be moved separately, but these can also be moved together, or the high-pressure pump 23a and control panel 23b can be installed in predetermined positions and only the cleaning unit 21 can be moved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 Container 2 Container cleaning device 11 Container 12 Lid 14 stirring blade 15 driving means 16 Material inlet hole 21 Cleaning unit 22 Means of transportation 23 Main body 24 Tubular member 25 Injection nozzle

Claims

1. A container cleaning device for cleaning a container having an agitating blade rotated by a driving means therein, The cleaning device comprises a cleaning unit having a cleaning nozzle for spraying a cleaning liquid into the inside of a container, a moving means for moving the cleaning unit in a vertical direction, a front-rear direction and a left-right direction, a detecting means for detecting the position of an agitating blade of the container, and a control means for controlling the cleaning unit and the moving means, The container cleaning device is characterized in that the control means causes the moving means to move the cleaning unit based on the position of the stirring blade detected by the detection means.

2. 2. The container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means is an encoder that detects the position of the agitating blade via a driving means for the agitating blade.

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