Rotary drum unit and workpiece cleaning device

Abstract

To provide a rotary drum unit for workpiece feeding that can properly feed workpieces and handle foreign objects that fall from the workpieces. [Solution] In the workpiece cleaning device, the workpiece (w) is cleaned by a cleaning solution while being fed towards the workpiece discharge port (12) side by spiral feed fins (14) inside a rotating drum (7). A spiral feed groove (15) is formed on the inner circumferential surface (13) of the drum, which is wound in the opposite direction to the feed fins (14). Foreign matter washed off the workpiece flows down into the feed groove (15) along the inner circumferential surface (13) of the drum. As the rotating drum (7) rotates, the feed groove (15) feeds the foreign matter in the opposite direction towards the workpiece input port (11) and discharges it outside the rotating drum (7). A workpiece cleaning device that can properly handle foreign matter can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary drum unit for workpiece feeding used in a workpiece processing apparatus that performs cleaning, plating, and other processes on workpieces (such as metal processed products, plastic molded products, inorganic processed products such as ceramics, rubber products, and others). The present invention also relates to a workpiece cleaning apparatus using the rotary drum unit.

Background Art

[0002] A workpiece processing apparatus that conveys workpieces using a rotary drum unit, for example, a workpiece cleaning apparatus, is known. In the workpiece cleaning apparatus, among the lower portions of the inner peripheral surface of the horizontally placed rotary drum, the workpieces located between adjacent workpiece feeding fins are sent out in the direction of the central axis of the rotary drum by the workpiece feeding fins as the rotary drum rotates.

[0003] In this workpiece cleaning apparatus, the cleaning liquid is contaminated by processing oil and other foreign substances washed off from the workpieces inside the rotary drum. It is necessary to prevent the contaminated cleaning liquid or foreign substances mixed in the cleaning liquid from adhering to the workpieces after cleaning. Conventionally, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the height of the workpiece feeding fins is changed so that the contaminated cleaning liquid does not flow to the downstream side in the workpiece conveying direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a rotary drum unit for workpiece feeding that can properly feed workpieces and process foreign matter that falls off the workpieces.

[0006] Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece washing device equipped with a rotary drum unit for feeding workpieces that can properly process foreign matter and other substances washed off the workpiece.

[0007] Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece cleaning device that includes a rotary drum unit for feeding workpieces that can properly process foreign matter and other substances washed off the workpiece, and that cleans workpieces in different cleaning modes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The rotary drum unit for feeding workpieces according to the present invention is A rotating drum and A spiral projection extends spirally along the inner surface of the rotating drum at a predetermined pitch in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum, and also protrudes radially inward from the inner surface of the drum, A spiral groove extends spirally along the inner surface of the rotating drum at a predetermined pitch in the direction of the central axis, in the opposite direction to the spiral projection, and is recessed radially outward from the inner surface of the drum. A workpiece input port formed on one side in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum, A workpiece discharge port formed on the other side in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum and It has, The spiral groove is formed to prevent workpieces from getting stuck when they are fed in through the workpiece input opening. The spiral projection is characterized by being set to rotate in a first direction around the central axis of the rotating drum, thereby sending the workpiece fed in from the workpiece input port toward the workpiece discharge port.

[0009] Workpieces fed into the workpiece inlet of a rotating drum that rotates in a first direction are fed towards the workpiece discharge port along the lower inner surface of the drum's inner surface by spiral projections. The inner surface of the drum has spiral grooves formed in the opposite direction to the spiral projections used for workpiece feeding. Fine dust and other foreign matter attached to the workpiece falls off the workpiece and into the spiral grooves along the inner surface of the drum. The foreign matter that falls into the spiral grooves is then fed in the opposite direction to the workpiece feeding direction, towards the workpiece inlet, and is discharged from the workpiece inlet to the outside of the rotating drum.

[0010] Furthermore, workpieces made of materials such as rubber may stick to the inner surface of the drum and cannot be fed out. Since spiral grooves are opened on the inner surface of the drum, it is possible to suppress or prevent workpieces from sticking to the inner surface of the drum, and workpiece feeding can be carried out reliably.

[0011] When the rotary drum unit of the present invention is used in a workpiece cleaning device, cleaning fluid is supplied into the rotary drum, and the workpiece is immersed and cleaned by the cleaning fluid while being fed out together with the fluid. In this case, the washed-off foreign matter is fed out to the workpiece input side by the spiral groove along with the cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid fed out with the workpiece can be kept in a cleaner state compared to conventional methods.

[0012] A cleaning fluid discharge hole can be formed in the spiral groove to discharge the cleaning fluid flowing into the spiral groove to the outside of the rotating drum. The cleaning fluid that flows down along the inner surface of the drum flows into the spiral groove and then flows out through the cleaning fluid discharge hole. As a result, the cleaning fluid is sprayed directly onto the workpiece, so the workpiece is subjected to shower cleaning. In addition, a flow of cleaning fluid is formed along the inner surface of the drum toward the cleaning fluid discharge hole. The workpiece is exposed to this flow of cleaning fluid and subjected to running water cleaning. The flow velocity and flow rate of the cleaning fluid can be easily changed by adjusting the size and position of the cleaning fluid discharge hole.

[0013] The cleaning fluid discharge holes can be made into micropores by etching. The areas with micropores can be used as filters to capture foreign matter such as dust washed off the workpiece as the cleaning fluid passes through. Foreign matter captured by the filter and remaining in the helical grooves can be sent towards the workpiece input port by the helical grooves and discharged outside the rotating drum.

[0014] When the rotary drum unit of the present invention is used in a workpiece cleaning device, the workpiece may be transported within the rotary drum while being shower-cleaned with a cleaning solution. When shower-cleaning is performed on the workpiece, the rotary drum is formed from a porous or mesh-like material through which the cleaning solution for cleaning the workpiece can pass. Even in this case, any foreign matter remaining on the inner surface of the rotary drum is sent towards the workpiece input port by spiral grooves as the rotary drum rotates, and discharged outside the rotary drum.

[0015] In this case, a portion of the outer surface of the rotating drum can be covered by at least one cover, such as a cylindrical cover. The cover is made of a liquid-impermeable material that prevents liquids such as cleaning solutions from passing through. The cover can be detachably attached to the outer surface of the drum.

[0016] In this invention, a detachable projection may be attached to at least a portion of the spiral projection in the longitudinal direction to increase its protrusion height from the inner circumferential surface of the drum. The spiral projection can be adjusted to a protrusion height suitable for the size and shape of the workpiece. Furthermore, by increasing the protrusion height of the spiral projection located in the downstream portion in the workpiece feeding direction within the rotating drum, it is possible to reliably prevent contaminated cleaning fluid from flowing downstream. For attaching the detachable projection, a snap-fit ​​structure utilizing elastic deformation, a mounting structure using fasteners such as screws, or other mounting structures can be used.

[0017] In the present invention, at least a portion of the rotating drum can be a double-layered drum section comprising an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder. In this case, the inner cylinder is formed from a porous or mesh-like material through which a cleaning fluid for cleaning the workpiece can pass. The outer cylinder is formed from a material that does not allow the cleaning fluid to pass through. Furthermore, spiral projections are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder, and spiral grooves are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder.

[0018] In the double-layered drum section of the rotating drum, the drum is covered by an outer cylinder that prevents the cleaning fluid from passing through. By appropriately adjusting the distance between the inner and outer surfaces of the outer and inner cylinders, the height of the spiral protrusions, the size of the spiral grooves, and the amount of cleaning fluid supplied, it is possible to create conditions in which the workpiece, as it is fed along the inner surface of the inner cylinder, is either immersed in the cleaning fluid accumulated on the inner surface of the outer cylinder or not immersed. When the workpiece is immersed in the cleaning fluid, it is cleaned by immersion. When the workpiece is not immersed in the cleaning fluid, it is cleaned by shower.

[0019] In a rotating drum, the drum portion other than the double-layered drum section is formed only by the inner cylinder. In the drum portion formed only by the inner cylinder, the workpiece is transported while being shower-washed. In this case, at the boundary between the drum portion where the inner cylinder is covered by the outer cylinder and the drum portion not covered by the outer cylinder, a flow of cleaning fluid is formed from the drum portion covered by the outer cylinder to the drum portion not covered by the outer cylinder. At the boundary, the workpiece is mainly washed with flowing water. Therefore, the cleaning method for the workpiece can be easily switched by changing the mounting position and mounting range of the outer cylinder.

[0020] Even in the case of a rotating drum with a double-layered drum section, the helical groove may have a cleaning fluid discharge hole to discharge the cleaning fluid for workpiece cleaning that flows into the helical groove to the outside of the rotating drum. The outer cylinder may also be detachably attached to the inner cylinder. Furthermore, detachable protrusions may be attached to at least a portion of the helical projection in the longitudinal direction to increase the height of the projection from the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder.

[0021] Next, the work cleaning device of the present invention is characterized by having a rotary drum unit configured as described above, a cleaning liquid supply mechanism for supplying a cleaning liquid used for cleaning the work inside the rotary drum, and a drum rotation mechanism for rotating the rotary drum about its central axis.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is an overall configuration diagram of a work cleaning device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] It is a side view, a cross-sectional view taken along line 2b - 2b, a cross-sectional view taken along line 2c - 2c, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the rotary drum unit. J [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning state. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing the detachable feed fins. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing a feed groove provided with a cleaning liquid discharge hole. [Figure 6] It is a side view, a cross-sectional view taken along line 6b - 6b, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of the rotary drum. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning state.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] <G Hereinafter, embodiments of a work cleaning device to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. [[ID=S7]]

[0024] (Overall Configuration) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a work cleaning device according to the present embodiment. The work cleaning device 1 is a multi-tank in-line cleaning device for cleaning a work w such as a metal processing part manufactured by press working or the like as an object to be cleaned The work cleaning device 1 includes a device stand 2, a rotary drum unit 3, a drum rotation mechanism 4 for rotationally driving the rotary drum unit 3, a cleaning liquid supply mechanism 5 for supplying a cleaning liquid, a drying mechanism (not shown) for drying the work w after cleaning, a recovery unit 6 for the work w after cleaning and drying, and the like.

[0025] The rotary drum unit 3 is mounted on the device stand 2 in a horizontal position (including a horizontal position and a slightly inclined position). The rotary drum unit 3 consists of a washing rotary drum 7, a rinsing rotary drum 8, and a drying rotary drum 9 connected in tandem.

[0026] Figure 2(a) is a side view showing the main part of the workpiece cleaning device 1, Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the portion cut along line 2b-2b, Figure 2(c) is a cross-sectional view showing the portion cut along line 2c-2c, and Figure 2(d) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof.

[0027] The washing rotary drum 7 is formed, for example, from a metal plate, with one front end opening in the direction of its central axis 3a being the workpiece inlet 11 and the other rear end opening in the direction of its central axis 3a being the workpiece discharge port 12. The workpiece discharge port 12 is connected to the rinsing rotary drum 8. The direction from the workpiece inlet 11 to the workpiece discharge port 12 along the central axis 3a is the workpiece feeding direction A.

[0028] A spiral projection, the feed fin 14, is attached to the circular inner surface 13 of the rotating drum 7. The feed fin 14 extends spirally along the inner surface 13 of the drum at a constant pitch in the direction of the central axis 3a. The feed fin 14 is a fin of a predetermined height that rises radially inward from the inner surface 13 of the drum. In this example, as shown by the dashed line B in Figure 2(d), the height of the feed fin 14 from the inner surface 13 of the drum is set to gradually decrease from the downstream side (side of the workpiece discharge port 12) to the upstream side (side of the workpiece input port 11) in the workpiece feeding direction.

[0029] A helical groove, the feed groove 15, is formed on the inner circumferential surface 13 of the rotating drum 7. The feed groove 15 extends spirally along the inner circumferential surface 13 of the drum at a constant pitch in the direction of the central axis 3a, and is wound in the opposite direction to the feed fins 14. The feed groove 15 is a groove of a predetermined width and depth that is recessed radially outward from the inner circumferential surface 13 of the drum. The feed groove 15 is integrally formed on the inner circumferential surface 13 of the rotating drum 7 by, for example, drawing a metal plate that forms the rotating drum 7.

[0030] The feed groove 15 is set to a size that prevents the workpiece w from falling into it. In this example, the groove width of the feed groove 15 is set to a dimension smaller than the minimum width of the workpiece w. If the groove width is larger than the workpiece w, the groove opening of the feed groove 15 that opens to the inner circumferential surface 13 of the drum may be sealed with a cover made of, for example, a porous material or a mesh-like material.

[0031] The drum rotation mechanism 4 includes a rotary actuator 16 equipped with a motor and a reduction gear, a drive gear 17 fixed to its rotation shaft 16a, and an annular driven gear 18 fixed to the circular outer surface of the rotating drum 7. The drive gear 17 meshes with the driven gear 18.

[0032] An annular rib 19 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface portion of the rotating drum 7 on the side facing the workpiece input port 11. The rib 19 is supported by a pair of left and right support rollers 20. By driving the rotary actuator 16, the rotating drum unit 3, including the rotating drum 7, rotates about the central axis 3a.

[0033] The cleaning fluid supply mechanism 5 includes a cleaning fluid supply pipe 21 connected to a cleaning fluid supply source (not shown). The cleaning fluid supply pipe 21 extends inside the rotating drum 7 in the direction of the central axis 3a. Cleaning fluid discharge nozzles 22 are attached to the cleaning fluid supply pipe 21 at regular intervals along its length. The cleaning fluid discharge nozzles 22 are set to discharge cleaning fluid diagonally downwards.

[0034] Figure 3(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the rotating drum 7, and Figure 3(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning state. The cleaning operation of the workpiece cleaning device 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The drum rotation mechanism 4 is driven to rotate the rotating drum unit 3, and cleaning fluid is sprayed from the cleaning fluid spray nozzle 22 of the cleaning fluid supply mechanism 5. In this state, the workpiece w to be cleaned is inserted through the workpiece input port 11 of the rotating drum unit 3.

[0035] The workpiece w placed into the leading rotating drum 7 of the rotating drum unit 3 is sent in the workpiece feeding direction A along the central axis 3a by the spirally extending feed fins 14 along the lower inner surface portion of the inner surface 13 of the drum 7. The cleaning fluid blown out from the cleaning fluid nozzle 22 is sprayed toward the lower inner surface portion of the inner surface 13 of the drum and flows down toward the lowest point of the lower inner surface portion.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2(b), the workpiece w is held in a position slightly off-center in the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 7, rather than at the lowest point on the lower inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum 7. Accordingly, the cleaning fluid discharge direction of the cleaning fluid discharge nozzle 22 is also set to be slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction in the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 7.

[0037] Since the rotating drum 7 is made of a metal plate, the cleaning solution accumulates on the lower inner circumferential surface. As shown in Figure 3(b), the workpiece w is immersed in the cleaning solution 23 and is fed by the feed fins 14. Therefore, while being cleaned by immersion, the workpiece w is fed towards the workpiece discharge port 12.

[0038] A feed groove 15 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 13 of the drum, wound in the opposite direction to the feed fins 14. As the rotating drum 7 rotates, the cleaning fluid flowing into the feed groove 15 is sent out by the feed groove 15 in the opposite direction to the workpiece feeding direction A, towards the workpiece inlet 11. Therefore, a flow is generated in the lower part of the cleaning fluid 23 that accumulates on the lower inner circumferential surface portion of the drum's inner circumferential surface 13, toward the workpiece inlet 11. This prevents or suppresses the flow of the cleaning fluid, which has become contaminated after cleaning the workpiece w, downstream along with the workpiece w.

[0039] Foreign matter 24 such as dust and cutting chips washed off the workpiece w by immersion cleaning also descends through the cleaning liquid 23 and flows into the feed groove 15. The foreign matter 24 that flows into the feed groove 15 is then sent towards the workpiece input port 11 by the feed groove 15. Since the end of the feed groove 15 opens to the workpiece input port 11, the foreign matter is discharged outside the rotating drum 7 from this groove opening (not shown). This prevents or suppresses the foreign matter 24 washed off the workpiece w from being sent out in the workpiece feeding direction together with the cleaning liquid 23, so that the workpiece w can be cleaned efficiently.

[0040] Here, the workpiece w is held by its own weight on the lower inner surface portion of the drum's inner surface 13 and is fed toward the workpiece discharge port 12 by the feed fins 14. In the case of a workpiece w made of a material such as rubber, it may stick to the drum's inner surface 13 and rotate together with the rotating drum 7, resulting in a state where it is not fed toward the workpiece discharge port 12. In this example, the groove opening of the feed groove 15 is exposed on the drum's inner surface 13. A state is formed where a part of the workpiece w overlaps with the groove opening of the feed groove 15. Therefore, the workpiece w does not stick to the drum's inner surface 13 with a strong adhesive force, and workpiece feeding defects caused by sticking to the drum's inner surface 13 can be avoided or suppressed.

[0041] In this example, the height of the feed fins 14 gradually decreases from the downstream side to the upstream side in the workpiece feeding direction A. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3(b), the cleaning fluid that accumulates between the downstream feed fins 14 overflows to the upstream side and flows into the upstream feed fins 14. This also prevents the dirty cleaning fluid from flowing out to the downstream side.

[0042] After being washed while being fed through the rotating drum 7, the workpiece w is sent to the next stage, the rinsing rotating drum 8, where it is rinsed. Next, the workpiece w is sent to the drying rotating drum 9 to be dried, and then collected in the recovery unit 6.

[0043] (Adjusting the height of the feed fins) The feed fin 14 is, for example, a fin made of sheet metal. As shown in Figure 3(b), the feed fin 14 is formed by bending a long, flat metal plate of a predetermined width, and has a mountain-like shape with left and right side plate portions 14a and 14b of the same width and a top portion 14c connecting their tip portions. The feed fin 14 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface 13 of the drum by welding or other fixing means. The feed fin 14 can also be a fin of a predetermined height made from a single flat plate.

[0044] When cleaning workpieces of different sizes, it may be necessary to change the height of the feed fins 14 to ensure proper feeding and cleaning of the workpieces. Alternatively, it may be necessary to increase the height of a portion of the feed fins 14 in the direction of the central axis 3a of the rotating drum 7. To accommodate such cases, it is desirable to provide detachable feed fins that can be detachably attached to the feed fins 14.

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a detachable feed fin. For example, a spiral detachable feed fin 25 with a length equivalent to one turn or multiple turns is prepared. The detachable feed fin 25 is, for example, a sheet metal fin and has a V-shaped cross-section with a larger width and height than the feed fin 14. The lower edges of the left and right side plate portions 25a and 25b of the detachable feed fin 25 are slightly curved inward-facing engaging claws 25c and 25d for fitting.

[0046] In this case, the maximum width of the lower ends of the left and right side plate portions 14a and 14b of the feed fin 14A on the rotating drum 7 is made larger than the distance between the left and right engaging claws 25c and 25d of the detachable feed fin 25. Also, inwardly curved fitting grooves 14d and 14e are formed at the lower ends of the left and right side plate portions 14a and 14b. The detachable feed fin 25 is positioned to cover the feed fin 14A from above and pushed in. The left and right engaging claws 25c and 25d elastically deform and open, fitting into the left and right fitting grooves 14d and 14e of the feed fin 14A. This makes it possible to form a portion of the feed fin where the height of the fin is increased from H(14) to H(25).

[0047] As for the mechanism for attaching and detaching the feed fins, it is also possible to use fastening fittings, such as bolts, to place the detachable feed fins over the feed fins 14A and secure them to the feed fins 14A by bolting them down.

[0048] Furthermore, the detachable feed fin 25 may be a fin long enough to cover the feed fin 14A over its entire length. In this case, for example, the detachable feed fin, which extends in a spiral shape, can be screwed in from the side of the workpiece input port 11 of the rotating drum 7, using the feed fin 14A as a guide, so as to cover the feed fin 14A, and fixed to the feed fin 14A or the inner circumferential surface 13 of the drum.

[0049] (Another example of a feed groove) Figure 5 illustrates an example of a feed groove equipped with a cleaning fluid discharge hole. When the feed groove 15A is cut by a plane containing the central axis of the rotating drum 7, it has a roughly V-shaped cross-section overall. Of the groove side plate portions 15a and 15b of the feed groove 15A, the groove side plate portion 15b on the side of the workpiece input port 11 (upstream side in the workpiece feeding direction) has a cleaning fluid discharge hole 15c that extends through it. The cleaning fluid discharge holes 15c are formed at predetermined intervals along the length of the feed groove 15A. The cleaning fluid discharge holes 15c can also be slits of a predetermined width that are continuous along the length of the feed groove 15A.

[0050] The cleaning fluid 23 supplied to the rotating drum 7 hardly accumulates on the lower inner surface portion of the drum's inner surface 13, and flows downward from the cleaning fluid discharge hole 15c of the feed groove 15A. Since the cleaning fluid is sprayed directly onto the workpiece w placed in the rotating drum 7, the workpiece w is primarily subjected to shower cleaning.

[0051] A slit of a predetermined width, continuous in the direction of the feed groove length, may be formed in the groove side plate portion 15a or groove side plate portion 15b, and this slit may be sealed with a plate material made of a porous material or a mesh-like material. For example, a plate material in which a large number of micropores have been formed by etching can be used as a filter that allows only the cleaning solution to pass through and can capture foreign matter.

[0052] In the rotating drum 7, a feed groove 15A with a cleaning fluid discharge hole 15c can be arranged on the drum portion on the side of the workpiece input port 11 in the direction of the central axis, and a feed groove 15 without a cleaning fluid discharge hole 15c can be arranged on the drum portion on the side of the workpiece discharge port 12. As the workpiece passes through the rotating drum 7, it is first subjected to shower cleaning, and then to immersion cleaning. In addition, at the transition point from shower cleaning to immersion cleaning, the workpiece is cleaned with running water.

[0053] (Another example of a rotating drum) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the rotating drum 7. The rotating drum 7A shown in this figure consists of a liquid-permeable inner cylinder 31 made of a porous material such as perforated metal or a mesh material such as wire mesh, and an outer cylinder 32 which is a liquid-impermeable cylindrical cover made of a material such as a metal plate that covers a part of its outer surface.

[0054] A workpiece input port 33 is formed at one end of the inner cylinder 31, and a workpiece discharge port 34 is formed at the other end. On the inner circumferential surface 35 of the inner cylinder 31, spiral feed fins 36 are formed that extend in the direction of the central axis 30 at a constant pitch along the inner circumferential surface 35.

[0055] The outer cylinder (cylindrical cover) 32 covers the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 31 for a certain length from a predetermined distance from the workpiece input port 33 in the direction of the central axis 30. A feed groove 38 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 37 of the outer cylinder 32, extending spirally along this inner circumferential surface 37 at a constant pitch in the direction of the central axis 30. The feed groove 38 is formed in the opposite direction to the feed fins 36.

[0056] In the rotating drum 7A, the drum portion from the workpiece input port 33 to the outer cylinder 32 is a pre-shower cleaning section 39A where the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 31 is exposed, the drum portion of a predetermined length covered by the outer cylinder 32 is an immersion cleaning section 39B, and the drum portion from the outer cylinder 32 to the workpiece discharge port 34 is a post-shower cleaning section 39C where the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 31 is exposed.

[0057] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning state in the rotating drum 7A. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the workpiece w introduced from the workpiece inlet 33 of the rotating drum 7A is shower-cleaned while being sent through the preceding shower cleaning section 39A. The cleaning liquid does not accumulate on the lower inner surface portion of the inner surface 35, but flows down through the inner cylinder 31 of the rotating drum 7A.

[0058] In the next immersion cleaning section 39B, as shown in Figure 7, the outer cylinder 32 is made of a liquid-impermeable material, so the cleaning liquid 40 accumulates on the lower inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum 7A. The workpiece w, which is fed through the cleaning liquid by the feed fins 36, is immersed and cleaned. A portion of the cleaning liquid 40 and foreign matter flows into the feed groove 38 and is fed backward to the upstream side by the feed groove 38. The backward-fed cleaning liquid and foreign matter flow down from the end of the feed groove 38, which opens at the edge of the outer cylinder 32 on the side of the workpiece input port.

[0059] In the subsequent shower cleaning section 39C, the workpiece w being fed is subjected to shower cleaning, similar to the preceding shower cleaning section 39A. The cleaned workpiece w is then fed to the subsequent rotating drum 8. At the boundary between the preceding shower cleaning section 39A and the immersion cleaning section 39B, and at the boundary between the immersion cleaning section 39B and the subsequent shower cleaning section 39C, the workpiece is subjected to running water cleaning.

[0060] Here, the rotating drum 7A can also be a double-walled cylinder consisting of an inner cylinder 31 and an outer cylinder 32 throughout its entire length. In this case, the workpiece is subjected to immersion cleaning along its entire length.

[0061] Furthermore, the outer cylinder 32 can be detachably attached to the inner cylinder 31. For example, the outer cylinder 32 can be attached to the outer surface of the inner cylinder 31 by pushing it outwards from the radial outside, and then fastening the outer cylinder 32 from the outside with a fastening band or the like to attach it to the outer surface of the cylinder 31. Multiple types of cylindrical covers with different lengths and shapes may be prepared as outer cylinders, and the necessary parts of the inner cylinder 31 may be covered with cylindrical covers.

Claims

1. A rotating drum and A spiral projection extends spirally along the inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum at a predetermined pitch in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum, and protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the drum, A spiral groove extends spirally along the inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum at a predetermined pitch in the direction of the central axis, in the opposite direction to the spiral projection, and is recessed radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the drum. A workpiece input port formed on one side in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum, A workpiece discharge port formed on the other side in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum and It has, The aforementioned spiral groove is formed to prevent workpieces from getting stuck when they are fed in through the workpiece input opening. The winding direction of the spiral projection is set such that the rotation of the rotating drum in a first direction about the central axis of the rotating drum sends the workpiece that has been fed in from the workpiece input port toward the workpiece discharge port.

2. In claim 1, The rotating drum unit is provided with a helical groove having a cleaning fluid discharge hole that discharges the cleaning fluid for cleaning the workpiece that flows into the helical groove to the outside of the rotating drum.

3. In claim 1, The aforementioned rotating drum is a rotating drum unit formed from a porous or mesh-like material through which a cleaning solution for cleaning the workpiece can pass.

4. In claim 3, The rotating drum has at least one cylindrical cover that covers a portion of the outer surface of the drum, The cylindrical cover is a rotating drum unit that is detachably attached to the outer surface of the drum.

5. In claim 1, A rotary drum unit to which a detachable projection can be attached to increase the height from the inner circumferential surface of the drum, wherein at least a portion of the projection in the longitudinal direction of the spiral projection is detachable.

6. A rotating drum having a double-layered drum section with an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, A spiral projection extends spirally along the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder at a predetermined pitch in the direction of the central axis of the rotating drum, and protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder, A spiral groove extends spirally along the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder at a predetermined pitch in the direction of the central axis, in the opposite direction to the spiral projection, and is recessed radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder. A workpiece input port formed at one end of the rotating drum in the direction of the central axis, A workpiece discharge port formed at the other end of the rotating drum in the direction of the central axis and It has, The inner cylinder is formed from a porous or mesh-like material through which a cleaning solution for cleaning the workpiece can pass. The outer cylinder is formed from a material that does not allow the cleaning liquid to pass through. The winding direction of the spiral projection is set such that the rotation of the rotating drum in a first direction about the central axis of the rotating drum sends the workpiece fed in from the workpiece input port toward the workpiece discharge port.

7. In claim 6, The rotating drum unit is provided with a helical groove having a cleaning fluid discharge hole that discharges the cleaning fluid for cleaning the workpiece that flows into the helical groove to the outside of the rotating drum.

8. In claim 6, The outer cylinder is a rotating drum unit that is detachably attached to the inner cylinder.

9. In claim 6, A rotary drum unit to which a detachable projection can be attached to increase the height from the inner circumferential surface of the drum, wherein at least a portion of the projection in the longitudinal direction of the spiral projection is detachable.

10. A rotary drum unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, Inside the rotating drum is a cleaning fluid supply mechanism for supplying cleaning fluid used to clean the workpiece, A drum rotation mechanism that rotates the rotating drum about the central axis and A workpiece cleaning device that has the following features.

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