Filtration device and maintenance method for the filtration device
The filtration device improves maintenance workability by using a rotatable support mechanism to expose filter media outside the container for inspection and maintenance, reducing the need for lid removal and lowering costs through shared discharge sections.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KOBELCO ECO SOLUTIONS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-29
AI Technical Summary
Conventional filtration devices require the removal and movement of a bottom lid for inspecting and maintaining the filter medium, leading to poor maintenance workability.
A filtration device with a detachable filter section and a rotatable support mechanism that allows the filter media to be advanced or retracted without removing the container lid, enabling maintenance without lid removal.
Facilitates easier maintenance by allowing filter media to be exposed outside the container for inspection and maintenance, reducing the need for lid removal and lowering manufacturing costs through shared discharge sections.
Smart Images
Figure 2026106344000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a filtration device for filtering a workpiece and a maintenance method for the filtration device.
Background Art
[0002] The filtration and drying device described in Patent Document 1 includes a container for accommodating a workpiece, a filter medium provided at the bottom of the container, and a stirring blade for stirring the workpiece. In the filtration step, solids contained in the workpiece are captured by the filter medium, and the filtrate separated from the solids is discharged to the outside of the container through a drain port provided at the bottom of the container.
[0003] In this filtration and drying device, when inspecting the filter medium and its peripheral portion, the operator first removes the lower lid constituting the bottom of the container from the container body and moves the lower lid to the side of the container body. Subsequently, the filter medium attached to the lower lid is inspected, and the lower opening of the container body is inspected from below the container body. When the inspection work is completed, the lower lid is attached to the container body in the reverse procedure of when it was removed.
[0004] In the filtration and drying device described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the lower lid has to be removed and moved from the container body when inspecting the filter medium and its peripheral portion, resulting in poor maintenance workability.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a filtration device and a maintenance method for the filtration device that can improve maintenance workability.
[0007] To achieve the above objective, the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a container having a containment space for containing a material to be processed; a filter section for filtering the material to be processed; and a liquid discharge section provided in the container and constituting a liquid discharge passage for discharging the liquid produced by filtering the material to be processed by the filter section to the outside of the containment space, wherein the filter section comprises a filter material positioned to be detachably connected to the liquid discharge passage, and a section provided outside the container that advances the filter material toward the liquid discharge passage. The device comprises a filter media advancement / retraction device and a rotatable support portion that rotatably supports the filter media advancement / retraction device between a first position and a second position. When the filter media advancement / retraction device is supported by the rotatable support portion in the first position and the filter media is advanced by the filter media advancement / retraction device, the filter media is positioned in the liquid discharge passage. When the filter media advancement / retraction device is supported by the rotatable support portion in the second position and the filter media is retracted by the filter media advancement / retraction device, the filter media is exposed to the external space of the container.
[0008] In this filtration device, the filter media advancement device is rotatably supported between a first position and a second position by a rotating support. When the filter media advancement device is supported in the first position and the filter media is advanced, the filter media is positioned in the liquid discharge passage. In this state, the filtration device can filter the material to be processed. When the filter media advancement device is supported in the second position and the filter media is retracted, the filter media is exposed to the external space of the container. In this state, the operator can perform maintenance on the filter media and the liquid discharge passage. Therefore, when performing maintenance on the filter media and the liquid discharge passage, it is not necessary to remove and move the bottom lid of the container as in conventional methods, making maintenance work easier.
[0009] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that the rotating support portion has a vertically extending pivot axis for rotating the filter media advancement device in the horizontal direction.
[0010] In this configuration, the filter media advancement device can be rotated horizontally around a pivot axis that extends vertically. Compared to rotating the filter media advancement device against gravity around a pivot axis that extends horizontally, the filter media advancement device can be rotated with less force. Therefore, it is easier to rotate the filter media advancement device between the first and second positions.
[0011] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that the filter media advancement and retraction device comprises a filter media mounting section to which the filter media is attached, a drive section for advancing and retracting the filter media mounting section, and a secondary discharge section which constitutes a secondary discharge passage for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter media, wherein the filter media mounting section has a funnel-shaped receiving opening for receiving the liquid that has passed through the filter media, and the secondary discharge passage is connected to the internal space of the receiving opening.
[0012] In this configuration, the liquid that has passed through the filter material can be efficiently guided to the secondary discharge channel via a funnel-shaped receiving port.
[0013] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that one receiving port is formed in the filter media mounting portion, and the upstream end of the secondary discharge passage is connected to the smaller diameter end of the receiving port.
[0014] In this configuration, the liquid that has passed through the filter material can be efficiently guided to the secondary discharge path through a single funnel-shaped receiving port.
[0015] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that the filter media advancement device comprises a cylindrical cylinder, a piston that is reciprocated by the pressure of a fluid inside the cylinder, and a piston rod connected to the piston, and the filter media mounting portion is provided at the tip of the piston rod.
[0016] In this configuration, the filter media and filter media mounting section can be moved forward and backward using fluid pressure, making maintenance work easier even when the filter media and filter media mounting section are heavy.
[0017] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that at least a portion of the secondary discharge passage is formed inside the piston rod.
[0018] In this configuration, at least a portion of the piston rod functions as a secondary discharge section. Therefore, the number of parts constituting the secondary discharge section can be reduced, and manufacturing costs can be kept low.
[0019] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that it is provided in the container and comprises a solid matter discharge section which constitutes a solid matter discharge passage for discharging solid matter captured by the filter section to the outside of the containment space, and the liquid matter discharge section is switched to the solid matter discharge section by the retraction of the filter material from the liquid matter discharge passage.
[0020] In this configuration, the liquid discharge section also serves as the solid discharge section, eliminating the need for a separate solid discharge section. This allows for lower manufacturing costs and easier maintenance. Furthermore, if a heating or cooling jacket is provided on the container wall, a larger heat transfer area can be secured on the wall, enabling efficient heating or cooling of the material being processed.
[0021] Another feature of the filtration apparatus according to the present invention is that it is provided with a jacket on the wall of the container for heating or cooling the material to be processed contained in the containment space.
[0022] In this configuration, a large area of heat transfer (heat transfer surface area) can be secured on the wall of the container, allowing for efficient heating or cooling of the object being processed.
[0023] In order to achieve the above object, the maintenance method of the filtration device according to the present invention is characterized in that it is a maintenance method of the filtration device, comprising a retreating step of retreating the filter medium from the liquid discharge path by the filter medium advancing / retreating device, a rotating step of rotating the filter medium advancing / retreating device from the first position to the second position by the rotation support portion, and a maintenance step of maintaining at least one of the filter medium and the liquid discharge path.
[0024] In this configuration, by the retreating step of retreating the filter medium from the liquid discharge path and the rotating step of rotating the filter medium advancing / retreating device from the first position to the second position, the filter medium can be separated from the liquid discharge path and exposed to the external space of the container. Therefore, it is easy for the operator to perform maintenance work on the filter medium and the liquid discharge path.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0025] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing the configuration of the filtration device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1 showing the configuration of the filtration device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] (A) is a plan view showing the configuration of the main part of the filtration device, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in (A). [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section. [Figure 5] It is a view showing the configuration of the filter section, (A) is a plan view, and (B) is a front view. [Figure 6] (A) is a view showing the charging step, and (B) is a view showing the filtration preparation step. [Figure 7] (C) is a view showing the filtration step, and (D) is a view showing the drying step. [Figure 8] (E) is a view showing the discharging step. [Figure 9] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state where the filter medium is retreated, and (B) is a plan view showing the state where the filter medium advancing / retreating device is rotated. [Figure 10](A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section according to the first modified example, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section according to the second modified example. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section according to the third modified example. [Figure 12] (A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a filtration device according to another embodiment, and (B) is a diagram showing the discharge process in a filtration device according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0026] Hereinafter, a filtration apparatus and filtration method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0027] (Filtration device according to the embodiment) Figure 1 is a front view showing the configuration of the filtration device 10 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1, showing the configuration of the filtration device 10. Figure 3(A) is a plan view showing the configuration of the main part of the filtration device 10, and Figure 3(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in Figure 3(A). Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the filter section 18. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the filter section 18, with Figure 5(A) being a plan view and Figure 5(B) being a front view. Figure 6(A) shows the input process, and Figure 6(B) shows the filtration preparation process. Figure 7(C) shows the filtration process, and Figure 7(D) shows the drying process. Figure 8(E) shows the discharge process. Note that the directions "front, back, left, right, up, down" used in the following description correspond to the directions indicated by arrows in the figures.
[0028] The filtration apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a device for performing each step of the filtration method shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8 in a chemical plant or the like. As shown in Figure 3(B), the filtration apparatus 10 comprises a container 12 having a containment space S for containing the material to be processed W (Figures 6, 7, and 8), and a first jacket 14, a second jacket 16, a filter section 18, and a stirring device 20 provided in the container 12. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the filtration apparatus 10 also comprises a container state changing section 22 and a control section 24.
[0029] As shown in Figure 3(B), the container 12 has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 26 extending in the vertical direction, a disc-shaped upper wall portion 28 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 26 to close the upper opening, and a disc-shaped lower wall portion 30 provided at the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 26 to close the lower opening. The peripheral wall portion 26, the upper wall portion 28, and the lower wall portion 30 are made of metal such as stainless steel, and these constitute the bottomed cylindrical "wall portion" of the container 12. Here, "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction defined by focusing on the state of the container 12 when the center line L of the container 12 is placed parallel to the vertical direction, and does not refer to the vertical direction. Therefore, if the container 12 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction, the "vertical direction" will be the direction intersecting the vertical direction.
[0030] As shown in Figure 3(B), an outlet 32 is formed in the forward-facing portion of the lower part of the peripheral wall 26 for discharging liquid or solid matter produced by filtering the material to be processed W in the filter section 18 to the outside of the containment space S. The outlet 32 in this embodiment is circular in shape, and the lower end of the outlet 32 is at the same height as the upper surface of the lower wall section 30. The seat 34 of the filter section 18 is provided on the outer surface of the inner circumference 32a of the outlet 32 so as to protrude to the outside of the container 12.
[0031] As shown in Figure 7(C), in the filtration process using the filtration device 10, the outlet 32 and the seat portion 34 constitute a liquid discharge channel V for discharging the liquid material W to the outside of the containment space S. In other words, in the filtration process, the outlet 32 and the seat portion 34 become a liquid discharge section 36 that constitutes the liquid discharge channel V.
[0032] As shown in Figure 8(E), in the discharge process using the filtration device 10, the discharge port 32 and the seat portion 34 constitute a solid matter discharge channel U for discharging the solid matter of the material to be processed W to the outside of the containment space S. In other words, in the discharge process, the discharge port 32 and the seat portion 34 become a solid matter discharge section 38 that constitutes the solid matter discharge channel U. To put it another way, the liquid matter discharge section 36 also serves as the solid matter discharge section 38.
[0033] As shown in Figure 3(B), a shaft through-hole 42 through which the drive shaft 40 of the agitator 20 is inserted is formed in the center of the upper wall 28, and an inlet 44 for introducing the material to be processed W into the containment space S and an instrument mounting hole 46 are formed in the portion of the upper wall 28 that is not centered. As shown in Figure 3(A), two viewing window mounting holes 48a, 48b and two pressure pipe connection holes 50a, 50b are further formed in the portion of the upper wall 28 that is not centered. Pressure pipes (not shown) are connected to the pressure pipe connection holes 50a, 50b.
[0034] As shown in Figure 3(B), the peripheral wall portion 26 is provided with a first jacket 14 for heating or cooling the workpiece W that comes into contact with the peripheral wall portion 26. The first jacket 14 has a jacket body 52 formed to follow the peripheral wall portion 26 of the container 12, and a first heat medium flow path 54 through which a heat medium (hot water or cold water) flows is formed between the peripheral wall portion 26 and the jacket body 52. As shown in Figure 3(A), the jacket body 52 is provided with a heat medium inlet 56a and a heat medium outlet 56b spaced apart from each other. Although not shown, a heat medium supply pipe and a heat medium supply pump are connected to the heat medium inlet 56a, and a heat medium discharge pipe is connected to the heat medium outlet 56b. A control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the heat medium supply pump, and the heat medium supply pump is driven or stopped according to a control signal given by the control unit 24.
[0035] As shown in Figure 3(B), the lower wall portion 30 is provided with a second jacket 16 for heating or cooling the workpiece W that comes into contact with the lower wall portion 30. The second jacket 16 has a jacket body 58 formed to follow the lower wall portion 30 of the container 12, and a second heat medium flow path 60 through which a heat medium (hot water or cold water) flows is formed between the lower wall portion 30 and the jacket body 58. The jacket body 58 is provided with a heat medium inlet 62a and a heat medium outlet 62b spaced apart from each other, as shown in Figure 3(A). Although not shown, a heat medium supply pipe and a heat medium supply pump are connected to the heat medium inlet 62a, and a heat medium discharge pipe is connected to the heat medium outlet 62b. A control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the heat medium supply pump, and the heat medium supply pump is driven or stopped according to a control signal given by the control unit 24.
[0036] When the heat transfer fluid is supplied to the first jacket 14 and the second jacket 16 shown in Figure 3(B), the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30 are heated or cooled by the heat transfer fluid. Then, heat exchange occurs between the workpiece W housed in the containment space S and the peripheral wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 30, causing the workpiece W to be heated or cooled.
[0037] The filter section 18 shown in Figure 3(B) is the part that filters the material to be processed W in the filtration process (Figure 7(C)), and is provided in the part of the peripheral wall 26 where the outlet 32 is formed. As shown in Figure 4, the filter section 18 has a housing 64, a seat 34, a filter material 66, a filter material advancement / retraction device 68, and a rotating support part 70.
[0038] The housing 64 has a cylindrical main body 72. The direction in which the centerline of the main body 72 extends coincides with the direction in which the centerline of the discharge port 32 extends, and one axial end 72a of the main body 72 is directed toward the discharge port 32. A cylindrical nozzle 74 is provided on the upper part of the main body 72, and a lid 76 is attached to the opening of the nozzle 74. A discharge chute 78 is provided on the lower part of the main body 72 to guide the solid material W to be processed discharged from the discharge port 32 downwards.
[0039] A disc-shaped first wall portion 80 is provided at one axial end 72a of the main body portion 72, and a circular hole 80a is formed in the first wall portion 80 into which the filter material mounting portion 82 of the filter material advancement device 68 is inserted. A disc-shaped second wall portion 84 is provided at the other axial end 72b of the main body portion 72, and a circular hole 84a is formed in the second wall portion 84 into which the piston rod 86 of the filter material advancement device 68 is inserted.
[0040] The seat portion 34 is formed in an annular shape with an inner diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the outlet 32, and is joined to the outer surface of the inner circumference 32a of the outlet 32. The inner circumference 34a of the seat portion 34 is tapered, widening towards the outside of the container 12. An annular groove 34b is formed on the end face of the seat portion 34 facing the inner circumference 32a of the outlet 32, and the opening of the groove 34b is closed by the inner circumference 32a of the outlet 32.
[0041] As shown in Figure 5(A), the seat portion 34 has a heat medium inlet 88a for supplying a heat medium (hot or cold water) to the internal space Q of the groove 34b, and a heat medium outlet 88b for discharging the heat medium from the internal space Q. Although not shown, a heat medium supply pipe and a heat medium supply pump are connected to the heat medium inlet 88a, and a heat medium discharge pipe is connected to the heat medium outlet 88b. A control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the heat medium supply pump, and the heat medium supply pump is driven or stopped according to a control signal given by the control unit 24. When the heat medium is supplied to the internal space Q of the groove 34b, the inner circumference 32a of the discharge port 32 is heated or cooled by the heat medium, and the workpiece W in contact with the inner circumference 32a is heated or cooled.
[0042] The filter material 66 shown in Figure 4 is a component that filters the material to be processed W, and is detachably positioned in a liquid discharge passage V, which is composed of a liquid discharge section 36 (discharge port 32 and seat 34). The filter material 66 in this embodiment is a sintered wire mesh formed in a disc shape and has sufficient strength to maintain its shape on its own. The type of filter material 66 is not limited to sintered wire mesh; a filter cloth made of woven or non-woven fabric may also be used. Furthermore, the filter material 66 may be supported by a plate-shaped support (not shown) having numerous holes for the liquid material W to pass through.
[0043] As shown in Figure 4, the filter media advancement device 68 is provided outside the container 12 and is a device that advances and retracts the filter media 66 relative to the liquid discharge passage V. It has a filter media mounting section 82, a drive section 90, and a secondary discharge section 92 that communicates with the liquid discharge section 36.
[0044] The filter media mounting portion 82 is the part to which the filter media 66 is attached, and is formed in the shape of a frustoconical cone having a tapered outer surface 82a that contacts the tapered inner surface 34a of the seat portion 34. The tip surface 82b, which is the end face on the smaller diameter side of the filter media mounting portion 82, and the base end surface 82c, which is the end face on the larger diameter side, are formed in a plane perpendicular to the center line of the filter media mounting portion 82. A through hole 94 extending in the axial direction is formed in the center of the filter media mounting portion 82. The through hole 94 is part of the secondary discharge passage F that communicates with the liquid discharge passage V.
[0045] A funnel-shaped opening 96 is provided at the tip surface 82b of the filter media mounting portion 82. The inner surface of the opening 96 is formed in a conical shape with the largest diameter at the tip surface 82b, and the upstream end of the secondary discharge passage F is connected to the part located at the apex of the cone on the inner surface of the opening 96, that is, the end on the smaller diameter side of the opening 96. In other words, the secondary discharge passage F is connected to the narrowest part of the internal space of the opening 96. The outer circumference of the filter media 66 is fixed to the tip surface 82b, and the part of the filter media 66 that is inside the outer circumference faces the internal space of the opening 96. Therefore, all liquid that passes through the filter media 66 is guided through the opening 96 to the through hole 94, i.e., the secondary discharge passage F.
[0046] The outer diameter of the tip portion of the filter media mounting portion 82, including the tip surface 82b, is set to be approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the discharge port 32, and the outer diameter of the base portion of the filter media mounting portion 82, including the base end surface 82c, is set to be approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the circular hole 80a formed in the first wall portion 80 of the housing 64. An annular groove (not shown) is formed on the outer circumferential surface 82a of the filter media mounting portion 82, and a sealing member 98 such as an O-ring is fitted into this groove. When the filter media 66 attached to the filter media mounting portion 82 is positioned in the liquid discharge passage V, the outer circumferential surface 82a of the filter media mounting portion 82 and the inner circumferential surface 34a of the seat portion 34 are in contact, and the gap between the outer circumferential surface 82a and the inner circumferential surface 34a is sealed by the sealing member 98.
[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the drive unit 90 is the part that moves the filter media mounting section 82 forward and backward, and includes a cylinder 100 to which a high-pressure fluid (hydraulic in this embodiment) is supplied, a piston 102 that is reciprocated by the fluid pressure inside the cylinder 100, a piston rod 86 connected to the piston 102, and a bellows 104 that protects the piston rod 86. In other words, the drive unit 90 in this embodiment is a hydraulic cylinder device.
[0048] The cylinder 100 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an internal space for housing the piston 102 and is located outside the housing 64. One end 100a of the cylinder 100 is fixed to the outer surface of the second wall portion 84 of the housing 64 via a fixing member 106. A fluid supply pipe, a fluid supply pump, and a valve (not shown) are connected to the cylinder 100, and the control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the fluid supply pump and the valve.
[0049] The piston rod 86 is formed in a cylindrical shape to form part of the secondary discharge passage F. The portion of the piston rod 86 that protrudes from the cylinder 100 toward the discharge port 32 is located inside the housing 64. A bellows 104 is arranged around the piston rod 86 inside the housing 64. The end of the piston rod 86 toward the discharge port 32, i.e., the tip 86a, is inserted into the through hole 94 of the filter media mounting portion 82 and is fixed to the base end face 82c of the filter media mounting portion 82 via a fixing member 108. In other words, the filter media mounting portion 82 is provided at the tip 86a of the piston rod 86. The base end 86b of the piston rod 86 protrudes from an opening 100c formed in the other end 100b of the cylinder 100, and a drain pipe, drain pump, and valve (not shown) are connected to the base end 86b. The control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the drain pump and valve.
[0050] The secondary discharge section 92 is a part that constitutes a secondary discharge passage F for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter media 66. In this embodiment, the secondary discharge section 92 is composed of a filter media mounting section 82 and a piston rod 86.
[0051] The rotating support portion 70 shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B) is the part that rotatably supports the filter media advancement device 68 between the first position P1 and the second position P2 shown in Figure 9(B). The first position P1 is the position of the filter media advancement device 68 relative to the container 12 when each processing step is performed using the filtration device 10. The second position P2 is the position of the filter media advancement device 68 relative to the container 12 when an operator is performing maintenance on the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge passage V.
[0052] As shown in Figure 5(B), the rotating support section 70 includes a base 110 provided on the container 12, a rotating shaft 112 provided on the base 110, and two bearing sections 114 provided on the housing 64. The rotating shaft 112 is configured to allow the filter media advancement device 68 to rotate horizontally when an operator performs maintenance work. In this embodiment, when performing maintenance work, the container 12 is held with its center line L (Figure 3(B)) extending vertically. Therefore, the rotating shaft 112 is provided parallel to the center line L of the container 12. In other words, at the time of performing maintenance work, the rotating support section 70 has a vertically extending rotating shaft 112 for rotating the filter media advancement device 68 horizontally.
[0053] As shown in Figure 5(A), the rotating support section 70 has a locking mechanism 116 for preventing the rotation of the filter media advancement device 68 when the filter media advancement device 68 is in the first position P1. The locking mechanism 116 has a hooked portion 118 provided on the container 12 and a hooking mechanism 120 provided on the housing 64. The hooking mechanism 120 has a hooking portion 120a that hooks onto the hooked portion 118 and an operating lever 120b. The operator can hook the hooking portion 120a onto the hooked portion 118 or detach it from the hooked portion 118 by operating the operating lever 120b by hand.
[0054] As shown in Figure 4, the filter media advancement device 68 is supported by the rotating support part 70 at a first position P1 relative to the container 12, and when the filter media 66 is advanced by the filter media advancement device 68, the filter media 66 is positioned in the liquid discharge passage V.
[0055] As shown in Figure 8(E), the filter media advancement device 68 is supported by the rotating support part 70 at a first position P1 relative to the container 12, and when the filter media 66 is retracted by the filter media advancement device 68, the filter media 66 is released from the liquid discharge passage V and the solid discharge passage U is opened. In other words, the liquid discharge section 36 is switched to the solid discharge section 38 by the retraction of the filter media 66 from the liquid discharge passage V.
[0056] As shown in Figure 9(B), the filter media advancement device 68 is supported by the rotating support part 70 at the second position P2 relative to the container 12, and when the filter media 66 is retracted by the filter media advancement device 68, the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge passage V are exposed to the space outside the container 12.
[0057] As shown in Figure 3(B), the stirring device 20 is a device for stirring the material to be processed W in the containment space S, and has a drive shaft 40, a stirring blade 122, and a drive motor 124. The drive shaft 40 is inserted through a shaft through hole 42 formed in the upper wall portion 28 of the container 12. The stirring blade 122 is attached to the lower end of the drive shaft 40, and the rotation shaft (not shown) of the drive motor 124 is connected to the upper end of the drive shaft 40. A control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the drive motor 124, and the drive motor 124 rotates or stops according to the control signal given by the control unit 24.
[0058] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container state changing section 22 is a member that supports the container 12 so that its angle can be changed, and has a pair of frames 126a, 126b arranged on both the left and right sides of the container 12, a pair of bearing sections 128a, 128b, a pair of pivot shafts 130a, 130b extending in the left and right directions, and a pivot operation section 132.
[0059] Each of the pair of frames 126a and 126b is constructed by joining rod-shaped bases 134a and 134b, which have a square cross-section, and rod-shaped support columns 136a and 136b, which also have a square cross-section, in an inverted T-shape. The bases 134a and 134b are arranged extending in the front-to-back direction, and the support columns 136a and 136b are arranged extending in the vertical direction. Bearing portions 128a and 128b are provided at the upper ends of the support columns 136a and 136b.
[0060] The right end of the left pivot shaft 130a is joined to the left side of the container 12, and the left end of the right pivot shaft 130b is joined to the right side of the container 12. In addition, the left end of the left pivot shaft 130a is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 128a, and the right end of the right pivot shaft 130b is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 128b.
[0061] The rotating operation unit 132 is the part that changes the tilt angle of the container 12 by rotating the left rotating shaft 130a. It has a gear unit 138 incorporated in the left bearing 128a, a drive motor 140 for inputting rotational force to the input terminal of the gear unit 138, and a manual handle 142 for inputting rotational force to the input terminal of the gear unit 138. The output terminal of the gear unit 138 is connected to the left rotating shaft 130a. A control unit 24 (Figure 1) is electrically connected to the drive motor 140, and the drive motor 140 rotates or stops according to the control signal given by the control unit 24. Alternatively, the operator may change the tilt angle of the container 12 by rotating the rotating shaft 130a by turning the manual handle 142.
[0062] The control unit 24 shown in Figure 1 is a device that controls each electrical component for operating the filtration device 10, and is composed of a microcomputer (not shown) consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The ROM stores the operating programs for each electrical component.
[0063] (Filtration method using a filtration device) When filtering the material to be processed W using the filtration device 10, the input step, filtration preparation step, filtration step, drying step, and discharge step are performed in this order. The state of the material to be processed W can be a state containing both solid and liquid matter, a state containing only solid matter, or a state containing only liquid matter.
[0064] The loading process shown in Figure 6(A) is the process of loading the material to be processed W into the containment space S of the container 12. During the loading process, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 140 of the container state changing unit 22 so that the container 12 is held in a state where the center line L extends in the vertical direction. The operator loads the material to be processed W into the containment space S from the loading port 44 of the container 12. The material to be processed W loaded into the containment space S includes both liquid and solid materials.
[0065] The filtration preparation step shown in Figure 6(B) is a process in which the solid material W to be processed, which is introduced into the containment space S, is dissolved in a liquid to create a solution, and then the solid material is precipitated from the solution. In the filtration preparation step, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 140 of the container state change unit 22 so as to rotate the container 12 from the state shown in Figure 6(A) counterclockwise by 45 degrees and stop it. Therefore, the inclination angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees. The control unit 24 also controls the drive motor 124 of the stirring device 20 so as to rotate the stirring blade 122.
[0066] When dissolving the solid material W into a liquid, the control unit 24 controls the heat transfer medium supply pump (not shown) to supply hot water to the first jacket 14 and the second jacket 16. When precipitating the solid material from the solution, the control unit 24 controls the heat transfer medium supply pump (not shown) to supply cold water to the first jacket 14 and the second jacket 16.
[0067] The filtration process shown in Figure 7(C) involves filtering the material to be processed W with a filter medium 66 to discharge the liquid material from the liquid material discharge channel V and to capture the solid material from the material to be processed W. During the filtration process, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 140 of the container state changing unit 22 to rotate the container 12 in the filtration preparation process shown in Figure 6(B) 90 degrees clockwise from its current state and stop it. As a result, the container 12 is tilted to the opposite side from the filtration preparation process, and the tilt angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees.
[0068] In the filtration process, the outlet 32 and seat 34 become a liquid discharge section 36 that constitutes the liquid discharge passage V, and the filter media 66 is positioned in the liquid discharge passage V by the filter media advancement device 68. The liquid of the material to be processed W is then discharged through the liquid discharge passage V and the secondary discharge passage F.
[0069] The drying process shown in Figure 7(D) is a process of heating and drying the solid material W to be processed that has been captured in the filter section 18. In the drying process, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 140 of the container state changing unit 22 so that the container 12 of the filtration process shown in Figure 7(C) is rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise from the state shown in the figure and then stopped. The control unit 24 also controls the drive motor 124 of the stirring device 20 so that the stirring blade 122 is rotated, and controls the heat transfer medium supply pump (not shown) so that hot water is supplied to the first jacket 14 and the second jacket 16.
[0070] The discharge process shown in Figure 8(E) is the process of discharging the solid material W that has been captured in the filtration process and dried in the drying process from the solid material discharge passage U. In the discharge process, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 140 of the container state changing unit 22 so as to rotate the container 12 of the drying process shown in Figure 7(D) 45 degrees clockwise from its current state and stop it. Therefore, the inclination angle of the container 12 with respect to the horizontal plane becomes 45 degrees, and the state of the container 12 becomes the same as the state of the filtration process shown in Figure 7(C).
[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 24 controls the drive motor 124 of the agitator 20 to rotate the agitator blade 122, and also controls the fluid supply pump and valves (not shown) connected to the cylinder 100 to retract the filter media 66. When the filter media 66 is retracted, it is separated from the liquid discharge passage V and the solid discharge passage U is opened. In other words, the liquid discharge section 36 is switched to the solid discharge section 38. Therefore, the solid material of the material to be processed W is discharged through the solid discharge passage U and the discharge chute 78.
[0072] (Maintenance method for filtration systems) Figure 9(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the filter media 66 in a retracted position, and Figure 9(B) is a plan view showing the filter media advancement / retraction device 68 in a rotated position. When an operator performs maintenance work on the filtration device 10, the control unit 24 executes the retraction process, followed by the operator manually executing the rotation process, and then the operator manually executing the maintenance process.
[0073] As shown in Figure 9(A), the retraction step is the step of retracting the filter media 66 from the liquid discharge passage V. In this embodiment, the filter media advancement / retraction device 68 retracts the filter media 66 into the interior of the housing 64. Therefore, in the subsequent rotation step, it is possible to prevent the filter media 66 and the filter media mounting portion 82 from getting caught on the seat portion 34.
[0074] As shown in Figure 9(B), the rotation process involves rotating the filter media advancement device 68 from a first position P1 to a second position P2 using the rotation support portion 70. When the filter media advancement device 68 is supported at the second position P2 by the rotation support portion 70, the filter media 66 is separated from the liquid discharge passage V and exposed to the external space of the container 12.
[0075] The maintenance process involves maintaining at least one of the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge channel V. In the rotation process described above, the filter media 66 is separated from the liquid discharge channel V and exposed to the external space of the container 12, making it easier to perform maintenance work on at least one of the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge channel V.
[0076] (Effects of the embodiment) The filtration device 10 and filtration method of this embodiment can achieve the following effects with the above configuration. Specifically, when the filter media advancement device 68 is supported at the first position P1 by the rotation support part 70 and the filter media 66 is advanced, the filter media 66 is positioned in the liquid discharge passage V. In this state, the filtration device 10 can filter the material to be processed W.
[0077] When the filter media advancement device 68 is supported at the second position P2 by the rotation support part 70, and the filter media 66 is retracted, the filter media 66 is exposed to the external space of the container 12. In this state, the operator can perform maintenance on the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge channel V. Therefore, maintenance work on the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge channel V is easy to perform.
[0078] The rotating support section 70 allows the filter media advancement device 68 to rotate horizontally around the vertically extending pivot shaft 112. Therefore, compared to rotating the filter media advancement device 68 against gravity around the horizontally extending pivot shaft, the filter media advancement device 68 can be rotated with less force. Consequently, it is easier to rotate the filter media advancement device 68 between the first position P1 and the second position P2.
[0079] Since the upstream end of the secondary discharge channel F is opened at the smaller diameter end of one receiving port 96, the liquid that has passed through the filter material 66 can be efficiently guided to the secondary discharge channel F via the receiving port 96.
[0080] The filter media advancement / retraction device 68 can advance and retract the filter media 66 and the filter media mounting section 82 using fluid pressure, making maintenance work easier even when the filter media 66 and the filter media mounting section 82 are heavy.
[0081] Since at least a portion of the secondary discharge passage F is formed inside the piston rod 86, at least a portion of the piston rod 86 functions as the secondary discharge section 92. Therefore, the number of parts constituting the secondary discharge section 92 can be reduced, and manufacturing costs can be kept low.
[0082] Since the liquid discharge section 36 also serves as the solid discharge section 38, there is no need to provide a separate solid discharge section 38. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be kept low, and maintenance work can be easily performed. In addition, a large area (heat transfer area) can be secured for the heat-transferring portion of the first jacket 14 on the wall of the container 12, allowing the processed material W to be heated or cooled efficiently.
[0083] (modified version) In implementing the present invention, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the objective of the invention. That is, in the above embodiment, the pivot shaft 112 of the pivot support part 70 shown in Figure 5(B) is provided in the container 12 and the bearing part 114 is provided in the housing 64, but conversely, the pivot shaft 112 may be provided in the housing 64 and the bearing part 114 may be provided in the container 12. Also, in the above embodiment, at the time of maintenance work, the pivot shaft 112 of the pivot support part 70 extends in the vertical direction, but the pivot shaft 12 may extend in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction.
[0084] In the above embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder device is used as the drive unit 90 of the filter media advancement device 68, but instead, an air cylinder device may be used, or a mechanical linear motion mechanism driven by a motor may be used.
[0085] In the above embodiment, the secondary discharge passage F formed inside the piston rod 86 is used exclusively for flowing liquids, but the secondary discharge passage F may also be used for flowing gas to be injected onto the filter material 66. In this case, foreign matter adhering to the filter material 66 can be blown away into the containment space S by the gas.
[0086] In the above embodiment, one receiving port 96 is formed in the filter media mounting portion 82 of the filter portion 18, and one secondary discharge passage F is connected to the internal space of the receiving port 96. However, two or more receiving ports 96 may be formed in the filter media mounting portion 82, and two or more secondary discharge passages F may be connected to the internal space of one receiving port 96.
[0087] Figure 10(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section 144 according to the first modified example, and Figure 10(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section 146 according to the second modified example. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the filter section 148 according to the third modified example.
[0088] In the above embodiment, the secondary discharge passage F is formed inside the piston rod 86, but the secondary discharge passage F may also be formed outside the piston rod 86. For example, as shown in the filter section 144 in Figure 10(A), a single communication passage 150 communicating with the internal space of the receiving port 96 may be formed in the filter media mounting section 82, and the upstream end of the flexible pipe 152 extending from outside the housing 64 may be connected to the downstream end of the communication passage 150. In this case, the secondary discharge passage F is formed inside the communication passage 150 and the flexible pipe 152.
[0089] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 10(B) for the filter section 146, two communication passages 154a and 154b that communicate with the internal space of the receiving opening 96 may be formed in the filter material mounting section 82, and the upstream ends of two discharge pipes 156a and 156b that movably penetrate the second wall section 84 may be connected to the downstream ends of the communication passages 154a and 154b. In this case, a secondary discharge passage F is formed inside the communication passages 154a and 154b and the discharge pipes 156a and 156b.
[0090] In the above embodiment, the pivot shaft 112 of the pivot support portion 70 shown in Figures 5(A) and (B) is provided on the container 12, and the bearing portion 114 is provided on the housing 64. However, the objects on which the pivot shaft 112 and the bearing portion 114 are provided may be changed as appropriate. For example, as in the filter portion 148 shown in Figure 11, the pivot shaft 112 may be provided on the main body portion 72 of the housing 64, and the bearing portion 114 may be provided on a second wall portion 84 separated from the main body portion 72. In addition, the locking mechanism 116 may be configured to fix the second wall portion 84 to the main body portion 72. In this case, since the main body portion 72 is fixed to the container 12, the pivot shaft 112 is fixed to the container 12 via the main body portion 72. Even in this case, the pivot shaft 112 and the bearing portion 114 may be provided in the opposite positional relationship.
[0091] Figure 12(A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a filtration device 158 according to another embodiment, and Figure 12(B) is a diagram showing the discharge process in a filtration device 158 according to another embodiment.
[0092] In the above embodiment, the liquid discharge section 36 also serves as the solid discharge section 38, but these may be provided independently of each other. For example, as in the filtration device 158 shown in Figure 12(A), a cylindrical solid discharge section 38 may be formed on the side of the peripheral wall 26 of the container 12 opposite to the discharge port 32, and a lid 160 may be attached to the solid discharge section 38.
[0093] Although not shown in the diagram, in the filtration process using the filtration device 158, liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge channel V, which is composed of the liquid discharge section 36, similar to the embodiment described above. As shown in Figure 12(B), in the discharge process using the filtration device 158, the lid 160 (Figure 12(A)) is removed from the solid discharge section 38, and solids are discharged from the solid discharge channel U, which is composed of the solid discharge section 38. In this configuration as well, when the filter media advancement device 68 is rotated, the filter media 66 is separated from the liquid discharge channel V and exposed to the external space of the container 12, making it easier for the operator to perform maintenance work on the filter media 66 and the liquid discharge channel V.
[0094] (Reference example) In the filtration and drying apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the liquid discharge section and the solid discharge section were provided separately and independently, resulting in many parts requiring maintenance and poor maintainability. Furthermore, it resulted in high manufacturing costs.
[0095] As shown in the embodiment in Figure 4, when the liquid discharge section 36 also serves as the solid discharge section 38, the number of parts requiring maintenance is reduced, improving maintainability. Furthermore, manufacturing costs can be kept low. Focusing on these effects and benefits, the filtration device does not necessarily need to include a rotating support section 70 that rotatably supports the filter media advancement device 68, and a filtration device according to the following reference example can be used.
[0096] The filtration device according to the reference example is characterized by comprising a container 12 having a storage space S for containing a material to be processed W, a filter section 18 for filtering the material to be processed W, and a liquid material discharge section 36 provided in the container 12 and constituting a liquid material discharge passage V for discharging the liquid generated by filtering the material to be processed W in the filter section 18 to the outside of the storage space S, wherein the filter section 18 has a filter material 66 positioned to be detachably positioned in the liquid material discharge passage V, and a filter material advancement / retraction device 68 provided outside the container 12 for advancing and retracting the filter material 66 relative to the liquid material discharge passage V.
[0097] More specifically, the filtration device in the reference example is equipped with a solid matter discharge section 38 that is provided in the container 12 and constitutes a solid matter discharge channel U for discharging solid matter captured by the filter section 18 to the outside of the containment space S, and the liquid matter discharge section 36 is switched to the solid matter discharge section 38 when the filter material 66 is retracted from the liquid matter discharge channel V.
[0098] According to the filtration device in the reference example, there is no need to provide a solid waste discharge section 38 in addition to the liquid waste discharge section 36, which reduces manufacturing costs and improves maintainability. Furthermore, if heating or cooling jackets 14 and 16 are provided on the wall of the container 12, a large area of heat transfer surface can be secured on the wall of the container 12, allowing the material to be processed W to be heated or cooled efficiently.
[0099] Another feature of the filtration device according to the reference example is that the filter media advancement device 68 has a filter media mounting section 82 to which the filter media 66 is attached, a drive unit 90 for advancing and retracting the filter media mounting section 82, and a secondary discharge section 92 which constitutes a secondary discharge passage F for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter media 66.
[0100] In this configuration, the filter media 66 and the filter media mounting section 82 can be moved forward and backward by the drive unit 90, making maintenance work easier even when the filter media 66 and the filter media mounting section 82 are heavy. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0101] F...Secondary discharge passage, L...Centerline, P1...First position, P2...Second position, Q...Internal space, S...Storage space, U...Solid material discharge passage, V...Liquid material discharge passage, W...Material to be processed, 10...Filtration device, 12...Container, 14...First jacket, 16...Second jacket, 18...Filter section, 20...Agitator, 22...Container state changing section, 24...Control section, 26...Peripheral wall section, 28...Upper wall section, 30...Lower wall section, 32...Discharge port, 32a...Inner circumference section, 34...Seat section, 34a...Inner surface, 34b...Groove, 36...Liquid material discharge section, 38...Solid material discharge section, 40...Drive shaft, 42...Shaft through hole, 44... 46...Inlet, 48a, 48b...Inspection window mounting holes, 50a, 50b...Pressure pipe connection holes, 52...Jacket body, 54...First heat transfer fluid passage, 56a...Heat transfer fluid inlet, 56b...Heat transfer fluid outlet, 58...Jacket body, 60...Second heat transfer fluid passage, 62a...Heat transfer fluid inlet, 62b...Heat transfer fluid outlet, 64...Housing, 66...Filter media, 68...Filter media advance / retraction device, 70...Rotating support part, 72...Main body part, 72a...One end, 72b...Other end, 74...Nozzle, 76...Lid, 78...Discharge chute, 80...First wall part, 80a...Circular hole, 82...Filter media mounting part, 82a...Outer circumference 82b…Tip face, 82c…Base face, 84…Second wall, 84a…Circular hole, 86…Piston rod, 86a…Tip, 86b…Base end, 88a…Heat transfer fluid inlet, 88b…Heat transfer fluid outlet, 90…Drive unit, 92…Secondary discharge unit, 94…Through hole, 96…Receiving port, 98…Sealing member, 100…Cylinder, 100a…One end, 100b…Other end, 100c…Opening, 102…Piston, 104…Bellows, 106,108…Fixing member, 110…Base, 112…Rotating shaft, 114…Bearing part, 116…Locking mechanism, 118…Hooked part, 120…Pull Hanging mechanism, 120a...Hooking part, 120b...Lever, 122...Agitator blade, 124...Drive motor, 126a,126b...Stand, 128a,128b...Bearing part, 130a,130b...Rotating shaft, 132...Rotating operation part, 134a,134b...Base, 136a,136b...Support column, 138...Gear unit, 140...Drive motor, 142...Manual handle, 144,146,148...Filter part, 150...Connecting passage, 152...Flexible pipe, 154a,154b...Connecting passage, 156a,156b...Discharge pipe, 158...Filtration device, 160...Lid part.
Claims
1. A container having a storage space for containing the object to be processed, A filter unit for filtering the material to be processed, A filtration device comprising a container provided with a liquid discharge section that constitutes a liquid discharge channel for discharging the liquid produced by filtering the material to be processed in the filter section to the outside of the containment space, The filter section comprises a filter material positioned to be detachable from the liquid discharge passage, a filter material advancement / retraction device provided outside the container for advancing and retracting the filter material relative to the liquid discharge passage, and a rotatable support section that supports the filter material advancement / retraction device so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position. When the filter material advancement device is supported in the first position by the rotational support portion, and the filter material is advanced by the filter material advancement device, the filter material is positioned in the liquid discharge passage. A filtration device in which the filter media advancement device is supported in the second position by the rotational support portion, and when the filter media is retracted by the filter media advancement device, the filter media is exposed to the external space of the container.
2. The filtration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating support portion has a vertically extending pivot shaft for rotating the filter media advancement device in the horizontal direction.
3. The filter media advancement and retraction device comprises a filter media mounting section to which the filter media is attached, a drive section for advancing and retracting the filter media mounting section, and a secondary discharge section that constitutes a secondary discharge passage for discharging the liquid that has passed through the filter media. The filter material mounting portion is formed with a funnel-shaped receiving opening to receive the liquid that has passed through the filter material. The filtration device according to claim 2, wherein the secondary discharge passage is connected to the internal space of the receiving port.
4. The filter material mounting portion has one of the receiving openings formed therein. The filtration apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the upstream end of the secondary discharge passage is connected to the smaller diameter end of the receiving port.
5. The filter media advancement device comprises a cylindrical cylinder, a piston that is reciprocated by the pressure of a fluid inside the cylinder, and a piston rod connected to the piston. The filtration apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the filter media mounting portion is provided at the tip of the piston rod.
6. The filtration apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the secondary discharge passage is formed inside the piston rod.
7. The container is provided with a solid waste discharge section which constitutes a solid waste discharge passage for discharging solid waste captured by the filter section to the outside of the storage space, The filtration apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the filter material is retracted from the liquid discharge passage, thereby switching the liquid discharge section to the solid discharge section.
8. The filtration apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a jacket provided on the wall of the container for heating or cooling the object to be processed contained in the containment space.
9. A method for maintaining a filtration apparatus according to claim 1, A retraction step in which the filter material is retracted from the liquid discharge passage by the filter material advancement and retraction device, A rotation step in which the filter material advancement device is rotated from the first position to the second position by the rotation support portion, A method for maintaining a filtration apparatus, comprising a maintenance step of maintaining at least one of the filter material and the liquid discharge passage.