Liquid circulation device

Abstract

Reduce the amount of sludge in the suspension before extracting the filtered water from the suspension. [Solution] The device has a bottomed box 121 in which its internal space 121x becomes negatively pressurized during operation. The bottomed box 121 has a labyrinth structure LA which, due to the negative pressure, changes the flow of the suspension introduced into the internal space 121x from the suspension inlet 121a along with the air, causing it to separate sludge and other substances contained in the suspension from the air and settle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid circulation device used with a wet power tool.

Background Art

[0002] Devices that supply cooling water to the cutting edge of a power tool used for drilling or cutting concrete, etc., and collect, filter, and re-supply the suspension generated on the power tool side are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3. The device (liquid supply device) disclosed in Patent Document 1 sucks up the filtrate from which large amounts of sludge, etc. have been removed through a strainer from the upper part of the water in which sludge, drilling chips, dust, sludge (hereinafter referred to as "sludge, etc.") have settled by their own weight from the suspension stored in the liquid container. The device (portable circulation filtration device) disclosed in Patent Document 2 filters the sludge, etc. contained in the suspension multiple times with a plurality of sequentially adjacent filters. The device (sewage water recovery filtration device) disclosed in Patent Document 3 sucks up and filters the supernatant of the sewage water in the recovery container with a filter.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 3, filtered water is obtained by filtering the supernatant after sludge and other materials have settled from the suspension. In other words, the amount of filtered water obtained per unit time depends on the manner in which the sludge and other materials settle. Therefore, because the suspension must be collected quietly, the work location and work method are limited. In addition, depending on the type of debris contained in the suspension, the drain hose for collection may become clogged, causing the suspension to overflow. Furthermore, if the particle size of the sludge and other materials contained in the suspension is small enough to pass through the filter and is also dense, it not only takes time to obtain filtered water, but the filter will clog frequently, resulting in many times when work must be stopped for replacement or cleaning. The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires 2 to 4 filters. Therefore, similar to the apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 3, the number of times work must be stopped for filter replacement increases, making it difficult to improve work efficiency.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a liquid circulation device that can reduce the amount of sludge contained in a suspension before extracting filtered water from the suspension, thereby improving the work efficiency of construction work using interconnected wet power tools. Other issues of the present invention will become apparent from the disclosure herein. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention that solves the problem is a liquid circulation device that extracts a filtrate from a suspension recovered from a wet power tool and supplies it to the wet power tool, the device having a storage tank in which the internal space becomes negative pressure when in operation, and the storage tank has a labyrinth structure formed therein that changes the flow of the suspension introduced into the internal space along with air by the negative pressure in a labyrinthine manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the liquid circulation device described above, the amount of sludge contained in the suspension is reduced before the filtered water is extracted from the suspension, thereby improving the work efficiency of construction work using linked wet power tools. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an external view showing an example of the structure of a liquid circulation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a storage tank and an example of the flow paths for the suspension and air. [Figure 3] A diagram showing a top-down view of the bottomed box and an example of the flow path for the suspension and air. [Figure 4] (a) to (d) are schematic diagrams showing modified versions of the bottomed box-shaped structure shown below. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes an example of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a liquid circulation device used with a wet power tool. This liquid circulation device repeatedly recovers a suspension containing (or dissolved) sludge and the like from the wet power tool, and extracts a filtrate from the recovered suspension and supplies it to the wet power tool. The wet power tool can be, for example, a wet power drill as disclosed by the applicant in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6661184 or Japanese Patent Publication No. 6711499.

[0010] [Overall structure] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an example of the structure of the liquid circulation device according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is an external view showing an example of the structure of a liquid circulation device according to this embodiment. The liquid circulation device 10 includes an electrical component unit 11 and a storage tank 12 formed by airtightly stacking two bottomed boxes 121 and 122. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the storage tank 12 and an example of the flow paths of the suspension and air, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower bottomed box 121 and an example of the flow paths of the sucked suspension and air.

[0011] [Definition of direction] In this specification and in the drawings, for convenience, the X, Y, and Z directions are defined in the front, back, left, right, up, and down directions. The Z direction is perpendicular to the mounting area of ​​the liquid circulation device 10. The X and Y directions are horizontal directions perpendicular to the Z direction. In this specification, the X direction is described as the front-to-back direction (front is +, back is -), the Y direction as the left-to-right direction (left (front) is +, right (back) is -), and the Z direction as the up-to-down direction (up is +, down is -). In addition, in the drawings, the directions indicated by the arrows of the X, Y, and Z axes may be referred to as the front direction, left direction, and up direction, respectively. Furthermore, viewing the liquid circulation device 10 from an oblique upward direction may be called an oblique upward view, viewing the liquid circulation device 10 from the left (or right) direction may be called a left (right) side view, and viewing the liquid circulation device 10 from the lower left or right may be called an oblique view.

[0012] [Electrical component unit] The electrical component unit 11 can be the one described as "electrical component inside a device" in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7441569 disclosed by the applicant. That is, the electrical component unit 11 is a group of electrical components arranged inside the housing 111 shown in Figure 1, and includes two types of pumps and their control devices, which are driven by a battery 112.

[0013] Of the two types of pumps, the first type is a vacuum pump that applies a strong negative pressure to the storage tank 12 during operation, thereby introducing a suspension from a wet power tool (not shown, the same applies hereafter) into the storage tank 12 along with air for filtration. The vacuum pump is a pump that applies a strong negative pressure to the storage tank 12, and for example, a product with a flow rate of 500 L / min or more and a drive voltage of DC 12V to 36V can be used.

[0014] The second type of pump is a tube pump for sucking up the filtrate stored in the storage tank 12 and supplying (water delivery) it to the wet electric tool. Since the tube pump only delivers filtered water from which sludge and the like have been excluded to the wet electric tool, for example, a product with a flow rate of 0.5 L / min or less and a drive power source of DC 12 to 24 V can be used. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 113 is an attachment for detachably attaching a water delivery hose connected to the wet electric tool.

[0015] [Storage tank] The storage tank 12 is composed of two bottomed boxes 121 and 122 stacked in the +Z direction. The two bottomed boxes 121 and 122 can be made of substantially square translucent resin products with substantially the same shape and size in top view, bottom view, and side view. Each bottomed box 121 and 122 is detachably stacked on top of each other, and only the lower bottomed box 121 can be removed from the upper bottomed box 122 to discharge sludge and the like or clean each part. Also, the two bottomed boxes 121 and 122 can be removed entirely from the electrical component unit 11.

[0016] The lower bottomed box 121 mainly serves to reduce the flow velocity of the suspension introduced from the wet electric tool together with air, or temporarily retain it, and separate air and sludge and the like. The upper bottomed box 122 mainly serves to suck up and filter the suspension retained in the lower bottomed box 121, and store the filtrate extracted thereby for water delivery to the wet electric tool.

[0017] [Upper bottomed box 122] The upper bottomed box 122 is provided with a bag-shaped filter body 1221, a sludge storage part (inside the filter body 1221) 1222, a filtrate storage part (outside the filter body 1221) 1223, and a suspension guide mechanism 1224.

[0018] The guiding mechanism 1224 is a hollow joint that sucks the suspension staying in the bottomed box 121 below vertically upward together with air and then guides it horizontally to the filter element 1221. A flexible porous discharge filter 1225 is attached near the flow path inlet of the hollow joint. The discharge filter 1225 can be made of the same material as the introduction filter 121c described later.

[0019] The filter element 1221 filters the suspension by bending outward under the action of the negative pressure from the vacuum pump, and discharges the filtered liquid extracted thereby to the filtered liquid storage section 1223. Further, when the negative pressure in the vacuum pump is released, the bending is eliminated and the filtered liquid passing through is guided in the direction opposite to the above direction, that is, to the inside of the filter element 1221. As a result, the sludge etc. adhering to the inside of the filter element 1221 is shaken off from the filter element 1221 and deposited in the sludge storage section 1222. Thereby, the clogging of the filter element 1221 is automatically eliminated, and the continuous useable time thereof can be extended.

[0020] Since the filtered liquid stored in the filtered liquid storage section 1223 of the upper bottomed box 122 does not come into contact with the internal space 121x of the lower bottomed box 121, it is possible to reliably prevent the mixing of sludge etc. into the filtered liquid. The filtered liquid stored in the filtered liquid storage section 1223 is pumped up to the electric component unit 11 through a water supply nozzle etc. not shown, and is sent to the wet electric tool through a tube pump.

[0021] [Lower bottomed box 121] The lower bottomed box 121 is a box whose upper bottom is the lower bottom rear of the upper bottomed cylindrical body 122, and a suspension inlet 121a is provided on the end face that includes the part furthest from the guide mechanism 1224 in its plane. The suspension inlet 121a is an attachment that connects to the drain hose of the wet power tool, and a suspension with air is forcefully introduced into the internal space 121x of the bottomed box 121 by negative pressure from a vacuum pump applied via the upper bottomed box 122. To avoid contact with settled sludge and the like as much as possible, it is desirable that the suspension inlet 121a be provided as far upward (+Z direction) as possible on the end face.

[0022] [Labyrinth structure] The internal space 121x enclosed by the inner wall of the lower bottomed box 121 is divided into various spatial shapes by a labyrinth structure LA. In this embodiment, the "labyrinth structure" is a multi-dimensional structure that changes the flow (flow path) of air and suspension in a labyrinthine manner. The labyrinth structure LA is composed of, for example, a flow path duct 121b through which a portion of the air and suspension can pass in the direction of the vacuum pump, which is a negative pressure supply source, an introduction filter 121c, and one or more barrier plates 121d.

[0023] The flow channel duct 121b is a duct attached to the inner wall side of the end face where the suspension inlet 121a is provided. The flow channel duct 121b is rectangular in top view and trapezoidal in side view, with the lower base being shorter than the upper base, and the upper base opening at a position higher than the suspension inlet 121a. Therefore, the introduced suspension is drawn over the flow channel duct 121b and toward the introduction filter 121c. The flow channel duct 121b also plays a role in preventing the suspension remaining in the internal space 121x from flowing back into the suspension inlet 121a when the negative pressure in the internal space 121x is released.

[0024] The introduction filter 121c is a filter made of a flexible porous material. The introduction filter 121 flexes in conjunction with the negative pressure and the flow pressure of the suspension towards the internal space 121x, and autonomously separates sludge and other materials from the air due to their own weight and centrifugal force. The separated sludge and other materials become sediment 100. Since the introduction filter 121c is made of a flexible porous material, when the negative pressure from the vacuum pump is released, it returns to its original shape, and the sediment on the surface is autonomously shaken off by the dissipating force at that time. In other words, clogging is suppressed.

[0025] The shape of the introduction filter 121c is preferably a sludge rectangular prism with a wide surface larger than the diameter of the introduction hole 121a, but this is not necessarily required. The filter material can be a simple silicone sponge. However, for applications requiring increased heat resistance and durability, polyurethane foam, epoxy foam, ceramic foam, cross-linked polyethylene foam, etc., can be used. Alternatively, a waterproof porous material may be used.

[0026] The introduction filter 121c is detachably fixed, for example, by a mounting bracket frame, to one side end face and the upper bottom (lower bottom surface of the bottomed box 122) of the bottomed box 121, such that the introduction hole 121a and the flow path duct 121b face each other near the center of its wide surface.

[0027] The barrier plate 121d is a rigid plate that receives the suspension that passes through the introduction filter 121c with the air and / or bypasses the introduction filter 121c, and disperses them in random directions. The barrier plate 121d is a partition plate that divides the internal space 121x in three dimensions (X direction, Y direction, Z direction), and is fixed to the lower bottom of the bottomed box body 121 and to a part of a pair of opposing inner surfaces. In this embodiment, the barrier plate 121d can be a rigid plate such as a resin plate (for example, a silicone plate) or a water-resistant veneer.

[0028] The position where the barrier plate 121d is installed can be such that it obstructs the subsequent flow of the suspension while ensuring a suspension flow path of a predetermined height from the bottom, that is, ensuring a height that can suppress the stirring of the sediment 100. The height of the barrier plate 121d in the +Z direction, i.e., the barrier height, is constant for a certain length in the Y direction from one of the pair of inner surfaces, and thereafter in the Y direction, the open end tapers down until it reaches the other inner surface. As a result, the suspension changes direction in the Y direction along the barrier plate 121d, then changes direction randomly in the tapered section, and most of it goes over the tapered open end and heads towards the guide mechanism 1224. During this time, the separation of sludge and air is promoted, and the sludge becomes sediment 100.

[0029] In the illustrated example, the main surface of the barrier plate 121d is parallel to the introduction filter 121c, but it may also be positioned at an angle that reduces its height.

[0030] [Examples of usage] Next, an example of how the liquid circulation device 10 is used will be described. A predetermined amount of tap water is stored in the filtered liquid storage section 1223 for initial water supply. After the water supply hose and drain hose are connected to the wet power tool, when the vacuum pump of the electrical component unit 11 is driven, the filter body 1221 and guide mechanism 1224 of the bottomed box 122, and the internal space 121x of the bottomed box 121 become negatively pressurized. Then, the suspension from the wet power tool, along with air, is introduced into the internal space 121x of the bottomed box 121 through the suspension inlet 121a via the flow path indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 to 3.

[0031] The suspension introduced into the internal space 121x along with air has its flow path deviated from its natural direction by the labyrinth structure LA, creating multiple branching points and becoming complex. As a result, the vigorously introduced air and suspension are slowed down, and in the process, the separation of air from sludge and other materials is promoted, causing the relatively heavier sludge and other materials to settle as sediment 100 at the bottom of the bottomed box 121.

[0032] The suspension, from which some of the sludge has been separated, is further filtered by the discharge filter 1225 of the guide mechanism 1224 to remove more sludge, and is then guided to the filter body 1221 of the bottomed box 122. After being filtered by the filter body 1221, the filtered water is stored in the filtrate storage section 1223. Since the suspension filtered by the filter body 1221 contains less sludge, the time it takes for the filter body 1221 to become clogged is longer than in the case without the labyrinth structure LA, which can improve the work efficiency of wet power tools.

[0033] [Differentiation] In this embodiment, an example in which a flow channel duct 121b is provided has been described, but it is also possible to configure the system so that the air and suspension introduced from the suspension inlet 121a are directly guided to the introduction filter 121c without providing the flow channel duct 121b.

[0034] Furthermore, the shape, size, and placement of the barrier plate 121d can be implemented in various ways. For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 4(a), a barrier plate 121d may be used in which the height change in the Y direction is not tapered but only a step. Alternatively, as shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 4(b), a barrier plate 121d may be used in which the height in the Y direction does not change. Alternatively, as shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 4(c), a barrier plate 121d may be used in which there is no step change in the height direction and only a tapered change. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4(d), two barrier plates 121d1 and 121d2 with the tapered change in the Y direction in opposite directions may be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 10 Liquid circulation device 11 Electrical component unit 12 Storage tanks 121 Bottomed box 122 Bottomed box LA Labyrinth Structure 121a Suspension inlet 121c Introductory Filter 121d Barrier panel 1221 Filter body 1224 Information Mechanism

Claims

1. A liquid circulation device that extracts a filtrate from a suspension recovered from a wet power tool and supplies it to the wet power tool, A liquid circulation device having a storage tank whose internal space becomes negatively pressurized when in operation, wherein the storage tank has a labyrinth structure formed therein that changes the flow of the suspension introduced into the internal space along with air due to the negative pressure in a labyrinthine manner.

2. The labyrinth structure includes an introduction filter through which air and a portion of the suspension can pass in the direction of the negative pressure supply source, One or more barrier plates that guide the flow of the suspension, which passes through the introduction filter together with air or bypasses the introduction filter, in a predetermined direction. A liquid circulation device according to claim 1, comprising the above.

3. The introduction filter is a flexible porous material. The liquid circulation device according to claim 2.

4. The liquid circulation device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more barrier plates are partition plates that divide a portion of the internal space between the filter and the negative pressure supply source, while ensuring a flow path at a predetermined height or higher from the inner bottom of the storage tank.

5. The partition plate is a rigid plate joined to the inner bottom surface of the storage tank and a portion of a pair of opposing inner surfaces, wherein the height of the rigid plate joined to one of the inner surfaces and a portion or all of the height of the rigid plate joined to the other inner surface change in a stepped or tapered manner. The liquid circulation device according to claim 4.

6. The storage tank further comprises a guide mechanism that guides the suspension and air, whose flow path in the internal space has been altered, vertically upward, and a flexible porous discharge filter is present in the flow path through the guide mechanism. A liquid circulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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