How to maintain diffusion and injection guns

Abstract

To enable on-site maintenance of a diffusion and injection gun that mixes, for example, isocyanate and polyol and sprays foamed urethane resin.SOLUTION: There is provided a maintenance method for a diffusion and injection gun 1 that mixes, for example, isocyanate and polyol, and sprays foamed urethane resin, wherein a phthalate-based plasticizer is injected from a chemical supply port into the diffusion and injection gun 1 inside of which has been cleaned with a cleaning agent, and the inside of the gun is filled with phthalate-based plasticizer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a maintenance method for a diffusion and injection gun that mixes, for example, two types of chemicals and sprays a foamed urethane resin.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a diffusion and injection gun that mixes two types of chemicals and sprays a foamed urethane resin is cleaned inside the gun each time it is used, and grease is filled inside the gun for the purpose of preventing rust inside the gun and preventing the members inside the gun from sticking. Cleaning inside the gun may involve disassembling the diffusion and injection gun and cleaning it with a dedicated cleaning agent, or supplying a cleaning agent from the chemical supply port to the diffusion and injection gun without disassembling it for cleaning (Patent Document 1 ·

[0023] ). After cleaning inside the gun, the diffusion and injection gun in the assembled state is filled with grease by injecting it from the chemical supply port, and is kept in a state where the inside of the gun is filled with grease to prepare for the next use.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The grease used to fill the inside of a diffusion and injection gun after internal cleaning is highly viscous and cannot be filled without specialized equipment. Therefore, maintenance, from internal cleaning to grease filling, could not be completed on-site; the gun had to be taken back to a dedicated maintenance facility. Since diffusion and injection guns are often used repeatedly at the same site, taking them back to the maintenance facility between uses was inefficient in terms of gun utilization. Therefore, we investigated ways to enable on-site maintenance of diffusion and injection guns. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The result of our research and development is a maintenance method for a diffusion and injection gun that sprays foamed urethane resin by mixing two types of chemicals. This method is characterized by injecting a phthalate-based plasticizer into the diffusion and injection gun through the chemical supply port after cleaning the inside of the gun with a cleaning agent, thereby filling the inside of the gun. The diffusion and injection gun is maintained with the phthalate-based plasticizer filled inside until reuse. When the diffusion and injection gun is reused, the phthalate-based plasticizer filled inside the gun is pushed out through the discharge port by the supplied chemical and discharged.

[0006] The phthalate-based plasticizer filled inside the diffusion and injection gun prevents rust inside the gun and prevents the internal components from sticking. The phthalate-based plasticizer does not generate harmful substances when mixed with the chemical supplied when the diffusion and injection gun is reused. Examples of phthalate-based plasticizers used include DOP (bis-phthalate), DINP (diisononyl phthalate), DIDP (diisodecyl phthalate), and DUP (diundecyl phthalate), with DOP being particularly preferred.

[0007] Diffusion and injection guns into which phthalate plasticizers are injected only need to have their interiors cleaned beforehand. After the interior of the gun has been cleaned, the diffusion and injection gun may be cleaned with a cleaning agent in a disassembled state and then reassembled, as in the conventional method, or the interior of the gun may be cleaned by pouring a cleaning agent into the gun while it is assembled. The cleaning agent used is not particularly limited, but dichloromethane, which is commonly used in the past, is an example.

[0008] The diffusion and injection gun can be maintained without disassembly by sequentially injecting the cleaning agent and phthalate-based plasticizer into the gun while it is assembled. Specifically, the diffusion and injection gun can be maintained without disassembly by injecting the cleaning agent into the gun through a hose connected to the chemical supply port, cleaning the inside of the gun while discharging the cleaning solution from the discharge port, then injecting the phthalate-based plasticizer into the gun through the same hose, closing the discharge port, and filling the inside of the gun with the phthalate-based plasticizer.

[0009] The cleaning agent and phthalate-based plasticizer injected into the assembled diffusion and injection gun are different only in the type of chemical being injected; the injection means (e.g., hoses or air compressors) can be shared between the two. When sharing the injection means, the cleaning agent tank and the plasticizer tank may be reconnected to the injection means, or the cleaning agent tank and the plasticizer tank may be connected to the injection means in parallel and switched as needed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, after cleaning, diffusion and injection guns can be maintained by simply filling the inside of the gun with a phthalate-based plasticizer, thereby preventing rust inside the gun and preventing the internal components from sticking. Furthermore, by bringing a cleaning agent tank filled with cleaning agent and a plasticizer tank filled with phthalate-based plasticizer to the site, the entire process from cleaning to filling with phthalate-based plasticizer can be performed at the site where the diffusion and injection gun is used. Since maintenance of diffusion and injection guns is required between intermittent operations, being able to perform it on-site without having to take it back to a maintenance facility is extremely convenient. Thus, the present invention has the effect of increasing the operating rate of diffusion and injection guns.

[0011] In a diffusion and injection gun, if the gun is assembled, a cleaning agent is injected into the gun through a hose connected to the chemical supply port, and the inside of the gun is cleaned while the cleaning solution is discharged from the outlet. Then, a phthalate-based plasticizer is injected into the gun through the same hose, and the outlet is closed to fill the gun with the phthalate-based plasticizer. This eliminates the need for disassembly, thus improving maintenance efficiency. This reduces the burden on workers during the maintenance of the diffusion and injection gun and also increases the operating rate of the diffusion and injection gun. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of a device configuration used when utilizing the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the cleaning process in the apparatus configuration of this example. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the plasticizer filling process in the apparatus configuration of this example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures. The present invention is used for maintenance of a diffusion and injection gun 1 when it is not in use, when the diffusion and injection gun 1 is used intermittently on-site, for example, by supplying two liquids, isocyanate and polyol, in parallel as chemical agents, mixing the two chemicals in a chamber inside the gun, and discharging foamed urethane from the discharge port 12. Maintenance is performed on the diffusion and injection gun 1 in an assembled state, simply by removing the manifold to which the chemical supply hose is connected.

[0014] In this example, as shown in Figure 1, the maintenance method involves selectively connecting either the detergent tank 2 or the plasticizer tank 3 to the used diffusion and injection gun 1 via an adapter 11. The detergent is supplied from the detergent tank 2, and the phthalate-based plasticizer is supplied from the plasticizer tank 3 to the inside of the gun. The adapter 11 is a bifurcated branch that connects a single common hose 4 to the two openings of the chemical supply port 13 of the diffusion and injection gun 1. If the common hose 4 is bifurcated, the common hose 4 may be connected directly to the chemical supply port 13 without using the adapter 11. The detergent tank 2 and the plasticizer tank 3 may be provided separately, or they may be mounted together with a movable carrier and provided as a maintenance device.

[0015] The switching valve 41 manually switches the connection between the two input ports and the output port using a switching lever. The switching valve 41 may also be configured to switch automatically by a control device. In the maintenance method of this example, after the supply of the cleaning agent is finished, the connection to the common hose 4 is switched using the switching valve 41 to allow the phthalate-based plasticizer to be immediately supplied into the gun using the common hose 4. The cleaning agent hose 21 and the plasticizer hose 41 may be connected directly to the adapter 11 and attached and detached in sequence.

[0016] The cleaning agent tank 2 connects the cleaning agent hose 21, which extends from the tank supply port, to one of the input ports of the switching valve 41. The cleaning agent tank 2 also connects one of the bifurcated air supply hoses 5, which extends from the air compressor 6, to the tank pressure port. The cleaning agent is pushed out from the tank supply port by compressed air supplied from the air compressor 6 and supplied into the gun via the cleaning agent hose 21, switching valve 41, common hose 4, and adapter 11. In this example, the cleaning agent is dichloromethane.

[0017] Similarly, the plasticizer tank 3 connects the plasticizer hose 31 extending from the tank supply port to the other input port of the switching valve 41. The plasticizer tank 2 connects the other end of the bifurcated air supply hose 5 extending from the air compressor 6 to the tank pressure port. The plasticizer is pushed out from the tank supply port by compressed air supplied from the air compressor 6 and supplied into the gun via the plasticizer hose 31, switching valve 41, common hose 4, and adapter 11. The phthalate-based plasticizer in this example is DOP (bisphthalate phthalate).

[0018] Maintenance begins with the diffusion and injection gun 1 connected to the detergent tank 2 and the plasticizer tank 3 via a shared hose 4, a detergent hose 21, and a plasticizer hose 31, allowing for selectable switching between them, and with air supply hoses 5 connected in parallel to each of the detergent tank 2 and the plasticizer tank 3 (see Figure 1). Assume that the diffusion and injection gun 1 has finished use and only the manifold to which the chemical supply hoses are connected has been separated. The chemical supply hoses from the manifold are maintained, including cleaning, separately from the cleaning gun.

[0019] First, switch the switching valve 41 to connect the common hose 4 and the cleaning agent hose 21, and start the air compressor 6. Compressed air is supplied to both the cleaning agent tank 2 and the plasticizer tank 3. However, since only the cleaning agent tank 2 is connected to the diffusion and injection gun 1, the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is not supplied to the diffusion and injection gun 1. As shown in FIG. 2, when the trigger 14 is pulled, the chamber of the diffusion and injection gun 1 retreats, and the opening of the adapter 11 and the discharge port 12 communicate with each other through the chamber. The cleaning agent pushed by the compressed air is supplied into the gun and discharged from the discharge port 12, thereby cleaning the inside of the gun.

[0020] When no foreign matter is mixed in the cleaning agent discharged from the discharge port 12, the cleaning of the inside of the gun is completed. Therefore, while the air compressor 6 is operating, if the switching valve 41 is switched to connect the common hose 4 and the plasticizer hose 31, as shown in FIG. 3, instead of the cleaning agent, the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is supplied into the gun and discharged from the discharge port 12. Then, when the trigger 14 is released when the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is discharged from the discharge port 12 to a certain extent, the supply of the phthalic acid-based plasticizer stops while the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is filled from the inside of the gun to the opening of the adapter 11. From this state, stop the air compressor 6, remove the adapter 11 from the diffusion and injection gun 1, and close the chemical supply port, then a series of operations from the cleaning of the diffusion and injection gun 1 to the filling of the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is completed.

[0021] The diffusion and injection gun 1 maintains the state in which the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is filled inside the gun until the next operation. Since the inside of the gun filled with the phthalic acid-based plasticizer is not in contact with moisture, there is no risk of rust. In addition, the phthalic acid-based plasticizer acts as a lubricating oil, preventing the members inside the gun from sticking, and the diffusion and injection gun 1 can be maintained in a state suitable for immediate use. At the beginning of the next operation, the diffusion and injection gun 1 opens the chemical supply port 13 and attaches the manifold connected to the chemical supply hose. Then, when the supply of the chemical is started, the diffusion and injection gun 1 pushes out the phthalic acid-based plasticizer filled inside the gun with the chemical and discharges it from the discharge port 12, and then the mixed chemical is discharged from the discharge port 12 as foamed urethane.

Description of Symbols

[0022] 1 Diffusion and Injection Gun 11 Adapter 12 Outlet 13 Drug Supply Port 14 Trigger 2 Cleaner Tank 21 Cleaner Hose 3 Plasticizer Tank 31 Plasticizer Hose 4 Common Hose 41 Switching Valve 5 Air Supply Hose 6 Air Compressor

Claims

1. A maintenance method for a diffusion and injection gun that mixes two types of chemicals to spray urethane foam resin, comprising: A maintenance method for a diffusion and injection gun, characterized in that after the inside of the diffusion and injection gun has been cleaned with a cleaning agent, a phthalate-based plasticizer is injected through the chemical supply port to fill the inside of the gun.

2. The diffusion and injection gun, when assembled, The cleaning agent is injected into the gun through a hose connected to the chemical supply port, and the inside of the gun is cleaned by discharging the cleaning agent from the discharge port.

2. The maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the phthalate-based plasticizer is injected into the gun through the hose, and the discharge port is closed to fill the gun with the phthalate-based plasticizer.

Images