Fluid collection device

Abstract

To provide a fluid recovery device that improves the environment in which the device is used and requires relatively little maintenance. [Solution] The fluid recovery device 1 includes an oil rotary vacuum pump 10 having an intake section 12a and an exhaust section 11a, a vacuum tank 20, an exhaust passage section 30 having a silencer 40 and a connecting pipe 50, and an oil smoke recovery pipe 70. The oil rotary vacuum pump 10 sucks air from the vacuum tank 20 through the intake section 12a. Exhaust gas containing oil mist from the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 is discharged from the exhaust section 11a and flows into the connecting pipe 50. A portion of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust section 11a is exhausted to the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70. The remaining exhaust gas flows into the silencer 40, passes through multiple passage holes, and is discharged to the outside of the fluid recovery device 1. The inner diameter of the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is smaller than that of the suction pipe 80.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid recovery device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vacuum pumps have been used for purposes such as recovering fluids such as oil. Patent Document 1 relates to an example of such a device. The device in Patent Document 1 uses a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure inside a fluid recovery tank, and sucks the fluid from a suction port at the tip of a suction pipe connected to the fluid recovery tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-53707 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As the vacuum pump for the above-mentioned equipment, an oil rotary vacuum pump is sometimes used to improve the efficiency and compactness of the entire equipment. However, an oil rotary vacuum pump has the problem that the exhaust from the exhaust section of the vacuum pump main body contains a large amount of oil smoke (oil mist). If a large amount of oil smoke is contained in the final exhaust, the oil smoke will deteriorate the environment in which the equipment is used.

[0005] To address this issue, components such as silencers and oil mist traps that reduce oil smoke are installed in the exhaust section. However, the higher the performance of the components for reducing oil smoke, the more likely oil is to accumulate inside the components, requiring more frequent maintenance. On the other hand, if the performance of the components for reducing oil smoke is low, the need for maintenance decreases, but the final exhaust is more likely to contain oil smoke.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid recovery device that improves the environment in which the device is used and requires relatively little maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fluid recovery device of the present invention comprises an oil rotary vacuum pump having an intake section and an exhaust section, and a fluid storage container connected to the intake section and whose pressure is reduced by the vacuum pump, and is a fluid recovery device that sucks fluid into the storage container from an external device connected to the storage container, and further comprises an exhaust passage section connected to the exhaust section at one end and having an exhaust port to the outside at the other end, a hole former installed in the exhaust passage section and having a plurality of passage holes formed therein for allowing exhaust from the exhaust section to pass toward the exhaust port, and a soot recovery pipe between the exhaust section and the hole former, the pipe having one end connected to the exhaust passage section and the other end connected to the storage container, and when exhaust from the exhaust section passes through the exhaust passage section and flows out to the outside from the exhaust port, a portion of the soot contained in the exhaust from the exhaust section is recovered into the storage container through the soot recovery pipe, and another portion of the soot is captured by the hole former.

[0008] In the fluid recovery device of the present invention, a portion of the oily smoke in the exhaust from the exhaust section is recovered into a storage container through an oily smoke recovery pipe connected between the hole forming body and the exhaust section. This reduces the amount of oily smoke in the exhaust gas directed toward the hole forming body. Furthermore, a portion of the oily smoke from the exhaust gas is captured by the hole forming body. This significantly reduces the amount of oily smoke in the exhaust gas that ultimately flows out of the exhaust port. Furthermore, because the amount of oily smoke captured by the hole forming body is reduced, the need for maintenance of the hole forming body is also reduced.

[0009] As a result, a fluid recovery device is realized that improves the environment in which the device is used and requires relatively little maintenance.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the device further includes a suction pipe connecting the intake portion and the storage container, and that the inner diameter of the oily smoke recovery pipe is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction pipe.

[0011] The inner diameter of the oil smoke recovery pipe is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction pipe. Therefore, the vacuum pump's ability to suck the oil smoke from the storage container through the suction pipe is not too high compared to its ability to recover the oil smoke from the exhaust into the storage container through the oil smoke recovery pipe. This prevents the pressure inside the storage container from becoming too high (low vacuum) due to the recovery of oil smoke. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a fluid collection device of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exhaust passage portion and the connection portion between the exhaust passage portion and the oil smoke recovery pipe, which are surrounded by the dashed dotted line II in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A fluid recovery device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The fluid recovery device 1 is a device used to replace engine oil (fluids as defined in the present invention) in automobiles, ships, etc., and sucks old engine oil from a suction port or supply port in an engine compartment. As shown in Figure 1, the fluid recovery device 1 has an oil rotary vacuum pump 10 (vacuum pump as defined in the present invention), a vacuum tank 20 (storage container as defined in the present invention), an exhaust passage 30, an oil smoke recovery pipe 70, a suction pipe 80, and a suction pipe 90.

[0014] The oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 is a cylindrical device and is equipped with a driving battery. As shown in FIG. 1, the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 has an upper wall 11 and a bottom wall 12. The upper wall 11 has an exhaust section 11a. The exhaust section 11a is connected to an exhaust passage section 30. The bottom wall 12 has an intake section 12a. The intake section 12a is connected to a vacuum tank 20 via a suction pipe 80. The oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 has a rotor and a cylinder. The rotor is housed in the cylinder. The cylinder is filled with oil. When the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 operates, the rotor rotates, and air in the vacuum tank 20 is sucked into the cylinder through the intake section 12a, compressed, and then discharged through the exhaust section 11a to the exhaust passage section 30. This process is repeated, causing the pressure in the vacuum tank 20 to decrease. At this time, the oil in the cylinder turns into mist (oil smoke), which is included in the total exhaust air (described later) shown in FIG. 2 and is discharged from the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 together with air.

[0015] The vacuum tank 20 is a cylindrical vacuum container made of synthetic resin (for example, polyvinyl chloride). The material of the vacuum tank 20 may be other than synthetic resin. For example, it may be metal. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum tank 20 has an upper wall 21 and a bottom wall 22. An oil smoke recovery pipe 70, a suction pipe 80, and a suction pipe 90 are connected to the upper wall 21. The suction pipe 90 is inserted into a suction port or a supply port in an engine compartment of an external device, such as an engine of an automobile, a ship, or the like, which is the target of an oil change.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the exhaust passage 30 has a silencer 40 and a communicating pipe 50. One end of the communicating pipe 50 is connected to the silencer 40, and the other end is connected to the exhaust section 11a. The communicating pipe 50 allows exhaust from the exhaust section 11a of the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 to flow into the silencer 40. The silencer 40 has a main body 41, a hole forming body 45, and a lid 46. The main body 41 is a cylindrical container. The main body 41 has an upper wall 42 and a lower wall 43. A communicating port 43a is formed in the lower wall 43. The inner diameter of the communicating port 43a is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the communicating pipe 50. The main body 41 is connected to the communicating pipe 50 through the communicating port 43a. An exhaust port 42a is formed in the upper wall 42. The inner diameter of the exhaust port 42a is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the communicating port 43a. The hole former 45 is tightly housed inside the main body 41. The hole former 45 is a porous member made of metal or synthetic resin and has multiple passage holes. The lid 46 has an outer edge that extends downward and covers the upper wall 42. Ribs are formed on the inside of the lid 46. When the lid 46 is placed on the main body 41, the ribs create a gap between the main body 41 and the lid 46.

[0017] The oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is composed of a tubular member made of synthetic resin. One end of the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is connected to the communication pipe 50, and the other end is connected to the vacuum tank 20. The inner diameter of the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction pipe 80.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, exhaust gas containing oil mist from the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 is discharged from the exhaust section 11a and flows into the communicating pipe 50 of the exhaust passage section 30. Of all the exhaust gases discharged from the exhaust section 11a (hereinafter referred to as "total exhaust gases"), a portion thereof, known as exhaust gas a, is discharged into the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70. At that time, the oil mist contained in the exhaust gas a is recovered in the vacuum tank 20. Of the total exhaust gases that have passed through the communicating pipe 50, the remaining portion, known as exhaust gas b, flows into the main body 41 of the silencer 40 through a communicating port 43a formed in the main body 41. This exhaust gas b passes through multiple passage holes formed in a hole forming body 45 within the main body 41 and is discharged above the main body 41 through the exhaust port 42a. The exhaust gas b from the main body 41 passes through a gap between the lid 46 and the main body 41 and is discharged to the outside of the fluid collection device 1.

[0019] As described above, when all the exhaust gas from the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 passes through the exhaust passage portion 30, a portion of the exhaust gas a is collected in the vacuum tank 20, and only the remaining portion, the exhaust gas b, flows into the silencer 40. By passing the exhaust gas b through the hole forming body 45, the silencer 40 reduces the flow noise generated by the flow of the exhaust gas b, and also captures the oil mist contained in the exhaust gas b with the hole forming body 45.

[0020] The fluid recovery device 1 is used as follows. First, the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 is operated. When the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 is operated, air in the vacuum tank 20 is sucked into the cylinder through the suction pipe 80 and the intake section 12a, and then discharged from the exhaust section 11a to the exhaust passage section 30. This reduces the pressure in the vacuum tank 20. Next, the suction pipe 90 is inserted into a suction port or the like in the engine compartment. This causes engine oil to be sucked from the engine compartment through the suction pipe 90 into the vacuum tank 20.

[0021] When the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 is operating, the oil in the cylinder of the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 turns into mist and is discharged from the exhaust section 11a to the connecting pipe 50 together with air drawn into the cylinder from the vacuum tank 20. In this way, exhaust gas a, which is a portion of the total exhaust gas discharged, is discharged to the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70. At this time, the oil mist contained in the exhaust gas a is collected in the vacuum tank 20. Of the total exhaust gas that has passed through the connecting pipe 50, the remaining portion, exhaust gas b, flows into the main body 41 of the silencer 40 through the connecting port 43a formed in the main body 41. This exhaust gas b passes through multiple passage holes formed in the hole forming body 45 within the main body 41 and is discharged upward from the main body 41 through the exhaust port 42a. The exhaust gas b from the main body 41 passes through the gap between the lid 46 and the main body 41 and is discharged to the outside of the fluid collection device 1. At this time, the oil mist in the exhaust gas b is captured by the hole forming body 45.

[0022] When the engine oil has been sucked out, the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump 10 is stopped.

[0023] As described above, according to the fluid recovery device 1, exhaust gas a, which is a portion of the oil mist in the total exhaust gas from the exhaust section 11a, is recovered into the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 connected to the communicating pipe 50. Therefore, the remaining exhaust gas b, excluding exhaust gas a, from the total exhaust gas from the exhaust section 11a, is directed toward the hole forming body 45 of the silencer 40. By reducing the amount of exhaust gas directed toward the hole forming body 45 in this manner, the amount of oil mist in the exhaust gas directed toward the hole forming body 45 is also reduced. Furthermore, a portion of the oil mist from exhaust gas b, which ultimately flows out from the exhaust port 42a, is significantly reduced by removing the oil mist contained in the total exhaust gas in two stages. Furthermore, by recovering a portion of the oil mist in the total exhaust gas into the vacuum tank 20, the amount of oil mist captured by the hole forming body 45 is also reduced, thereby reducing the need for maintenance of the hole forming body 45.

[0024] Therefore, a fluid recovery device 1 is realized that improves the environment in which the device is used and requires relatively little maintenance.

[0025] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction pipe 80. Therefore, the ability of the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 to recover the oil mist in the exhaust gas a into the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is not too high compared to the ability of the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 to suction the inside of the vacuum tank 20 through the suction pipe 80. This prevents the pressure in the vacuum tank 20 from becoming too high (the degree of vacuum from decreasing too much) due to the recovery of the oil mist. More preferably, when the oil rotary vacuum pump 10 suctions the inside of the vacuum tank 20 and the oil mist in the exhaust gas a into the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 is simultaneously performed, the pressure in the vacuum tank 20 should be maintained or the pressure should be able to decrease. From the viewpoint of preventing the ability of recovering the oil mist in the exhaust gas a into the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke recovery pipe 70 from becoming too high, it is preferable that the amount of oil mist recovered into the vacuum tank 20 be less than the amount of oil mist captured by the hole former 45. Specifically, it is preferable that the amount of oil mist collected in the vacuum tank 20 per unit time is smaller than the amount of oil mist captured per unit time by the hole former 45. In one example, the ratio of the former amount to the latter amount is about 1:4.

[0026] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated not only by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments but also by the claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. Below, modifications of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described. Furthermore, parts common to the above-mentioned embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals as above, and descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0027] In the above-described embodiment, a silencer 40 is used. The silencer 40 is primarily used for the purpose of reducing exhaust flow noise, and has a relatively low ability to reduce oil mist contained in the exhaust from the oil rotary vacuum pump 10. Alternatively, an oil mist trap, which has a higher ability to reduce oil mist, may be used. In this case, from the perspective of reducing the oil mist in the exhaust finally discharged from the exhaust port 42a, the importance of collecting the oil mist in the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke collection pipe 70 is lower than when the silencer 40 is used. On the other hand, from the perspective of being able to reduce the amount of oil mist captured in the oil mist trap and reducing the need for maintenance of the oil mist trap, the importance of collecting the oil mist in the vacuum tank 20 through the oil smoke collection pipe 70 is higher than when the silencer 40 is used.

[0028] In the above-described embodiment, the oily smoke recovery pipe 70 is configured as a tubular member made of synthetic resin. This oily smoke recovery pipe 70 may be a flexible hose or a hard member such as a metal pipe.

[0029] The fluid that is expected to be collected by the fluid collection device 1 according to the above embodiment is engine oil, but the fluid may also be grease remaining in machinery or waste ink. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Fluid collection device 10 Oil rotary vacuum pump 11a Exhaust section 12a Intake section 20 Vacuum Tank 30 Exhaust passage 42a Exhaust port 45 Pore former 70 Oil smoke recovery pipe 80 Suction tube

Claims

1. A fluid recovery device comprising an oil rotary vacuum pump having an intake section and an exhaust section, and a fluid storage container connected to the intake section and having a pressure reduced by the vacuum pump, the fluid recovery device sucking fluid into the storage container from an external device connected to the storage container, an exhaust passage portion having one end connected to the exhaust portion and the other end formed with an exhaust port leading to the outside; a hole forming body that is installed in the exhaust passage portion and has a plurality of passage holes formed therein that allow exhaust gas from the exhaust portion to pass toward the exhaust port; The exhaust passage portion is connected to the exhaust passage portion between the exhaust portion and the hole forming body, and the oil smoke recovery pipe is further provided, the oil smoke recovery pipe having one end connected to the exhaust passage portion and the other end connected to the storage container, A fluid recovery device characterized in that when exhaust gas from the exhaust section passes through the exhaust passage section and flows out to the outside from the exhaust port, a portion of the oily smoke contained in the exhaust gas from the exhaust section is recovered into the storage container through the oily smoke recovery pipe, and another portion of the oily smoke is captured by the hole forming body.

2. The device further includes a suction pipe that connects the intake unit and the storage container, 2. The fluid recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the oily smoke recovery pipe is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction pipe.

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