Cleaning equipment for items to be cleaned

Abstract

To reduce the influence on the atmosphere and human body and to keep cleaning costs low by enabling different cleaning liquids to be used for the liquid cleaning and the steam cleaning when both liquid cleaning and steam cleaning are performed. [Solution] In a method for cleaning an object to be cleaned (40) using a cleaning device comprising a cleaning tank (1), a liquid tank (2) and a steam generation tank (3), each of which can be connected to one another via transfer means, the cleaning liquid (36) in the liquid tank (2) is stored in the cleaning tank (1) by a first transfer means (23), and then the object to be cleaned (40) is liquid-cleaned in the cleaning tank (1), and after the liquid cleaning is completed, the cleaning liquid (36) in the cleaning tank (1) is transferred to the liquid tank (2) via a second transfer means (21), and then the cleaning steam (38) in the steam generation tank (3) is transferred into the cleaning tank (1) by a third transfer means (25), and the object to be cleaned (40) is steam-cleaned using the cleaning steam (38), and after the steam cleaning is completed, the condensate of the cleaning steam (38) remaining in the cleaning tank (1) can be transferred into the steam generation tank (3) via a fourth transfer means (22).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an object to be cleaned, which removes dirt adhering to the object to be cleaned, such as a machine part, an electronic part, or a medical device. [Background technology]

[0002] When manufacturing industrial products made of metals, ceramics, resins, etc., heat is generated during processing such as pressing and cutting, so it is common to cool the materials using processing oil while performing the work. As a result, after such processing, dirt such as oil and cutting chips adheres to the item being cleaned, and these must be removed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-000958 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When cleaning such objects, Figure 3 Beauty Figure 4 As shown in the figure, a cleaning method in which liquid cleaning and vapor cleaning are performed successively in one cleaning tank, and a cleaning device used for such a cleaning method, are well known. Figure 3 Beauty Figure 4 The cleaning apparatus shown in the figure is equipped with a cooling coil on the inner periphery of the opening side of the cleaning tank, and is equipped with a liquid cleaning tank and a steam cleaning tank integrated with each other via a partition on the bottom side. In such a conventional cleaning method and cleaning apparatus, the same cleaning liquid used in liquid cleaning is also used in steam cleaning, and the cleaning liquid is heated to generate cleaning steam.

[0005] However, when both liquid cleaning and vapor cleaning are performed using only one type of cleaning liquid as described above, if a highly toxic cleaning liquid is used, the highly toxic cleaning vapor is likely to disperse into the atmosphere during vapor cleaning, raising concerns about its impact on the environment and human health. Furthermore, if an expensive cleaning liquid is used, a considerable amount of the liquid is required during immersion cleaning of the object to be cleaned, resulting in high costs.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a cleaning device that, when performing both liquid cleaning and steam cleaning, allows different cleaning liquids to be used for the liquid cleaning and the steam cleaning, thereby reducing the impact on the atmosphere and human body during cleaning and keeping cleaning costs low. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, Vows The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning objects, which includes a cleaning tank, a liquid tank containing a cleaning liquid, and a steam generation tank for generating cleaning vapor having properties different from those of the cleaning liquid, and which is capable of communicating between the cleaning tank and the liquid tank, and between the cleaning tank and the steam generation tank, via transfer means. The device includes a first transfer means between the cleaning tank and the liquid tank that can transfer the cleaning liquid in the liquid tank into the cleaning tank, and a second transfer means that can transfer the liquid in the cleaning tank into the liquid tank. The device also includes a third transfer means between the cleaning tank and the steam generation tank that can transfer the vapor in the steam generation tank into the cleaning tank, and a fourth transfer means that can transfer condensed liquid of the cleaning vapor in the cleaning tank into the steam generation tank. The cleaning tank has an inclined bottom surface so that the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning tank can be collected at the lowest end of the bottom surface, and the liquid tank and the steam generation tank are disposed below the lowest end of the cleaning tank, and the second transfer means and the fourth transfer means are connected to the lowest end so that the cleaning liquid collected at the lowest end can be transferred to the liquid tank or the steam generation tank by the second transfer means and the fourth transfer means, This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning liquid used during immersion cleaning from mixing with the condensed liquid generated during steam cleaning in the cleaning tank.

[0008] MaThe second transfer means may include a first pipe that can communicate with the cleaning tank and a second pipe that branches off from the first pipe and is connected to the liquid tank, and the fourth transfer means may include the first pipe and a third pipe that branches off from the first pipe and is connected to the steam generation tank, and a valve provided at the connecting portion of the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe may be capable of selectively switching between communication between the first pipe and the second pipe or communication between the first pipe and the third pipe.

[0009] By configuring the second transfer means and the fourth transfer means as described above, it is possible to quickly and easily switch the communication state between the cleaning tank and the liquid tank, or between the cleaning tank and the steam generation tank, simply by switching the valve.

[0010] The cleaning tank may be provided with a lid that can seal the opening of the cleaning tank, and by sealing the inside of the cleaning tank with the lid and reducing the pressure inside the cleaning tank, it is possible to perform reduced-pressure cleaning of the object to be cleaned placed in the cleaning tank. By performing liquid cleaning or vapor cleaning with the cleaning tank sealed with the lid as described above, it is possible to reliably prevent the cleaning vapor generated from the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank from diffusing into the atmosphere. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As described above, the first and second inventions of the present application provide a first transfer means and a second transfer means between the cleaning tank and the liquid tank, and a third transfer means and a fourth transfer means between the cleaning tank and the vapor generating tank, so that the cleaning liquid in the liquid tank and the cleaning vapor and cleaning liquid in the vapor generating tank can be circulated through different paths. Therefore, even when liquid cleaning and vapor cleaning are performed in a single cleaning tank and different cleaning liquids are used for liquid cleaning and vapor cleaning, the cleaning liquids are less likely to mix with each other in the cleaning tank, and the cleaning liquids can be used repeatedly while maintaining their quality.

[0012] Furthermore, for example, by using a highly toxic cleaning liquid for liquid cleaning and a less toxic cleaning liquid for vapor cleaning, the highly toxic cleaning vapor will not be dispersed during the vapor cleaning. Furthermore, even if the highly toxic cleaning liquid used during liquid cleaning remains on the object being cleaned, the less toxic cleaning liquid can be removed by performing vapor cleaning using the less toxic cleaning liquid, as described above, thereby reducing adverse effects on the human body. Furthermore, by using a less expensive cleaning liquid for liquid cleaning, which requires a large amount of liquid, and using an expensive cleaning liquid only for vapor cleaning, which requires only a small amount of liquid, cleaning costs can be kept low. This allows for cleaning that is both environmentally friendly and inexpensive.

[0013] Furthermore, by inclining the bottom surface as described above, the cleaning liquid can be prevented from remaining in the cleaning tank and can be efficiently and quickly transferred to the liquid tank or the vapor generation tank by the transfer means. Therefore, since the cleaning liquid is less likely to remain in the cleaning tank, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid for liquid cleaning and the cleaning liquid for vapor cleaning from mixing, and it is possible to reuse each cleaning liquid in good condition. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a first embodiment showing the first and second aspects of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a second embodiment showing the first and second aspects of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. Example 1

[0015] Explaining this embodiment with reference to Fig. 1, (1) is a cleaning tank, and the cleaning device of this embodiment is made up of the cleaning tank (1), a liquid tank (2) formed separately from the cleaning tank (1), and a steam generation tank (3). As shown in Fig. 1, the liquid tank (2) and the steam generation tank (3) are located below the cleaning tank (1). The steam generation tank (3) is also provided with a heater (4) capable of heating the cleaning liquid stored therein and a temperature sensor (5) for controlling the temperature of the cleaning liquid.

[0016] The cleaning tank (1) has a cooling coil (6) wound around its inner periphery on the opening (41) side, and a collection tray (7) is annularly provided around the inner periphery of the cleaning tank (1) below the cooling coil (6) in the center of the cleaning tank (1). As shown in Fig. 1, the bottom surface (8) of the cleaning tank (1) is inclined in one direction. That is, the bottom surface (8) is continuous with the lower end of one side wall (10) of the cleaning tank (1) located on the right side in Fig. 1 and the lower end of the other side wall (11) located on the left side, and is inclined downward from the connection portion (12) between the bottom edge and the one side wall (10) to the connection portion (13) with the other side wall (11).

[0017] A first pipe (15) is connected to the lowest end (14) on the bottom surface (8) of the liquid tank (2) configured as described above. The first pipe (15) branches into a second pipe (16) and a third pipe (17) at its tip end. A three-way valve (18) is provided at the junction of the first pipe (15), the second pipe (16), and the third pipe (17), and a first valve (20) is provided on the first pipe (15). The second pipe (16) is connected to the liquid tank (2), and the third pipe (17) is connected to the steam generation tank (3). The first pipe (15) and the second pipe (16) together constitute a second transfer means (21) in this embodiment, and the first pipe (15) and the third pipe (17) together constitute a fourth transfer means (22) in this embodiment.

[0018] A fourth pipe (24), which is the first transfer means (23) in this embodiment, is connected between the cleaning tank (1) and the liquid tank (2), and a fifth pipe (26), which is the third transfer means (25) in this embodiment, is connected between the cleaning tank (1) and the steam generation tank (3). The fourth pipe (24) is provided with a pump (27) and a filter (28) for transferring the cleaning liquid from the liquid tank (2) to the cleaning tank (1). The fourth pipe (24) is provided with a second valve (30), and the fifth pipe (26) is provided with a third valve (31).

[0019] A sixth pipe (32) included in the fourth transfer means (22) of this embodiment is connected between the collection tray (7) of the cleaning tank (1) and the steam generation tank (3), and the sixth pipe (32) is provided with a water separator (33). A fourth valve (34) is provided on the sixth pipe (32) between the water separator (33) and the cleaning tank (1), and a fifth valve (35) is provided between the water separator (33) and the steam generation tank (3).

[0020] The method for cleaning the object (40) using the cleaning apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. Before use, all valves (20) through (35) are closed, and the liquid tank (2) and the steam generating tank (3) are filled with different first and second cleaning liquids (36 and 37), respectively. In this state, the object (40) is placed in the cleaning tank (1). To perform liquid cleaning of the object (40), the second valve (30) is opened and the pump (27) is operated. The first cleaning liquid (36) in the liquid tank (2) is transferred through the fourth pipe (24) to the cleaning tank (1) until the object (40) is immersed in the cleaning tank (1). The second valve (30) is then closed and the pump (27) is stopped, and the object (40) is then liquid-cleaned in the cleaning tank (1).

[0021] When the liquid cleaning is completed, the first valve (20) of the first pipe (15) is opened and the three-way valve (18) is operated to connect the first pipe (15) and the second pipe (16). This transfers the first cleaning liquid (36) from the cleaning tank (1) to the liquid tank (2). Because the cleaning tank (1) has an inclined bottom surface (8) as described above, the first cleaning liquid (36) in the cleaning tank (1) is collected at the lowest end (14) of the bottom surface (8). This transfers the first cleaning liquid (36) collected at the lowest end (14) into the liquid tank (2). This prevents the first cleaning liquid (36) from remaining in the cleaning tank (1) and allows the first cleaning liquid (36) to be efficiently and quickly transferred to the liquid tank (2). After all of the first cleaning liquid (36) in the cleaning tank (1) has been transferred, the first valve (20) is closed.

[0022] Next, steam cleaning is performed in the following manner. First, the heater (4) in the steam generation tank (3) is operated to heat the second cleaning liquid (37) and generate cleaning steam (38). In this state, the third valve (31) provided in the fifth pipe (26) is opened, and the cleaning steam (38) in the steam generation tank (3) is transferred into the cleaning tank (1). This allows the object to be cleaned (40) to be steam-cleaned in the cleaning tank (1).

[0023] The cleaning steam (38) transferred into the cleaning tank (1) as described above is cooled and condensed by the cooling coil (6) in the cleaning tank (1), and the condensate produced by this condensation is collected in the collection tray (7). Therefore, the condensate collected in the collection tray (7) is transferred to the water separator (33) through the sixth pipe (32). Note that the fourth valve (34) and the fifth valve (35) are opened beforehand during steam cleaning. Thereafter, the condensate is separated into water and a second cleaning liquid (37) in the water separator (33), and only the second cleaning liquid (37) is transferred again into the steam generation tank (3) through the fifth valve (35) and collected therein.

[0024] After the steam cleaning is completed, the third valve (31) of the fifth pipe (26) is closed, the first valve (20) of the first pipe (15) is opened, and the three-way valve (18) is operated to connect the first pipe (15) and the third pipe (17). This allows the condensed liquid in the cleaning tank (1) to be transferred to the steam generation tank (3). Because the bottom surface (8) of the cleaning tank (1) is inclined as described above, the condensed liquid in the cleaning tank (1) accumulates at the bottom end (14) of the cleaning tank (1), similar to the liquid cleaning. Therefore, the second cleaning liquid (37) in the cleaning tank (1) can be transferred efficiently and quickly to the steam generation tank (3). After all of the second cleaning liquid (37) in the cleaning tank (1) has been transferred, the first valve (20) is closed.

[0025] As described above, the cleaning device of this embodiment can separately use and recover the first cleaning liquid (36) used in liquid cleaning and the second cleaning liquid (37) used in vapor cleaning. This makes it difficult for the cleaning liquids to mix in the cleaning tank (1), and allows the cleaning liquids to be repeatedly reused while maintaining their quality. Furthermore, the first cleaning liquid (36) and the second cleaning liquid (37) can be used appropriately while taking into consideration environmental and cost considerations. Example 2

[0026] In the first embodiment, a method for cleaning an object (40) in a cleaning tank (1) under normal pressure was described. In the second embodiment, a method for cleaning an object (86) in a cleaning tank (51) under reduced pressure will be described. Referring to Fig. 2, the cleaning tank (51) is shown as (51), and the cleaning device of the present embodiment is made up of the cleaning tank (51), a liquid tank (52) and a steam generating tank (53) formed separately from the cleaning tank (51). The cleaning tank (51) is provided with a lid (55) that can seal an opening (54) of the cleaning tank (51).

[0027] As shown in Fig. 2, the liquid tank (52) and the steam generation tank (53) are disposed below the cleaning tank (51). The steam generation tank (53) is provided with a heater (56) capable of heating the cleaning liquid stored therein and a temperature sensor (57) for controlling the temperature of the cleaning liquid. As shown in Fig. 2, the cleaning tank (51) has a bottom surface (91) that is inclined in one direction. That is, the bottom surface (91) is continuous with the lower end of one side wall (60) of the cleaning tank (51) located on the right side in Fig. 2 and the lower end of the other side wall (61) located on the left side, and is inclined downward from the connection with the one side wall (60) to the connection with the other side wall (61).

[0028] A first pipe (63) is connected to the lowest end (62) on the bottom surface (91) of the liquid tank (52) configured as described above. The first pipe (63) branches into a second pipe (64) and a third pipe (65) at its tip end. A three-way valve (66) is provided at the junction of the first pipe (63), the second pipe (64), and the third pipe (65), and a first valve (67) is provided on the first pipe (63). The second pipe (64) is connected to the liquid tank (52), and the third pipe (65) is connected to the steam generation tank (53). The first pipe (63) and the second pipe (64) together constitute a second transfer means (68) in this embodiment, and the first pipe (63) and the third pipe (65) are included in a fourth transfer means (70) in this embodiment.

[0029] A fourth pipe (72), which is the first transfer means (71) in this embodiment, is connected between the cleaning tank (51) and the liquid tank (52), and a fifth pipe (74), which is the third transfer means (73) in this embodiment, is connected between the cleaning tank (51) and the steam generation tank (53). A second valve (75) is provided in the fourth pipe (72), and a third valve (76) is provided in the fifth pipe (74).

[0030] A sixth pipe (77) constituting the fourth transfer means (70) of this embodiment is connected to the opening (54) of the cleaning tank (51). A cooler (78) is provided in the sixth pipe (77). A fourth valve (80) is provided in the sixth pipe (77) between the cooler (78) and the cleaning tank (51), and a fifth valve (81) is provided in the sixth pipe (77) between the cooler (78) and the steam generation tank (53). A seventh pipe (82) communicating with the outside air is connected to the opening (54) of the cleaning tank (51), and a sixth valve (83) is provided in the seventh pipe (82). An eighth pipe (84) is connected to the cooler (78), and a suction pump (85) is provided in the eighth pipe (84).

[0031] A method for cleaning an object (86) using the cleaning apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. At the start of cleaning, all valves from the first valve (67) to the sixth valve (83) are closed, and the liquid tank (52) and the vapor generating tank (53) are filled with different first and second cleaning liquids (87 and 88), respectively. An object (86) is placed in the cleaning tank (51). In this state, the fourth valve (80) of the sixth pipe (77) is opened, and the suction pump (85) is operated, thereby reducing the pressure in the cleaning tank (51).

[0032] Furthermore, by opening the second valve (75) of the fourth pipe (72), the first cleaning liquid (87) in the liquid tank (52) is transferred through the fourth pipe (72) into the cleaning tank (51) due to a pressure difference. Then, when the object (86) to be cleaned is immersed in the first cleaning liquid (87), the second valve (75) and the fourth valve (80) are closed, and the object (86) to be cleaned is liquid-cleaned under reduced pressure in the cleaning tank (51).

[0033] After the liquid cleaning under reduced pressure is completed, the sixth valve (83) of the seventh pipe (82) is opened to return the pressure inside the cleaning tank (51) to atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the first valve (67) of the first pipe (63) is opened, and the first pipe (63) and the second pipe (64) are connected by the three-way valve (66). This transfers the first cleaning liquid (87) from the cleaning tank (51) to the liquid tank (52) and recovers it. After all of the first cleaning liquid (87) has been transferred from the cleaning tank (51), the first valve (67) is closed.

[0034] Next, steam cleaning is performed. First, the heater (56) in the steam generation tank (53) is operated to heat the second cleaning liquid (88) and generate cleaning steam (90). The suction pump (85) is operated and the fourth valve (80) is opened to reduce the pressure in the cleaning tank (51). The third valve (76) provided in the fifth pipe (74) is then opened to transfer the cleaning steam (90) in the steam generation tank (53) into the cleaning tank (51). This allows the object to be cleaned (86) to be steam-cleaned in the cleaning tank (51) under reduced pressure.

[0035] Here, the cleaning steam (90) transferred into the cleaning tank (51) as described above is transferred to the cooler (78) through the sixth pipe (77) by the action of the suction pump (85) by opening the fourth valve (80) and the fifth valve (81), and is cooled in the cooler (78) to be condensed and liquefied. Therefore, the condensed liquid condensed in the cooler (78) is transferred again through the sixth pipe (77) into the steam generation tank (53) and recovered.

[0036] After the steam cleaning is completed, the fourth valve (80) of the fifth pipe (74) is closed and the sixth valve (83) of the seventh pipe (82) is opened, thereby restoring the pressure of the cleaning tank (51) to normal pressure. In this state, the first valve (67) of the first pipe (63) is opened and the first pipe (63) and the third pipe (65) are connected by the three-way valve (66). This allows the second cleaning liquid (88) that has been condensed and liquefied in the cleaning tank (51) to be collected from the cleaning tank (51) into the steam generation tank (53). After all of the second cleaning liquid (88) in the cleaning tank (51) has been transferred into the steam generation tank (53), the first valve (67) is closed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1,5 1 cleaning tank 2,5 2 liquid tank 3,5 3 Steam generation tank 8,91 bottom 14,62 Bottom 15,63 First piping 16,64 Second piping 17,65 Third piping 18,66 valve 21,6 8 Second transport means 22,7 0 Fourth means of transportation 23,7 1 First transportation means 25,7 3 Third means of transport 36,87 First cleaning solution 37,8 8 Second cleaning solution 38,9 0 Cleaning steam 40,8 6 Items to be washed 54 Opening 55 Lid

Claims

1. In a cleaning device for an object to be cleaned, the device comprises a cleaning tank, a liquid tank containing a cleaning liquid, and a steam generating tank for generating cleaning vapor having properties different from those of the cleaning liquid, and the cleaning tank and the liquid tank, and the cleaning tank and the steam generating tank are communicable with each other through transfer means. Between the cleaning tank and the liquid tank, a first transfer means is provided for transferring the cleaning liquid in the liquid tank into the cleaning tank, and a second transfer means is provided for transferring the liquid in the cleaning tank into the liquid tank. Between the cleaning tank and the steam generating tank, a third transfer means is provided for transferring the steam in the steam generating tank into the cleaning tank, and a third transfer means is provided for transferring the condensed liquid of the cleaning vapor in the cleaning tank into the steam generating tank. and a fourth transfer means for transferring the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning tank to a steam generating tank, wherein the cleaning tank has an inclined bottom so that the cleaning liquid remaining in the cleaning tank can be accumulated at the lowest end of the bottom, and the liquid tank and the steam generating tank are disposed below the lowest end of the cleaning tank, and the second transfer means and the fourth transfer means are connected to the lowest end so that the cleaning liquid accumulated at the lowest end can be transferred to the liquid tank or the steam generating tank by the second transfer means and the fourth transfer means, thereby making it possible to avoid mixing of the cleaning liquid used during immersion cleaning and the condensate generated during steam cleaning in the cleaning tank.

2. The cleaning device for objects to be cleaned according to claim 1, characterized in that the second transfer means includes a first pipe that can communicate with the cleaning tank and a second pipe that branches off from the first pipe and is connected to the liquid tank, and the fourth transfer means includes the first pipe and a third pipe that branches off from the first pipe and is connected to the steam generation tank, and a valve provided at the connecting portion of the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe makes it possible to selectively switch between communication between the first pipe and the second pipe or communication between the first pipe and the third pipe.

3. The cleaning device for objects to be cleaned according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning tank is provided with a lid that can seal the opening of the cleaning tank, and by sealing the inside of the cleaning tank with the lid and reducing the pressure inside the cleaning tank, it is possible to perform reduced-pressure cleaning of the objects to be cleaned placed in the cleaning tank.

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