Foaming cleaning solution supply device

Abstract

To provide a foaming cleaning liquid supply device that can generate and supply a large amount of foaming cleaning liquid in a short time and can be made to be small so as to be advantageous for being incorporated in an automatic dispenser.SOLUTION: A foaming cleaning liquid supply device is used for supplying foaming cleaning liquid to the inside of a predetermined container after generating the foaming cleaning liquid. An internal space of a cylinder 10 is divided into an uppermost part section S1 and two-stage lower layer sections S2, S3 by mesh materials 20, 30, 40 in a plurality of positions. Mixed liquid of detergent undiluted solution, dilution water, and air flowing into the uppermost part section S1 passes through the mesh materials 20, 30, 40 subsequent to the first stage successively while increasing its foam amount, and is supplied to the inside of the container from an outlet nozzle 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a foaming cleaning liquid supply device used for supplying a foaming cleaning liquid into a predetermined container such as a bucket.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in car washing and the like, an operator immerses a cloth or a sponge in a foaming cleaning liquid obtained by mixing air while stirring water and a detergent in a container such as a bucket, and washes the vehicle body with the cloth or the sponge. Also, the vehicle body sprayed with the foaming cleaning liquid is washed with a cloth or a sponge.

[0003] On the other hand, a foaming nozzle has been proposed as a prior example (see Patent Document 1). In this Patent Document 1, a chemical agent mixture is injected into the inside of a foaming cylinder provided with a mesh (foaming mesh), and air is mixed into the injection flow of the chemical agent mixture and made to collide with the mesh to produce and release a foamy chemical agent. Also, in this Patent Document 1, it is shown that the foamy chemical agent released from the foaming nozzle is sprayed onto a bathtub for cleaning.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in car washing and the like, it is often beneficial for an operator to purchase and use a foaming cleaning liquid sold in a vending machine rather than using a foaming cleaning liquid made by the operator himself / herself, as it saves time and reduces labor.

[0006] The present invention was made under the above circumstances, and aims to provide a foaming cleaning solution supply device that can generate and supply a large amount of foaming cleaning solution in a short time, and that can be easily miniaturized to be advantageous for integration into vending machines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The foaming cleaning solution supply device according to the present invention is used to supply the foaming cleaning solution into a predetermined container after it has been generated.

[0008] This foaming cleaning solution supply device is configured such that the internal space of a cylindrical body forming a downward flow path for the foaming cleaning solution is divided into an uppermost section without mesh material at the upper end opening and several lower sections below this uppermost section by multiple mesh materials arranged in multiple stages. The mixture of undiluted detergent, diluted water, and air flowing into the uppermost section generates foaming cleaning solution and increases the amount of foam as it passes through the mesh materials from the first stage onward, which divide the lower sections into multiple stages. The foaming cleaning solution that has passed through the lowest mesh material is supplied into the container via an outlet nozzle.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the first mesh material is placed at the bottom end of the uppermost section, and subsequent mesh materials are placed at the bottom end of each of the multiple lower sections. Therefore, after the mixture of detergent concentrate, dilution water, and air flowing into the uppermost section is agitated to generate foaming cleaning solution, the foaming cleaning solution flows down its downward channel, passing through the first mesh material, and then successively passing through the subsequent mesh materials, increasing the amount of foam as it reaches the outlet nozzle, where it is released and supplied into the container. The amount of foaming cleaning solution supplied into the container can be controlled by adjusting the amount of mixture flowing into the uppermost section, and the supply speed of the foaming cleaning solution can be controlled by increasing or decreasing the amount of mixture flowing into the uppermost section. Furthermore, because the downward channel of the foaming cleaning solution can be formed straight, the supply device can be easily miniaturized, and the decrease in the flow rate of the foaming cleaning solution can be minimized, allowing a large amount of foaming cleaning solution to be generated and supplied in a short time.

[0010] In the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which a joint member is connected at its lower end to the upper end opening of the cylindrical body, and a liquid passage is connected to the upper end of the joint member, wherein the liquid passage is a passage for diluted detergent solution obtained by mixing detergent concentrate and dilution water, and its inner diameter is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the upper end opening of the cylindrical body, and a plurality of atmospheric opening windows are provided on the peripheral wall of the joint member, and when the diluted detergent solution falls from the liquid passage into the upper end opening of the cylindrical body, air is taken in from the atmospheric opening windows and mixed with the diluted detergent solution, thereby generating the above-mentioned mixed liquid containing detergent concentrate, dilution water and air.

[0011] In the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the lower end of the liquid passage is positioned below the atmospheric opening window. This makes it possible to suppress splashes of diluted cleaning solution falling from the liquid passage, as well as splashes of the resulting mixture of undiluted detergent, diluted water, and air, from flying out of the atmospheric opening window.

[0012] In this invention, it is desirable that the mesh size of the mesh material is largest in the first stage mesh material, and that the mesh size of the lower mesh material is smaller than that of the upper mesh material between adjacent stages of mesh material. As a result, the foam of the foaming cleaning liquid flowing down the downward channel becomes finer each time it passes through the mesh material, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the foaming cleaning liquid itself that is released from the outlet nozzle and supplied into the container.

[0013] In the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the length of the lower section is set to be at least 1.5 times the inner diameter of the cylindrical body. This results in a length that prevents the lower section from being filled with foaming cleaning liquid flowing in through the mesh material of each stage, thereby suppressing the situation in which the foaming cleaning liquid accumulates excessively in the lower section and remains stagnant in the downward flow path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The foaming cleaning solution supply device according to the present invention has the advantage of being able to generate and supply a large amount of foaming cleaning solution in a short time, and can be easily miniaturized to be advantageous for integration into vending machines. Therefore, in car washing and other applications, workers can purchase and use foaming cleaning solution sold in vending machines, which is convenient. In addition, since the amount of water and detergent used in generating the foaming cleaning solution can be optimized in the present invention, water and detergent are saved compared to the conventional method in which workers roughly add amounts of detergent and water to a container to make foaming cleaning solution. Furthermore, since the foaming cleaning solution is generated by the foaming cleaning solution supply device in the present invention, compared to the conventional method in which workers spray water into a container that already contains detergent using water pressure from a water hose, incorporating air to create foaming cleaning solution, there is no splashing of cleaning solution into the surroundings, and it requires less effort and time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the foaming cleaning solution supply device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a foaming cleaning solution supply device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Figure 1 is a side view of a foaming cleaning liquid supply device according to the present invention. The foaming cleaning liquid supply device 100 shown in the figure has a vertically straight cylindrical body 10 that forms a downward flow path for the foaming cleaning liquid. The lower end of a joint member 60 is connected to the upper end of the cylindrical body 10, and a screw 61 is inserted through a screw hole 60c provided in the peripheral wall 60a of the joint member 60, and the joint member 60 is fixed to the cylindrical body 10 by bringing the tip of the screw 61 into contact with the peripheral wall of the joint member 60. A mixer injector 70 is connected to the upper end of the joint member 60, and an outlet nozzle 50 is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical body 10. Figure 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a foaming cleaning liquid supply device according to the present invention. The internal space of the cylindrical body 10 is divided into an uppermost section S1 and two lower sections S2 and S3 below the uppermost section S1 by three mesh materials 20, 30, and 40 arranged in three stages.

[0017] In Figures 1 and 2, the mixer injector 70 is a mixer injector 70 that utilizes the Venturi effect. The mixer injector 70 is configured to allow dilution water (e.g., tap water) to flow into its inlet (not shown). As the incoming dilution water passes through the mixer injector 70, which functions as a Venturi tube, the concentrated detergent solution stored in a separate tank is drawn up by the Venturi effect via a tube (not shown) connected to the throat (not shown) of the mixer injector 70 and mixed with the dilution water. This mixture of concentrated detergent solution and dilution water produces a diluted detergent solution, which then passes through the internal passage of the mixer injector 70 as a liquid passage 70a. The liquid passage 70a is connected to a joint member 60, and the lower end of the liquid passage 70a, the drop-off opening 71b, faces the upper end opening 11 of the uppermost section S1 of the cylindrical body 10, which does not have a mesh material. The inner diameter dimension D1 of the liquid passage 70a is smaller than the inner diameter dimension D2 of the upper end opening 11 of the cylindrical body 10. As a result, the diluted detergent solution that has passed through the liquid passage 70a will fall into the upper end opening 11 of the cylindrical body 10.

[0018] The joint member 60 serves as an air supply means by having multiple atmospheric opening windows 60b provided on its peripheral wall 60a. Diluted detergent solution falls into the upper end opening 11 of the cylindrical body 10 from the drop-off port 71b at the lower end of the liquid passage 70a to which the joint member 60 is connected. Air is drawn in through the atmospheric opening windows 60b and mixed with the diluted detergent solution, generating a mixed liquid containing the detergent concentrate, dilution water, and air, which then flows into the uppermost section S1. As shown in Figure 2, a guide tube 71 is provided at the lower end of the mixer injector 70, extending the liquid passage 70a so that the drop-off port 71b at the lower end of the liquid passage 70a is located below the atmospheric opening windows 60b. This prevents splashes of diluted cleaning solution falling from the liquid passage 70a and splashes of the generated mixed liquid of detergent concentrate, dilution water, and air from flying out of the atmospheric opening windows. In this embodiment, a joint member 60 provided with an atmospheric opening window 60b is used as the air supply means, but the air supply means is not limited to this configuration. For example, a means of supplying air to the dilution water in the flow path using an electric pump via a tube connected to the flow path can also be employed.

[0019] Of the two lower sections S2 and S3 described above, the outlet nozzle 50 is connected to the lower end of the lowermost section S3, that is, the lower end of the cylindrical body 10.

[0020] The cylindrical body 10 and the outlet nozzle 50 in the illustrated example are arranged straight in the vertical direction. Further, the cylindrical body 10 is formed by connecting three short pipes 12, 13, and 14 straight in the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, each of the two joints 15, 15 used for connecting the short pipes 12, 13 to each other and the short pipes 13, 14 to each other includes upper and lower inner adapters 16, 16 that exhibit sealing performance and an outer adapter 17 that covers the outside of these inner adapters 16, 16. And in the upper joint 15, the lower end of the uppermost short pipe 12 is inserted and connected to the upper inner adapter 16, and the upper end of the intermediate short pipe 13 is inserted and connected to the lower inner adapter 16. Similarly, in the lower joint 15, the lower end of the intermediate short pipe 13 is inserted and connected to the upper inner adapter 16, and the upper end of the lowermost short pipe 14 is inserted and connected to the lower inner adapter 16. Further, the lower end of the lowermost short pipe 14 is inserted and connected to an adapter 18 that exhibits sealing performance and is provided in the outlet nozzle 50.

[0021] In the foaming cleaning liquid supply device having the above configuration, when a mixed liquid of detergent stock solution, dilution water, and air flows into the uppermost section S1 formed by the internal space of the cylindrical body 10, it is stirred in the uppermost section S1 to generate a foaming cleaning liquid. The foaming cleaning liquid thus generated flows down the flow path forcibly by its own weight and the water pressure of the dilution water, and passes through the first-stage mesh material 20 that separates the uppermost section S1 and the upper lower layer section S2 while increasing the amount of foam, and flows into the upper lower layer section S2. Further, the foaming cleaning liquid that has thus flowed into the upper lower layer section S2 passes through the second-stage mesh material 30 that separates the upper lower layer section S2 and the lower lower layer section S3 while increasing the amount of foam, and flows into the lower lower layer section S3. Similarly, the foaming cleaning liquid that has flowed into the lower lower layer section S3 passes through the third-stage mesh material 40 provided at the lower end of the lower lower layer section S3 while increasing the amount of foam, flows into the outlet nozzle 50, and then is discharged from the outlet nozzle 50 and supplied to a container such as a bucket not shown.

[0022] Here, for example, by controlling the inflow time of the dilution water, the inflow amount of the mixed liquid into the uppermost section can be adjusted. Then, in a single continuous operation, the amount of the foaming cleaning liquid supplied from the outlet nozzle 50 to the container can be made to match the amount that fills the container. Therefore, it becomes possible to use the foaming cleaning liquid in the container for car washing or the like.

[0023] By the way, the foaming cleaning liquid generated in the uppermost section S1 passes successively through the first-stage mesh material 20, the second-stage mesh material 30, and the third-stage mesh material 40 in this order while receiving the forced downward flow action from the upstream of the flow path. Each time it passes through each stage of the mesh materials 20, 30, 40, the bubbles become finer and the amount of bubbles increases. For this reason, the cleaning ability of the foaming cleaning liquid itself discharged from the outlet nozzle 50 and supplied into the container is improved compared to the cleaning ability of the foaming cleaning liquid generated in the uppermost section S1.

[0024] The mesh size of each stage of the mesh materials 20, 30, 40 is the largest in the first-stage mesh material 20. Among the second-stage mesh material 30 and the third-stage mesh material 40, the mesh size of the third-stage mesh material 40 on the lower side is smaller than the mesh size of the second-stage mesh material 30 on the upper side. For this reason, as the bubbles of the foaming cleaning liquid flowing down the downward flow path pass through each stage of the mesh materials 20, 30, 40 in order, the fineness of the bubbles is surely increased, and the cleaning ability of the foaming cleaning liquid itself supplied into the container is further improved.

[0025] The mesh sizes of the 20, 30, and 40 mesh materials in each stage are expressed as the number of meshes per inch (2.54 cm). The mesh of the mesh material is composed of intersecting metal wires, synthetic fibers, and other materials. Following this notation, it has been found that setting the mesh size of the first stage mesh material 20 to 40 mesh, the second stage mesh material to 60 mesh, and the third stage mesh material to 80 mesh allows the foaming cleaning solution supplied to the container to exhibit cleaning capabilities suitable for washing car bodies and glass that are covered in oil stains and dust. Note that the mesh sizes are not limited to these combinations and can be adjusted according to various circumstances. For example, the mesh size of the first stage mesh material 20 can be appropriately selected within the range of 20 to 30 mesh, the mesh size of the second stage mesh material within the range of 30 to 40 mesh, and the mesh size of the third stage mesh material within the range of 60 to 80 mesh. In this process, it is desirable to consider the combination and balance of mesh materials at each stage to ensure optimal cleaning performance.

[0026] On the other hand, as described above, if a mixture of undiluted detergent, diluted water, and air is introduced into the uppermost section S1 to generate a foaming cleaning solution, and if this foaming cleaning solution is passed through the first mesh material 20 and flows down to the upper lower section S2, and then the foaming cleaning solution in the lower section S2 is passed through the second mesh material 30 and flows down to the lower lower section S3, there is a concern that the foaming cleaning solution may accumulate too much in each section S1, S2, and S3, filling each section with foaming cleaning solution and making it impossible to smoothly supply the foaming cleaning solution to the container from the outlet nozzle 50.

[0027] One effective way to resolve this problem is to reduce the amount of the mixed solution of detergent concentrate, dilution water, and air that flows in. However, doing so may result in a situation where it takes too long to smoothly supply the required amount of foaming cleaning solution from the outlet nozzle 50 to the container.

[0028] Therefore, in this embodiment, the length dimensions H1 of the uppermost section S1, H2 of the upper lower section S2, and H3 of the lower lower section S3 are made sufficiently long, at least 1.5 times longer than the inner diameter dimension D3 of the cylindrical body 10 shown in Figure 1. This makes it less likely for foaming cleaning liquid to accumulate and build up excessively in each section S1, S2, and S3, and allows the required amount of foaming cleaning liquid to be smoothly supplied to the container from the outlet nozzle 50 in a short time. Specifically, the inner diameter dimension D3 of the cylindrical body 10 is set to about 32 mm, and the length dimensions H1 of the uppermost section S1, H2 of the upper lower section S2, and H3 of the lower lower section S3 are each set to about 70 mm to avoid the above-mentioned problem. In addition, by using transparent clear tubes for the three short tubes 12, 13, and 14 that form the cylindrical body 10, the foaming cleaning liquid in each section S1, S2, and S3 can be visually inspected from the outside. This has the advantage of making it easy to identify situations where the above-mentioned problems are likely to occur.

[0029] In the embodiments described above, an example was described in which the internal space of the cylindrical body 10 is divided into an uppermost section S1 without mesh material at the upper end opening 11 and two lower sections S2 and S3 below the uppermost section S1 by three mesh materials 20, 30, and 40 arranged in three stages. However, the internal space of the cylindrical body 10 may also be divided into an uppermost section without mesh material at the upper end opening and multiple lower sections below the uppermost section by multiple mesh materials arranged in more than three stages. In this case, it is desirable that the mesh size of the first stage mesh material is the largest, and that the mesh size of the lower mesh material is smaller than the mesh size of the upper mesh material between adjacent mesh materials. Alternatively, the internal space of the cylindrical body 10 may also be divided into an uppermost section without mesh material at the upper end opening and one lower section below the uppermost section by two mesh materials arranged in two stages. In this case as well, it is desirable that the mesh size of the second mesh material be smaller than that of the first mesh material. Furthermore, although this embodiment assumes the use of general water pressure and undiluted detergent, if tap water is used as the dilution water, it is desirable to configure the number of mesh materials and mesh size accordingly, depending on the region where the water pressure is extremely low or the composition of the undiluted detergent.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, a mixer injector utilizing the Venturi effect was described as a means of generating foaming cleaning solution in the uppermost section S1, but other means can also be used. For example, it is also possible to use a means of supplying concentrated detergent solution to dilution water using an electric pump. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 10 Cylinder 11 Top opening 12 short tube 13 Short tube 14 Short tube 15 Fittings 16 Inner Adapter 17 Outer adapter 18 adapters 20, 30, 40 mesh material 50 Outlet Nozzles 60 Joint Members 60a Peripheral wall 60b Open window to the atmosphere 60c screw hole 61 screws 70 Mixer Injector 70a Liquid passage 71b Fallout 71 Guide tube 100 Foaming cleaning solution supply device S1 Top Section S2, S3 Lower Sections D1 Inner diameter of the liquid passage D2 Inner diameter dimension of the upper end opening D3 Inner diameter of the cylindrical body H1 Length dimension of the top section Length dimensions of the lower section H2, H3

Claims

1. A supply of foaming cleaning solution used to generate foaming cleaning solution and then supply it into a predetermined container. It is a device, Multiple internal spaces of cylindrical bodies, which form a downward flow path for foaming cleaning solution, are arranged in multiple stages. Depending on the mesh material at the location, the uppermost section does not have mesh material at the upper end opening and this upper It is divided into multiple lower sections below the main section, and the detergent concentrate and dilute detergent flow into the uppermost section. The mixture of rinse water and air creates a foaming washing solution, increasing the amount of foam as it washes multiple levels in the lower section. The bubbles pass through the mesh material in order from the first layer onwards, and then through the bottom layer of mesh material. The standing cleaning solution is supplied into the container via the outlet nozzle. A joint member whose lower end is connected to the upper end opening of the above cylindrical body, and the upper end of the joint member Equipped with a connected liquid passage, The aforementioned liquid passage is a passage for a diluted detergent solution obtained by mixing the detergent concentrate and dilution water, and its inner diameter is as described above. It is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the opening at the top of the cylindrical body. Multiple atmospheric opening windows are provided in the peripheral wall of the joint member, and the liquid passage allows the dilution washing As the liquid agent falls into the upper end opening of the cylindrical body, air is drawn in through the atmospheric opening window. When air is mixed into the diluted detergent solution, the mixture containing the detergent concentrate, dilution water, and air becomes a mixture. A liquid is produced, A foaming cleaning liquid supply device in which the lower end of the liquid passage is positioned below the atmospheric opening window.

2. The mesh size of the mesh material is largest in the first mesh material, and the mesh size of the adjacent mesh materials Between the meshes, the mesh size of the lower mesh is smaller than the mesh size of the upper mesh. A foaming cleaning liquid supply device as described in claim 1, wherein the device is further modified.

3. The length of the lower section is at least 1.5 times the inner diameter of the cylindrical body. A foaming cleaning solution supply device as defined in claim 1 or claim 2.

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