Air purification device and air purification method

Abstract

To provide an air cleaning device and an air cleaning method capable of cleaning air containing oil mist without using any filters.SOLUTION: An air cleaning device 1 comprises: a fan 10 having a suction port 11 being opened toward one side in a rotary shaft direction, discharge ports 12 communicating with the suction port 11 and being opened in an outward direction orthogonal to the rotary shaft direction, and a plurality of wires 13 provided on surfaces of blade plates; a motor 20 for rotating the fan 10; a cylindrical wall 25 forming an annular discharge space outside the fan; a box-shaped housing 30 housing the fan 10 and the like and having an inflow port 30a and an outflow port 30b; an introduction flow passage 2 for allowing the suction port 11 to communicate with the inflow port 30a in the housing 30; and a separation flow passage 3 for allowing the discharge space to communicate with the outflow port 30b in the housing 30 and being bent at a plurality of positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purification device and an air purification method for purifying air containing oil mist generated in a processing machine.

Background Art

[0002] In machining factories, processing is performed by a wide variety of machine tools (processing machines). For such processing, for example, in cutting processing, grinding processing and the like, non-water-soluble (mineral oil) or water-soluble coolant is used. The purposes of using coolant include improving processing accuracy, improving lubricity, improving surface accuracy, extending the service life of tools such as end mills, and improving the penetration of oil agent into the end face of a cutting edge, among others.

[0003] After being supplied to a processing machine, such coolant is recovered, purified and cooled, then supplied to the processing machine again and repeatedly used for a certain period of time. Therefore, in addition to additives such as rust inhibitors, the coolant is contaminated with oil components brought in from previous processes, oil-water separators, lubricating hydraulic oil from the processing machine, and the like.

[0004] By the way, during processing of a workpiece by a processing machine, fine dust is generated, and part of the coolant is atomized into fine particles to form oil mist. In particular, high-speed processing is accompanied by generation of a large amount of oil mist. This oil mist is widely distributed from ultrafine particle diameters in the submicron range to coarse diameters of several tens of micrometers and several hundreds of micrometers. Fine particles of oil mist with a particle diameter of 1.0 µm or less can enter the respiratory tract of workers in the factory, causing pulmonary dysfunction and hepatic dysfunction, or can cause skin diseases.

[0005] Conventional air purification systems addressed the above problems by using filters to capture fine oil mist. However, this oil mist would quickly clog the filters due to air pollution, evaporation of moisture due to heat, etc., causing them to turn into grease or gel, necessitating frequent filter replacement. For these reasons, there was a demand for air purification systems that did not use filters. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an air purification device and an air purification method that can purify air containing oil mist without using a filter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the air purification device according to the present invention A fan having multiple blades that rotate around a rotation axis, having an intake port opening toward one direction in the direction of the rotation axis, an exhaust port communicating with the intake port and opening outward perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis between the blades, and a plurality of wires provided on the surface of the blades, The motor that rotates the fan, A cylindrical wall surrounding the outer circumference of the fan, forming an annular discharge space outside the fan, A box-shaped housing that houses at least the fan, the motor, and the cylindrical wall, and has an inlet opening at a portion of the fan that is outward in the direction of the rotation axis from the intake port of the fan, and an outlet opening at a portion of the fan that is opposite to the inlet, An introduction channel is provided within the housing that connects the intake port and the inlet, Within the housing, the discharge space and the outlet are connected, and the separation channel is bent at multiple points.、 The impacted member is provided along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall and is formed by a plurality of wires. " It is characterized by having the following features.

[0008] In this air purification device configuration, when the motor rotates the fan, the air in the intake channel is drawn into the fan's intake port at an airflow velocity corresponding to the rotation speed of the multiple blades. This creates negative pressure in the intake channel, drawing in air from outside the housing (for example, contaminated air containing oil mist) through the inlet. The air drawn into the fan's intake port is discharged radially outward from the exhaust port on the outer surface. However, since multiple wires are provided on the surface of the blades between the intake port and the exhaust port, the oil mist contained in the air repeatedly collides with these multiple wires as it travels from the intake port to the exhaust port, causing many of the fine oil mist particles in the air to agglomerate. The droplets that have agglomerated and become larger in the fan are then released into the discharge space from the exhaust port by centrifugal force and inertially collide with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall surrounding the discharge space. In addition, some of the oil mist that was not agglomerated in the fan also inertially collides with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall along with the air and agglomerates. The air released from the vent into the discharge space passes through the downstream separation channel and is discharged to the outside of the housing through the outlet. At this time, since the separation channel bends in multiple places, the air inertially collides with the inner wall of the separation channel each time the channel bends. As a result, the remaining oil mist that collides with the inner wall condenses on the inner wall, and the amount of oil mist in the air gradually decreases. Consequently, clean air, from which droplets derived from oil mist have been removed, is discharged from the outlet. Meanwhile, droplets of oil mist that have condensed on the inner surface of the cylinder wall and on the inner wall of the separation channel are carried down to the bottom of the housing by gravity.

[0009] With this air purification device configuration, unlike conventional devices, it is possible to repeatedly collide oil mist contained in the air with a fan having multiple wires and a separation channel that bends at multiple points, without using a filter. As a result, it is possible to physically agglomerate and separate the oil mist from the contaminated air containing oil mist, and to collect the agglomerated oil mist droplets that flow down to the bottom of the housing.

[0011] Examples of "collision target members" include "single-layer or multi-layer mesh," "nonwoven fabric," and "woven fabric."

[0012] In this configuration, since a collision target member consisting of multiple wires is provided on the inner circumferential surface side of the cylindrical wall, fine oil mist particles released from the fan's air outlet by centrifugal force collide with the multiple wires constituting the collision target member, causing the fine oil mist particles to aggregate. This further reduces the amount of oil mist contained in the air flowing from the discharge space between the fan and the cylindrical wall to the separation channel.

[0013] Furthermore, instead of droplets being forcefully ejected from the fan's air outlet by centrifugal force directly impacting the inner surface of the cylinder wall, they collide with the object to be impacted before hitting the cylinder wall, thereby preventing the droplets from bouncing off the inner surface of the cylinder wall.

[0014] The air purification method according to the present invention is "An air purification method for purifying air containing oil mist using the air purification device described in claim 1, The motor rotates the fan so that air containing oil mist is drawn into the intake port, and the drawn-in air is made to collide with a plurality of wires in the fan, and then in the next discharge space, the cylinder The inner surface of the wall and the member to be hit The oil mist contained in the air is condensed and separated from the air by colliding with the inner wall, which is bent at multiple points in the subsequent separation channel, and then colliding with the inner wall at multiple points. characterized by the above.

[0015] According to the cavitation purification method of this configuration, air containing oil mist can be purified using the air purification device of the above configuration.

Effects of the Invention

[0016] As described above, as effects of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air purification device and an air purification method capable of purifying air containing oil mist without using a filter.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an air purification device that is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air purification device cut vertically along the rotation axis of a fan. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the air purification device disassembled into main components. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 2, and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Figure 2, and Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 2. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of air in the air purification device.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, an air purification device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the motor 20 is omitted from illustration. Further, in Figures 2 and 3, the collided member 43 is omitted from illustration. The air purification device 1 of the present embodiment is for removing and purifying oil mist from air containing coolant oil mist generated in a processing machine installed in a factory.

[0019] The air purification device 1 comprises a fan 10, a motor 20 for rotating the fan 10, a cylindrical cylinder wall 25 surrounding the fan 10 and forming an annular discharge space S between the cylinder wall and the fan 10, and a box-shaped housing 30 accommodating at least the fan 10, the motor 20 and the cylinder wall 25.

[0020] The fan 10 has a plurality of blades 16 rotating around a rotation axis, and comprises an air inlet 11 opening toward one side in the rotation axis direction, an air outlet 12 communicating with the air inlet 11 and opening outward in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction, and a plurality of wires 13 provided between the air inlet 11 and the air outlet 12.

[0021] In the following description, the direction in which the air inlet 11 of the fan 10 opens is defined as the front side, the rotation axis direction thereof is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction when viewed from the front to the rear is referred to as the left-right direction.

[0022] More specifically, the fan 10 comprises a disk-shaped base end plate 14 and an annular distal end plate 15 provided in front of the base end plate 14 and having the air inlet 11 opened at a central portion thereof, and the plurality of blades 16 are provided between the base end plate 14 and the distal end plate 15. The air outlet 12 opens outward between adjacent blades 16 between the base end plate 14 and the distal end plate 15. Each blade 16 is curved in an arc shape with respect to a radiation centered on the rotation axis (see FIG. 4(b)). The plurality of blades 16 are arranged at equal angular intervals centered on the rotation axis. The plurality of wires 13 are implanted in a brush shape on the curved convex surface of all the blades 16.

[0023] The motor 20 is provided behind the fan 10 with its rotation shaft facing forward. The cylinder wall 25 is provided coaxially with the fan 10. In addition, the length of the cylinder wall 25 in the front-rear direction (rotation axis direction) is slightly longer than the length of the fan 10 in the front-rear direction. It should be noted that a discharge hole for discharging liquid droplets formed by aggregation of oil mist downward may be provided at the lowest portion of the cylinder wall 25.

[0024] The housing 30 has an inlet 30a that opens in front of the fan 10 and an outlet 30b that opens behind the fan 10. Inside the housing 30, there is an introduction channel 2 that connects the inlet 30a and the intake port 11 of the fan 10, and a separation channel 3 that connects the discharge space S between the fan 10 and the cylindrical wall 25 to the outlet 30b and is bent at multiple points.

[0025] This separation channel 3 consists of a first separation channel 3a and a second separation channel 3b. The first separation channel 3a is located behind the discharge space S, communicates with the discharge space S, and has multiple bends within the channel. The second separation channel 3b is located behind the first separation channel 3a, connects the first separation channel 3a to the outlet 30b, and has multiple bends within the channel. The separation channel 3 is formed such that the area of ​​the cross-section perpendicular to the flow direction (hereinafter referred to as the "channel cross-sectional area") increases as it approaches the outlet 30b. In this embodiment, the channel cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b is larger than that of the first separation channel 3a. In other words, this separation channel 3 is formed so that the channel cross-sectional area increases in stages.

[0026] More specifically, the housing 30 has a rectangular cylindrical body 31 with its axial direction oriented in the front-rear direction, a front wall 32 provided to close the opening at the front end of the body 31, and a rear wall 34 provided to close the opening at the rear end of the body 31. The housing 30 also has a first partition wall 35, a second partition wall 36, and a third partition wall 37 that divide the inside of the housing 30 into multiple spaces between the front wall 32 and the rear wall 34. These first partition wall 35, second partition wall 36, and third partition wall 37 are arranged in a row from front to back, spaced apart in the front-rear direction (see Figures 2 and 3, etc.).

[0027] The main body 31 has a plurality of discharge holes 31a drilled in the bottom wall (bottom) and an upper opening 31b opening at the rear of the upper wall. The upper opening 31b is rectangular in shape and is located in the central part in the left-right direction, between the rear wall 34 and the third partition wall 37. An inlet 30a and an outlet 30b are open in the upper wall of the main body 31. The inlet 30a is circular in shape and is located in the part close to the front wall 32 between the front wall 32 and the first partition wall 35, to the left of the center in the left-right direction. The outlet 30b is rectangular in shape and is located between the rear wall 34 and the third partition wall 37, to the right of the upper opening 31b. A grid-like mesh is provided at the outlet 30b. As will be described later, the outlet 30b is in communication with the separation channel 3, but the upper opening 31b is not in communication with the discharge channel 3.

[0028] The front wall 32 has an opening 32a that penetrates to a size that allows the fan 10 to pass through. This opening 32a is closed from the front by the front cover 33. The rear wall 34 has an opening 34a that penetrates to a size that allows the motor 20 to pass through.

[0029] The first partition wall 35 is located near the center in the front-to-back direction of the housing 30. The first partition wall 35 is flat, and the front end of the cylindrical wall 25 abuts against its rear surface. The first partition wall 35 has a first opening 35a that penetrates through it in the center, having the same inner diameter as the cylindrical wall 25.

[0030] The second partition wall 36 is flat and is provided so as to sandwich the cylindrical wall 25 between it and the first partition wall 35. The second partition wall 36 has a second opening 36a that is open to communicate with the discharge space S and a through hole 36b that is open for the rotation shaft of the motor 20 to pass through. As shown in Figures 3 and 4(b), the second opening 36a is open in an arc shape concentric with the rotation shaft, from a point slightly below and to the left of the rotation shaft, passing directly below the rotation shaft, to a point slightly above and to the right of the rotation shaft. The outer edge of the second opening 36a coincides with the inner circumference of the cylindrical wall 25, and the inner edge is an arc shape with a diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 37b (described later) of the third partition wall 37. The motor 20 is mounted on the rear surface of the second partition wall 36.

[0031] The third partition wall 37 is flat. The third partition wall 37 has a third opening 37a that opens at different locations in the front-rear direction relative to the second opening 36a, and a through hole 37b that opens for the front portion of the motor 20 to pass through. As shown in Figures 3 and 5(a), the third opening 37a is cut out at the upper left corner of the third partition wall 37. The through hole 37b has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the arc of the inner edge of the second opening 36a of the second partition wall 36.

[0032] Furthermore, the housing 30 is sandwiched between the second partition wall 36 and the third partition wall 37 and has a front guide wall 38 for forming the first separation channel 3a, and is sandwiched between the third partition wall 37 and the rear wall 34 and has a rear guide wall 39 for forming the second separation channel 3b.

[0033] The front guide wall 38 has a cylindrical inner wall 38a and a partition wall 38b that extends from the inner wall 38a to the inner surface of the main body 31. The inner wall 38a is a cylinder with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the intake port 11 of the fan 10, and is provided coaxially with the axis of rotation. As shown in Figure 5(a), the partition wall 38b extends horizontally to the left from the top of the inner wall 38a to the left side wall of the main body 31. The upper surface of this partition wall 38b and the lower end of the third opening 37a are at the same height. This partition wall 38b divides the annular space between the main body 31 and the inner wall 38a, forming a C-shaped ended space. The first separation channel 3a is contained within this space.

[0034] Furthermore, the front guide wall 38 includes an outer wall 38c that extends in an arc shape to surround the inner wall 38a, an end wall 38d that connects one end of the outer wall 38c to the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall 38a, and an extension wall 38e that extends linearly from the other end of the outer wall 38c parallel to the partition wall 38b.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5(a), the outer wall 38c extends in a concentric arc shape with the inner wall 38a, from a point slightly below and to the left of the center of the inner wall 38a, through the bottom of the inner wall 38a, to a point directly above the center of the inner wall 38a. The inner diameter of the outer wall 38c is the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 25. The end wall 38d extends horizontally to the right from the lower of the two ends of the outer wall 38c to the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall 38a. This end wall 38d closes one end of the arc-shaped space between the inner wall 38a and the outer wall 38c. The height of the end wall 38d coincides with the left end of the second opening 36a.

[0036] The extension wall 38e extends horizontally to the left from the upper edge of the outer wall 38c to the third opening 37a of the third partition wall 37. The left end of this extension wall 38e is bent upward along the third opening 37a and extends to the upper end of the third partition wall 37. The space between the extension wall 38e and the partition wall 38b is continuous with the arc-shaped space between the inner wall 38a and the outer wall 38c, and its left end is open to the rear through the third opening 37a.

[0037] The front guide wall 38, with its inner wall 38a and outer wall 38c, forms a first separation channel 3a connecting the second opening 36a and the third opening 37a, and also forms part of the space for housing the motor 20 inside the inner wall 38a. The first separation channel 3a extends in an arc from the left, passing under the motor 20 and above the motor 20, behind the discharge space S (and the second opening 36a) and outside the space for housing the motor 20, and then extends linearly to the left to the inner wall of the main body 31 (the part in front of the third opening 37a), with the channel bending at multiple points. In other words, the first separation channel 3a has a shape like a J turned counterclockwise. The area of ​​the cross-section perpendicular to the flow direction of the first separation channel 3a is almost constant along its entire length. The volume of this first separation channel 3a is larger than the volume of the discharge space S. Furthermore, a discharge hole may be provided at the lowest part of the outer wall 38c of the front guide wall 38 to discharge the condensed oil mist droplets downward.

[0038] The front guide wall 38 may also be composed only of an inner wall 38a and a partition wall 38b. In this case, the space between the main body 31 and the front guide wall 38 becomes the first separation channel 3a.

[0039] The rear guide wall 39 has a semi-cylindrical lower wall 39a whose axial direction is oriented in the front-rear direction and which is open upward, and a first side wall 39b and a second side wall 39c that extend upward parallel to each other from both ends of the lower wall 39a. The inner diameter of the lower wall 39a is the same as the inner diameter of the inner wall 38a of the front guide wall 38 and is arranged coaxially with the axis of rotation. As shown in Figure 5(b), the first side wall 39b extends from the left end of the lower wall 39a to the same height as the upper end of the rear wall 34. The second side wall 39c extends upward from the right end of the lower wall 39a, then bends toward the first side wall 39b and extends diagonally upward, then bends parallel to the first side wall 39b and extends to the same height as the upper end of the rear wall 34.

[0040] When assembled to the housing 30, the upper edges of the first side wall 39b and the second side wall 39c of the rear guide wall 39 are located on the left and right outer sides of the upper opening 31b of the main body 31. Furthermore, the rear edges of the lower wall 39a, the first side wall 39b, and the second side wall 39c of the rear guide wall 39 coincide with a portion of the outer edge of the opening 34a of the rear wall 34. Therefore, the space inside the rear guide wall 39 is open upward through the upper opening 31b of the main body 31 and also open rearward through the opening 34a of the rear wall 34.

[0041] The rear guide wall 39 forms a second separation channel 3b between itself and the main body 31, connecting the third opening 37a and the outlet 30b. The space inside the rear guide wall 39 communicates with the space inside the inner wall 38a of the front guide wall 38, and the motor 20 is housed in both spaces. The second separation channel 3b extends downward from the top wall to the bottom wall of the main body 31, behind the first separation channel 3a (and the third opening 37a), and to the left and outside of the motor 20. It then extends to the right, passing below the motor 20, from the left wall to the right wall of the main body 31, and then extends upward from the bottom wall to the outlet 30b on the top wall of the main body 31, passing to the right and outside of the motor 20. The channel bends at multiple points. In other words, the second separation channel 3b has an angular U-shape. The cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b perpendicular to the flow direction (channel cross-sectional area) is approximately constant along its entire length. The cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the first separation channel 3a, and the volume of the second separation channel 3b is larger than the volume of the first separation channel 3a.

[0042] The housing 30, consisting of the main body 31, the front wall 32 (closed by the front cover 33), and the first partition wall 35, forms an introduction channel 2 that connects the intake port 11 and the inlet 30a. The housing 30, consisting of the main body 31, the second partition wall 36, the third partition wall 37, the rear wall 34, the front guide wall 38, and the rear guide wall 39, forms a separation channel 3 that connects the discharge space S and the outlet 30b. This separation channel 3 consists of a first separation channel 3a and a second separation channel 3b. As described above, the first separation channel 3a is a channel shaped like an inverted J, and the second separation channel 3b is a U-shaped channel, so the separation channel 3 is bent in multiple places. Also, since the cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b is larger than that of the first separation channel 3a, the separation channel 3 becomes progressively larger (in this case, in two stages) as it approaches the outlet 30b.

[0043] Furthermore, the air purification device 1 includes an introduction impact plate 40 located below the inlet 30a, a first screen 41 located between the front wall 32 and the first partition wall 35, and a second screen 42 located between the first screen 41 and the first partition wall 35.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4(a), the introduction impact plate 40 is provided in the housing 30 (main body 31) at the location directly below the inlet 30a so as to block the space between the inlet 30a and the first screen 41. This introduction impact plate 40 is inclined so that the left end is lower.

[0045] The first screen 41 is a cylindrical mesh with an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the intake port 11 of the fan 10, and its axial direction is oriented in the front-rear direction. The front end of the first screen 41 is closed, and the rear end is in contact with the front surface of the second screen 42. At least the mesh portion of the first screen 41 is made of stainless steel wire. The second screen 42 is a disc-shaped flat plate with an outer diameter that can close the first opening 35a of the first partition wall 35 from the front, and has a plurality of communication holes 42a formed in the central part that is inside the first screen 41. The second screen 42 is attached to the front surface of the first partition wall 35, and the plurality of communication holes 42a are located in front of the intake port 11 of the fan 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the air purification device 1 includes a collision target member 43 (see Figure 4(b)) provided along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 25, a tray 44 attached to the lower surface of the housing 30, and a control unit 45 attached to the side surface of the housing 30. The collision target member 43 is made of a mesh made of stainless steel wire folded into three.

[0047] The tray 44 is formed in a box shape that opens upward and is located below the multiple discharge holes 31a in the housing 30. The bottom surface of the tray 44 is formed in a V shape so that it is lower in the center in the left-right direction, and the entire surface is formed to be lower towards the front. The tray 44 has a cylindrical connecting pipe portion 44a at its front end. This tray 44 is designed to collect waste liquid discharged downward from the multiple discharge holes 31a and discharge it to the outside through the connecting pipe portion 44a at its front end.

[0048] The control unit 45 is for controlling the motor 20 and the cleaning device (not shown in the illustration). Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the control unit 45 is equipped with operation switches such as "Operate," "Stop," "Interlock," "Manual," "Reset," and "Cleaning." The control unit 45 is also equipped with lamps that indicate power on / off, the operation switch that was operated, the occurrence of abnormalities such as overload or overvoltage, and the time for inspection of the first screen 41 and the second screen 42.

[0049] Although not shown in the diagram, the air purification device 1 is equipped with a cleaning device for cleaning the first screen 41. The cleaning device comprises an on-off valve to which a supply pipe for supplying cleaning fluid is connected, a cleaning pipe extending from the on-off valve into the introduction channel 2 so as to circle the outer circumference of the first screen 41, and a plurality of nozzles attached to the cleaning pipe at intervals and capable of spraying cleaning fluid toward the first screen 41. The on-off valve is attached to the rear surface of the third partition wall 37 between the first side wall 39b and the second side wall 39c of the rear guide wall 39. Industrial water or clean coolant is supplied as the cleaning fluid. By opening the on-off valve, the cleaning device can spray cleaning fluid from the plurality of nozzles toward the first screen 41, thereby cleaning the first screen 41 and the second screen 42.

[0050] Although not shown in the illustration, a nonwoven fabric is attached to the inner surface of the housing 30. In this embodiment, the nonwoven fabric is attached to the area of ​​the second separation channel 3b. This nonwoven fabric absorbs the impact when air containing oil mist collides with the inner surface of the main body 31, thereby mitigating the impact noise, and also promotes the aggregation of oil mist by reducing the airflow velocity, thereby further purifying the air.

[0051] In this embodiment, the air purification device 1, although not shown in the figures, has an inlet duct connected to its inlet 30a, which connects the inlet 30a to the processing space of a processing machine located in the factory. An air cooling device is connected to the outlet 30b of the air purification device 1. A drain pipe is connected to the connecting pipe section 44a of the tray 44, and the waste liquid collected by the tray 44 is sent to the coolant purification device via the drain pipe.

[0052] Next, the purification of air containing oil mist by the air purification device 1 of this embodiment will be described. First, when the motor 20 rotates the fan 10 in a predetermined direction (here, counterclockwise in Figure 4(b)), the air in the introduction channel 2 is drawn into the intake port 11 of the fan 10 at an airflow velocity corresponding to the rotation speed, so that the introduction channel 2 becomes negative pressure. As a result, contaminated air containing oil mist from the processing space of the processing machine is drawn into the introduction channel 2 from the inlet 30a through the inlet duct connected to the inlet 30a.

[0053] The contaminated air that passes through the inlet 30a collides with the introduction impact plate 40, and then, due to the inclination of the introduction impact plate 40, its flow direction is directed toward the inner wall of the main body 31, where it collides with the inner wall of the main body 31, flows around the cylindrical first screen 41, passes through the first screen 41, and flows into its interior (see Figure 4(a)). This allows the contaminated air flowing in from the inlet 30a to circulate around the first screen 41 while colliding with the inner wall of the main body 31, and the relatively large oil mist particles contained in the contaminated air can be agglomerated by the collision with the main body 31.

[0054] Furthermore, because the contaminated air flows around the cylindrical first screen 41, it is possible to restrict the passage of contaminated air to the inside through only a portion of the mesh of the first screen 41, while allowing the contaminated air to pass through the entire mesh of the first screen 41. Therefore, the mesh of the first screen 41 can remove dust and other particles contained in the contaminated air.

[0055] The contaminated air that has passed through the first screen 41 is drawn into the intake port 11 of the fan 10 through multiple communication holes 42a of the second screen 42. This second screen 42 can further remove dust and other debris.

[0056] Furthermore, while the fan 10 is rotating, the inlet channel 2 between the front wall 32 and the first partition wall 35 is under negative pressure. As a result, droplets of oil mist that have condensed due to collisions with the inner wall of the main body 31, the first screen 41 and the second screen 42 are hardly discharged from the discharge hole 31a in the bottom wall of the main body 31 to the tray 44.

[0057] The contaminated air drawn into the intake port 11 of the fan 10 is discharged radially outward from the outlet port 12 (see Figure 4(b)). At this time, since multiple wires 13 are provided between the intake port 11 and the outlet port 12, the oil mist contained in the contaminated air repeatedly collides with the multiple wires 13 as it travels from the intake port 11 to the outlet port 12, causing many fine oil mist particles contained in the contaminated air to aggregate on each wire 13.

[0058] Then, droplets that have aggregated and become larger particles in the fan 10, and oil mist that has not aggregated in the fan 10, are released into the discharge space S from the air outlet 12 by centrifugal force and collide with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 25 surrounding the discharge space S by inertial force. As a result, some of the oil mist released from the air outlet 12 of the fan 10 by centrifugal force aggregates, reducing the amount of oil mist contained in the contaminated air. In this embodiment, since a collision target member 43 consisting of a three-layer mesh is provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 25, the oil mist contained in the air released from the air outlet 12 collides with the numerous thin wires that make up the mesh of the collision target member 43, effectively agglomerating the oil mist. In this way, since oil mist can be agglomerated not only on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 25 but also on the collision target member 43, the amount of oil mist contained in the contaminated air can be further reduced, and the contaminated air can be purified to a certain extent.

[0059] Furthermore, droplets and oil mist released from the fan 10 by centrifugal force are decelerated upon impact with the collision target 43, which is made of mesh, and therefore do not bounce off the inner surface of the cylinder wall 25. The droplets of oil mist that have condensed on the inner surface of the cylinder wall 25 and the collision target 43 move downward along the curved cylinder wall 25 and fall from the lower end to the bottom of the main body 31. The oil mist that has not condensed on the cylinder wall 25 and the collision target 43 flows downstream with the air.

[0060] The air released from the fan 10 into the discharge space S flows through the second opening 36a of the second partition wall 36 located behind the fan 10, into the first separation channel 3a formed by the front guide wall 38. Since the first separation channel 3a is located behind the discharge space S, the air that has passed through the second opening 36a collides with the rear portion of the second opening 36a on the front surface of the third partition wall 37 (see Figure 6). Then, since one end of the space of the first separation channel 3a is closed by the end wall 38d, the air that collides with the front surface of the third partition wall 37 flows around the inner wall 38a in the opposite direction from the end wall 38d (counterclockwise in Figure 5(a)), repeatedly colliding with the inner surface of the outer wall 38c, to the upper part of the inner wall 38a, and from there flows to the left between the extension wall 38e and the partition wall 38b. Subsequently, the fluid collides with the inner surface of the main body 31, and its flow direction shifts from left to rear, flowing from the third opening 37a of the third partition wall 37 into the second separation channel 3b.

[0061] Thus, in the first separation channel 3a, the air containing oil mist flows around the inner wall 38a in a J-shape while changing direction, repeatedly colliding with the inner surface of the main body 31 and the inner surface of the outer wall 38c due to inertial action. Each time it collides, some of the oil mist condenses, reducing the amount of oil mist contained in the air. The oil mist that condenses in the first separation channel 3a moves downward as droplets and falls from the lower end of the front guide wall 38 to the bottom of the main body 31.

[0062] The air flowing from the first separation channel 3a to the second separation channel 3b collides with the rear portion of the third opening 37a at the upper front of the rear wall 34, and then flows downward between the left side wall of the main body 31 and the first side wall 39b of the rear guide wall 39 (see Figure 5(b)). After colliding with the bottom wall of the main body 31, it flows to the right, passing below the lower wall 39a, and then collides with the inner surface of the right side wall of the main body 31, changing its direction upward, and is discharged to the outside (cooling device) from the outlet 30b through the space between the main body 31 and the second side wall 39c.

[0063] Thus, in the second separation channel 3b, the air containing oil mist flows in a U-shape around the rear guide wall 39 while changing direction, causing it to repeatedly collide with the inner surface of the main body 31 and the surface of the rear guide wall 39 due to inertial action. Each time it collides, a portion of the oil mist condenses. Furthermore, since a nonwoven fabric is attached to the inner surface of the second separation channel 3b, the air flows while colliding with the nonwoven fabric, causing the oil mist contained in the air to condense more effectively as it collides with the fine fibers of the nonwoven fabric. For these reasons, the amount of oil mist contained in the air is reduced in the second separation channel 3b as well.

[0064] In this embodiment of the air purification device 1, the cross-sectional area of ​​the second separation channel 3b is larger than that of the first separation channel 3a. In other words, the channel size increases in stages as you move downstream from the discharge space S towards the outlet 30b. As a result, the flow velocity decreases in the order of discharge space S, first separation channel 3a, and second separation channel 3b, making it easier for droplets carried by the air to fall.

[0065] Incidentally, if the flow velocity at the intake port 11 of the fan 10 is 73 m / s, the flow velocity released from the exhaust port 12 of the fan 10 is 50 m / s, the flow velocity passing through the second opening 36a is 30 m / s, the flow velocity passing through the third opening 37a and impacting the front surface of the rear wall 34 is 12 m / s, and the flow velocity discharged to the outside from the outlet 30b is 7 m / s. In this air purification device 1, in the oil mist contained in the air, large particles are agglomerated and separated upstream, small particles are agglomerated and separated by repeated collisions, and are separated downstream as they become easier to fall due to the decrease in flow velocity. As a result, oil mist containing particles ranging from large to small can be removed from the air.

[0066] As a result, purified air containing almost no oil mist can be discharged from outlet 30b. The clean air discharged from outlet 30b is cooled by an air cooling device and released into the factory. Since purified air with oil mist removed is discharged from outlet 30b, the inside of the air cooling device is not contaminated with oil mist, so cooling is not hindered, and the purified air can be reliably cooled. Alternatively, the purified air may be discharged directly into the factory from outlet 30b without passing through the air cooling device.

[0067] Furthermore, droplets of oil mist that have condensed in the discharge space S, the first separation channel 3a, and the second separation channel 3b flow down to the bottom wall of the main body 31 and are discharged as waste liquid into the tray 44 through multiple discharge holes 31a provided in the bottom wall. The waste liquid discharged into the tray 44 is sent to the coolant purification device through a drain pipe connected to the connecting pipe section 44a, and after being purified, is sent back to the processing machine as coolant.

[0068] Incidentally, since the motor 20 is housed in a space (housing space) enclosed by the inner wall 38a of the front guide wall 38 and the rear guide wall 39, contaminated air (oil mist) does not adhere to the motor 20. Furthermore, since the space housing the motor 20 is open to the rear through the opening 34a of the rear wall 34 and open upward through the upper opening 31b of the main body 31, heat from the motor 20 can be released to the outside, thereby suppressing overheating of the motor 20.

[0069] In this embodiment, the air purification device 1 is configured such that the control unit 45 rotates the fan 10 for a predetermined time (for example, 3 minutes to 6 hours) and then stops it, and then opens the on / off valve of the cleaning device for a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds or less) to spray cleaning water from the nozzle, thereby automatically cleaning the inlet channel 2, including the first screen 41, periodically. When the rotation of the fan 10 stops, the negative pressure in the inlet channel 2 is released, causing the droplets of oil mist that have condensed in the inlet channel 2 to move downward and be discharged into the tray 44 from multiple discharge holes 31a provided on the bottom wall of the main body 31. In addition, the cleaning liquid containing dirt and dust that has been sprayed from the nozzle of the cleaning device and removed from the first screen 41 is also discharged into the tray 44 from multiple discharge holes 31a as waste liquid. Cleaning of the first screen 41 and other components by this cleaning device can also be performed manually by operating a switch on the control unit 45.

[0070] In this embodiment, the air purification device 1 connects the control unit 45 to the control unit of the processing machine, allowing the fan 10 and the cleaning device to operate in conjunction with the operation of the processing machine. Furthermore, the control unit 45 is configured to delay operation of the fan 10 for a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds to 1 minute) after a command to stop the fan's rotation is issued. This allows the device to draw in contaminated air remaining in the processing space and inlet ducts of the processing machine, preventing it from leaking into the factory.

[0071] As described above, the air purification device 1 of this embodiment, unlike conventional air purification devices, does not use a filter. Instead, the fan 10, which has multiple wires 13 and cylindrical walls 25 facing the air outlet 12, and the separation channel 3, which is bent at multiple locations, can repeatedly collide with the oil mist contained in the contaminated air. As a result, the oil mist can be physically agglomerated and separated from the contaminated air containing the oil mist. Therefore, the air inside a factory equipped with processing machines can be purified, improving the factory environment (working environment) and suppressing the occurrence of lung dysfunction, liver dysfunction, skin diseases, etc.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the air purification device 1 of this embodiment, droplets formed by condensing oil mist can flow down to the bottom of the housing 30 (main body 31) and be discharged into the tray 44 through multiple discharge holes 31a, so that droplets derived from oil mist generated from the coolant can be recovered as waste liquid. Therefore, by purifying the waste liquid from the air purification device 1 with a coolant purification device or the like, the coolant can be reused, and since waste liquid does not accumulate in the air purification device 1, anaerobic and aerobic bacteria do not proliferate, and no putrid odor is generated.

[0073] Furthermore, unlike conventional air purification devices, the air purification device 1 of this embodiment does not use a filter that collects oil mist by passing contaminated air through it. Therefore, there is no need to replace the filter every time it becomes clogged, as in conventional devices, and the increase in maintenance costs can be suppressed.

[0074] In addition to purifying air containing oil mist generated from a coolant, the air purification device 1 of this embodiment can also purify air containing mist made of other liquids such as water, oil, or paint by removing the mist.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0076] For example, in the above embodiment, a fan 10 is shown in which multiple wires 13 are embedded in the blades 16, but it is not limited to this, and multiple wires 13 may be embedded in the base plate 14 or the tip plate 15.

[0077] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows the impacted member 43 as being formed from a mesh made of stainless steel wire, it is not limited to this, and may be formed from a mesh made of other metal wires such as iron or aluminum, or from a nonwoven or woven fabric made of wires containing metal.

[0078] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows a nonwoven fabric attached to the inner surface of the second separation channel 3b, the invention is not limited to this, and the nonwoven fabric may also be attached to the inner surface of the first separation channel 3a or the inner surface of the introduction channel 2. Alternatively, woven fabric or mesh may be attached instead of nonwoven fabric.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the separation channel 3 is constructed using a first separation channel 3a and a second separation channel 3b with different cross-sectional areas, resulting in a system where the channel size increases in two stages as it approaches the outlet 30b. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the channel cross-sectional area may increase in three or more stages, such as a third separation channel and a fourth separation channel. Alternatively, the separation channel may be configured such that the channel cross-sectional area gradually increases as it approaches the outlet 30b.

[0080] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows a configuration in which contaminated air from the processing space of the processing machine is drawn into the inlet 30a of the housing 30 through an inlet duct, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and factory air may also be drawn into the inlet 30a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Air purification device 2. Inlet channel 3 Separation channel 10 Fans 11 Air intake 12 vents 13 wires 16 blades 20 motors 25 Cylinder wall 30 Housing 30a Inlet 30b Outlet 43 Collided member S emission space

Claims

1. A fan having multiple blades that rotate around a rotation axis, having an intake port opening toward one direction in the direction of the rotation axis, an exhaust port communicating with the intake port and opening outward perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis between the blades, and a plurality of wires provided on the surface of the blades, The motor that rotates the fan, A cylindrical wall surrounding the outer circumference of the fan, forming an annular discharge space outside the fan, A box-shaped housing that houses at least the fan, the motor, and the cylindrical wall, and has an inlet opening at a portion of the fan that is outward in the direction of the rotation axis from the intake port of the fan, and an outlet opening at a portion of the fan that is opposite to the inlet, An introduction channel is provided within the housing that connects the intake port and the inlet, Within the housing, the discharge space and the outlet are connected, and the separation channel is bent at multiple points, The impacted member is provided along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall and is formed by a plurality of wires. An air purification device characterized by being equipped with the following.

2. An air purification method for purifying air containing oil mist using the air purification device described in Claim 1, The fan is rotated by the motor so that air containing oil mist is drawn into the intake port, and the drawn-in air is made to collide with multiple wires in the fan, then with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall and the collision target in the next discharge space, and further with the inner wall which is bent at multiple locations in the next separation channel, thereby condensing the oil mist contained in the air and separating it from the air. An air purification method characterized by the following features.

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