Rotating viewing window with ultrasonic cleaning for working in conditions of highly viscous sticky contaminants

Abstract

This utility model relates to mechanical engineering and instrument making, specifically to rotating inspection windows capable of self-cleaning under the action of centrifugal forces on their surface to ensure high-quality visual inspection under conditions of constant exposure of the glass to water, oils, emulsions, aerosols, and solid particles. The rotating inspection window with ultrasonic cleaning for use with highly viscous, sticky contaminants comprises a rotating transparent element, a system of ultrasonic emitters, and, optionally, a heating system and / or a gas pressurization unit. The ultrasonic cleaner is acoustically coupled to the rotating element, enabling the combined action of centrifugal force and ultrasonic cavitation to effectively remove both large and small, viscous contaminants. The heating system prevents icing and condensation. A gas pressurization unit, supplied to the labyrinth seal, prevents the penetration of aggressive media into the mechanism.The technical result is manifested in the expansion of the functional capabilities of the viewing window, namely its effective self-cleaning from viscous and sticky oil and resinous contaminants, and, optionally, the ability to operate the viewing window under conditions of cryogenic temperatures and / or aggressive vapors or abrasive dust. A rotating viewing window with ultrasonic cleaning includes a frame mounted on the viewing window; a motor stator; a rotating transparent disk; ultrasonic generators located at the edge of the transparent disk; a control unit; optionally, the design of the viewing window includes a gas supply unit with a channel in the frame for supplying gas to the space between the rotating disk and the stator; optionally, heating elements are provided in the viewing window for visibility during operation at sub-zero temperatures.

Description

[0001] This utility model relates to mechanical engineering and instrument making, specifically to rotating viewing windows capable of self-cleaning under the action of centrifugal forces on their surface to ensure high-quality visual inspection under conditions of constant exposure of the glass to water, oils, emulsions, aerosols, and solid particles. The utility model can be used in various industrial and scientific equipment—machine tools, paint booths, chemical reactors, power plants, and research complexes—in which the working medium is characterized by high viscosity and adhesion to the glass surface, and where the centrifugal force of the viewing window rotation alone is insufficient to ensure a full and continuous view. The optional use of additional components allows the utility model to be used for monitoring processes under special operating conditions—chemically aggressive environments and / or cryogenic temperatures.

[0002] The first recorded inventors of such a rotating viewing window were Samuel Augustin de Normanville and Leslie Harcourt Kent in 1917. Their invented and patented rotating column-mounted screen was named the Kent screen. Patents were later obtained for covers for telescopes and optics, which led to the widespread adoption of such windows on ship bridges beginning in the 1930s. This solution was then used in rail transport, and unsuccessful attempts were made to implement it in automobiles. With the development of toolmaking, rotating viewing windows began to be used in metalworking machines with circulation cooling.

[0003] Thus, for over a hundred years, sash windows have traditionally served to ensure good visibility from ship decks in poor weather. They are also used in the tool industry in the housings of turning and milling machines, where the flow of cutting fluids obstructs the view of the machining process. These are two of the most obvious examples where the cleanliness of the sash window goes beyond aesthetics to become a key factor in the safety of watercraft operations and a factor in the reliability and quality of visual observation of the production process, allowing for the rapid identification of potential errors or pre-emergency conditions.

[0004] The main functional unit of rotary viewing windows is a transparent glass or plastic disk, mounted over the main window on the process side and rotating at high speed (~1500...2500 rpm). The resulting centrifugal force on the surface of the disk throws away liquid droplets or solid particles that obstruct the view. Rotation of the disk is achieved by an associated electric motor or a pneumatic or liquid drive, where the liquid or gas flows rotate the blades of the rotary disk at the required speed.

[0005] The prior art contains many types of self-cleaning rotary windows, differing in the specifics of their implementation and conditions of use.

[0006] Pneumatically driven inspection windows are known to rotate using purified compressed air or another light gas. They do not require a power supply, making them more economical and less labor-intensive to install [DE 2007 / 044718 A2, DE 4117421 A1]. These solutions are used for machine tools and are particularly suitable for intermittent, variable spraying of light, low-viscosity cutting fluid.

[0007] Liquid-driven inspection windows are also well known, primarily used in the manufacturing industry. The window rotates under the pressure of the same machine tool coolant whose splashes are removed, or under the pressure of another more suitable fluid [DE 102007044718 A2, DE 202007015322 U1, DE 4211194 C2]. This solution is associated with a number of difficulties and disadvantages, such as the need for filters and their replacement for thorough cleaning of the drive fluid, as well as the potential for the liquid to thicken during prolonged equipment downtime.

[0008] There are many different types of motorized viewing windows. These typically feature a motor centered in the viewing window, with the power supply running in a crossbar extending from the window's periphery to the center. Another crossbar can be routed through the glass to divert power from the motor [DE 3414487 A1, DE 3532362 C2]. These designs, with motors centered in the center of the window, increase the depth of the window, narrowing and limiting the field of view.

[0009] One of the most modern rotary window designs utilizes a brushless motor, where the rotating transparent screen itself is the rotor, shaped like a bell, with magnets inserted into the stator [DE 102008045793 B4]. A number of foreign commercial products, such as RotoClear and SpinVista, utilize this principle.

[0010] There are also various other options for implementing viewing windows, taking into account special operating conditions or additional requirements for the observation process.

[0011] For example, solutions are used that force air or other gas under pressure into the gap between the rotating and fixed windows to prevent water or lubricating fluid from entering through the seal between them, which could lead to fogging of transparent glass or damage to it if the environment is chemically aggressive or contains abrasive dust [DE 102008045793 B4, US 5161055].

[0012] A known solution for machine tools consists of a rotating, self-cleaning window with an integrated video camera installed between the rotating and stationary parts. It is used when continuous, clear video recording of the metalworking process is required [WO 2018049137 A1].

[0013] All of the presented analogs remove liquid or dust particles using centrifugal force. However, when removing viscous and highly adhesive contaminants, such as highly viscous oil films or sticky resins, this centrifugal force will obviously not be sufficient to keep the viewing window clean.

[0014] Ultrasonic vibrations are known for cleaning optical elements from viscous, sticky particles. For example, a self-cleaning optical sensor for analyzing the oil content of water is known. This sensor is equipped with an ultrasonic transducer for delivering high-frequency vibrations to the optical window for cleaning [RU 2798310 C2].

[0015] The use of ultrasound for surface cleaning is currently limited to small optical sensors, detectors, and video cameras; this solution is not suitable for relatively large rotating inspection windows, where the centrifugal force of rotation simultaneously removes solid particles or viscous media.

[0016] The technical result achieved by the claimed utility model is the expansion of the functional capabilities of the viewing window, namely, the achievement of the ability to effectively self-clean it from viscous and sticky oil and resinous contaminants, and also the optional ability to operate the viewing window under conditions of cryogenic temperatures and / or aggressive vapors or abrasive dust.

[0017] The stated technical problem is solved by the fact that one or more ultrasonic generators are included in the known design of a rotating viewing window with a pneumatic, liquid, electric or electromagnetic drive for rotating a transparent element, acoustically connected to said rotating transparent element and made with the possibility of creating ultrasonic vibrations on its surface for cleaning, while the system is made with the possibility of joint operation of the rotating element and the ultrasonic generators.

[0018] Ultrasonic vibrations are realized in the form of acoustic waves moving along the surface of a rotating glass. These vibrations don't vibrate the entire large, thick glass, but instead specifically transfer acoustic energy to viscous contaminants on its surface, causing them to peel off. To generate these surface acoustic waves, several high-frequency ultrasonic emitters are mounted around the perimeter of the viewing window.

[0019] For operation of the viewing window in cryogenic temperature conditions, the system further comprises a heating system capable of thermostatting the surface of the rotating transparent element and / or adjacent areas to prevent condensation and icing. When the viewing window is operated in chemically aggressive vapors or abrasive fine dust, the system further comprises a compressed gas pressure unit communicating with a labyrinth seal between the rotating transparent element and the substrate on which it is mounted; the pressure unit is capable of creating excess pressure in the seal to prevent the penetration of aggressive, destructive media into the gap between the glass panes.

[0020] The combined action of rotation (centrifugal cleaning) and ultrasonic cavitation provides a synergistic effect: ultrasound breaks the adhesion of contaminants to the surface, while rotation immediately removes them. Heating and / or gas injection are optionally available to address these related issues, significantly expanding the system's scope of application.

[0021] The essence of the utility model is explained by the following drawings:

[0022] Fig. 1 - general view of the rotary window system with an electromagnetic drive, installed ultrasonic vibration generators and a gas pressure unit;

[0023] Fig. 2 - channel for gas support in the gap between the rotating glass and the stationary transparent substrate with ultrasound generators in the form of piezoelectric transducers (sectional view).

[0024] A rotating inspection window with ultrasonic cleaning for use in highly viscous, sticky contaminants includes a frame (housing, mounting flange) 1 for mounting the rotating window to a stationary structure (e.g., a machine enclosure or ship bulkhead). A rotating transparent disc 2 made of tempered glass, polycarbonate, or a similar material is mounted on the frame via a bearing assembly. The motor stator 5 is shown in the drawings as a ring-shaped element secured to the frame opposite the rotating rotor with the transparent disc.

[0025] Ultrasonic generators 3, in the form of piezoelectric elements, are acoustically coupled to disk 2 and mounted in the stator of motor 5. The generators contact the peripheral edge of the rotating disk through a layer of acoustically transparent lubricant or an elastic gasket. The drawing shows one possible arrangement relative to the glass; the number and placement options are not limited to this example.

[0026] Control unit 4 includes a power supply and frequency control unit for resonant excitation of the disk. Compressed gas booster unit 6, through channel 7 in the frame housing, generates excess pressure in the internal cavity between disk 2 and frame 1. This pressure is generated by pumping purified compressed air or an inert gas (nitrogen, argon) from a tank connected to channel 7. The generated excess pressure (0.1-0.2 bar higher than the external pressure) prevents the suction of aggressive vapors or abrasive dust into the rotating assembly.

[0027] Control system 4 can operate in manual or automatic mode. In automatic mode, it activates the rotary drive and ultrasonic cleaner for a set period of time based on a signal from a timer or a pollution sensor (e.g., an optical sensor). The gas pressure unit can operate continuously or be activated by a pressure sensor. In the utility model version with a glass heating function, if the temperature drops below a preset value, the heating system will automatically be activated via the control unit.

Claims

1. A rotating viewing window with an electromagnetic drive for rotating a transparent element, characterized in that its design includes ultrasonic generators acoustically connected to said rotating transparent element and designed with the ability to create ultrasonic vibrations for improved cleaning of the viewing window surface from viscous sticky contaminants.

2. A rotating viewing window according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the drive for rotating the transparent element can be pneumatic, liquid or electric.

3. A rotating viewing window according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the high-frequency ultrasonic emitters generate the propagation of ultrasonic waves only along the glass surface and specifically destroy the adhesive bonds of viscous contaminants to peel them off.

4. A rotating viewing window according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally contains at least one of the following units: a) a compressed gas support unit for operation in chemically aggressive vapors or abrasive fine dust, communicating with a labyrinth seal between the rotating transparent element and the substrate on which it is mounted; the support unit is designed with the possibility of creating excess pressure in the seal to prevent the penetration of aggressive destructive environments and components into the gap between the glasses; b) a heating system for operation in conditions of sub-zero temperatures, designed with the possibility of thermostatting the surface of the rotating transparent element and / or areas adjacent to it to prevent condensation and icing.

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