Flake Cleaning Media Airflow Impact for Deposit Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cleaning methods for removing flux and photosensitive layers from pallets and drums are inefficient, environmentally harmful, and costly, particularly due to the use of solvents and abrasive blasting, which require high energy consumption and lead to material deformation and recycling challenges.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning device utilizing flake-shaped cleaning media that are accelerated by a circulating air flow to collide with and remove film-like deposits from objects, with a recycling system to collect and reuse the media, ensuring the pencil hardness of the media is greater than the deposit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If solvent-based removers are used to remove flux or photosensitive layers, then the deposit is effectively dissolved and removed, but the remover cannot be reused, disposal causes environmental problems, and safety issues arise from highly-flammable solvents

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeposit removal effectivenessVSAvoidenvironmental pollution and safety hazards
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces chemical dissolution methods with mechanical impact methods. Flake-shaped cleaning media are accelerated by air flow to collide with and mechanically remove deposits through impact force, eliminating the need for chemical solvents and their associated environmental and safety problems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses pneumatic air flow to accelerate flake-shaped cleaning media to high speeds. The compressed air system propels the cleaning media through a nozzle onto the deposit, providing the mechanical force needed for effective removal without chemical substances

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Reliability

If abrasive blasting or grinding methods are used to remove deposits, then the deposit is effectively removed, but the objects may be deformed during the cleaning process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeposit removal effectivenessVSAvoidobject shape integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the cleaning media by using flake-shaped particles with specific size ranges (0.1-5mm) and controlling their acceleration speed through air flow pressure. These parameter optimizations allow effective deposit removal while reducing the risk of object deformation compared to traditional abrasive blasting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If traditional cleaning methods are used, then deposits are removed, but high energy consumption is required for drying processes and waste liquid disposal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption for drying and waste disposal
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces wet chemical cleaning methods with dry mechanical impact cleaning. Since no liquid solvents are used, there is no waste liquid requiring energy-intensive drying processes, significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective deposit removal

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning media are designed to be reusable and are continuously circulated through the system. After impacting the deposit, the flake-shaped media are collected and reused multiple times, reducing the need for continuous material input and associated processing energy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The device effectively removes film-like deposits with improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact and costs, maintaining the integrity of the objects being cleaned and allowing for repeated use of the cleaning media.

Implementation Method 1

a circulating air-flow generating unit configured to generate a circulating air flow to cause the cleaning media to fly and repeatedly collide with the object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir flow: Convection

Implementation Method 2

cause the cleaning media to fly and repeatedly collide with the object in the cleaning chamber and thereby to remove the deposit adhering to the object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact force: Impact Force

Implementation Method 3

The pencil hardness of the cleaning media is greater than the pencil hardness of the deposit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Implementation Method 4

a cleaning medium recycling unit configured to suction and remove the deposit adhering to the cleaning media that have collided with the object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP2293886B1Cleaning device and cleaning method
Publication Date: 2012.12.12 RICOH CO LTD
  • EP2293886B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2293886B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2293886B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

A cleaning device for removing a deposit adhering to an object to be cleaned is disclosed. The cleaning device includes a cleaning chamber forming a space for housing multiple cleaning media shaped like flakes; a circulating air-flow generating unit configured to generate a circulating air flow to cause the cleaning media to fly and repeatedly collide with the object in the cleaning chamber and thereby to remove the deposit adhering to the object; and a cleaning medium recycling unit configured to suction and remove the deposit adhering to the cleaning media that have collided with the object and thereby to recycle the cleaning media. The pencil hardness of the cleaning media is greater than the pencil hardness of the deposit.