JP6007275B2 - Condenser and cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a condenser and a cleaning device.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a steam chamber that generates a hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent steam, a cleaning chamber that cleans a workpiece under reduced pressure by the hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent steam supplied from the steam chamber, and an open / close valve. A drying chamber that is connected to the cleaning chamber and that is kept at a reduced pressure and a low temperature. When the work in the cleaning chamber is finished, the opening and closing valve is opened to connect the cleaning chamber and the drying chamber. There is disclosed a vacuum cleaning apparatus that dries a workpiece.

  That is, in this vacuum cleaning apparatus, the drying chamber held in a reduced pressure communicates with the cleaning chamber that is in a higher pressure state than the drying chamber by supplying steam during cleaning, so that the cleaning liquid adhering to the workpiece is instantaneously Vaporizes, moves from the cleaning chamber to the drying chamber and condenses, thereby realizing the drying of the workpiece. Patent Document 2 below also discloses a vacuum cleaning apparatus having a drying chamber (condensing chamber) similar to Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-073453 International Publication No. 2013/077336

  By the way, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe the function as a decompression chamber of the drying chamber and the function as a condenser of the drying chamber, but nothing is described about the functional mechanical configuration. In particular, the function of the drying chamber as a condenser, that is, the function of liquefying vapor such as cleaning liquid flowing from the cleaning chamber is determined by the mechanical configuration of the drying chamber. It is necessary to optimize the mechanical configuration of the chamber.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the situation mentioned above, and aims at improving condensation performance rather than before.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, as a first solving means related to a condenser, a condenser for liquefying steam taken from a steam inlet provided in a vertical position, the surface facing the steam inlet Adopts a means that it is formed in a double shell structure in which refrigerant can freely flow.

  In the present invention, as the second solving means relating to the condenser, in the first solving means described above, a first plane part having a circular or oval outer periphery and a steam inlet is provided, A means is provided that includes a second plane part that is substantially parallel to the one plane part, and an endless peripheral surface part that connects the outer periphery of the first plane part and the outer periphery of the second plane part.

  In the present invention, as the third solving means relating to the condenser, in the second solving means, a means is adopted in which the peripheral surface portion is formed in a double shell structure allowing the refrigerant to flow freely.

  In the present invention, as a fourth solving means related to the condenser, it is a condenser for liquefying steam taken from a steam intake port provided in a vertical posture, and a plurality of fins are provided on the opposing surface of the steam intake port. Adopt the means.

  In the present invention, as a fifth solving means related to the condenser, in the fourth solving means, a plurality of fins are provided, a first flat portion having a circular or oval outer periphery, and a steam intake port are provided. A means is provided that includes a second plane part that is substantially parallel to the first plane part, and an endless peripheral surface part that connects the outer periphery of the first plane part and the outer periphery of the second plane part.

  In the present invention, as the sixth solving means relating to the condenser, in the fourth or fifth solving means, the plurality of fins are provided in the vertical direction and at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. Adopt the means.

  In the present invention, as a means for solving the cleaning apparatus, a means is provided that includes a condenser according to any one of the first to sixth means.

  According to the present invention, the steam taken in from the steam inlet immediately comes into contact with the opposing surface of the double shell structure through which the refrigerant can freely flow, so that the condensation performance can be improved as compared with the conventional one.

1 is a perspective view showing an overall schematic configuration of a vacuum cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the condenser in the vacuum cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a vacuum cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of the condenser which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment includes a cleaning chamber 1, a steam generation unit 2, a front door 3, a drying chamber 4, a connection member 5, an opening / closing mechanism 6, a vacuum pump 7, and a refrigerant. A supply source 8 and a regeneration concentrator 9 are provided. Of these components, the drying chamber 4 is a condenser according to the present embodiment.

  The outline of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described first. This vacuum cleaning apparatus cleans a workpiece by causing a vapor (cleaning vapor) of a cleaning agent to act on the workpiece (object to be cleaned) on which a dirt component adheres. It is a device to do. That is, this vacuum cleaning apparatus supplies cleaning vapor to the cleaning chamber 1 continuously over a predetermined period (cleaning period), so that the cleaning vapor adheres and condenses on the surface of the work housed in the cleaning chamber 1. Thus, the dirt component adhering to the surface of the workpiece is washed off from the surface of the workpiece together with the condensate of the cleaning agent. The workpiece is a metal part in which cutting oil or the like is attached to the surface as a dirt component by processing, for example.

  Such a vacuum cleaning apparatus is installed on a predetermined pedestal so that the Z-axis is the vertical direction among the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown as orthogonal coordinate axes in FIG. In FIG. 1, components that are not directly related to the features of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment, such as various pipes and valves, are omitted for convenience. In an actual vacuum cleaning apparatus (actual machine), a plurality of pipes and valves are mounted around each of the above-described components, and an exterior product is mounted on the outside thereof.

  The cleaning chamber 1 is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape (substantially box shape) as a whole, and the internal space accommodates a workpiece (object to be cleaned). The cleaning chamber 1 is provided with an opening (work insertion port 1a) on one side surface (front surface). This work insertion port 1a is an opening in a vertical posture for taking in and out the work between the cleaning chamber 1 and the outside, and has a rectangular shape as shown in the figure. In addition, a sealing material for closely contacting the front door 3 is provided on the outer periphery of the workpiece insertion port 1a over the entire circumference.

  Further, an exhaust port 1b is provided in the upper portion of the cleaning chamber 1 and in the vicinity of the rear surface. The exhaust port 1b is an opening for exhausting the air in the cleaning chamber 1 to the outside, and is connected to the vacuum pump 7 by a pipe (not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a circular opening (drying chamber opening 1 c) for communicating the cleaning chamber 1 with the drying chamber 4 is formed on the side surface adjacent to the drying chamber 4 in the cleaning chamber 1. That is, the cleaning chamber 1 communicates with the drying chamber 4 via the drying chamber opening 1c.

  Further, a drain port 1d and a steam intake port 1e are provided on the side of the cleaning chamber 1. The drainage port 1d is an opening for discharging the cleaning liquid generated by cleaning the workpiece and the mixed liquid of the dirt components to the outside of the cleaning chamber 1, and is connected to the regeneration concentrator 9 by a pipe (not shown). The steam intake port 1e is an opening for taking the steam of the cleaning liquid generated in the regeneration concentrator 9 into the cleaning chamber 1, and is connected to the regeneration concentrator 9 by a pipe (not shown).

  The steam generation unit 2 is provided in the upper part of the cleaning chamber 1 and generates a cleaning agent vapor. The steam generating unit 2 includes, for example, a heating unit that heats the cleaning agent to generate cleaning steam and a steam tank that temporarily stores the cleaning steam, and the steam generated by the heating unit is stored in the steam tank. Once stored, cleaning steam is supplied to the cleaning chamber 1 through the steam tank. According to such a steam generation part 2, since the steam tank is provided, it is possible to stably supply cleaning steam at a predetermined flow rate to the cleaning chamber 1 over the cleaning period.

  The cleaning agent is a hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent, for example, a normal paraffin-based, isoparaffin-based, naphthenic, or aromatic hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent. More specifically, it is a third petroleum cleaning agent such as TECLEAN (registered trademark) N20, cleaning solvent G, and Daphne solvent called cleaning solvent.

  The front door 3 is a flat member that is provided on the front surface of the cleaning chamber 1 and closes or opens the workpiece insertion port 1a. The front door 3 is, for example, a sliding door, and is disposed opposite to the vertical workpiece insertion port 1a in the same vertical posture, and moves in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) while keeping the vertical posture, thereby moving the workpiece insertion port 1a. Close or open. In addition, the front door 3 seals the washing | cleaning chamber 1 by contacting the sealing material provided in the circumference outer side (front door 3 side) of the workpiece | work insertion port 1a.

  The drying chamber 4 has a round box shape as shown in FIG. 1 and is a condenser that condenses (liquefies) steam (residual steam) taken from the cleaning chamber 1. In the state where the cleaning of the workpiece in the cleaning chamber 1 is completed, the surface of the workpiece and the inner surface of the cleaning chamber 1 are wet with the cleaning agent. Although details will be described later, the drying chamber 4 takes in the vapor (residual vapor) of the cleaning agent remaining in the cleaning chamber 1 after cleaning the workpiece from the cleaning chamber 1 to condense (liquefy) it.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in addition to FIG. 1, the drying chamber 4 includes a first flat surface portion 4 a, a second flat surface portion 4 b, a peripheral surface portion 4 c, a hollow portion 4 d, an exhaust port 4 e, a drainage liquid. A port 4f, a steam intake port 4g, a refrigerant intake port 4h, a refrigerant drainage port 4i, a steam intake port 4j, a plurality of fins 4k, and a temperature holding device 4m are provided.

  The 1st plane part 4a is provided with a plurality of fins 4k, and is a plate part having an oval outer periphery. The second plane portion 4b is a plate portion provided with a steam inlet 4j, substantially the same shape as the first plane portion 4a, and substantially parallel to the first plane portion 4a. That is, this 2nd plane part 4b is a site | part whose outer periphery is oval like the 1st plane part 4a. In addition, the 1st plane part 4a and the 2nd plane part 4b which are in a mutually parallel relationship are a vertical attitude | position.

  The peripheral surface portion 4c is an endless plate portion that connects the outer periphery of the first flat surface portion 4a and the outer periphery of the second flat surface portion 4b. As shown in FIG. 4, the peripheral surface portion 4 c includes an outer peripheral wall 4 c 1 and an inner peripheral wall 4 c 2, and has a double shell structure in which refrigerant can freely flow. That is, the peripheral surface portion 4c is a flow path (refrigerant flow path R) through which a refrigerant flows between the outer peripheral wall 4c1 and the inner peripheral wall 4c2 facing each other with a predetermined distance therebetween.

  The refrigerant flow path R communicates with the refrigerant intake port 4h and the refrigerant drainage port 4i. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the double shell structure includes not only the peripheral surface portion 4c but also the first flat surface portion 4a. Such a drying chamber 4 is formed by the first flat surface portion 4a, the second flat surface portion 4b, and the peripheral surface portion 4c.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the recessed portion 4d is a portion where a portion displaced slightly downward from the center of the first flat portion 4a is depressed over a predetermined area. A part of the opening / closing mechanism 6 (such as an air cylinder 6a) is attached to the bottom of the hollow part 4d (a part of the first flat surface part 4a). The exhaust port 4e is an opening for exhausting the air in the drying chamber 4 to the outside, and is connected to the vacuum pump 7 by a pipe (not shown). The drainage port 4f is an opening for draining the condensate (residual condensate) generated by condensing residual vapor in the drying chamber 4 to the outside, and is connected to the regeneration concentrator 9 by a pipe (not shown). .

  The steam intake port 4g is an opening for taking the cleaning solution steam (regenerated steam) generated in the regeneration concentrator 9 into the drying chamber 4, and is connected to the regeneration concentrator 9 by a pipe (not shown). The refrigerant intake port 4h is an opening for taking in the refrigerant into the refrigerant flow path R, and is connected to the refrigerant supply source 8 by a pipe (not shown). The refrigerant drainage port 4i is an opening for discharging the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path R to the outside of the drying chamber 4, and is connected to a drainage tank (not shown) by a pipe (not shown).

  The steam inlet 4j is a circular opening of a predetermined size provided in the second flat portion 4b. The steam inlet 4j is provided at a position coinciding with the position of the recess 4d provided in the first plane portion 4a, that is, a position slightly displaced downward from the center of the oval second plane portion 4b. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of fins 4 k are rectangular plate-like members provided inside the first flat surface portion 4 a so as to protrude into the drying chamber 4. That is, these fins 4k are provided on the inner surface of the first flat surface portion 4a, which is the surface facing the steam inlet 4j. More specifically, these fins 4k are provided only on the upper side of the recess 4d in the first plane portion 4a, and extend in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. It is provided with a predetermined interval.

  The temperature holding device 4m is a device that holds the temperature of the drying chamber 4 (drying chamber temperature) at a predetermined temperature lower than the temperature of the cleaning chamber 1 (cleaning chamber temperature). As shown in FIG. 1 plane part 4a). More specifically, the temperature holding device 4m holds the drying chamber temperature at a temperature lower than the cleaning chamber temperature by a cooling pipe (not shown) extending into the drying chamber 4. The drying chamber temperature set and held by the temperature holding device 4m is, for example, 5 to 50 ° C. The drying chamber temperature is set and maintained at a predetermined temperature by supplying a predetermined refrigerant from the refrigerant supply source 8 to the refrigerant flow path R described above in addition to the temperature holding device 4m.

  The connecting member 5 is a cylindrical member that connects the drying chamber opening 1c of the cleaning chamber 1 and the steam intake port 4j of the drying chamber 4, and the axial direction is set in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). The connecting member 5 is, for example, a cylindrical metal bellows, and is interposed between the drying chamber opening 1c and the steam inlet 4j. In the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment, the connection member 5 is made of a metal bellows, thereby reducing the influence of thermal deformation of the cleaning chamber 1 on the drying chamber 4.

  The opening / closing mechanism 6 closes or opens the drying chamber opening 1c shown in FIG. 2, and includes an air cylinder 6a shown in FIG. 1, a valve body 6b shown in FIG. The air cylinder 6 a is provided in the recess 4 d so that its movable rod is in the axial direction (X-axis direction) of the connecting member 5. A valve body 6b is fixed to the tip of the movable rod. The valve body 6b is a circular member provided on the cleaning chamber 1 side of the drying chamber opening 1c, has a slightly larger shape than the drying chamber opening 1c, and is connected to the connecting member 5 side (drying chamber) of the drying chamber opening 1c. (4 side) is connected to the tip of the movable rod.

  In such an opening / closing mechanism 6, the air cylinder 6 a operates so as to draw the movable rod, whereby the outer peripheral portion of the valve body 6 b comes into contact with the inner side surface (side surface of the cleaning chamber 1) of the drying chamber opening 1 c and is dried. The chamber opening 1c is closed. On the other hand, the opening / closing mechanism 6 is operated by causing the air cylinder 6a to project the movable rod, whereby the outer peripheral portion of the valve body 6b is separated from the inner side surface (side surface of the cleaning chamber 1) of the drying chamber opening 1c and dried. The room opening 1c is opened.

  The vacuum pump 7 is connected to the exhaust ports 1b and 4e via a pipe (not shown), and exhausts the air in the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 to the outside. The refrigerant supply source 8 is connected to the refrigerant intake port 4 h via a pipe (not shown) and supplies the refrigerant to the drying chamber 4. This refrigerant is, for example, water. The regeneration concentrator 9 is connected to the drainage ports 1d and 4f and the steam intake ports 1e and 4g via pipes (not shown), and the condensate of the cleaning agent and the dirt component collected from the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 is used. Among them, only the cleaning agent is re-vaporized and supplied to the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4, and the soil components are separated and concentrated.

  Next, the operation of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described in detail.

  When a workpiece is cleaned with this vacuum cleaning apparatus, the workpiece is accommodated in the cleaning chamber 1 through the workpiece insertion port 1a. This workpiece is a product in which dirt components such as cutting oil adhere to the surface. And the front door 3 act | operates and the washing | cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 are made into sealed space. Then, the vacuum pump 7 is operated and the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 are gradually depressurized, and the pressure is set to a pressure (initial pressure) of 10 kPa or less, for example.

  Further, in parallel with such a decompression process, the steam generation unit 2 operates to generate cleaning steam. The cleaning steam has a saturated vapor pressure and a temperature near the boiling point of the cleaning liquid, for example, 80 to 140 ° C. In addition, the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 are separated as separate chambers by operating the opening / closing mechanism 6 in parallel with the decompression process, and the drying is performed by operating the temperature holding device 4m and the refrigerant supply source 8. The chamber temperature is set to a temperature (for example, 5 to 50 ° C.) lower than the cleaning chamber temperature after the cleaning is completed.

  In this state, the cleaning steam is sequentially supplied from the steam generating unit 2 to the cleaning chamber 1 over a predetermined cleaning period, whereby the work in the cleaning chamber 1 is cleaned. That is, during the cleaning period, the adhesion and condensation of the cleaning vapor are continuously repeated on the surface of the workpiece, and the dirt component adhering to the surface of the workpiece flows down from the surface of the workpiece together with the condensate of the cleaning vapor and is removed (cleaning). Is done.

  At the end of the cleaning process, the pressure in the cleaning chamber 1 (cleaning chamber pressure) is approximately equal to the saturated vapor pressure of the cleaning vapor, and is approximately equal to the temperature of the cleaning vapor (about 80 to 140 ° C.). Yes. That is, the cleaning chamber pressure and the cleaning chamber temperature are considerably higher than the pressure (drying chamber pressure) and temperature (drying chamber temperature) of the drying chamber 4 set and held in advance.

  Subsequent to the cleaning process, the workpiece in the cleaning chamber 1 is dried. In this drying process, the opening / closing mechanism 6 is operated to connect the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 in the pressure relationship and the temperature relationship. Communicate. That is, by operating the air cylinder 6a, the outer peripheral portion of the valve body 6b is suddenly displaced from a state where it is in contact with the inner side surface (side surface of the cleaning chamber 1) of the drying chamber opening 1c to a state where it is separated. The cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 are connected in a short time with a relatively large area.

  As a result, the pressure in the cleaning chamber is rapidly reduced, and the condensate (residual liquid) of the cleaning vapor adhering to the work surface due to the rapid pressure reduction boils (bumps) instantaneously. Further, by connecting the cleaning chamber 1 and the drying chamber 4 in a short time with a relatively large area, the vapor of the residual liquid (residual vapor) generated from the surface of the workpiece is discharged from the cleaning chamber 1 (high pressure side) to the valve body 6b. And the drying chamber opening 1c, the connecting member 5 and the steam intake port 4j, and the high-speed movement to the drying chamber 4 (low pressure side).

  The residual vapor that has moved to the drying chamber 4 (low pressure side) condenses because the drying chamber temperature is kept lower than the cleaning chamber temperature and below the boiling point of the cleaning liquid. Here, the condensation of the residual vapor in the drying chamber 4 is efficiently performed because the residual vapor is more likely to be brought into contact with the above-described member and the temperature is lowered as the surface area of the inner surface of the drying chamber 4 is increased.

  In contrast to the condensation process of the residual steam in the drying chamber 4, the drying chamber 4 (condenser) in the present embodiment includes an inner surface of the first flat surface portion 4 a that is the opposite surface of the steam inlet 4 j into which the residual steam flows. Since the plurality of fins 4k are provided on the side surface, the residual steam that has flowed into the drying chamber 4 through the steam inlet 4j quickly contacts the fins 4k located on the front side and condenses. If the plurality of fins 4k are provided on the same side as the steam inlet 4j, that is, the inner side surface of the second flat portion 4b, the plurality of fins 4k are located on the rear side with respect to the inflow direction of the residual steam. As a result, the condensation efficiency decreases.

  Further, the plurality of fins 4k in the present embodiment are provided at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction), that is, distributed on the facing surface of the steam inlet 4j. Therefore, contact efficiency with residual steam is good. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the condensation efficiency of the residual steam in the drying chamber 4 can be improved also by this. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to efficiently condense the residual steam that has flowed from the cleaning chamber 1 into the drying chamber 4, and thus the condensation performance can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

  Further, since the plurality of fins 4k in the present embodiment extend in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), the condensate of the residual vapor condensed on the surface is dropped relatively quickly and removed from the surface. The As a result, it is possible to suppress the condensate of the residual vapor from staying on the surface of the fin 4k. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the condensation efficiency of the residual vapor can also be improved.

  Moreover, since the 1st plane part 4a in this embodiment is equipped with the double shell structure where a refrigerant | coolant distribute | circulates inside, it can cool the inner surface of the 1st plane part 4a and the several fin 4k effectively. Is possible. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the condensation efficiency of the residual steam can be improved also by this. Moreover, since the surrounding surface part 4c is also provided with the double shell structure, the residual vapor | steam adhering to the inner surface of the surrounding surface part 4c can be condensed efficiently.

  Furthermore, since the peripheral surface portion 4c in the present embodiment is formed in an oval shape corresponding to the outer peripheral shapes of the first flat surface portion 4a and the second flat surface portion 4b, the condensate of residual steam is discharged from the drain port 4f. Thus, the condensate in the drying chamber 4 can be effectively drained to the regeneration concentrator 9.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, For example, the following modifications can be considered.
(1) In the above embodiment, the plurality of fins 4k extend in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and are discretely arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction). However, the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the plurality of fins 4k are provided on the opposing surface of the steam inlet 4j, other installation modes may be used.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the outer peripheral shape of the first flat surface portion 4a and the second flat surface portion 4b and the outer shape of the peripheral surface portion 4c are oval. However, instead of the oval shape, a circle (perfect circle shape) or an oval shape is used. You may make it a shape.

(3) In the above embodiment, the first flat surface portion 4a and the second flat surface portion 4b are in the vertical posture, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first plane part 4a and / or the second plane part 4b may be slightly inclined from the vertical posture.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cleaning room, 1a ... Work insertion port, 1b ... Exhaust port, 1c ... Drying chamber opening, 1d ... Drainage port, 1e ... Steam intake port, 2 ... Steam generation part, 3 ... Front door, 4 ... Drying Chamber (condenser), 4a ... 1st plane part, 4b ... 2nd plane part, 4c ... peripheral surface part, 4d ... hollow part, 4e ... exhaust port, 4f ... drainage port, 4g ... steam intake port, 4h ... Refrigerant intake port, 4i ... refrigerant drain port, 4j ... steam intake port, 4k ... fin, 4m ... temperature holding device, 5 ... connecting member, 6 ... opening / closing mechanism, 6a ... air cylinder, 6b ... valve element, 7 ... Vacuum pump, 8 ... refrigerant supply source, 9 ... regenerative concentrator

Claims (2)

A condenser for liquefying steam taken from a steam inlet provided in a vertical posture,
The opposite surface of the steam inlet is formed in a double shell structure allowing the refrigerant to flow freely ,
A first plane portion which is the opposing surface and has a circular or oval outer periphery;
The steam inlet is provided, and a second plane portion substantially parallel to the first plane portion;
An endless peripheral surface portion connecting the outer periphery of the first planar portion and the outer periphery of the second planar portion;
The said peripheral surface part is formed in the double shell structure which can distribute | circulate a refrigerant | coolant freely, The condenser characterized by the above-mentioned. A cleaning device comprising the condenser according to claim 1.

Images