JPH0328365Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to an electrode cleaning device for cleaning electrodes such as PH electrodes and redox potential electrodes.

The PH or oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of a test liquid such as an aqueous solution is measured by dipping a PH or oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) electrode directly into the test liquid. By the way, these electrodes are constantly immersed in the test liquid and the pH is
However, since substances in the test solution adhere to the glass film or antimony film on the electrode surface and form an impurity film, it is necessary to test the electrode frequently for accurate measurements. It is necessary to remove it from the liquid and clean the impurity film.

Therefore, this invention was created in view of the above points, namely, the invention is to remove the electrode from the test liquid without any manual intervention, and to reliably wash and remove the electrode. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode cleaning device that can be immersed in a test solution and that can automate the cleaning work of electrodes during measurement.

Therefore, in order to achieve this purpose, this invention is installed at the top of a measurement tank containing a test liquid, and lifts up an electrode immersed in the test liquid and supports it at the upper limit position, and also supports the electrode at the upper limit position. is lowered, supported at the cleaning position in the cleaning tank, and immersed in the cleaning chemical solution, and after cleaning is finished, lifted from the cleaning chemical solution, lowered, set to the lower limit position, and immersed in the test liquid again. The electrode cleaning device is characterized in that the electrode is pulled up from the test liquid and supported at the upper limit position, lowered from the upper limit position, supported at the cleaning position, immersed in the cleaning chemical solution, and cleaned after cleaning is completed. The electrode lifting device supports the electrode at the lower limit position after being lifted from the cleaning chemical, and the electrode is supported at the cleaning position and starts supplying the cleaning chemical and blowing air into the cleaning chemical. and a cleaning tank in which the cleaning chemical solution can be freely exchanged when the electrode is supported at the cleaning position and being cleaned; and when the electrode is supported at the upper limit position, the cleaning tank is moved to directly below the electrode and cleaning is performed. The present invention is characterized in that it includes at least an actuator that retreats the cleaning tank out of the electrode lifting path when the electrode is lifted from the cleaning chemical solution after completion of the cleaning.

This invention will be explained below based on an illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows an electrode cleaning device according to this invention, which is installed at the top of a measurement tank T containing a test liquid L, and the electrodes at the top of the measurement tank T. A column 1 erected near the insertion port M, a wire 2 and a pulley 3 of the column 1,
A rod-shaped PH electrode 4 is attached via 3, and the PH
A motor 5 as an electrode lifting device for raising or lowering the electrode 4, and a measuring tank T with an open top surface.
A cleaning tank 8 that can freely move forward and backward on a rail 6 provided at an upper position by the telescopic operation of a forward/backward operation cylinder 7 as a forward/backward operation actuator, and a chemical solution for cleaning the PH electrode 4 stored in the cleaning tank 8. Detects the water level of water W and sets it to a predetermined upper limit water level D.
A liquid level switch 9 that closes a water supply solenoid valve 12a (described later) and opens a drain solenoid valve 14a when the water level reaches the level 1, and a liquid level switch 9 that is attached to the electrode insertion port M of the measurement tank T and controls the liquid level L in the measurement tank T. A flexible shielding film 10, such as a rubber film, which prevents evaporation of It has a measurement processing device 11 that displays and records the PH value, processes the measured value immediately before lifting the PH electrode 4 from the measurement tank T, and stores the PH value.

The PH electrode 4 is used for PH control of the test liquid L, and is the lower end electrode portion 4 of the PH electrode 4.
As shown in FIG. 1, a is attached with a metal electrode 4b and its periphery is covered with a glass film 4c. In addition, the lower end electrode part 4a of this PH electrode 4
1 and 2A, the lower end surface of the lower end electrode portion 4a is lowered by the winding/unwinding operation of the motor 5.
Lower limit position, upper limit position and cleaning position shown in B and C
It can be set to SL ₁ , SL ₂ , and SL ₃ . In detail, the lower limit position SL ₁ is the measuring tank T
The lower end electrode part 4a is immersed in the test liquid L in the tank, and the lower limit position SL ₂ is the height H of the cleaning tank 8.
Washing position SL ₃ , which is higher up, is washing tank 8.
is lower than the water level D of the test liquid L
The lower end electrode portion 4a immersed in water W is set at a position where it can be immersed in water W.

Next, when the advancing/retracting operation cylinder 7 is extended, the cleaning tank 8 is moved to the PH electrode 4 as shown in FIG. 2B.
When the cylinder 7 is retracted, the cylinder 7 is moved to the set position directly below the cylinder 7, as shown in Figures 1 and 2A.
The PH electrode H is designed to be retracted to a retracted position outside the ascending/descending course where there is no hindrance to the ascending and descending of the PH electrode H.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this cleaning tank 8 includes a water supply pipe system 12 that supplies water W into the cleaning tank 8, and an air pipe that blows air into the water W in the cleaning tank 8. system 13, and a drain pipe system 14 for draining water W in the cleaning tank 8. The water supply pipe system 12 is connected to a water supply source (not shown) via a water supply electromagnetic valve 12a, and is configured so that water can be supplied from water supply nozzles 12b provided on each of the four side walls 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d of the cleaning tank 8. The water supply solenoid valve 12a is closed by the liquid level switch 9 when the water level in the cleaning tank 8 reaches a predetermined upper limit water level D. Further, the air pipe system 13 is connected to an air source (not shown) via an air solenoid valve 13a, and the air nozzle 1
3b is attached to the bottom of the cleaning tank 8 as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the drain pipe system 14
is connected to a discharge port 8e at the bottom of the cleaning tank 8 via a drainage solenoid valve 14a, and this drainage solenoid valve 14a is activated by the liquid level switch 9 when the water level in the cleaning tank 8 reaches a predetermined upper limit water level D. It's about to be closed.

The time during which the lower end electrode portion 4a of the PH electrode 4 stops at each support level SL ₁ , SL ₂ , SL ₃ and the cleaning interval, in other words, the number of cleanings, are determined by a timer (not shown). It is now possible to configure settings.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 2A, when the PH electrode 4 is immersed in the test liquid L and the PH of the test liquid L is being measured, the cleaning tank 8 is in the retracted position. The PH electrode 4 under measurement is lifted out of the test liquid L by forward rotation of the motor 5 and raised from the lower limit position SL ₁ to the upper limit position SL ₂ in FIG. 2B. Just before this withdrawal,
The measured value of the PH electrode 4 is stored in the measured value processing device 11.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2B, the advancing/retracting operation cylinder 7 is extended and the cleaning tank 8 is advanced and positioned directly below the PH electrode 4. Then, the water supply solenoid valve 12a and the electric solenoid valve 13a are opened, and the drain solenoid valve 14a is closed to supply water W and air into the cleaning tank 8, and the motor 5
is rotated in the opposite direction to lower the PH electrode 4 and lower the lower end electrode portion 4a to the cleaning position _SL3 .

Therefore, the lower end electrode part 4a is immersed in the water W in the cleaning tank 8, and the impurity film attached to the lower end electrode part 4a can be removed by the water pressure from each water supply nozzle 12b and the air nozzle 13b without using tools such as brushes.
It is removed and washed synergistically by bubbling (frothing) by blowing air into the water W.
Note that the cleaning time is set to, for example, several minutes by a timer depending on the degree of adhesion of the impurity film. During this cleaning work, when the water level reaches a predetermined upper limit water level D, the liquid level switch 9 operates to close the water supply solenoid valve 12a and drain solenoid valve 1.
4a is opened, and the dirty water W in the cleaning tank 8 is discharged from the drain port 8e through the drain pipe system 14. After a certain period of time, that is, when the dirty water W is discharged, the water supply solenoid valve 12b is opened again, and the drain solenoid valve 14a is closed to supply water. Therefore, by repeating this water supply and drainage, the impurities removed from the PH electrode 4 during cleaning and released into the water W are discharged to the outside of the cleaning tank 8, and replaced with fresh water W.
The lower end electrode part 4a of the PH electrode 4 can be washed with water.
The PH electrode 4 can be quickly cleaned without reducing the cleaning effect.

Next, after the cleaning of the PH electrode 4 is completed, the water supply solenoid valve 12
A and the air solenoid valve 13a are closed, the drain solenoid valve 13a is closed, and the drain solenoid valve 14a is opened to drain the water W in the cleaning tank 8, and the motor 5 is rotated forward to set the pH. The electrode 4 is pulled up from the cleaning tank 8 to the upper limit position SL ₂ and placed in the state shown in FIG. 2B. Then, the forward/backward operation cylinder 7 is contracted to move the cleaning tank 8 backward, and the motor 5 is rotated to lower the PH electrode 4 so that the lower end enters the test liquid L of the measurement tank T through the notch 10a of the shielding membrane 10. The electrode part 4a is immersed again and the PH measurement is restarted at the lower limit position SL ₁ .

By cleaning as described above, the impurity film attached to the lower end electrode part 4a of the PH electrode 4 can be reliably removed, but the time interval for lifting the PH electrode 4 is set by a timer, and the By changing the interval, the number of cleaning times can be varied depending on the degree of dirt on the PH electrode 4. In addition, the measurement value is memorized immediately before lifting the PH electrode 4, and the measurement value is fixedly held from the start to the end of cleaning, and the chemical injection system and control system for the test liquid are cut off from the meter display. Since the command to maintain the status quo is issued, the adjustment operation of the measured value processing device 11 is not adversely affected.

In the above embodiment, an example of cleaning the PH electrode is shown, but it goes without saying that cleaning of other electrodes such as the ORP electrode may be performed in a similar manner. Further, as the cleaning chemical solution, a solution obtained by adding a cleaning agent to water or only a cleaning agent may be used. Furthermore, the supply and drainage of the cleaning tank 8 is not only carried out by detecting the upper limit water level D and opening and closing the water supply and drain solenoid valves 12a and 14a, but also by providing a drain port at the position of the upper limit water level D so that the upper limit water level is always maintained. Even if water exceeding D can be discharged to the outside from the drain port, the water in the cleaning tank can be replaced and the electrodes can be cleaned reliably. Furthermore, the cleaning chemical solution and air blowing may be performed after the electrode is supported at the cleaning position _SL3 .

As explained above, according to this invention, the electrode is lifted from the test liquid and supported at the upper limit position, a cleaning tank is installed directly below the electrode, and then the electrode is lowered to the cleaning position and air is blown into it. At the same time, the cleaning chemical solution is replaced during cleaning, and after cleaning is completed, the electrode is pulled up from the chemical solution, the cleaning tank is moved back, and the electrode is lowered to the lower limit position, and the electrode is immersed in the test liquid again. Because of this configuration, the impurity film strongly adhered to the electrode can be reliably removed by lifting it from the test liquid without manual intervention, and the strong cleaning effect of the pressure and bubbling of the cleaning chemical solution, as well as the replacement of the cleaning chemical solution. This prevents the cleaning effect of the chemical solution from deteriorating, allows the electrode to be immersed in the test liquid again after cleaning, and has the effect of automating the cleaning work of the electrode during measurement.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the electrode cleaning device according to this invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the device.
Figure 3 is a front view showing the structure of the cleaning tank;
The figure is a plan view of the cleaning tank. L...Test liquid, T...Measurement tank, 4...Electrode, 5...Motor as electrode lifting device, W...
Water as a cleaning chemical solution, 7... Advance/retreat cylinder as an actuator, 8... Cleaning tank,
SL ₁ ...Lower limit position, SL ₂ ...Upper limit position, SL ₃ ...
Cleaning position, D... Upper limit water level, 12... Water supply pipe system,
13...Air pipe system, 14...Drain pipe system.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The electrode is installed at the top of the measurement tank containing the test liquid, and the electrode immersed in the test liquid is pulled up and supported at the upper limit position, and the electrode is lowered and supported at the cleaning position in the cleaning tank for cleaning. The electrode cleaning device is configured such that the electrode is immersed in a cleaning chemical solution, and after cleaning is completed, the electrode is lifted out of the cleaning chemical solution, and then lowered, set to a lower limit position, and immersed again in the test solution. The electrode is lifted from the upper limit position and supported at the upper limit position, and is lowered from the upper limit position, supported at the cleaning position, immersed in the cleaning chemical solution, and after cleaning is lifted from the cleaning chemical solution and supported at the lower limit position. The supply of the cleaning chemical solution and the blowing of air into the cleaning chemical solution are started before and after the electrode is supported at the cleaning position, and when the electrode is supported at the cleaning position and cleaned. When the electrode is supported at the upper limit position, the cleaning tank is moved directly below the electrode, and when the electrode is lifted from the cleaning chemical after cleaning is completed, the cleaning tank is replaced with a cleaning chemical solution. An electrode cleaning device comprising at least an actuator for retracting the electrode out of the lifting path of the electrode.