JPH0331428Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Purpose of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning an object to be cleaned with a cleaning liquid.

(Prior Art) In general, automatic ultrasonic cleaning apparatuses, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-228984, have a cleaning basket containing objects to be cleaned inside an outer casing that can be carried in and out. , an ultrasonic cleaning tank having an ultrasonic vibrator, a steam tank, etc. are installed, and the objects to be cleaned are cleaned while the cleaning basket is sequentially transported to the cleaning tank and the steam tank by a transportation reciprocating device. By the way, when using solvents such as chlorine-based CFCs, trichlorethylene, trichloroethane, etc. that generate volatile gases harmful to the human body as cleaning liquids, the vaporized gases are stored in a cooling zone installed at the top of the cleaning tank or steam tank. However, during transport, some of the vaporized gas leaks from the cooling zone, accumulates inside the outer casing, and leaks from gaps, etc., which poses a risk of harming the human body. Such devices are equipped with a ventilation mechanism, and the air inside the outer housing is constantly exhausted to the outside through an exhaust duct.

(Problem that the invention aims to solve) However, when the ventilation mechanism is constantly operated, a constant flow of air occurs inside the outer casing, and due to the relationship between the walls and parts inside the outer casing, this air flow becomes a cooling zone. It also invades inside. For this reason, the vaporized gas that has not yet been sufficiently liquefied is forcibly exhausted by this air flow, reducing the amount of solvent that can be liquefied and recovered, and such solvents are expensive and therefore extremely wasteful. There was a problem with the economy.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can perform cleaning economically by minimizing the amount of vaporized gas exhausted to the outside. It is.

[Structure of the idea]

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a cleaning device that cleans objects to be cleaned by providing a cleaning tank inside an outer casing. It is equipped with a gas sensor arranged near the opening.

(Function) When the gas concentration inside the outer casing reaches a preset dangerous level, the ventilation mechanism is activated to exhaust the air inside the outer casing, thereby preventing wasteful exhaustion of vaporized gas from the cleaning liquid. It can be prevented.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a cleaning basket that stores an object to be cleaned 1A. Reference numeral 2 denotes an outer casing of the ultrasonic cleaning device, which has an inlet 4 through which the cleaning basket 1 is brought in by an inlet conveyor 3 and an outlet 6 through which the cleaning basket 1 is unloaded by an unloading conveyor 5, during loading and unloading. The lids 4A and 6A are movably provided so as to open only a portion of the lid, and the structure is such that the air inside is difficult to leak to the outside. Reference numeral 7 denotes an ultrasonic cleaning tank having an ultrasonic vibrator 8 on the lower surface and filled with a cleaning liquid 9. The cleaning liquid 9 is appropriately heated by a heater 10 and the ultrasonic vibrator 8 is excited to clean the object 1A to be cleaned. . 11
is a cold bath filled with a cleaning liquid 9, and the object to be cleaned 1A is immersed in the cleaning liquid 9 cooled to an appropriate temperature by a cooling pipe (not shown) to clean the object 1A. Reference numeral 12 denotes a steam tank in which cleaning liquid 9 heated by a heater 13 placed at the bottom evaporates, and the steam washes the object 1 to be cleaned.
Wash A. Reference numeral 14 denotes a cooling zone arranged above the ultrasonic cleaning tank 7, cold bath 11, steam tank 12, etc., in which the vaporized gas of the cleaning liquid 9 is liquefied through a cooling pipe 15, dripped, and collected. .

Reference numeral 16 denotes a reciprocating transport mechanism for transporting the washing basket 1 to each washing tank.
Arm 17 that grips the washing basket 1 carried into the interior
, a plurality of cylinders 18 that move the arm 17 up and down, and a horizontal rail 19 that causes the arm 17 to reciprocate in the horizontal direction. Reference numeral 20 denotes a ventilation mechanism having an exhaust fan, which exhausts the air inside the outer casing 2 to the outside through an exhaust duct 21.

A gas sensor 22 whose resistance value changes in response to gas is provided near an opening of the outer casing 2 such as the entrance 4 or the exit 6 to detect the gas concentration within the outer casing 2. 23 is a control circuit that controls the operation of the ventilation mechanism 20 according to the detected gas concentration, and as shown in FIG. 2, the resistance value of the gas sensor 22 is input as a voltage, and the voltage corresponding to the gas concentration is preset. It compares the set voltage with the comparator 24, and when the detected gas concentration reaches a predetermined level, the drive circuit 25 is controlled to operate the ventilation mechanism 20, and the alarm lamp 2 attached to the outer casing 2 is activated.
6 and sounds the buzzer 27.

The operation of the present invention configured as above will be described in detail below. First, the cleaning basket 1 containing the objects to be cleaned 1A is carried into the outer casing 2 by the carry-in conveyor 3, gripped by the arm 17 and pulled upward, and carried along the horizontal rail 19 above the ultrasonic cleaning tank 7. Located in And cleaning basket 1 is cylinder 1
8 and is immersed in the cleaning liquid 9 of the ultrasonic cleaning bath 7 for ultrasonic cleaning, and then immersed in the cleaning liquid 9 of the next cold bath 11 for cleaning. Finally, the cleaning basket 1 is steam cleaned in the steam tank 12 and then transported out of the outer casing 2 by the transport conveyor 6.

Incidentally, vaporized gas of the cleaning liquid 9 rises from the ultrasonic cleaning tank 7, the cold bath 11, and the steam tank 12, and this gas is liquefied by the cooling zone 14. While the water is being taken in and out of each cleaning tank, vaporized gas that has not yet been liquefied leaks from the cooling zone 14 and is stored in the outer casing 2. Since the outer casing 2 has a sealed structure, this gas can only leak out from the loading port 4 or the loading port 6, and the gas concentration gradually increases until the gas sensor 22 installed here When the detected gas concentration reaches a level dangerous to the human body, the control circuit 23 operates the ventilation mechanism 20 to exhaust the air inside the outer casing 2 to the outside so that the gas leaking from the opening has no effect on the human body. Make sure that it does not affect you. When the gas concentration decreases due to this ventilation, the ventilation mechanism 20
stops.

Therefore, since the ventilation mechanism 20 operates only when the gas concentration accumulated in the outer casing 2 reaches a dangerous level, there is no constant flow of air due to ventilation within the outer casing 2. , the vaporized gas is exhausted to the outside to the minimum extent, and the reduction in cleaning liquid 9 is kept to a minimum, thereby improving economical efficiency. Also,
At the same time when the gas concentration reaches a dangerous level, alarm means such as the alarm lamp 26 or buzzer 27 are activated to notify the worker of the danger.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, it can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, three cleaning tanks were provided, but the number is not limited to this, and other types of cleaning tanks such as a drying tank may also be provided. Moreover, it can be applied to a cleaning device that is not equipped with an ultrasonic cleaning tank.

[Effects of the invention] As detailed above, according to the invention, when the gas sensor detects a gas concentration of a predetermined level or higher, the ventilation mechanism that exhausts the air from the outer casing is activated. It is possible to provide a cleaning device that can perform economical cleaning by minimizing the amount of vaporized gas exhausted.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the main parts. 1A...Object to be cleaned, 2...Outer casing, 4...Carry-in port (opening), 6...Carry-out port (opening), 7...Ultrasonic cleaning tank, 9...Cleaning liquid, 22... gas sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a cleaning device that includes a cleaning tank inside an outer casing and cleans an object to be cleaned, a ventilation mechanism is provided to exhaust the air inside the outer casing, and a gas sensor is provided near the opening of the outer casing. A cleaning device characterized in that the ventilation mechanism is activated when a gas concentration equal to or higher than a predetermined level is detected.