JPH069340Y2 - Low humidity maintenance device for optical equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for maintaining low humidity for optical equipment, and more particularly to improvement of a mechanism for recycling a hygroscopic agent.

[Prior Art] Various optical instruments, such as optical analyzers, need to maintain low humidity inside the instruments in order to maintain accuracy or prevent corrosion.

In particular, an interferometer of an infrared spectrophotometer or a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT / IR) needs to be kept at a low humidity all the time because a deliquescent substance such as potassium bromide (KBr) exists inside the equipment. Therefore, conventionally, the inside of the equipment is kept at a higher temperature than the outside of the equipment, and a hygroscopic agent is added to maintain low humidity.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in order to keep the inside of the device at a high temperature as in the conventional method of maintaining low humidity, it is necessary to keep the device energized at all times. For example, the accuracy of the FT / IR interferometer is deteriorated. In many cases, this often causes a problem in maintaining the performance of the device.

On the other hand, when a hygroscopic agent is put inside the equipment, the hygroscopic agent has to be replaced regularly, which is a frequent operation. If the hygroscopic agent is forgotten to be replaced, the humidity inside the equipment becomes high and KBr After all, it caused many problems such as deliquescence.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a low humidity maintaining apparatus for an optical device, which is easy to maintain and can keep the inside of the device at a low humidity all the time.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve the above object, a low humidity maintaining apparatus for an optical device according to the present invention includes a moisture absorbing portion, a moisture absorbing door portion, and a moisture discharging door portion.

Further, the moisture absorbing portion has a moisture absorbing agent that can be heated and dried, and is disposed in the vicinity of the light emitter.

The moisture absorption door portion communicates the optical device with the moisture absorption portion when the light emitter is in the off state.

The moisture release door portion communicates the moisture absorption portion with the outside of the device while the light emitter is on.

[Operation] Since the low humidity maintaining apparatus for an optical device according to the present invention is configured as described above, the hygroscopic door section is provided with the optical apparatus and the hygroscopic section that need to maintain low humidity while the light emitter is off. It is in communication.

As a result, the moisture inside the optical device is absorbed by the moisture absorbing portion through the moisture absorbing door portion, and the humidity of the optical device is maintained in a low state.

Further, when the light emitting device is turned on, the hygroscopic portion is close to the light emitting device, so that the hygroscopic agent is heated and dried.

Here, the moisture releasing door portion communicates the moisture absorbing portion with the outside of the device, and the moisture released from the hygroscopic agent is discharged to the outside of the device through the releasing door portion.

As described above, according to the low humidity maintaining apparatus of the present invention, it is not necessary to keep the inside of the optical device at a high temperature or to replace the hygroscopic agent, so that the optical device can be constantly maintained at the low humidity. Is possible.

[Embodiment] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the low humidity maintaining apparatus for optical equipment according to the present invention is installed in an infrared spectrophotometer.

That is, in the figure, a low humidity maintaining device 12 is installed in the infrared spectrophotometer 10.

The low-humidity maintenance device 12 includes a hygroscopic portion 14 having a recyclable hygroscopic agent such as silica gel, a light emitter 16 disposed in the vicinity of the hygroscopic portion 14, and the spectrophotometer 10
And a low-humidity maintenance device 12 so as to be openable and closable between the low-humidity maintenance device 12 and the outside.

Then, the light from the light emitter 16 passes through a sample (not shown) in a cell through a predetermined filter or the like, and qualitative / quantitative analysis of sample components is performed from the transmitted light.

FIG. 2 shows a more detailed structure of such a low humidity maintaining device 12 for optical equipment.

As is clear from the figure, the moisture absorption door portion 18 and the moisture release door portion 2
0 is opened and closed by interlocking with the interlocking mechanism 22.

The interlocking mechanism 22 includes an interlocking rod 24, a supporting rod 26, a drive coil 28 made of a shape memory alloy, and a tension spring 30.

One end of the interlocking rod 24 is rotatably supported by the moisture absorption door portion 18, and the other end thereof is also rotatably supported by the moisture release door portion 20.

The support rod 26 has a long hole 32 at the tip thereof.
It is pivotally supported by the interlocking rod 24 via 2. Further, the support rod 26 has a rotation center 34 at substantially the center thereof, and a drive coil 28 and a tension spring 30 are connected to the lower portion of the rotation center 34 so as to face each other and pull each other.

The low humidity maintaining apparatus according to the present embodiment is constructed as described above, and its operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, in the state shown in FIG. 2, the light emitter 16 is off, and the moisture absorbing portion 14 and the drive coil 28 arranged in the moisture absorbing portion 14 are in a low temperature state.

As a result, the drive coil 28 made of a shape memory alloy is expanded by the contracting force of the tension spring 30, and the support rod 26 is
And in the state of being rotated in the counterclockwise direction (arrow I) about the rotation center 34.

Therefore, the moisture absorption door portion 18 is in the open state via the interlocking rod 24, while the moisture release door portion 20 is in the closed state.

A packing 38 is provided between the moisture discharge door 20 and the outer wall of the housing 36, and the inside of the low humidity maintaining device 12 is airtight with respect to the outside of the device.

Therefore, the silica gel of the moisture absorption part 14 absorbs the humidity in the spectrophotometer 10 through the moisture absorption door part 18, and the spectrophotometer 10
The inside is maintained at low humidity.

Next, when the spectrophotometer 10 is turned on, the light emitter 16 is turned on as shown in FIG. 3, and light is introduced into the spectrophotometer 10 through the opening 40.

On the other hand, the residual heat of the light emitter 16 raises the temperatures of the moisture absorption unit 14 and the drive coil 28. As a result, the drive coil 28 made of a shape memory alloy contracts, and the support rod 26 contracts accordingly.
Rotates about the rotation center 34 in the clockwise direction (arrow II).

With the rotation of the support rod 26, the interlocking rod 24 slides in the direction of arrow III to open the moisture releasing door portion 20 and close the moisture absorbing door portion 18.

Even in this case, the space between the moisture absorption door portion 18 and the housing 36 is kept airtight by the packing 42. The light emitter 16 is also kept airtight.

Then, the moisture is evaporated from the moisture absorbing portion 14 heated by the light emitting device 16, and the high humidity air is discharged to the outside through the moisture discharging door portion 20.

Next, when the use of the spectrophotometer 10 is finished, the light emitter 16
Is turned off, heating of the moisture absorbing unit 14 and the drive coil 28 is stopped, and the drive coil 28 is extended. Along with this, as shown in FIG. 2, the moisture absorption door portion 18 is opened, the moisture discharge door portion 20 is closed, and the dehumidification in the spectrophotometer 10 by the moisture absorption portion 14 is restarted.

As described above, according to the low-humidity maintenance device for an optical device according to the present embodiment, since it is decided to recycle the hygroscopic agent by utilizing the residual heat of the light emitter which has not been used at all in the past, the spectrophotometric value is constantly maintained. There is no need to maintain the inside of the meter at a high temperature or to replace the hygroscopic agent frequently.

It should be noted that while the spectrophotometer 10 is in use, dehumidification by the hygroscopic unit 14 is not performed, but since the inside of the spectrophotometer is at a relatively high temperature, the relative humidity is lowered and no trouble occurs.

Further, in the low humidity maintaining apparatus according to the present embodiment, no special heating device for the hygroscopic agent is provided and the inside of the spectrophotometer does not become high humidity due to the failure of the heating device. Needless to say, damage to the light-emitting device is impossible to turn on and is immediately detected.

Although a drive coil 28 made of a shape memory alloy is provided as a drive source for the support rod 26 in the above-described embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG.
Other driving means such as 0 is provided, and the main switch 52 is turned on.
When activated, the light emitter 16 is turned on, and at the same time, the solenoid 50 is activated to activate the moisture absorption door portion 18 and the moisture release door portion 20.
The opening and closing control of the may be performed.

That is, the solenoid 50 and the light emitter 16 are connected in parallel to the main switch 52 and the power supply 54.

When the switch 52 is turned on, the light emitter 16
Is energized to perform the desired analysis and dehumidification of the moisture absorbing section 14, and at the same time, operate the solenoid 50 to open the moisture release door section 20,
The moisture absorption door portion 18 is closed.

As described above, according to the low-humidity maintenance device for optical equipment according to each of the examples, since it is installed in the infrared spectrophotometer, it is not necessary to keep the inside of the photometer at a high temperature, and the performance of the photometer is long-term. It is possible to maintain over a long period of time, and since it is not necessary to replace the hygroscopic agent, maintenance is facilitated.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the low humidity maintenance device for an optical device of the present invention, it is possible to recycle the moisture absorbing portion by utilizing the residual heat of the light emitting device while being installed in the optical device. ,
It is possible to maintain the function of the optical device and facilitate maintenance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a low humidity maintaining apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in an infrared spectrophotometer, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a moisture absorption state of the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a moisture releasing state of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the present invention. 10 ... Infrared spectrophotometer (optical device) 12 ... Low humidity maintenance device 14 ... Moisture absorption part 16 ... Heating part 18 ... Moisture absorption door part 20 ... Moisture release door part

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A low-humidity maintenance device installed in an optical device having a light-emitting device, wherein the moisture-absorbing part is provided in the vicinity of the light-emitting device and has a hygroscopic agent capable of heating and drying, and the light-emitting device is off. And a moisture-absorbing door portion that communicates the optical device and the moisture-absorbing portion, and a moisture-releasing door portion that communicates the moisture-absorbing portion with the outside of the device while the light emitter is lit. Maintenance device.