CN113814226B

CN113814226B - Dry type cleaning device

Info

Publication number: CN113814226B
Application number: CN202010564784.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吉野悟志; 吉田正洋; 易云; 郭昊; 龙志钊
Original assignee: Leo Electronic KK; Ricoh High Tech Shenzhen Co ltd
Current assignee: Leo Electronic KK; Ricoh High Tech Shenzhen Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-06-19
Filing date: 2020-06-19
Publication date: 2023-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-19
Also published as: CN113814226A

Abstract

The dry cleaning device of the present invention comprises: a cleaning tank (1) which contains a cleaning medium (A) and has a cleaning slot; a storage tank (2) which covers the cleaning tank opening to form a cleaning space together with the cleaning tank, and which has a holding area where the object to be cleaned is placed and a communication area located on the outer side of the holding area in a plan view and which opens the upper space of the object to be cleaned to the cleaning tank opening; a cleaning gas supply unit (4) which supplies gas into the cleaning tank to scatter the cleaning medium and make the scattered cleaning medium collide with the object to be cleaned to remove dirt; and a return gas injection unit (7) configured to generate a gas flow in the upper space, the gas flow being directed to the communication area while sweeping a surface of the object to be cleaned on a side away from the cleaning slot. This simplifies the work of attaching the object to be cleaned and ensures an effective impingement rate of the cleaning medium.

Description

Dry type cleaning device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a technique for removing dirt on an object to be cleaned, and more particularly, to a dry cleaning apparatus for removing dirt by scattering a cleaning medium and colliding the cleaning medium with the object to be cleaned.

Background

In recent years, in order to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional wet cleaning technique, and thereby reduce the cost and the environmental load, a dry cleaning technique using no solvent has been proposed.

As a specific application of the dry cleaning technique,

patent documents

1 and 2 propose a dry cleaning apparatus shown in fig. 15 in which a compressed gas is supplied into cleaning tank 1 to scatter a cleaning medium a such as a resin sheet or a plate-like membrane, and the cleaning medium a collides with and polishes object M in cleaning groove O1 to wash away dirt on object M. The dry type cleaning device can shorten the single cleaning time to within a few minutes, and greatly improves the cleaning efficiency. In addition, the dry cleaning device does not need to use a solvent, and the cleaning medium can be recycled, so that the cost and the environmental load are reduced.

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 4531841

Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2007-144395

The dry cleaning apparatus forms a closed space by the object to be cleaned and the cleaning tank, and the cleaning surface of the object to be cleaned constitutes one surface of the closed space. In order to achieve a sealed state with the object to be cleaned, the object to be cleaned needs to be mounted at a precise position, and particularly, the contact surface between the object to be cleaned and the cleaning tank needs to be strongly pressed together so as not to leak compressed gas or cleaning medium. Therefore, the dry cleaning apparatus is complicated to mount the object to be cleaned, and there is room for improvement in mounting work.

Therefore, the present inventors have proposed a technique of fastening a storage tank at a cleaning tank opening of a cleaning tank to define a closed space, and placing an object to be cleaned in the storage tank to perform cleaning in a previously filed patent application. In this invention, since the object to be cleaned and the side wall of the expansion tank are not sealed, and a gap exists between the object to be cleaned and the side wall of the expansion tank, the cleaning medium enters the space above the object to be cleaned with the compressed air flow and stays on the upper surface of the object to be cleaned, and the like during the cleaning process, and therefore the amount of the cleaning medium that can be effectively used for cleaning decreases, and the effective collision rate of the cleaning medium decreases.

The solution is also proposed in the same application in order to return the cleaning medium to the cleaning tank, but the inventors have found after their research that there is still room for further improvement.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a dry cleaning apparatus capable of simplifying the work of attaching the object to be cleaned and ensuring an effective collision rate of the cleaning medium.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions.

<1>

A dry cleaning device is characterized by comprising:

a cleaning tank containing a cleaning medium and having a cleaning notch;

a storage tank which covers the cleaning tank opening to form a cleaning space together with the cleaning tank, and which has a holding area where an object to be cleaned is placed and a communication area located on an outer side of the holding area in a plan view, the communication area being used to open an upper space of the object to be cleaned to the cleaning tank opening;

a cleaning gas supply unit that supplies gas into the cleaning tank to scatter the cleaning medium and to cause the scattered cleaning medium to collide with the object to be cleaned to remove dirt;

and a return gas injection unit configured to generate a gas flow in the upper space, the gas flow being directed to the communication area while sweeping a surface of the object to be cleaned on a side away from the cleaning slot.

According to the present invention, by providing the expansion tank, the closed space for cleaning the object to be cleaned can be defined by the expansion tank and the cleaning tank. Compared with the cleaned object, the surface of the expansion tank, which is in contact with the cleaning tank, is easier to design into a shape matched with the cleaning tank, so that the closed state of the closed space is easier to realize by utilizing the expansion tank, and the object to be cleaned does not need to be in close contact with the cleaning tank. Therefore, the attachment work of the object to be cleaned can be simplified and the sealed state can be easily realized.

In addition, by providing the return air injection means, the cleaning medium staying on the upper surface of the object to be cleaned or the like can be blown into the communicating area by the air flow injected by the return air injection means, and the cleaning medium can be returned into the cleaning tank through the communicating area in time. Thus, an effective impingement rate of the cleaning medium can be ensured.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dry cleaning apparatus capable of simplifying the work of attaching the object to be cleaned and ensuring an effective collision rate of the cleaning medium.

<2>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the above <1>, preferably,

the containing tank is arranged in a manner of being relatively movable along the surface of the cleaning tank,

the communicating regions include at least a first communicating region located on one side of the holding region in the direction of the relative movement and a second communicating region located on the other side of the holding region,

the return gas injection unit has:

a first gas injection pipe located on an opposite side to the first communicating area across the holding area in the direction of the relative movement, and having an injection port facing the first communicating area side;

a second gas injection pipe located on an opposite side of the second communicating area across the holding area in the direction of the relative movement, and having an injection port facing the second communicating area side.

According to the present invention, by providing two gas injection pipes, the first and second gas injection pipes, for example, when the expansion tank moves to one side in the relative movement direction with respect to the cleaning tank, the gas flow for returning the cleaning medium can be formed by the first gas injection pipe, and when the expansion tank moves to the other side, the gas flow for returning the cleaning medium can be formed by the second gas injection pipe.

Furthermore, since the first gas ejection pipe is located on the opposite side of the first communicating area with the holding area therebetween in the direction of relative movement, and the second gas ejection pipe is located on the opposite side of the second communicating area with the holding area therebetween in the direction of relative movement, that is, the first gas ejection pipe and the second gas ejection pipe are located on the outer side of the holding area, the gas flows of the first gas ejection pipe and the second gas ejection pipe can sweep the entire surface of the object to be cleaned, and the cleaning medium remaining on the entire surface of the object to be cleaned can be returned to the cleaning tank, so that the effective collision rate of the cleaning medium can be sufficiently ensured.

<3>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the above <2>, preferably,

the first gas injection pipe and/or the second gas injection pipe are arranged above the object to be cleaned, and the injection port injects gas towards the object to be cleaned in an inclined downward direction.

According to the present invention, the cleaning medium accumulated on the surface of the object to be cleaned can be efficiently swept into the communicating region by injecting the gas obliquely downward toward the object to be cleaned.

<4>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the above <2>, preferably,

the first gas injection tubes and/or the second gas injection tubes are provided across the entire width of the holding zone in a direction intersecting the direction of the relative movement,

the first gas injection pipe and/or the second gas injection pipe are provided with a plurality of the injection ports at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction of the relative movement.

According to the present invention, by providing the gas injection pipe across the entire width of the holding section and providing the plurality of injection ports along the extending direction of the gas injection pipe, the gas flow can be uniformly injected to the entire surface of the object to be cleaned, and the cleaning medium remaining on the entire surface of the object to be cleaned can be entirely returned to the cleaning tank.

<5>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the structure of the above <2> - <4>, preferably,

the return gas injection unit has:

a first hose connecting the first gas injection tube with a gas source;

a second hose connecting the second gas injection tube with a gas source.

The gas source that supplies gas to (the first/second gas injection lines of) the return gas injection unit is typically stationary, i.e. stationary with respect to the purge tank, whereas the expansion tank is mobile with respect to the purge tank, as described above. In order to allow relative movement between the expansion tank and the gas source, it is desirable that the conduit connecting the first/second gas injection lines to the gas source be deformable between a maximum extended condition in which the expansion tank is furthest from the gas source and a maximum shortened condition in which the expansion tank is closest to the gas source.

According to the present invention, by connecting the gas injection pipes (first gas injection pipe/second gas injection pipe) to the gas source using the hoses (first hose/second hose), the above-described deformation can be easily achieved by the flexibility of the hoses themselves. Moreover, the adoption of the hose is also beneficial to reducing the cost.

<6>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the above <5>, preferably,

the first hose and/or the second hose is a bellows.

According to the present invention, the above-described deformation can be more easily achieved by using the bellows. In addition, compared with hoses of other structures, the bellows is less prone to fatigue caused by repeated bending, so that damage can be reduced, the service life can be prolonged, and the reliability of the whole device can be ensured.

<7>

the return gas injection unit has:

the fixed pipe is arranged along the direction of the relative movement and is fixed relative to the cleaning tank, the fixed pipe is connected with an air source, and an opening is formed in the pipe wall;

a movable tube fixed to the expansion tank, slidably fitted around the fixed tube in the direction of the relative movement, and having a first chamber communicating with the first gas injection tube and a second chamber communicating with the second gas injection tube, which are spaced apart from each other, in the direction of the relative movement;

the movable tube is configured to be capable of switching between a state in which the first chamber communicates with the opening and a state in which the second chamber communicates with the opening by sliding relative to the fixed tube.

Although hoses, and in particular corrugated pipes, have certain advantages in terms of cost, they are susceptible to fatigue failure due to repeated shrinkage in the event of prolonged repeated use.

According to the present invention, by adopting the fitting structure of the fixed pipe and the movable pipe, compared with the use of the hose, the fatigue damage caused by repeated bending can be eliminated, the service life of the return gas injection unit can be extended, and the reliability of the whole dry cleaning apparatus can be improved.

<8>

the cleaning gas supply unit has a nozzle for supplying gas for scattering the cleaning medium into the cleaning tank,

the backflow gas injection unit is controlled to: when the object to be cleaned reaches a relative position facing the nozzle or a downstream position on a downstream side in the direction of the relative movement from the relative position, gas is ejected from one of the first gas ejection tube and the second gas ejection tube that is farther from the relative position or the downstream position.

According to the present invention, since the timing of ejecting the gas for returning the cleaning medium is set such that the object to be cleaned reaches the relative position facing the nozzle or the position downstream of the relative position, a sufficiently large overlap area of the communication area between the cleaning slot opening of the cleaning tank and the accommodation tank can be secured, and the cleaning medium remaining on the object to be cleaned can be efficiently returned to the cleaning tank.

<9>

In the dry cleaning apparatus having the structure of the above <1>, alternatively,

said communicating region comprising at least a first communicating region located on one side of said holding region and a second communicating region located on the other side of said holding region in the direction of said relative movement,

the return gas injection unit has a bidirectional gas injection pipe,

the bidirectional gas injection pipe is located in a substantially central region above the holding zone in the direction of the relative movement, and has a first injection port facing the first communicating zone side and a second injection port facing the second communicating zone side in the direction of the relative movement.

In the case where two gas injection pipes are provided as in the above-mentioned <2> and the like, two gas supply pipes connected to the two gas injection pipes, respectively, need to be provided. Further, as described above, it is necessary to provide a sufficient space for ensuring that the two gas supply pipes can expand and contract with the movement of the expansion tank. In some cases, for example, in a narrow workshop, it is difficult to secure such a relatively large space.

According to the present invention, since the number of gas supply pipes is suppressed by providing only one bidirectional gas injection pipe, it is advantageous in the case where a relatively large installation space cannot be secured.

<10>

In the dry cleaning apparatus having the structure of the above <9>, alternatively,

the bidirectional gas injection pipe is provided across the entire width of the holding section in a direction intersecting the direction of the relative movement, and the first injection port and the second injection port are provided in plurality at intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of the relative movement.

According to the present invention, since the gas injection pipe is provided across the entire width of the holding section and the first injection port and the second injection port are provided in plurality in the extending direction of the gas injection pipe, the gas flow can be uniformly injected to the surface of the cleaning medium staying in the object to be cleaned in the extending direction of the gas injection pipe, and the cleaning medium on the surface of the object to be cleaned can be efficiently returned to the cleaning tank.

<11>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the structure of the above <9> - <10>, preferably,

the backflow gas injection unit has a hose connecting the bidirectional gas injection pipe with a gas source.

The gas source that supplies gas to (the bi-directional gas injection line of) the return gas injection unit is typically stationary, i.e., stationary relative to the wash tank, while the expansion tank is mobile relative to the wash tank, as described above. In order to allow relative movement between the expansion tank and the gas source, it is desirable to enable the conduit connecting the bi-directional gas injection tube and the gas source to be deformed between a maximum extended state in which the expansion tank is furthest from the gas source and a maximum shortened state in which the expansion tank is closest to the gas source.

According to the present invention, by connecting the bidirectional gas injection pipe to the gas source using the hose, the above-described deformation can be easily achieved by the flexibility of the hose itself, and also the cost reduction can be facilitated.

<12>

In the dry cleaning apparatus of the structure of the above <11>, preferably,

the hose is a corrugated pipe.

<13>

the return gas injection unit has:

and the movable pipe is fixed in the expansion groove, can be sleeved outside the fixed pipe in a sliding manner along the relative movement direction, and has an inner space communicated with the opening and the bidirectional gas injection pipe.

<14>

the backflow gas injection unit is controlled to: when the object to be cleaned reaches a relative position facing the nozzle or a position downstream of the relative position in the direction of the relative movement, gas is ejected from the bidirectional gas ejection pipe.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing a cleaning tank and a volume expansion tank of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a storage tank of a dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the return gas injection unit of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which the expansion tank is partially shown in a bottom view.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the expansion and contraction state of the hose (bellows) in the configuration example of embodiment 1 of the present invention, (a) shows a state in which the expansion tank is located directly above the cleaning tank, (b) shows a state in which the expansion tank is farthest from the air source and the hose (bellows) is expanded longest, and (c) shows a state in which the expansion tank is closest to the air source and the hose (bellows) is contracted shortest.

Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the returned gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a state in which the returned gas is injected by the first gas injection pipe.

Fig. 6B is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a state where the return gas is injected by the second gas injection pipe.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention in the whole cleaning process from the start of cleaning to the progress of cleaning and to the end of cleaning.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing a return gas injection unit of the dry cleaning apparatus according to modification 1.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing relative sliding between the fixed pipe and the movable pipe in modification 1, (a) shows a state where the object to be cleaned is positioned in the middle of the cleaning tank opening in the moving direction, (b) shows a state where the end portion on the first communication area side of the object to be cleaned is positioned above the nozzle and the first chamber of the movable pipe communicates with the opening of the fixed pipe, and (c) shows a state where the end portion on the second communication area side of the object to be cleaned is positioned above the nozzle and the second chamber of the movable pipe communicates with the opening of the fixed pipe.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the return gas injection unit of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which the expansion tank is partially shown in a bottom view.

Fig. 12A is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and shows a state where the effective return gas flow is injected by the first injection port.

Fig. 12B is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and shows a state where the effective return gas flow is injected by the second injection port.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a return gas injection unit of the dry cleaning apparatus according to modification 2.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view showing relative sliding between a fixed pipe and a movable pipe in modification 2, where (a) shows a state where an object to be cleaned is positioned right in the middle of a cleaning slot in a moving direction, (b) shows a state where an end portion on the first communicating area side of the object to be cleaned is positioned above a nozzle, and (c) shows a state where an end portion on the second communicating area side of the object to be cleaned is positioned above the nozzle.

Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of a conventional dry cleaning apparatus.

Description of the reference numerals

1. Cleaning tank

11. Outer casing

12. Internal groove

2. Capacity expansion groove

21. Peripheral wall

22. Top wall

C1 First communicating zone (communicating zone)

C2 Second communicating region (communicating region)

Z holding zone

3. Drive unit

4. Cleaning gas supply unit

41. Nozzle for spraying liquid

42. Cleaning gas supply pipe

43. Valve with a valve body

5. Gas compressor (gas source)

6. Dirt recovery unit

61. Gas suction pipe

62. Dust collector

7. Return gas injection unit

710. First gas injection pipe

7101. Pipe body

7102. Jet orifice

711. First flexible pipe

712. First valve

720. Second gas injection pipe

7201. Pipe body

7202. Jet orifice

721. Second flexible pipe

722. Second valve

730. Bidirectional gas injection pipe

7301. Pipe body

7302. First injection port

7303. Second injection port

731. Flexible pipe

732. Valve with a valve body

74. Return gas supply pipe

81. Fixing tube

811. Opening of the container

82. Movable tube

820. Inner space

821. First chamber

822. Second chamber

823. First interface

824. Second interface

825. Interface

9. Control unit

A cleaning Medium

M object to be washed

S sealing member

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

< embodiment 1>

First, embodiment 1 of the present invention will be explained.

1. Structure of the product

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the dry cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning tank 1, an expansion tank 2, a drive unit 3, a cleaning gas supply unit 4, a gas compressor (gas source) 5, a dirt recovery unit 6, a return gas injection unit 7, a detection unit (not shown), and a control unit 9.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a cleaning tank and a volume-expanding tank of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Referring also to fig. 2, the cleaning tank 1 has an outer casing 11 and an inner tank 12. The housing 11 is a gutter-like member, and may be formed into a known horizontal semi-cylindrical shape, horizontal prism shape, or the like. The internal space of the casing 11 communicates with the cleaning gas supply unit 4 and the dirt recovery unit 6. The inner tank 12 is a porous member and is a trough-like member for containing the cleaning medium a therein. As the cleaning medium a, a solid medium having a hard texture and high impact resistance is generally used. For example, a material such as polycarbonate or PET may be processed into a square sheet having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2mm and a side length of 5 to 10mm as the cleaning medium A. Of course, the cleaning medium a is not limited thereto, and various cleaning media known in the art may be used. The inner space of the inner tank 12 constitutes a receiving space for the cleaning medium a. The upper portions of the outer casing 11 and the inner tank 12 are open, and a cleaning notch for opening the accommodation space is formed.

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a housing tank of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 1.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the housing tank 2 is a container-like member that is formed of a peripheral wall 21 and a ceiling wall 22 at the top, and has one end side (lower end side in the present embodiment) open and the other end side (upper end side in the present embodiment) closed. That is, the expansion tank 2 is configured as follows: the peripheral wall 21 and the top wall 22 together define an expansion space, an opening on one end side of the peripheral wall 21 forms an expansion slot opening the expansion space, and an opening on the other end side of the peripheral wall 21 is closed by the top wall 22.

Referring to fig. 3, in the expansion groove 2, a holding section Z and communication sections (C1, C2) located outward of the holding section Z are formed in a plan view. As shown in fig. 3, the object M to be cleaned is held in the holding zone Z in the tank 2 and can move integrally with the tank 2. The communicating regions (C1, C2) are vertically penetrating regions, specifically, regions where a plurality of vertically penetrating through holes are formed at intervals to open the space above the object M to be cleaned to the cleaning tank 1 (see fig. 2). In the perspective of fig. 3, the communication zones (C1, C2) include a first communication zone C1 located on the outer right side of the holding zone Z and a second communication zone C2 located on the outer left side of the holding zone Z.

As shown in fig. 2, the expansion tank 2 is covered on the cleaning tank 1 in such a manner that the expansion notch thereof faces the cleaning notch of the cleaning tank 1, so that the expansion space of the expansion tank 2 and the accommodation space of the cleaning tank 1 communicate with each other to define a cleaning space for cleaning the object M to be cleaned together. In order to ensure the sealed state of the cleaning space, a seal member S is preferably interposed between the surfaces of the expansion tank 2 and the cleaning tank 1 that abut against each other, and the seal member S is preferably provided around the entire circumference of the expansion tank opening.

As shown in fig. 2, in the cleaning process, the object M to be cleaned is set in the holding section Z of the accommodating tub 2 in such a manner that the cleaning surface (here, the lower surface) faces the cleaning slot opening of the cleaning tub 1 (see fig. 3). The cleaning surface of the object M to be cleaned is preferably disposed in close proximity to the cleaning slot of the cleaning tank 1. In this way, the cleaning medium a flying in the cleaning tank 1 can effectively collide against the cleaning surface of the object M to be cleaned while moving with the air flow. A gap is left between the top wall 22 of the expansion tank 2 and a surface (referred to as an upper surface) of the object M opposite to the cleaning surface. In this way, in the operation such as the cleaning medium return described later, the compressed gas is further assisted to enter the space above the object M to be cleaned, and a blowing flow for blowing off the cleaning medium a staying on the upper surface of the object M to be cleaned is formed.

The drive unit 3 is configured to drive the accommodation tank 2 to move relative to the cleaning tank 1 along the surface of the cleaning tank 1 so that the entire cleaning surface of the object M to be cleaned passes through the cleaning notch. Referring to fig. 1, the driving unit 3 is capable of reciprocating the accommodating tank 2 in both directions in the left and right direction in the drawing.

As shown in fig. 1, the cleaning gas supply unit 4 has a nozzle 41 provided at the bottom of the cleaning bath 1, a cleaning gas supply pipe 42 connected between the nozzle 41 and the gas compressor 5 (gas source), and a valve 43 that opens and closes the cleaning gas supply pipe 42 under the control of the control unit 9. The cleaning gas supply unit 4 supplies compressed gas into the housing space of the cleaning tank 1 through the nozzle 41 by turning on the valve 43 under the control of the control unit 9 to scatter the cleaning medium a in the housing space of the cleaning tank 1, and the scattered cleaning medium a collides with the object M to be cleaned to remove dirt.

As shown in fig. 1, the gas compressor 5 is connected to the cleaning gas supply pipe 42 of the cleaning gas supply unit 4 to supply the compressed gas for cleaning the object to be cleaned to the nozzle 41, and supplies the compressed gas for returning the cleaning medium to the first gas injection pipe 710, the second gas injection pipe 720, and the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 via the return gas supply pipe 74 as a gas source of the return gas injection unit 7. The gas compressor 5 is not particularly limited as long as the above-described function can be achieved.

The dirt collection unit 6 has a gas suction pipe 61 having one end communicating with the inside of the housing 11 of the cleaning tank 1 and a dust collector 62 communicating with the other end of the gas suction pipe 61, and collects dirt washed off from the object M to be cleaned by sucking gas from the cleaning tank 1 by the dust collector 62.

The return air injection unit 7 is configured to generate, in the upper space above the object M to be cleaned in the expansion tank 2, an air flow that flows to the communication area C1/C2 while sweeping across the surface of the object M to be cleaned on the side away from the cleaning slot of the cleaning tank 1 (i.e., the side opposite to the cleaning surface), thereby returning the cleaning medium a that has stagnated on the surface to the cleaning tank 1 via the communication area C1/C2.

As shown in fig. 1, 2, 4, and the like, the return gas injection unit 7 includes a first gas path including a first gas injection pipe 710, a first hose 711, and a first valve 712, and a second gas path including a second gas injection pipe 720, a second hose 721, and a second valve 722.

The first gas path is used to generate a gas flow toward the first communication area C1 (see fig. 6A).

For this purpose, as shown in fig. 2, the first gas ejection tube 710 is located on the opposite side of the first communicating area C1 (see fig. 3) across the holding area Z (see fig. 3) in the direction of relative movement of the flash tank 2 with respect to the cleaning tank 1 in the upper space above the objects M to be cleaned in the flash tank 2, and its ejection port 7102 (see fig. 4) faces the first communicating area C1 side. Further, the first gas injection pipe 710 is provided above the object M to be cleaned in the upper space in the expansion tank 2, and the injection port 7102 injects the gas toward the object M to be cleaned in a diagonally downward direction.

As shown in fig. 4, the first gas injection pipe 710 is formed by opening a plurality of injection ports 7102 at intervals in the extending direction of the pipe body 7101 in a pipe body 7101 having an inlet port connected to the first hose 711 formed at one end and the other end closed and extending in a direction intersecting (preferably substantially orthogonal to) the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. In order to supply the backflow gas over the entire surface, the first gas injection pipe 710 is preferably provided across the entire width of the holding area Z in a direction intersecting the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. In order to efficiently form the air flow for the return flow, the plurality of injection ports 7102 are preferably oriented in an obliquely downward direction toward the object M to be cleaned.

As shown in fig. 1 and 4, a first hose 711 is connected between the return gas supply pipe 74 and the first gas injection pipe 710, and supplies the first gas injection pipe 710 with the compressed gas supplied from the gas compressor 5 (gas source) through the return gas supply pipe 74.

Generally, the gas compressor 5 is fixed in position, i.e. fixed with respect to the washing tank 1, while the expansion tank 2 is mobile with respect to the washing tank 1, as described above. That is, the expansion tank 2 is movable with respect to the gas compressor 5. In this regard, reference is made to fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the expansion and contraction state of the hoses (first hose 711/second hose 721) according to the configuration example of embodiment 1 of the present invention. In fig. 5 (a), the expansion tank 2 is located directly above the cleaning tank 1. In fig. 5 (b), the expansion tank 2 is moved to the limit position in the direction away from the gas compressor (not shown), and the hoses (the first hose 711/the second hose 721) are elongated to the longest. In fig. 5 c, the expansion tank 2 is moved to the limit position in the direction of approaching the gas compressor (not shown), and the hoses (the first hose 711/the second hose 721) are contracted to the shortest.

In order to allow such relative movement between the expansion tank 2 and the gas compressor 5, it is necessary to cause the piping connecting the return gas supply pipe 74 and the first gas injection pipe 710 to be deformed so as to be restorable between the maximally expanded state and the maximally contracted state shown in fig. 5 described above.

In the present configuration example, by using the hose (the first hose 711) as the conduit, such deformation is easily secured at low cost by the flexibility of the hose itself,

in addition, from the viewpoint of extending the life of the pipeline and ensuring the reliability of the entire apparatus, the first hose 711 is preferably a corrugated hose, that is, a corrugated tube. Compared with hoses of other structures, the bellows is less prone to fatigue due to repeated bending, and therefore breakage can be reduced.

As shown in fig. 1 and 4, the first valve 712 is an on-off valve provided between the first hose 711 and the return gas supply pipe 74 and controlled by the control unit 9, and allows the compressed gas passing through the return gas supply pipe 74 to enter the first hose 711 by being connected under the control of the control unit 9, and prohibits the compressed gas from entering the first hose 711 by being disconnected under the control of the control unit 9.

The second gas path is used to generate a gas flow toward the second communication area C2 (see fig. 6B).

For this purpose, as shown in fig. 2, the second gas injection pipe 720 is located on the opposite side of the second communication area C2 (see fig. 3) across the holding area Z (see fig. 3) in the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1 in the upper space above the object M to be cleaned in the expansion tank 2, and the injection port 7202 (see fig. 4) thereof faces the second communication area C2 side. Further, the second gas injection pipe 720 is provided above the object M to be cleaned in the upper space in the expansion tank 2, and the injection port 7202 injects the gas toward the object M to be cleaned in a diagonally downward direction.

As shown in fig. 4, the second gas injection pipe 720 is formed by opening a plurality of injection ports 7202 at intervals in the extending direction of the pipe body 7201, in the pipe body 7201 having an inlet port connected to the second hose 721 formed at one end and the other end closed, and extending in the direction intersecting (preferably substantially orthogonal to) the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. In order to supply the entire return gas, the second gas injection pipe 720 is preferably provided across the entire width of the holding zone Z in a direction intersecting the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. In order to efficiently form the air current for recirculation, the plurality of injection ports 7202 are preferably oriented in an obliquely downward direction with respect to the object M to be cleaned.

As shown in fig. 1 and 4, a second hose 721 is connected between the return gas supply pipe 74 and the second gas injection pipe 720, and supplies the second gas injection pipe 720 with the compressed gas supplied from the gas compressor 5 (gas source) through the return gas supply pipe 74. As the second hose 721, a hose is used from the same viewpoint as the first hose 711, and a bellows is preferably used.

As shown in fig. 1 and 4, the second valve 722 is a shutoff valve provided between the second hose 721 and the return gas supply pipe 74 and controlled by the control unit 9, and allows the compressed gas via the return gas supply pipe 74 to enter the second hose 721 by being communicated under the control of the control unit 9, and prohibits the compressed gas from entering the second hose 721 by being shut off under the control of the control unit 9.

Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a state where the return gas is injected by the first gas injection pipe. Fig. 6B is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a state where the return gas is injected by the second gas injection pipe.

The first gas path and the second gas path alternately inject gas under the control of the control unit 9 as described later, thereby surely returning the cleaning medium a.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 6A, when it is determined that the end portion of the object M on the first communication area C1 side has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41 (that is, is located at the relative position) or when it is determined that the end portion of the object M on the first communication area C1 side has continued to move in the current direction for a predetermined time period (that is, is located at the downstream side position) after reaching the upper side of the nozzle 41, the control unit 9 instructs the first valve 712 and the second valve 722 to turn on the first valve 712 and turn off the second valve 722, and injects the flow of the reflux gas toward the first communication area C1 side through the first gas path.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 6B, when it is determined that the end portion of the object M to be cleaned on the second communicating area C2 side has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41 (i.e., is located at the relative position) or when it is determined that the end portion of the object M to be cleaned on the second communicating area C2 side has continued to move in the current direction for a predetermined time period (i.e., is located at the downstream side position) after reaching the upper side of the nozzle 41, the control unit 9 issues a command to turn off the first valve 712 and turn on the second valve 722 to the first valve 712 and the second valve 722, and injects the reflux gas flow toward the second communicating area C2 side through the second gas path.

The detection unit detects whether or not the end of the object M to be cleaned in the moving direction has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41, and sends a detection signal to the control unit 9. The detection means may have various structures capable of realizing the above-described detection function, and is not particularly limited.

The control unit 9 is constituted by a microcomputer, receives a command input by an operator from an operation panel not shown and a detection signal from the detection unit not shown, and runs an internal program based on the received information to control the operations of the drive unit 3, the cleaning gas supply unit 4, the gas compressor 5, the dirt collection unit 6, and the return gas injection unit 7.

Specifically, the internal programs of the control unit 9 mainly include a normal cleaning control program, a cleaning during backflow control program, and a cleaning after backflow control program.

The general cleaning control procedure is: upon receiving the start command, the control unit 9 causes the nozzle 41 to supply the compressed gas into the cleaning tank 1, thereby cleaning the object M.

The reflux control program in the cleaning process comprises the following steps: when it is determined that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41 (that is, when it is located at the relative position) or when it is determined that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has moved from the position above the nozzle 41 for a predetermined time (that is, when it is located at the downstream position) based on the detection signal from the detection means, the control means 9 controls the drive means 3 to perform a predetermined operation of the volume-expanding tank 2, then injects the compressed gas through the first gas injection tube 710 or the second gas injection tube 720 of the return gas injection means 7 to form a return flow in which the cleaning medium a staying on the upper surface of the object M is blown into the first communicating area C1 or the second communicating area C2 in the space above the object M, and then controls the drive means 3 to move the volume-expanding tank 2 in the direction opposite to the current direction (see fig. 6A to 6B).

The during-cleaning reflow control program executes two control actions, i.e., an during-cleaning reflow action i and an during-cleaning reflow action ii. The during-cleaning return operation i is a control operation in which the control unit 9 turns on only the first valve 712 to inject the return air flow toward the first communication area C1 through the first air path when it is determined that the end portion of the object M to be cleaned on the first communication area C1 side has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41 (i.e., is located at the relative position) or when it is determined that the end portion of the object M to be cleaned on the first communication area C1 side has continued to move in the current direction for a predetermined time period (i.e., when it is located at the downstream position) after reaching the upper side of the nozzle 41 (see fig. 6A). The during-cleaning backflow operation ii is a control operation in which the control unit 9 turns on only the second valve 722 and injects the backflow gas flow toward the second communication area C2 side through the second gas path when it is determined that the end portion on the second communication area C2 side of the object M to be cleaned has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41 (i.e., is located at the relative position) or when it is determined that the end portion on the second communication area C2 side of the object M to be cleaned has continued to move in the current direction for a predetermined time (i.e., when it is located at the downstream position) after reaching the upper side of the nozzle 41 based on the detection signal from the detection unit (see fig. 6B).

The predetermined operation performed by the expansion tank 2 may be to stop the expansion tank 2 immediately, or may be to stop the expansion tank 2 after decelerating in the current moving direction.

The reflux control program at the end of cleaning is as follows: when a predetermined cleaning time or number of times has elapsed since the start of cleaning, or when a cleaning end command is received (when a predetermined cleaning end condition is satisfied), the control means 9 controls the return gas injection means 7 to form a return gas flow using the first gas injection tube 710 or the second gas injection tube 720 after controlling the drive means 3 to perform a predetermined operation on the expansion tank 2 (see "cleaning end return operation i" in fig. 7), and then controls the drive means 3 to reciprocate the expansion tank 2 in the moving direction more than once (see "cleaning end return operation ii" in fig. 7) when it is determined that the downstream side end portion in the moving direction of the object M has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41 (i.e., when it is at a relative position) or when it is determined that the downstream side end portion in the moving direction of the object M has moved from the upper side of the nozzle 41 (i.e., when it is at a downstream side position), based on the detection signal from the detection means, thereby causing the cleaning medium a return flow in the space above the object M to return to the entire cleaning tank 1.

In this control, the predetermined operation performed by the expansion tank 2 may be to stop the expansion tank 2 immediately, or may be to stop the expansion tank 2 after decelerating and moving forward in the current moving direction.

By the above-described internal programs, the control unit 9 moves the volume expansion tank 2 back and forth in the moving direction so that each portion on the cleaning surface of the object M to be cleaned passes above the nozzle 41, and performs the cleaning operation by controlling the cleaning gas supply unit 4; the control unit 9 controls the return gas injection unit 7 to perform the return operation under the trigger condition that the detection unit detects that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41.

2. Movement of

Next, the cleaning operation of the dry cleaning apparatus will be described by taking the operation shown in fig. 7 as an example. Note that, the gas is injected from the first gas injection pipe 710 or the second gas injection pipe 720 below using the time when the object M to be cleaned reaches the relative position facing the nozzle 41 as a starting point, but the gas may be injected from a position where the object M to be cleaned reaches the downstream side in the moving direction from the relative position as a starting point.

Upon receiving the washing start command, the control unit 9 controls the driving unit 3 to move the storage tank 2 from the initial position in the moving direction toward the nozzle 41, and monitors the output signal of the detection unit. When it is determined from the output signal of the detection means that the end of the object M has reached the position above the nozzle 41, the operation of the cleaning gas supply means 4 is controlled in accordance with the normal cleaning control program to perform normal cleaning of the object M for the purpose of removing dirt, when it is determined that the end of the object M on the upstream side in the transport direction has reached the cleaning start position.

Next, when it is determined again from the output signal of the detection means that the end of the object M to be cleaned has reached the position above the nozzle 41, the control means 9 determines that the downstream end of the object M to be cleaned in the transport direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41. At this time, the normal cleaning control program is switched to the during-cleaning backflow control program, and the during-cleaning backflow operation i is performed to return the cleaning medium a on the object M to be cleaned to the cleaning tank 1 through the first communication area C1 by the first gas injection pipe 710 (see fig. 6A).

And then, the control program is switched back to the normal cleaning control program to carry out normal cleaning.

Next, when it is determined again from the output signal of the detection means that the end of the object M to be cleaned has reached the position above the nozzle 41, the control means 9 determines that the downstream end of the object M to be cleaned in the transport direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41. At this time, the normal cleaning control program is switched to the during-cleaning backflow control program to perform the during-cleaning backflow operation ii, and the cleaning medium a on the object M to be cleaned is returned to the cleaning tank 1 through the second communication area C2 by the second gas injection pipe 720 (see fig. 6B).

Next, the process of "the normal washing control program → the during-washing reflow action i of the during-washing reflow control program → the normal washing control program → the during-washing reflow action ii of the during-washing reflow control program → the normal washing control program" is repeatedly executed as described above.

Finally, when a predetermined cleaning end condition is satisfied (for example, a predetermined cleaning time or cleaning frequency has elapsed since cleaning was started, or a cleaning end command has been received), the control unit 9 switches to a cleaning end-time backflow control program: first, when it is determined from the output signal of the detection means that the end of the object M to be cleaned has reached the upper side of the nozzle 41, the cleaning end-time return operation i is performed, and the cleaning medium a on the object M to be cleaned is returned to the cleaning tank 1 through the first communicating area C1 or the second communicating area C2 by the first gas injection pipe 710 or the second gas injection pipe 720 as appropriate; then, the drive unit 3 is controlled to reciprocate the storage tank 2 at least once in the moving direction starting from the current position (the position where the downstream end of the object M to be cleaned is located near the upper side of the nozzle 41 in the moving direction); finally, the expansion tank 2 is moved to the initial position, and the whole cleaning action is completed. In this process, the cleaning medium a staying in each communicating zone falls back into the cleaning tank 1 with reciprocating movement.

3. Effect

According to the present embodiment, by providing the storage tank 2, the storage tank 2 and the cleaning tank 1 can define a cleaning space for cleaning the object M to be cleaned. On the other hand, the surface of the expansion tank 2 that contacts the cleaning tank 1 is more easily designed into a shape that matches the shape of the cleaning tank 1 than the object M to be cleaned, and the expansion tank 2 does not need to have to be provided with a through hole that penetrates the front and back surfaces, unlike the object M to be cleaned, and therefore, the closed state of the cleaning space is more easily achieved by the cooperation of the expansion tank 2 and the cleaning tank 1, and it is not necessary to seek close contact between the object M to be cleaned and the cleaning tank 1. Therefore, the work of attaching the object M to be cleaned is simplified, and a good sealed state can be easily achieved.

Further, by providing the return air injection means 7, the cleaning medium a staying on the upper surface of the object M to be cleaned or the like can be blown into the communicating areas C1/C2 by the air flow injected by the return air injection means, and the cleaning medium a can be returned to the cleaning tank 1 in time. Thus, an effective impingement rate of the cleaning medium can be ensured.

Therefore, according to the embodiment, the dry cleaning apparatus can be provided which can simplify the work of attaching the object to be cleaned and can secure an effective collision rate of the cleaning medium.

< modification 1>

Next, modification 1 of embodiment 1 will be described.

In embodiment 1, the first gas injection pipe 710 and the second gas injection pipe 720 are connected to the return gas supply pipe 74 by the first hose 711 and the second hose 721. This modification 1 is different from embodiment 1 mainly in that the first tube 711 and the second tube 721 are not used, and the other configurations are the same as embodiment 1, and therefore, the following description mainly explains the differences.

As shown in fig. 8, the return gas injection unit 7 has a fixed pipe 81 and a movable pipe 82.

The fixing pipe 81 is a tubular member extending in the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. The fixed pipe 81 has one end closed and the other end communicating with the return gas supply pipe 74 via a valve, not shown, which is opened and closed under the control of the control unit 9, and has an opening 811 in a pipe wall between the two ends to open a pipe inner space. The fixed pipe 81 is fixed to the cleaning tank 1.

The movable pipe 82 is fixed to the expansion tank 2, and is fitted over the fixed pipe 81 so as to be slidable in the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1.

As shown by wide black solid lines in fig. 8, seals are provided between the fixed pipe 81 and three locations, namely, the two ends of the movable pipe 82 and the middle portion between the two ends, respectively, the right-end seal and the middle seal partition a first chamber 821, which is air-tightly partitioned from the outside of the movable pipe 82, between the inner circumferential wall of the movable pipe 82 and the outer circumferential wall of the fixed pipe 81, and the left-end seal and the middle seal partition a second chamber 822, which is air-tightly partitioned from the outside of the movable pipe 82 and the first chamber 821, between the inner circumferential wall of the movable pipe 82 and the outer circumferential wall of the fixed pipe 81. Each of which allows relative sliding movement of the movable tube 82 and the fixed tube 81.

The movable tube 82 has a first port 823 and a second port 824 which open the inner space thereof to the outside. The first port 823 communicates with the first chamber 821 and with the first gas injection tube 710 via a pipe member, that is, the first port 823 communicates the first chamber 821 with the first gas injection tube 710. The second port 824 communicates with the second chamber 822 and with the second gas injection tube 720 via a pipe member, that is, the second port 824 communicates the second chamber 822 with the second gas injection tube 720.

The movable tube 82 is configured to be able to switch between a state in which the first chamber 821 communicates with the opening 811 of the fixed tube 81 (see (b) of fig. 9) and a state in which the second chamber 822 communicates with the opening 811 of the fixed tube 81 (see (c) of fig. 9) by sliding relative to the fixed tube 81.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing relative sliding movement between a fixed pipe and a movable pipe in modification 1.

Fig. 9 (a) shows a state where the object M to be cleaned is located at the center of the cleaning tank opening of the cleaning tank 1 in the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. As to the relative position between the diffusion tank 2 and the washing tank 1 in this state, refer to FIG. 2.

Fig. 9 (b) shows a state in which the end of the object M on the first communication area C1 side is positioned above the nozzle 41 and the first chamber 821 of the movable pipe 82 communicates with the opening 811 of the fixed pipe 81. At this time, by opening the valve between the fixed pipe 81 and the return gas supply pipe 74, the compressed gas from the gas compressor 5 can be introduced into the first gas injection pipe 710 through the return gas supply pipe 74, the valve, the fixed pipe 81, and the first chamber 821 of the movable pipe 82 in this order, and the return gas flow can be formed. As to the relative position between the diffusion tank 2 and the washing tank 1 in this state, see FIG. 6A.

Fig. 9 (C) shows a state in which the end of the object M on the second communication area C2 side is positioned above the nozzle 41 and the second chamber 822 of the movable tube 82 communicates with the opening 811 of the fixed tube 81. At this time, by opening the valve between the fixed pipe 81 and the return gas supply pipe 74, the compressed gas from the gas compressor 5 can be introduced into the second gas injection pipe 720 through the return gas supply pipe 74, the valve, the fixed pipe 81, and the second chamber 822 of the movable pipe 82 in this order, and the return gas flow can be formed. As to the relative position between the diffusion tank 2 and the washing tank 1 in this state, see FIG. 6B.

Note that, since the present modification 1 has only one valve, when controlling the on/off of the compressed gas, it is only necessary to control the on/off of the one valve by the control unit 9, and it is not necessary to control two valves (the first valve 712 and the second valve 722) as in embodiment 1.

As described above, the return air flow substantially similar to that in embodiment 1 can be formed by the return air injecting means 7 in modification 1. Furthermore, although hoses, particularly corrugated pipes, have certain advantages in terms of cost, they are susceptible to fatigue failure due to repeated shrinkage in the case of repeated use over a long period of time. According to modification 1, since the fixed pipe 81 and the movable pipe 82 are used, the fatigue damage caused by repeated bending can be eliminated, the service life of the return gas injection unit can be extended, and the reliability of the entire dry cleaning apparatus can be improved.

< embodiment 2>

Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be explained below.

In embodiment 1, two gas injection pipes, i.e., the first gas injection pipe 710 and the second gas injection pipe 720, are provided, and accordingly, two hoses, i.e., the first hose 711 and the second hose 721, are provided. Such a construction is very effective in efficiently returning the cleaning medium, but requires a space large enough to ensure that the two hoses can expand and contract with the movement of the expansion tank 2, and in some cases, such as in a narrow workshop, it is difficult to ensure such a relatively large space.

The present embodiment 2 is made in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a dry cleaning apparatus that can save installation space in order to cope with a situation where a large installation space cannot be secured.

As shown in fig. 10, the dry cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning tank 1, an expansion tank 2, a drive unit 3, a cleaning gas supply unit 4, a gas compressor (gas source) 5, a dirt collection unit 6, a return gas injection unit 7, a detection unit (not shown), and a control unit 9.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the return gas injection unit of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which the expansion tank is shown in a bottom view.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the return gas injection unit 7 of the dry cleaning apparatus according to embodiment 2 includes a bidirectional gas injection pipe 730, a hose 731, and a valve 732.

The bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 is provided in a substantially central region above the holding zone Z of the expansion tank 2 in the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1.

The bidirectional gas injection tube 730 includes a tube main body 7301 having an introduction port connected to the hose 731 formed at one end and a closed end and extending in a direction intersecting (preferably substantially orthogonal to) a direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1, and two injection port rows are formed in the tube main body 7301 along an extending direction of the tube main body 7301: one ejection port row includes a plurality of first ejection ports 7302 opened at intervals in the extending direction of the tube body 7301 toward the first communicating area C1 side of the expansion groove 1; the other injection port row includes a plurality of second injection ports 7303 opened at intervals in the extending direction of the tube main body 7301 and directed toward the second communication area C2 side of the expansion groove 1.

In order to supply the backflow gas over the entire surface, the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 is preferably provided across the entire width of the holding area Z in a direction intersecting the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. In order to efficiently form the air flow for recirculation, it is preferable that the plurality of first injection ports 7302 and the plurality of second injection ports 7303 are respectively oriented in an obliquely downward direction with respect to the object M to be cleaned.

Fig. 12A is a schematic diagram showing an operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and shows a state where the effective return gas flow is injected by the first injection port. Fig. 12B is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the return gas injection unit for returning the cleaning medium according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and shows a state where the effective return gas flow is injected by the second injection port.

As shown in fig. 12A, when the end portion of the object M to be cleaned on the side of the first communicating area C1 reaches above the nozzle 41, the compressed gas is ejected from the first ejection port 7302 and the second ejection port 7303 of the bidirectional gas ejection pipe 730 at the same time, but only the compressed gas ejected from the first ejection port 7302 forms an effective return gas flow for sweeping the cleaning medium a substantially half of the surface of the object M to be cleaned into the cleaning tank 1. The compressed gas ejected from the second ejection port 7303 sweeps the cleaning medium a into the second communicating area C2, and when the expansion tank 2 moves in the reverse direction to overlap the second communicating area C2 with the cleaning notch of the cleaning tank 1, the cleaning medium a previously swept into the second communicating area C2 falls back into the cleaning tank 1.

As shown in fig. 12B, when the end portion of the object M on the second communicating area C2 side reaches above the nozzle 41, the compressed gas is ejected from the first ejection port 7302 and the second ejection port 7303 of the bidirectional gas ejection pipe 730 at the same time, but only the compressed gas ejected from the second ejection port 7303 forms an effective return gas flow for sweeping the cleaning medium a substantially half of the surface of the object M into the cleaning tank 1. The compressed gas ejected from the first ejection port 7302 sweeps the cleaning medium a into the first communication area C1, and when the expansion tank 2 moves in the reverse direction to overlap the first communication area C1 with the cleaning notch of the cleaning tank 1, the cleaning medium a previously swept into the first communication area C1 falls back into the cleaning tank 1.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, a hose 731 is connected between the return gas supply pipe 74 and the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730, and supplies the compressed gas supplied from the gas compressor 5 (gas source) through the return gas supply pipe 74 to the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730. As the hose 731, a hose is used in the same manner as in embodiment 1, and a bellows is preferably used.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the valve 732 is a shutoff valve provided between the hose 731 and the return gas supply pipe 74 and controlled by the control unit 9, and allows the compressed gas passing through the return gas supply pipe 74 to enter the hose 731 by being connected under the control of the control unit 9, and prohibits the compressed gas from entering the hose 731 by being disconnected under the control of the control unit 9.

The reflux control program in the cleaning process is as follows: when it is determined that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41 (i.e., is located at the relative position) or when it is determined that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has moved from the position above the nozzle 41 for a predetermined time (i.e., is located at the downstream position) based on the detection signal from the detection means, the control means 9 controls the drive means 3 to perform a predetermined operation of the volume-increasing tank 2, then injects the compressed gas through the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 to form a return flow in which the cleaning medium a staying on the upper surface of the object M is blown into the first communicating area C1 and the second communicating area C2 in the space above the object M, and then controls the drive means 3 to move the volume-increasing tank 2 in the direction opposite to the current direction.

The predetermined operation performed by the expansion tank 2 may be to stop the expansion tank 2 immediately, or may be to stop the expansion tank 2 after decelerating and moving forward in the current moving direction.

The reflux control program at the end of cleaning is as follows: when a predetermined cleaning time or number of times has elapsed since the start of cleaning, or when a cleaning end command is received (when a predetermined cleaning end condition is satisfied), the control unit 9 determines that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41 (that is, when the downstream end is at the relative position) or determines that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has moved for a predetermined time (that is, when the downstream end is at the downstream position) from the position above the nozzle 41 based on the detection signal from the detection unit, controls the drive unit 3 to cause the expansion tank 2 to perform a predetermined operation, then causes the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 to inject gas to form a return gas flow, and then controls the drive unit 3 to cause the expansion tank 2 to reciprocate one or more times in the moving direction, thereby returning all of the cleaning medium a in the space above the object M to the cleaning tank 1.

By the above-described internal programs, the control unit 9 moves the volume-increasing tank 2 back and forth in the moving direction so that each portion on the cleaning surface of the object M to be cleaned passes above the nozzle 41, and controls the cleaning gas supply unit 4 to perform the cleaning operation; the control unit 9 controls the return gas injection unit 7 to perform the return operation under the trigger condition that the detection unit detects that the downstream end of the object M in the moving direction has reached the position above the nozzle 41.

The other configurations of embodiment 2 are the same as embodiment 1, and therefore the description thereof is omitted.

According to embodiment 2, since the number of hoses is reduced by providing only one bidirectional gas injection pipe, it is advantageous in the case where a relatively large installation space cannot be secured.

< modification 2>

Next, modification 2 of embodiment 2 will be described.

In embodiment 2, the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 is connected to the return gas supply pipe 74 by the hose 731. Since modification 1 is different from embodiment 2 mainly in that the hose 731 is not used, and the other structure is the same as embodiment 2, the following description mainly differs.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing a return gas injection unit of the dry cleaning apparatus according to modification 2.

As shown in fig. 13, the return gas injection unit 7 has a fixed pipe 81 and a movable pipe 82.

The fixing pipe 81 is a tubular member extending in a direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. The fixed pipe 81 has one end closed and the other end communicating with the return gas supply pipe 74 via a valve, not shown, which is opened and closed under the control of the control unit 9, and has an opening 811 in a pipe wall between the both ends to open a pipe inner space. The fixed pipe 81 is fixed to the cleaning tank 1.

As shown by wide black solid lines in fig. 13, seals are provided between both ends of the movable tube 82 and the fixed tube 81, respectively, and the internal space 820 of the movable tube 82 is air-tightly separated from the outside of the movable tube 82 by the seals at both ends. The movable tube 82 has an interface 825 opening its internal space 820 to the outside. The interface 825 communicates with the bidirectional gas injection pipe 730 via a pipe member. In addition, each seal at both ends allows relative sliding between the movable tube 82 and the fixed tube 81.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing relative sliding movement between a fixed pipe and a movable pipe in modification 2.

Fig. 14 (a) shows a state in which the object M to be cleaned is positioned in the middle of the cleaning tank opening of the cleaning tank 1 in the direction in which the expansion tank 2 moves relative to the cleaning tank 1. As to the relative position between the diffusion tank 2 and the washing tank 1 in this state, refer to FIG. 2.

Fig. 14 (b) shows a state where the end of the object M on the first communication area C1 side is positioned above the nozzle 41. At this time, the internal space 820 of the movable tube 82 communicates with the opening 811 of the fixed tube 81, and by opening the valve between the fixed tube 81 and the return gas supply tube 74, the compressed gas from the gas compressor 5 can be introduced into the bidirectional gas injection tube 730 through the return gas supply tube 74, the valve, the fixed tube 81, and the movable tube 82 in this order, and the return gas flow can be formed. As to the relative position between the diffusion tank 2 and the washing tank 1 in this state, see FIG. 12A.

Fig. 14 (C) shows a state where the end of the object M on the second communication area C2 side is positioned above the nozzle 41. At this time, the internal space 820 of the movable tube 82 communicates with the opening 811 of the fixed tube 81, and by opening the valve between the fixed tube 81 and the return gas supply tube 74, the compressed gas from the gas compressor 5 can be introduced into the bidirectional gas injection tube 730 through the return gas supply tube 74, the valve, the fixed tube 81, and the movable tube 82 in this order, and the return gas flow can be formed. As for the relative position between the diffusion tank 2 and the cleaning tank 1 in this state, see FIG. 12B.

As described above, the return air flow substantially similar to that of embodiment 2 can be formed by the return air injecting means 7 of modification example 2. Furthermore, although hoses, particularly corrugated pipes, have certain advantages in terms of cost, they are susceptible to fatigue failure due to repeated shrinkage in the case of repeated use over a long period of time. According to modification 2, since the fixed pipe 81 and the movable pipe 82 are used, the fatigue damage caused by repeated bending can be eliminated, the service life of the return gas injection unit can be extended, and the reliability of the dry cleaning apparatus as a whole can be improved.

While the embodiment and the modification of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment and the modification. The addition, omission, replacement, and other changes to the components of the embodiment and the modification can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the technical solution of the addition, omission, replacement, and other changes to the components of the embodiment and the modification is included in the present invention without departing from the technical idea of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dry cleaning apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a cleaning tank containing a cleaning medium and having a cleaning notch;

a cleaning gas supply unit for supplying gas into the cleaning tank to scatter the cleaning medium and make the scattered cleaning medium collide with the object to be cleaned to remove dirt;

a return gas injection unit configured to generate a gas flow in the upper space, the gas flow being directed to the communication area while sweeping a surface of the object to be cleaned on a side away from the cleaning slot;

the return gas injection unit has:

2. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

3. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the first gas injection lines and/or the second gas injection lines are arranged across the entire width of the holding section in a direction intersecting the direction of the relative movement,

4. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,

the return gas injection unit has:

a first hose connecting the first gas injection tube with a gas source;

a second hose connecting the second gas injection tube with a gas source.

5. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

the first hose and/or the second hose is a bellows.

6. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,

the return gas injection unit has:

a movable tube fixed to the expansion groove, slidably fitted outside the fixed tube in the direction of the relative movement, and having a first chamber communicating with the first gas injection tube and a second chamber communicating with the second gas injection tube, which are spaced apart from each other, in the direction of the relative movement;

7. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,

the return gas injection unit is controlled to: when the object to be cleaned reaches a relative position facing the nozzle or a downstream position on a downstream side in the direction of the relative movement from the relative position, gas is ejected from one of the first gas ejection tube and the second gas ejection tube that is farther from the relative position or the downstream position.

8. A dry cleaning device is characterized by comprising:

a cleaning tank containing a cleaning medium and having a cleaning notch;

a return gas injection unit configured to generate a gas flow in the upper space, the gas flow being configured to flow toward the communication area while sweeping a surface of the object to be cleaned on a side away from the cleaning notch;

the backflow gas injection unit has a bidirectional gas injection pipe,

the bidirectional gas injection pipe is located in a substantially central region above the holding area in the direction of the relative movement, and has a first injection port facing the first communication area side and a second injection port facing the second communication area side in the direction of the relative movement.

9. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8,

10. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9,

the return gas injection unit has a hose connecting the bidirectional gas injection pipe with a gas source.

11. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 10,

the hose is a corrugated pipe.

12. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9,

the return gas injection unit has:

and a movable pipe fixed to the expansion groove, slidably fitted around the fixed pipe in the direction of the relative movement, and having an inner space communicated with the opening and the bidirectional gas injection pipe.

13. Dry cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9,