JP2009131783A - Vapor cleaning/drying device, and vapor cleaning/drying method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize vapor cleaning where, even in a water-containing detergent having a high boiling point and high latent heat of evaporation, resticking does not occur, drying efficiency after cleaning is high, cleaning and drying time can be reduced, and, even in the object to be cleaned with a complicated shape, drying can be performed without making dry marks. <P>SOLUTION: A vapor cleaning/drying device comprises: a device body 2 including a vapor cleaning tank 6 for vapor-cleaning the object to be cleaned, a detergent 16 stored at the lower part in the vapor cleaning tank 6, a drying tank 5 communicated with the vapor cleaning tank 6, a shielding cover 13 making the space between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 shieldable or releasable, and a carrier capable of mounting the object to be cleaned, and further movable between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5; a pressure regulating means 3 connected to the device body 2 and increasing/decreasing the pressure at the inside of the device body 2; a liquid exhaust valve 17 for exhausting a detergent or the like stuck to the object to be cleaned; and a heating system 19 for heating the detergent 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is used for precision cleaning that requires a higher degree of cleaning than general cleaning, such as cleaning of precision parts, general mechanical parts, electronic parts such as semiconductors, and optical parts such as substrates and lenses thereof. The present invention relates to a vapor cleaning / drying apparatus and a vapor cleaning / drying method using the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus. More specifically, even when using a cleaning agent having a high boiling point and low volatility such as water, rapid drying after cleaning is possible. The present invention relates to a vapor cleaning and drying apparatus and a vapor cleaning and drying method using the same.

  Conventionally, in precision cleaning that requires a higher degree of cleaning than general cleaning, such as cleaning of precision parts, general mechanical parts, electronic parts such as semiconductors, optical parts such as substrates, lenses, etc., after cleaning Vapor cleaning using a cleaning agent is a known technique.

  In such a vapor cleaning, since the rinse effect of washing away the dissolved matter contained in the cleaning agent and the contaminants reattached to the object to be cleaned by this vapor cleaning after immersion cleaning is increased, fluorine-based, chlorine-based or alternative It is effective to use a detergent having a low boiling point (highly volatile) typified by Freon.

  However, such chlorine-based and fluorine-based cleaning agents, which are made of alternative chlorofluorocarbons, are subject to reduction due to the reduction of environmental burden, so from these low boiling point cleaning agents, vapor cleaning, The latent heat of vaporization including water is large, and it is shifting to a detergent having a high boiling point.

  On the other hand, detergents with high latent heat of vaporization and high boiling point such as water have high latent heat of vaporization and the boiling point is high and the drying property is poor. Therefore, the vapor cleaning method using these is an effective means. It is not. This is the main reason for limiting vapor cleaning with a high latent heat of vaporization and a high boiling point cleaning agent.

  Furthermore, since hydrocarbon-based and water-based cleaning agents are flammable, heating in the atmosphere above the flash point is limited from the viewpoint of safety.

  For this reason, hot air drying and vacuum drying are mainly used for drying. However, since hot air drying has a low gas thermal conductivity, a large amount of hot air is required, and in addition, a high evaporation latent heat cleaning agent. However, not only does the drying time become long and the drying efficiency is poor, but there is a problem that a part with a complicated shape cannot be directly blown with hot air, resulting in drying spots.

  Also, in the case of vacuum drying, it is difficult to heat the object to be cleaned, and due to the latent heat of evaporation of the cleaning agent itself, the temperature of the object to be cleaned decreases, eventually resulting in poor drying efficiency and a long drying time. When taken out into the atmosphere, the temperature of the object to be cleaned decreases, causing water to aggregate and causing rust after cleaning.

  Therefore, in the present situation, the drying process of the cleaning agent having a high boiling point and a high latent heat of vaporization becomes a bottleneck of the takt time of the entire cleaning apparatus.

  Moreover, as such a drying method using a cleaning agent having a high boiling point and a high latent heat of vaporization, as shown in, for example, JP-A-6-459, the boiling point of the cleaning agent in a pressurized cleaning tank is increased, and the atmospheric pressure is increased. However, it is inevitable to reattach the contamination to the object to be cleaned by immersing it in the cleaning agent, and the cleaning performance is proportional to the contamination degree of the cleaning agent. Even if it is early, it causes dry spots.

Therefore, it is not practically effective cleaning means from the viewpoint of precision cleaning to dry the object to be cleaned simply by immersing it in the cleaning agent. Further, when the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning agent from room temperature, the pressure immersion cleaning is not a practical and effective method because the liquid temperature of the cleaning agent decreases and it takes time to heat.
JP 2006-459 A

  Therefore, the present invention has a high boiling point and high latent heat of evaporation containing water, and does not re-adhere, the drying efficiency after cleaning is very high, and rapid cleaning and drying are possible, thus shortening the cleaning and drying time. In addition to being able to do so, it is an object to provide a method for realizing vapor cleaning, which is a cleaning and drying means capable of drying even an object to be cleaned having a complicated shape without creating a drying stain, in a pressure-inducing and depressurizing mechanism. .

The vapor cleaning and drying apparatus of the present invention is
A vapor cleaning tank capable of storing a cleaning agent therein, a drying tank communicating with the vapor cleaning tank, a blocking lid capable of blocking or opening between the vapor cleaning tank and the drying tank, and an object to be cleaned An apparatus main body comprising a carrier that is mountable and movable between the vapor cleaning tank and the drying tank;
Pressure adjusting means connected to the apparatus main body for supplying or depressurizing the inside of the apparatus main body by supplying gas to the inside of the apparatus main body or exhausting the gas inside the apparatus main body;
A drain valve for draining the cleaning agent attached to the object to be cleaned;
And a heating system for heating the cleaning agent.

Moreover, the vapor cleaning and drying method of the present invention using this vapor cleaning and drying apparatus is:
In the state where the cleaning agent is stored at the bottom of the vapor cleaning tank, the pressure inside the vapor cleaning tank is increased to 0.5 MPa and the cleaning agent is heated to near the boiling point,
After putting an object to be cleaned in the drying tank, the drying tank is sealed,
After the inside of the drying tank is evacuated by the pressure adjusting means, the pressure is increased to the same pressure as in the vapor cleaning tank,
Move the object to be cleaned into the vapor cleaning tank after opening the blocking lid,
The pressure adjusting means depressurizes the inside of the drying tank and the vapor cleaning tank and lowers the boiling point of the cleaning agent to vaporize the cleaning agent and generate steam to vapor-clean the object to be cleaned,
Pressurize the inside of the drying tank and the vapor cleaning tank to the pressure before the pressure reduction by the pressure adjusting means,
Move the object to be cleaned into the drying tank and close the blocking lid,
The inside of the drying tank is returned to normal pressure by the pressure adjusting means,
Furthermore, by depressurizing the inside of the drying tank by the pressure adjusting means, the cleaning agent in the drying tank is evaporated by lowering the boiling point of the cleaning agent to dry the object to be cleaned.
After the drying for a certain period of time, the inside of the drying tank is returned to normal pressure by the pressure adjusting means, and then the object to be cleaned is taken out from the drying tank.

  In the present invention, the cleaning agent is heated to the boiling point or higher under the atmospheric pressure by pressurizing the vapor cleaning bath in which the cleaning agent is stored above the atmospheric pressure. Vapor cleaning with high-boiling detergents such as pure water and hydrocarbon-based detergents, which was not possible under atmospheric pressure, instead of low-boiling chlorine-based organic solvents and alternative chlorofluorocarbons Cleaning became possible.

  Further, even in the case of pressure cleaning, since there is re-attachment due to contamination of the cleaning agent in the immersion cleaning, there is a concern about the degree of cleaning, and the occurrence of dry spots may be a concern. In addition, repeated ultra-precision cleaning is possible.

  Furthermore, in the case of immersion cleaning, the temperature of the cleaning agent decreases due to the entry of the object to be cleaned, and it takes time to increase the temperature again. Does not occur.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, vapor cleaning can be performed by reducing the pressure in the vapor cleaning tank, and a large amount of vapor can be generated when necessary, so that the cleaning time can be shortened.

  Further, in the present invention, the object to be cleaned is cleaned with pressurized vapor. Therefore, the cleaning agent is always at or above the normal pressure boiling point, and therefore the object to be cleaned is returned to normal pressure or when the pressure is reduced. Even if the cleaning agent adhering to has high latent heat of vaporization, it can be evaporated quickly.

  In general, drying under normal pressure takes heat from the object to be cleaned due to latent heat of vaporization and cooling, and if left unattended, moisture condenses in the atmosphere (condensation), leading to rust after cleaning. In the invention, since the object to be cleaned heated to the normal temperature boiling point or higher by the vapor is maintained at the normal temperature or higher, such condensation and moisture aggregation do not occur, and the quality is maintained until the next step.

  The vapor cleaning / drying apparatus of the present invention has an apparatus main body, the apparatus main body includes a vapor cleaning tank for vapor-cleaning an object to be cleaned, a drying tank communicating with the vapor cleaning tank, a vapor cleaning tank, It has a blocking lid for blocking or opening between the drying tanks and a carrier arranged in the vapor cleaning tank, and it is possible to store the cleaning agent in the lower part of the vapor cleaning tank. The object to be cleaned can be vapor cleaned by evaporating.

  The drying tank has a lid, and the inside of the drying tank can be sealed by closing the lid.

  Further, the carrier can place an object to be cleaned, and can move between the vapor cleaning tank and the drying tank.

  Next, pressure adjusting means is connected to the apparatus main body, and the pressure adjusting means supplies the gas into the apparatus main body or exhausts the gas inside the apparatus main body, thereby It is possible to pressurize and depressurize the inside of the main body.

  Further, a drain valve is connected to the apparatus main body, and the drain valve is used for draining a cleaning agent or the like attached to the object to be cleaned after vapor cleaning.

  Further, the apparatus main body is provided with a heating system, and this heating system is used for heating the cleaning agent.

  Here, it is preferable that the drying tank is provided with an auxiliary heating system, whereby it is possible to promote drying of an object to be cleaned in the drying tank. Examples of the auxiliary heating system include a microwave generator, a thermal plasma, and the like. A generator or the like may be used.

Further, the pressure adjusting means includes an increasing / decreasing valve, an exhaust valve, an increasing / decreasing pump connected to the increasing / decreasing valve and the exhaust valve, and connected to the increasing / decreasing pump via an increasing / decreasing adjustment valve. A pressure adjusting tank that stores gas;
A gas supply tank connected to the apparatus main body via a leak valve for supplying gas to the inside of the apparatus main body may be configured, so that the inside of the apparatus main body can be easily pressurized and depressurized. Is possible.

  Next, in the vapor cleaning and drying method of the present invention using the vapor cleaning and drying apparatus configured as described above, first, a cleaning agent is stored at the bottom of the vapor cleaning tank, and the inside of the vapor cleaning tank is set to 0.5 MPa. While pressurizing, the cleaning agent is heated to near the boiling point.

  In this state, the object to be cleaned is placed in the drying tank, the lid of the drying tank is closed, and the inside of the drying tank is sealed.

  Then, the inside of the drying tank is evacuated by the pressure adjusting means, and then the inside of the drying tank is pressurized to the same pressure as that in the vapor cleaning tank.

  In this state, after opening the blocking lid and allowing the drying tank and the vapor cleaning tank to communicate with each other, the object to be cleaned is moved into the vapor cleaning tank.

  Next, the pressure adjusting means depressurizes the inside of the drying tank and the vapor cleaning tank to lower the boiling point of the cleaning agent, thereby vaporizing the cleaning agent to generate steam, and the steam is used to generate the steam. Vapor-wash the washed product.

  Then, after the vapor cleaning of the object to be cleaned is completed, the pressure adjusting means pressurizes the inside of the drying tank and the vapor cleaning tank to the pressure before the pressure reduction, and then moves the object to be cleaned into the drying tank. At the same time, the blocking lid is closed to block the drying tank and the vapor cleaning tank.

  Next, the inside of the drying tank is returned to normal pressure by the pressure adjusting means, and the inside of the drying tank is further reduced by the pressure adjusting means, thereby lowering the boiling point of the cleaning agent, thereby reducing the inside of the drying tank. The cleaning agent is evaporated and the object to be cleaned is dried.

  Then, after performing the drying for a certain period of time, the inside of the drying tank is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure) by the pressure adjusting means, and the object to be cleaned is taken out from the drying tank.

  An embodiment of the vapor cleaning and drying apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vapor cleaning and drying apparatus of the present embodiment, in which 1 is the vapor cleaning of the present embodiment. It is a drying device.

  The vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment has an apparatus body. That is, in the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes an apparatus main body. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body 2 includes a vapor cleaning tank 6 for cleaning an object to be cleaned by vapor, a drying tank 5 communicating with the vapor cleaning tank 6, and a vapor cleaning. A shut-off lid 13 that shuts off or communicates with the tank 6 and the drying tank 5 is provided.

  Here, the vapor cleaning tank 6 will be described. In the present embodiment, the vapor cleaning tank 6 has a bottomed shape with the upper part opened, and in use, the cleaning agent 16 is stored in the lower part of the inside. By vaporizing and evaporating the cleaning agent 16, the object to be cleaned can be vapor cleaned.

  A drying tank is continuously provided above the vapor cleaning tank 6. That is, in the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a drying tank. In this embodiment, the drying tank 5 is connected to the upper part of the vapor cleaning tank 6 so as to close the upper opening of the vapor cleaning tank 6. In addition, a lid 4 is provided which is open at the lower part and communicates with the vapor cleaning tank 6 through the lower opening, and closes the upper opening so as to be opened and closed.

  In the figure, reference numeral 13 denotes a blocking lid. That is, in the present embodiment, the apparatus main body 2 has a blocking lid 13, and the blocking lid 13 blocks communication between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 or can release the blocking. Then, by blocking communication between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5, each of the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 can be hermetically sealed. It has a structure that can be pressurized from an atmospheric pressure by an inert gas or the like, and further depressurized by a pressure-reducing pump.

  In this embodiment, the blocking lid 13 is also used as a carrier for placing the object to be cleaned 21. That is, the blocking lid main body 1301 for placing the object to be cleaned 21 and the blocking lid. The main body 1301 has a leg portion 1302 for moving up and down. The leg portion 1302 has a lower end fixed to the bottom portion in the vapor cleaning tank 6 and is extendable.

  In such a configuration, the leg portion 1302 is raised, and the blocking lid main body 1301 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the frame 501 protruding inside in the entire connection portion of the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5. The communication between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 is blocked by the blocking lid main body 1301, and the cleaning target 21 is placed on the upper portion of the blocking lid main body 1301, and the cleaning target 21 is mounted on the upper portion of the blocking lid main body 1301. By lowering the leg portion 1302, the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 are communicated with each other, and the object to be cleaned 21 can be moved to the vapor cleaning tank 6. FIG. 1 shows a state where communication between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 is blocked by the blocking lid body 1301, and FIG. 2 shows the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank lowered by lowering the legs 1302. 5 shows a state in which 5 is communicated.

  However, it is not always necessary to use the shut-off lid 13 also as a carrier for placing the object to be cleaned 21. The shut-off is made possible by blocking the communication between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 or releasing the shut-off. The lid 13 and the means for moving the article 21 to be cleaned may be provided, and the blocking lid and the carrier may be configured separately.

  In addition, the extension / contraction method of the leg portion 1302 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the leg portion 1302 is automatically extended / contracted by a switch operation (not shown).

  Next, in the figure, 20 is a free port portion. In this embodiment, this free port portion 20 is in both the drying tank 5 and the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the vapor rises to the upper drying tank 5. It has a function to prevent.

  That is, in this embodiment, the free port 20 has a pipe shape filled with cooling water, and the inner walls of the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 are located in the vicinity of the boundary between the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5. The vapor rising from the vapor cleaning tank 6 to the drying tank 5 is cooled and condensed into a liquid to be dropped into the vapor cleaning tank 6, whereby the vapor is dried into the drying tank 5. Is prevented from rising.

  Next, the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes pressure adjusting means 3 for increasing / decreasing the inside of the drying tank 5 and the inside of the vapor cleaning tank 6. The pressure inside the drying tank 5 can be adjusted. In this embodiment, the pressure adjusting means 3 is composed of a pressure increasing / decreasing adjusting means and a gas supply tank.

  First, the pressure increase / decrease adjustment means will be described. In this embodiment, the pressure increase / decrease adjustment means has a pressure increase / decrease valve 7 connected to the drying tank 5, and a pressure increase / decrease pump 8 is connected to the pressure increase / decrease valve 7. Further, the pressure adjusting tank 12 is connected to the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8 through an exhaust valve 9 and a pressure increasing / decreasing adjusting valve 15.

  The pressure adjustment tank 12 works together with the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8, and the pressure increasing / decreasing pressure adjusting valve 15 so as to prevent air from being mixed into the drying tank 5 when the pressure of the drying tank 5 is increased or decreased. It is done.

  The pressure adjusting tank 12 stores an inert gas that can sufficiently pressurize the drying tank 5. That is, when the drying tank 5 is opened to the atmosphere, the atmosphere is discharged from the system system of the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the inside of the drying tank 5 is evacuated, purged with an inert gas, and the drying tank 5 is In the case of further pressurization, an inert gas is supplied from the pressure adjusting tank 12.

  When the drying tank 5 is decompressed, the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8, and the pressure increasing / decreasing adjustment valve 15 are opened, and the mixed gas of the cleaning agent and the inert gas is stored in the pressure adjusting tank 12 from the drying tank 5. .

  Thus, the pressure adjustment tank 12 completely shuts off oxygen contained in the atmosphere from all the system systems of the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, including the drying tank 5 and the vapor cleaning tank 6, and flammable cleaning is performed. It has a structure that prevents ignition of the agent gas.

  Next, the gas supply tank as the pressure adjusting means will be described. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a gas supply tank. In this embodiment, the gas supply tank is an inert gas supply tank. The inert gas supply tank 10 is the drying tank. 5 is connected to a leak valve 11 connected to 5 and is connected to the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8 via a pressure adjusting valve 14.

  The inert gas supply tank 10 can supply an inert gas from the leak valve 11 to the inside of the drying tank 5 when the drying tank 5 is returned to atmospheric pressure and the object to be cleaned 21 is taken out. Although the drying tank 5 is evacuated after drying and cleaning, when a flammable cleaning agent is used, the possibility of flammability cannot be excluded from the leakage from the atmosphere, so that it is returned to normal pressure with an inert gas.

  The inert gas supply tank 10 can supply the inert gas after evacuating the drying tank 5 to purge the inert gas even when the object to be cleaned is supplied again.

  Any inert gas supply tank 10 may be used as long as the inert gas is stored therein. For example, an N 2 gas cylinder may be used.

  Next, in the figure, 19 is a heating system. That is, in the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a heating system for heating the cleaning agent 16 is disposed below the vapor tank 6, and the heating system 19 removes the cleaning agent in the vicinity of the boiling point. The vapor cleaning tank 6 is always pressurized, and thus the object to be cleaned is put into the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the pressure is reduced to 0.01 to 0.5 MPa, thereby cleaning the It is possible to lower the boiling point of the agent and produce a large amount of steam at once. The configuration of the heating system 19 is not particularly limited, and for example, an electric heater may be used.

  Next, in the figure, 17 is a drain valve. That is, in the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a drain valve 17 is connected to the drying tank 5. The drain valve 17 is a mechanism for efficiently discharging the liquid cleaning agent brought into the drying tank 5 after the vapor cleaning. When the latent heat of evaporation of the cleaning agent is large, the excess latent heat of evaporation is Comes with for more effective drying by eliminating from.

  Next, in the figure, 18 is an auxiliary heating system. That is, in the vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the drying tank 5 is provided with the auxiliary heating system 18, and the auxiliary heating system 18 promotes drying of the object to be cleaned.

  As the auxiliary heating system 18, a microwave device, a thermal plasma device, an induction heating device, or the like is used to heat the inside of the drying tank 5, and in particular, the microwave can selectively heat water. Therefore, it is excellent as an auxiliary heating system for an aqueous cleaning agent.

  Next, in the figure, 22 is a safety valve device. That is, in this embodiment, each of the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 is provided with a safety valve device 22, so that when the inside of the drying tank 5 and the vapor cleaning tank 6 becomes excessive pressure, The structure is designed with safety in mind to release excess pressure.

  In the present embodiment, the safety valve device 22 has a valve that closes the holes formed in the drying tank 5 and the vapor cleaning tank 6 by pressing the biasing force of the spring. When a pressure of 0.5 MPa or more is applied to the valve, the valve closing the hole moves to the spring side.

  Next, an embodiment of the vapor cleaning method of the present invention using the vapor cleaning and drying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. In the vapor cleaning and drying method of the present embodiment, first, the object to be cleaned 21 is cleaned. Is put in the drying tank 5 and sealed, and the inside of the drying tank 5 is pressurized with an inert gas, and after the drying tank 5 becomes the same pressure as the vapor cleaning tank 6, the shut-off from the vapor cleaning tank 6 is opened and added. The object to be cleaned 21 is placed in the vapor cleaning tank 6 containing the pressure and heated cleaning agent 16, and vapor cleaning is performed under a pressure of 1.1MP or less. At this time, the pressure is reduced to 0.01 to 0.5 MPa to lower the boiling point of the cleaning agent and increase the amount of generated steam. This large amount of vapor cleaning rinses the reattachment of contamination to the object to be cleaned by the preceding immersion cleaning liquid, and at the same time the temperature of the object to be cleaned 21 is heated above the boiling point of the cleaning agent at room temperature. The cleaning agent attached to the object to be cleaned is rapidly dried by reducing the pressure after moving to the upper drying tank and further reducing the pressure. Therefore, drying without a spot becomes possible. Hereinafter, specific examples in the case where pure water is used as the cleaning agent will be described.

<Preconditions for vapor cleaning and drying>
In the case of performing the vapor cleaning and drying of the present embodiment, first, the cleaning agent 16 is put in the lower part of the inside of the vapor cleaning tank 6, and then the inside of the vapor cleaning tank 6 is made using the pressure adjusting means 3. While pressurizing to 0.5 MPa, the heating system 19 is used to heat the cleaning agent 16 to near the boiling point at the pressure inside the vapor cleaning tank 6. Specifically, the boiling point at this time is about 160 degrees, but the water temperature is adjusted to be kept at about 150 degrees.

<Preliminary exhaust and gas replacement>
In FIG. 1, after opening the lid 4 of the drying tank 5, an object to be cleaned is put into the drying tank 5, and then the lid 4 is closed to make the inside of the drying tank 5 sealed. Then, the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7 is opened and exhausted by the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8, and the exhaust valve 9 is opened to make the drying tank 5 vacuum. This is because oxygen in the atmosphere is completely discharged from the mechanism.
Then, when the exhaust is completed, the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7 and the exhaust valve 9 are closed, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8 is stopped, and the inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply unit 10 through the leak valve 11 to the inside of the drying tank 5. It supplies to the drying tank 5 until it becomes about atmospheric pressure. In this way, residual oxygen in the mechanism is completely eliminated from the system.

<Pressurization>
Next, the inside of the drying tank 5 is pressurized to the same pressure as the vapor cleaning tank 6, that is, the vapor cleaning tank 6 is pressurized to 0.5 MPa at this time. Pressurize until the tank 5 has the same pressure as the vapor cleaning tank 6. The pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7 is opened and the pressure inside the drying tank 5 is pressurized to 0.5 MPa by the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8. The supplied gas is an inert gas stored in the pressure adjusting tank 12.

<Washing>
Next, when the pressures in the drying tank 5 and the vapor cleaning tank 6 become the same, as shown in FIG. 2, the blocking lid 13 is opened and the object to be cleaned is moved from the drying tank 5 to the vapor cleaning tank 6. That is, the leg portion 1302 is contracted and the blocking lid main body 1301 is lowered into the vapor cleaning tank 6. Although the boiling point at this time is about 160 ° C., the water temperature is adjusted to be kept at about 150 ° C., so that much steam is not emitted.
Next, the inside of the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 is depressurized to 0.4 MPa with an inert gas through the leak valve 11. As a result, the boiling point of the cleaning material is about 140 degrees, and a large amount of steam is generated from the pure water whose boiling point has been lowered, and the object to be cleaned is cleaned and rinsed with this steam and heated.

<Repressurization>
After performing the vapor cleaning for a certain period of time, the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7 is opened again, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8 is operated, the pressure increasing / decreasing adjustment valve 15 is opened, an inert gas is supplied, and the inside of the vapor cleaning tank 6 and the drying tank 5 Pressurize to 0.5 MPa. As a result, the boiling point rises again and vapor is reduced.

<Pulling up>
The blocking lid 13 is slowly raised, and the object to be cleaned 21 is returned to the drying tank 5 through the free port portion 20, and when it is returned, the blocking lid 13 is completely closed and returned to the state shown in FIG.

<Return to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure)>
The pressurized inert gas inside the drying tank 5 is returned to the pressure adjusting tank 12 via the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8, and the pressure increasing / decreasing adjusting valve 15, and the inside of the drying tank 5 is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure). Return to). This is because when a flammable cleaning agent is used for the pressurized inert gas, it is stored in the pressure regulating tank 12 together with the inert gas without opening it to the atmosphere and supplying oxygen to prevent ignition and cleaning. This is a method for opening the agent to the atmosphere and not supplying oxygen.

<Discharge of liquefied drainage>
When the inside of the drying tank 5 is returned to normal pressure, the cleaning agent attached to the object to be cleaned and the cleaning agent liquefied through the free port are quickly discharged from the drain valve 17. At this time, the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8, and the pressure adjusting valve 14 are opened, and the inert gas is supplied into the drying tank 5 to increase the discharge. When the discharge is finished, the supply of the inert gas is stopped and the drain valve 17 is closed.

<Dry>
At the time when the pressure is returned to the normal pressure, the boiling point of the cleaning agent is lower than that at the time of pressurization, and the drying starts. In order to promote this, the drying tank 5 is depressurized. That is, the pressure-intensifying valve 7 is opened, and the pressure-reducing pump 8 starts depressurizing the drying tank 5 this time. The gas in the drying tank 5 discharged at this time is returned to the pressure adjustment tank 12.
Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the flammable cleaning agent is used in this way, by mixing with the inert gas, it is possible to prevent ignition without supplying oxygen to the system system at all.
When the pressure is lowered to a certain level, in the case of pure water, the boiling point is reduced to 0 degree at about 500 Pa, and the object to be cleaned is heated with vapor, so that drying is promoted, and the object having a complicated shape or narrow in a short time. The cleaning agent that has entered the gap can also be evaporated. Further, if necessary, heat can be applied in a vacuum by the auxiliary heating system 18.

<Return pressure>
After drying for a certain period of time, the auxiliary heating system 18 is stopped and, in order to stop the pressure reduction, the pressure increasing / decreasing valve 7, the pressure increasing / decreasing pump 8, and the pressure increasing / decreasing adjustment valve 15 are closed, and then again from the inert gas supply unit 10. An inert gas is supplied to the inside of the drying tank 5 through the leak valve 11, thereby returning the inside of the drying tank 5 to normal pressure.

<Removal of object to be cleaned>
Next, the object to be cleaned is taken out from the drying tank 5 returned to the normal pressure. The object to be cleaned is still high in temperature, and even if it is returned to the atmospheric condition, moisture does not adhere to it and rust generation can be prevented.

  In the vapor cleaning / drying method of the present embodiment carried out in this way, the vapor cleaning liquid tank containing the cleaning agent is made airtight, and the cleaning agent is brought to the boiling point or higher under atmospheric pressure while being pressurized to atmospheric pressure or higher with an inert gas. In order to heat and lower the cleaning material in the pressurized and heated vapor cleaning tank for vapor cleaning, instead of using low-boiling chlorine-based organic solvents or alternative chlorofluorocarbons, pure water or Vapor cleaning with a high-boiling cleaning agent such as a hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent becomes possible.

In addition, even when pressurized, immersion cleaning may cause re-adhesion due to contamination of the cleaning agent, resulting in unevenness in the degree of cleaning and the occurrence of dry spots. Ultra-precision cleaning is possible.
Further, in the case of immersion cleaning, the temperature of the cleaning agent is lowered due to the entry of an object to be cleaned, and it takes time to raise the temperature again. However, there is no problem with this liquid temperature reduction in vapor cleaning.

  Furthermore, generation of steam in the vapor cleaning is important, but since a large amount of vapor can be generated when necessary by the pressure reducing mechanism of the vapor cleaning tank, the cleaning time can be shortened.

  In addition, since the object to be cleaned is cleaned with pressurized vapor, the cleaning agent is always above the normal pressure boiling point, and when it is returned to normal pressure or when the pressure is reduced, the cleaning agent attached to the object has a high latent heat of vaporization. It can be quickly evaporated.

  Furthermore, in normal drying under normal pressure, heat is removed from the object to be cleaned due to latent heat of evaporation, and when left standing, moisture in the atmosphere aggregates (condensation), leading to rusting after cleaning. As described above, since the object to be cleaned heated by the vapor is kept at a room temperature or higher, such condensation and moisture aggregation do not occur, and the quality is maintained until the next process.

  In addition, when a flammable cleaning agent is used, mixing of air (oxygen) by pressurization is flammable (explosion limit value) and is extremely dangerous. However, in the present invention, since the inert gas and the cleaning agent that are hermetically sealed in the pressure adjusting tank are mixed, there is no opportunity to come into contact with oxygen in all systems, and it can be safely used under pressure and pressure.

  The present invention is applicable to vapor cleaning with high-boiling detergents such as pure water and hydrocarbon-based detergents, which has been impossible until now at atmospheric pressure.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the Example of the vapor cleaning and drying apparatus of this invention, and has shown the state which has interrupted | blocked the vapor cleaning tank and the drying tank. It is a figure which shows the structure of the Example of the vapor cleaning and drying apparatus of this invention, and has shown the state which has communicated the vapor cleaning tank and the drying tank.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pressurization / decompression vapor cleaning / drying apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 3 Pressure adjusting means 4 Drying tank lid 5 Drying tank 501 Frame 6 Vapor cleaning tank 7 Pressure increasing / decreasing valve 8 Pressure increasing / decreasing pump 9 Exhaust valve 10 Inert gas supply tank 11 Leak valve 12 Pressure adjustment Tank 13 Shut-off lid (carrier)
1301 Blocking lid main body 1302 Leg 14 Pressure adjusting valve 15 Pressure increasing / decreasing adjusting valve 16 Cleaning agent 17 Drain valve 18 Auxiliary heating system 19 Heating system 20 Free port portion 21 Object to be cleaned 22 Safety valve device

Claims (4)

A vapor cleaning tank (6) capable of storing a cleaning agent (16) therein, a drying tank (5) communicating with the vapor cleaning tank (6), the vapor cleaning tank (6), and the drying tank ( 5) A blocking lid (13) capable of blocking or opening between, a carrier on which an object to be cleaned can be placed and movable between the vapor cleaning tank (6) and the drying tank (5), An apparatus body (2) comprising:
The inside of the apparatus body (2) is added by supplying gas to the inside of the apparatus body (2) connected to the apparatus body (2) or exhausting the gas inside the apparatus body (2). Pressure adjusting means (3) for reducing pressure;
A drain valve (17) for draining the cleaning agent or the like adhering to the object to be cleaned;
A vapor cleaning and drying apparatus comprising: a heating system (19) for heating the cleaning agent (16).   The vapor cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drying tank (5) is provided with an auxiliary heating system (18). The pressure adjusting means (3) includes a pressure increasing / decreasing valve (7), an exhaust valve (9), a pressure increasing / decreasing pump (8) connected to the pressure increasing / decreasing valve (7) and the exhaust valve (9), and a pressure increasing / decreasing pressure. A pressure adjusting tank comprising a pressure adjusting tank (12) storing gas therein, connected to the pressure increasing / decreasing pump (8) via a regulating valve (15);
A gas supply tank (10) connected to the apparatus main body (2) via a leak valve (11) for supplying gas into the apparatus main body (2). The vapor cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A vapor cleaning and drying method using any one of claims 1 to 3,
In the state where the cleaning agent (16) is stored at the bottom of the vapor cleaning tank (6), the inside of the vapor cleaning tank (6) is pressurized to 0.5 MPa and the cleaning agent (16) is heated to near the boiling point,
After putting the article (21) to be cleaned in the drying tank (5), the inside of the drying tank (5) is sealed,
The inside of the drying tank (5) is evacuated by the pressure adjusting means (3) and then pressurized to the same pressure as that in the vapor cleaning tank (6).
After opening the blocking lid (13), the object (21) to be cleaned is moved into the vapor cleaning tank (6),
By depressurizing the inside of the drying tank (5) and the vapor cleaning tank (6) by the pressure adjusting means (3) to lower the boiling point of the cleaning agent (16), the cleaning agent (16) is vaporized and vaporized. To clean the object to be cleaned (21) by vapor cleaning,
Pressurizing the inside of the drying tank (5) and the vapor cleaning tank (6) to the pressure before the pressure reduction by the pressure adjusting means (3),
The object to be cleaned (21) is moved into the drying tank (5) and the blocking lid (13) is closed,
The inside of the drying tank (5) is returned to normal pressure by the pressure adjusting means (3),
Further, by depressurizing the inside of the drying tank (5) by the pressure adjusting means (3), the cleaning agent (16) inside the drying tank (5) is evaporated by lowering the boiling point of the cleaning agent (16). And dry the object to be cleaned (21),
After the drying for a certain period of time, the inside of the drying tank (5) is returned to normal pressure by the pressure adjusting means (3), and then the object to be cleaned (21) is taken out from the drying tank (5). A method for cleaning and drying a vapor.

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