JP2011043275A - Vacuum dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a vacuum dryer that can efficiently heat and cool a sample mounting shelf, can control the temperature of a sample well, and can cool a high-temperature vacuum chamber in a short time. To do.
A fluid flow path 15 through which a temperature adjusting fluid flows is provided in a sample mounting shelf 13, a fluid supply path 21 for supplying the temperature adjusting fluid to the fluid flow path 15 outside the vacuum chamber 12, and a fluid A fluid discharge path 30 for discharging the temperature adjusting fluid from the flow path 21 is provided. The fluid supply path 21 includes a fluid heating channel 14 for heating the temperature adjusting fluid by the chamber heating electric heater 16 provided in the vacuum chamber 12.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum dryer, and more particularly, to a vacuum dryer for placing a container in which a sample is placed on a shelf plate provided in a vacuum chamber to vacuum dry the sample.

  As a vacuum dryer, in order to maintain a sample placed in a container such as a petri dish or a bat placed on a sample placement shelf in a vacuum chamber at a preset temperature, an electric heater is provided on the sample placement shelf, and the electric heater It is known that a sample is controlled to a predetermined temperature via a sample mounting shelf by energizing from the outside (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-63692 JP 2007-303707 A

  As described in each patent document, by providing an electric heater on the sample mounting shelf, the sample can be held at a predetermined temperature via a container placed on the sample mounting shelf. When using a vacuum connector to energize the shelf, if the current-carrying part is exposed due to an improper insertion, problems such as vacuum discharge or deterioration due to corrosive gas generated from the sample may occur. was there. In addition, when a coil is used for energization, a controller or the like may malfunction if electromagnetic waves generated from the coil are not completely shielded, and the cost required for electromagnetic wave countermeasures becomes a problem.

  Furthermore, after the sample was heated and vacuum dried, in order to prevent moisture absorption of the sample, the sample had to be kept in a vacuum chamber for a long time until the temperature of the sample dropped to room temperature in a vacuum state. In addition, it is possible to transfer the high-temperature sample to a desiccator containing silica gel and cool it to room temperature. In this case, however, the hand must be put in a high-temperature vacuum chamber, and work is required. Even if it was transferred to a desiccator, it took a long time for the sample temperature to drop. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of samples that can be processed in one day is limited.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a vacuum dryer that can efficiently heat and cool the sample mounting shelf, can control the temperature of the sample satisfactorily, and can cool the inside of the high-temperature vacuum chamber in a short time. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the vacuum dryer of the present invention is a vacuum dryer that heats and dries a sample placed on a sample placement shelf in a vacuum chamber under vacuum, and the temperature is adjusted on the sample placement shelf. And a fluid supply path for supplying a temperature adjusting fluid to the fluid flow path and a fluid discharge path for discharging the temperature adjusting fluid from the fluid flow path. Preferably, the fluid supply path has a fluid heating passage for heating the temperature adjusting fluid by a chamber heater provided in the vacuum chamber.

  Further, a fluid supply side connection means connected to the fluid supply path and a fluid discharge side connection means connected to the fluid discharge path are provided on the wall surface of the vacuum chamber, and the fluid flow path is provided in the sample shelf. Fluid inlet side connecting means detachably connected to the fluid supply side connecting means at one end of the fluid, and fluid outlet side connecting means detachably connected to the fluid discharge side connecting means at the other end of the fluid flow path. A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the temperature adjusting fluid flowing through the fluid supply path and the temperature adjusting fluid flowing through the fluid discharge path may be provided. Further, the temperature adjusting fluid may be compressed air, and the fluid supply path may be provided with a cleaning path branched from the fluid supply path and provided with an air nozzle at the tip.

  According to the vacuum dryer of the present invention, the surface of the entire sample mounting shelf is rapidly and uniformly heated by circulating the temperature adjusting fluid heated to a predetermined temperature through the fluid flow path of the sample mounting shelf. In addition, the inside of the vacuum chamber including the sample mounting shelf can be rapidly cooled by circulating the temperature adjusting fluid at room temperature or cooled through the fluid flow path.

  Further, by providing a fluid heating channel for heating the temperature adjusting fluid supplied from the fluid supply channel to the fluid channel of the sample mounting shelf by a chamber heater, a dedicated temperature heating fluid is heated. There is no need to provide a heater.

  Furthermore, by forming the fluid flow path of the sample mounting shelf so as to be detachable by the connecting means, the sample mounting shelf can be easily removed from or attached to the vacuum chamber. Cleaning can be performed easily.

  Further, by providing a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the temperature adjusting fluid on the supply side and the temperature adjusting fluid on the discharge side, the heat energy can be recovered and reused, and the fluid flow of the sample mounting shelf can be recovered. The cost for heating the temperature adjusting fluid supplied to the passage can be reduced, and the high temperature adjusting fluid is not discharged, thereby improving safety.

  In particular, by using compressed air as the temperature adjusting fluid, the cost of the temperature adjusting fluid can be reduced, and even if the temperature adjusting fluid leaks, the inside and surroundings of the vacuum chamber are hardly contaminated. A facility for collecting the fluid is also unnecessary. Furthermore, by providing a cleaning path having an air nozzle at the tip, the inside of the vacuum chamber can be easily cleaned by compressed air ejected from the air nozzle.

It is explanatory drawing of the vacuum dryer which shows one example of this invention. It is the cross-sectional front view of a vacuum chamber similarly. It is a cross-sectional side view of a vacuum chamber. It is a top view of a sample mounting shelf similarly.

  The vacuum dryer 11 includes a stainless steel vacuum chamber 12 connected to a vacuum pump, and a plurality of sample placement shelves 13 detachably provided in the vacuum chamber 12, and a side wall 12 a of the vacuum chamber 12. Is provided with a fluid heating channel 14, and each sample mounting shelf 13 is provided with a fluid channel 15. Furthermore, a door 12b is provided on the front surface of the vacuum chamber 12, and an electric heater 16 is provided on the side wall 12a for heating the inside of the vacuum chamber 12 and heating the fluid flowing in the fluid heating flow path 14. Yes. In addition, guide rails 17 are provided on the inner surface of the side wall 12a so as to detachably support the sample mounting shelf 13 in three stages.

  The fluid flow path 15 is disposed over the entire surface of the sample mounting shelf 13 in a state of being folded inside each sample mounting shelf 13, and the fluid flow path 15 is disposed at the base end of the sample mounting shelf 13. A pair of plugs 18a, 18b communicating with the inlet side and the outlet side are provided. A pair of sockets 19 a and 19 b are provided on the inner surface of the rear wall of the vacuum chamber 12 at positions corresponding to the plugs 18 a and 18 b of each sample mounting shelf 13.

  A fluid supply path 21 for supplying a temperature adjusting fluid to the fluid flow path 15 via the fluid heating path 14 includes a heating path 24 having a first switching valve 22 and a heat exchanger 23, and a second switching valve 25. And a cleaning path 29 having a third switching valve 27 and an air nozzle 28, and the heat exchanger 23 is used for adjusting the temperature supplied to the fluid flow path 15 through the heating path 24. The fluid and the temperature adjusting fluid discharged from the fluid flow path 15 to the fluid discharge path 30 are formed to be able to exchange heat.

  When the sample mounting shelves 13 are mounted on the upper and lower stages and the sample is vacuum-dried, the sample mounting shelves 13 and 13 are inserted into the upper and lower guide rails 17 and 17, respectively, and the respective sample mounting shelves 13 are inserted. The plug 18a on the inlet side is inserted into the socket 19a and the plug 18b on the outlet side is inserted into the socket 19b, and the fluid flow path 15 is connected to the fluid supply path 21 and the fluid discharge path 30. In addition, plugs are fitted into the middle sockets 19a and 19b on which the sample mounting shelf 13 is not mounted.

  The sample containers containing the samples are placed on the sample placement shelves 13 and 13, respectively, the door 12b is closed, the vacuum pump is activated to maintain the vacuum chamber 12 in a vacuum state, and then the electric heater 16 is activated. At the same time, the first switching valve 22 is opened while the second switching valve 25 and the third switching valve 27 are closed, and supply of a temperature adjusting fluid, for example, compressed air, is started.

  The compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply source CA passes through the first switching valve 22 in the open state, flows through the heat exchanger 23, passes through the heating path 24, and flows into the fluid heating flow path 14. The compressed air flowing through the fluid heating channel 14 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the electric heater 16, and then flows into the fluid channel 15 via the inlet-side socket 19a and the plug 18a. After being heated to a predetermined temperature, it is discharged to the fluid discharge path 30 through the outlet side plug 18b and the socket 19b, and then discharged to the outside through the heat exchanger 23.

  At this time, since the fluid flow path 15 is provided over the entire surface of the sample mounting shelf 13, the entire surface of the sample mounting shelf 13 can be reliably heated, and the surface temperature of each of the upper and lower sample mounting shelves 13. Can be made uniform. Accordingly, each sample container placed on each sample placement shelf 13 can be held at a uniform temperature by heat conduction from the sample placement shelf 13 regardless of the position on the sample placement shelf 13. Therefore, it is possible to reliably control the temperature of the sample as compared with the case where the sample container is heated only by the electric heater 16. Therefore, since the temperature of each sample container placed on each sample placement shelf 13 can be made uniform, a large amount of samples can be vacuum-dried under the same conditions at the same time.

  Further, after the sample mounting shelf 13 is heated, high-temperature compressed air discharged from the fluid flow path 15 to the fluid discharge path 30 is introduced into the heat exchanger 23, and compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply source CA By exchanging heat, the temperature of the compressed air to be supplied is raised and the temperature of the compressed air to be discharged is lowered, so that high-temperature compressed air will not flow out to the outside, improving safety. Furthermore, since the compressed air supplied to the fluid flow path 15 can be heated, the load on the electric heater 16 can be reduced, and the power consumption can be reduced.

  When the vacuum drying process for a predetermined time is completed, the electric heater 16 is stopped while the vacuum chamber 12 is kept in vacuum, the first switching valve 22 is closed and the second switching valve 25 is opened, and the compressed air supply source CA is opened. The supplied compressed air is introduced into the fluid heating channel 14 and each fluid channel 15 at room temperature without heating, and the sample chamber is cooled by cooling the vacuum chamber 12 and the sample mounting shelf 13. When the temperature of the sample container decreases to room temperature, the inside of the vacuum chamber 12 is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the sample container is taken out.

  By introducing normal temperature compressed air into the fluid flow path 15 in this way, the sample container on the sample mounting shelf 13 can be cooled by heat conduction, so that the sample container and the sample in the sample container can be removed for a short time. Can be cooled. Therefore, the time required for one vacuum drying process can be greatly shortened, and not only the efficiency of the vacuum drying process of the sample is greatly improved, but also the sample after the vacuum drying process is rapidly supplied to the next process. be able to.

  Further, since the fluid supply path 21 and the fluid discharge path 30 and the fluid flow path 15 of the sample mounting shelf 13 are detachably connected, the sample mounting shelf 13 can be easily detached from the vacuum chamber 12, The sample mounting shelf 13 can be easily cleaned and the mounting position can be changed, and the vacuum chamber 12 can be easily cleaned. In particular, by providing the clean path 29 provided with the air nozzle 28, the third switching valve 27 is opened with the first switching valve 22 and the second switching valve 25 closed, and the compressed air supply source CA supplies the air. By jetting the compressed air as the cleaning gas from the air nozzle 28, the inside of the vacuum chamber 12 can be easily cleaned to every corner, and the vacuum chamber 12 and the sample mounting shelf 13 can be kept clean.

  Thus, according to the vacuum dryer 11 shown in the present embodiment, by switching the switching valves 22, 25, and 27, the sample is heated and dried using compressed air, the sample is cooled after being dried, and the vacuum chamber 12. The inside can be cleaned well, the utilization efficiency of the vacuum dryer 11 can be improved, and the number of samples that can be processed in one day can be greatly increased.

  In addition, a heat exchanger using cold water or the like is provided in the cooling path 26 so that the compressed air can be cooled to room temperature or lower, and the compressed air cooled to the room temperature or lower when the sample is cooled is supplied to the fluid heating channel 14 and each of the channels. By supplying the fluid to the fluid channel 15, the cooling time of the sample can be further shortened. Furthermore, the sample can be vacuum-dried while keeping the sample at room temperature or lower by supplying compressed air cooled to room temperature or below room temperature without using the electric heater 16 during the vacuum drying process.

  As the temperature adjusting fluid, liquids such as water and oil can be used, and an inert gas such as nitrogen gas can be used, but by using air as the temperature adjusting fluid, The cost required for the temperature adjusting fluid can be eliminated, and the temperature adjusting fluid can be supplied to the fluid flow path 15 using a pump or fan having a simple structure. Even if some air leaks, the inside and surroundings of the vacuum chamber are hardly contaminated, and equipment for recovering the temperature adjustment fluid is unnecessary, so compared with the case where other fluids are used for the temperature adjustment fluid. The cost of the apparatus can be reduced and it can be easily used as a cleaning gas.

  Further, the means for detachably connecting the fluid supply path 21 and the fluid discharge path 30 to the fluid flow path 15 of the sample mounting shelf 13 can be arbitrarily selected as long as the temperature control fluid does not leak out. it can. For example, various commercially available joints and one-touch couplers can be used, and they can be connected via a hose.

  Further, the temperature adjusting fluid can be efficiently heated by heating the temperature adjusting fluid flowing through the fluid heating channel 14 by the electric heater 16 provided in the vacuum chamber 12. For example, a dedicated heater may be provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger 23 in the heating path 24.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Vacuum dryer, 12 ... Vacuum chamber, 12a ... Side wall, 12b ... Door, 13 ... Sample mounting shelf, 14 ... Supply pipe, 15 ... Internal introduction pipe, 16 ... Electric heater, 17 ... Guide rail, 18a, 18b ... Plug, 19a, 19b ... Socket, 21 ... Fluid supply path, 22 ... First switching valve, 23 ... Heat exchanger, 24 ... Heating path, 25 ... Second switching valve, 26 ... Cooling path, 27 ... Third switching Valve, 28 ... Air nozzle, 29 ... Clean path, 30 ... Fluid discharge path

Claims (6)

A vacuum dryer that heats and dries a sample placed on a sample placement shelf in a vacuum chamber under vacuum, and a fluid flow path through which a temperature adjusting fluid flows is provided on the sample placement shelf, and the outside of the vacuum chamber And a fluid supply path for supplying a temperature adjusting fluid to the fluid flow path and a fluid discharge path for discharging the temperature adjusting fluid from the fluid flow path. 2. The vacuum dryer according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply path has a fluid heating flow path for heating the temperature adjusting fluid by a chamber heating heater provided in the vacuum chamber. . A fluid supply side connection means connected to the fluid supply path and a fluid discharge side connection means connected to the fluid discharge path are provided on the wall surface of the vacuum chamber, and one end of the fluid flow path is provided on the sample shelf. A fluid inlet side connecting means detachably connected to the fluid supply side connecting means, and a fluid outlet side connecting means detachably connected to the fluid discharge side connecting means at the other end of the fluid flow path. The vacuum dryer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. The heat exchanger which heat-exchanges the temperature control fluid which flows through the said fluid supply path, and the temperature control fluid which flows through the said fluid discharge path is provided, The heat exchanger of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Vacuum dryer. The vacuum dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature adjusting fluid is compressed air. 6. The vacuum dryer according to claim 5, wherein the fluid supply path includes a cleaning path branched from the fluid supply path and provided with an air nozzle at the tip.

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