Cleaning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179350-B2
Application number	US-201414777756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Jul 24, 2013
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A cleaning device (100) according to the present invention is constituted by including in a cleaning nozzle member (21) provided inside a cleaning tank (2): a large pipe diameter part (211) that supplies a cleaning fluid (31) pressure-fed from a retention tank (3); a small pipe diameter part (212) that increases the speed of a flow rate for the cleaning fluid (31) flowing in the large pipe diameter part; a conical pipe diameter part (213) that generates a fluid that includes minute bubbles by cavitation; and a guide pipe diameter part (214) for accommodating an object (5) to be cleaned. The cleaning fluid (31) is ejected to the entirety of the object (5).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning device comprising:
a cleaning fluid retention portion which retains a cleaning fluid for cleaning an object;
a cleaning tank which is capable of accommodating the cleaning fluid;
a cleaning portion which ejects the cleaning fluid in the cleaning tank; and
a cleaning fluid discharge portion which is connected to the cleaning fluid retention portion, and discharges the cleaning fluid retained in the cleaning fluid retention portion to the cleaning portion in a pressured state,
wherein the cleaning portion includes
a first flow passage which is connected to the cleaning fluid discharge portion, and to which the cleaning fluid which is pressure-fed by the cleaning fluid discharge portion is supplied,
a second flow passage which is continued to a downstream end of the first flow passage, and of which a flow passage cross-sectional area is smaller than that of the first flow passage,
a third flow passage which is continued to a downstream end of the second flow passage, and of which a flow passage cross-sectional area becomes gradually larger as being separated from the second flow passage, and
an accommodating space which is continued to a downstream end of the third flow passage, is capable of accommodating the object, and is opened to the outside.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a size of the accommodating space is sufficient for accommodating the entirety of the object.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first flow passage is formed into a right cylinder shape,
wherein the second flow passage is formed into a right cylinder shape having an outer diameter which is smaller than an outer diameter of the first flow passage, and
wherein the third flow passage is formed into a truncated cone shape having an outer diameter at an upstream end thereof which is equivalent to the outer diameter of the second flow passage, and an outer diameter at a downstream end thereof which is larger than the outer diameter of the second flow passage.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the accommodating space is formed into a right cylinder shape having an outer diameter which is the same or substantially the same as an outer diameter of the third flow passage at the downstream end.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the cleaning portion is provided with a projecting portion which is projected inwardly in an inner periphery portion which forms the accommodating space.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flow passage cross-sectional area of the second flow passage is determined such that the cleaning fluid which flows in the third flow passage becomes a cleaning fluid containing minute bubbles caused by cavitation.

7. A cleaning device comprising:
a cleaning tank which is capable of accommodating an object;
a cleaning fluid retention portion which retains a cleaning fluid for cleaning the object;
a cleaning fluid discharge portion which is connected to the cleaning fluid retention portion, and pressure-feeds the cleaning fluid retained in the cleaning fluid retention portion in a pressured state;
a gas retention portion which retains a gas fluid in a pressured state, and is capable of pressure-feeding the gas fluid; and
a fluid ejecting nozzle which is provided in the cleaning tank,
wherein the fluid ejecting nozzle includes
at least one gas feed portion which is connected to the gas retention portion via a gas-passing pipe, and includes a gas feed flow passage to which the gas fluid which is pressure-fed from the gas retention portion is supplied,
a cleaning fluid feed portion which is connected to the cleaning fluid discharge portion via a cleaning fluid-passing pipe, and includes a cleaning fluid feed flow passage to which the cleaning fluid which is pressure-fed by the cleaning fluid discharge portion is supplied,
a gas-liquid mixture portion which is connected to the at least one gas feed portion and the cleaning fluid feed portion, and includes a gas-liquid mixture flow passage in which the gas fluid which is pressure-fed from the gas feed flow passage and the cleaning fluid which is pressure-fed from the cleaning fluid feed flow passage are mixed with each other, and
an ejecting portion which is connected to the gas-liquid mixture portion, includes a mixed fluid-passing flow passage in which the gas-liquid mixture fluid mixed in the gas-liquid mixture flow passage flows, and ejects the gas-liquid mixture fluid from the mixed fluid-passing flow passage, and

wherein a flow passage cross-sectional area of the gas-liquid mixture flow passage is smaller than a flow passage cross-sectional area of a flow passage connected to an end on an upstream side of the gas-liquid mixture flow passage and a flow passage cross-sectional area of a flow passage connected to an end on a downstream side of the gas-liquid mixture flow passage.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 7 ,
wherein a flow rate of the gas-liquid mixture fluid which is ejected from the ejecting portion is equal to or greater than 20 L/min.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the gas fluid is carbon dioxide.

10. The cleaning device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the flow passage cross-sectional area of the gas-liquid mixture flow passage is smaller than the flow passage cross-sectional areas of the cleaning fluid feed flow passage and the mixed fluid-passing flow passage.

11. The cleaning device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the flow passage cross-sectional area of the gas-liquid mixture flow passage is set such that the gas-liquid mixture fluid flowing into the mixed fluid-passing flow passage becomes a fluid containing minute bubbles caused by cavitation.

12. The cleaning device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the at least one gas feed portion is provided with a gas inflow hole that causes the gas fluid to flow through the inside of the gas liquid mixture passage.

13. The cleaning device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the at least one gas feed portion comprises two gas feed portions, and the two gas feed portions are configured so that respective gas inflow holes are arranged on a center axis line perpendicular to a center axis line of the fluid ejecting nozzle.

14. The cleaning device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the ejecting portion includes an ejecting hole from which the gas-liquid mixture fluid in the gas-liquid mixture flow passage is ejected, and a flow passage cross-sectional area of the gas-liquid mixture flow passage increases toward the ejecting hole.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Fukumoto Shohei
• Yamamoto Hiroaki
• Tamura Kohichi
• Nakamura Kohichi

Classifications

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title

• B08B5/00

  Cleaning by methods involving the use of air flow or gas flow (cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B9/00) · CPC title

• B08B3/12

  by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• A61B2090/701

  for flexible tubular instruments, e.g. endoscopes · CPC title

• B08B3/10

  with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration · CPC title