JP7577294B2 - Filter Cleaning Machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a filter cleaner for cleaning filters.

In processes such as pneumatic transport and drying of powder and granular materials, airflow is used, and the equipment used to carry out these processes is equipped with filters to remove dust contained in the airflow. As dust collection in the filter progresses, the filter's performance deteriorates, and the filter requires cleaning to remove the collected dust.

As a filter washer for washing (cleaning) filters, for example, a device has been proposed that includes a container that houses a filter (cylindrical pleated filter) so that the filter can rotate around its center line, and by discharging air from within the container, outside air is introduced into the container through a nozzle provided on the side wall of the container, and an airflow is blown from the nozzle onto the filter, rotating the filter and generating an airflow within the container in the rotational direction of the filter.

JP 2019-5715 A JP 2019-122911 A

Filters come in a variety of sizes, from small to large. However, the filter cleaners proposed in the past were designed for relatively small filters and were not able to accommodate a variety of sizes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a filter cleaner that can clean filters of various sizes.

In order to achieve the above object, a filter washer according to one aspect of the present invention includes a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening and closing door, a filter support section that supports the filter in the cleaning container so that the filter can rotate about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction, a suction section that is connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and sucks air from inside the container through the exhaust port, and an introduction section that introduces outside air into the cleaning container as the suction section sucks air. The filter support section includes a holding mechanism that holds an end of the filter on one side in the predetermined direction, and a fixing mechanism that has an abutment member that is provided so as to be able to move back and forth in the predetermined direction and abuts the abutment member from the opposite side of the predetermined direction against the filter whose end is held by the holding mechanism, thereby fixing the filter in the predetermined direction.

According to this configuration, the filter to be cleaned is housed in the cleaning container and supported by the filter support part so that it can rotate around a straight line extending in a predetermined direction. The cleaning container is formed with an exhaust port, to which a suction part is connected. When the suction part is operated, air in the cleaning container is sucked (discharged) through the exhaust port, and with this suction, outside air is introduced into the cleaning container by the introduction part, generating an airflow in the cleaning container. Therefore, dust adhering to the filter can be blown away and removed by the outside air introduced by the introduction part, and the dust removed from the filter can be carried by the airflow and discharged from the exhaust port.

The filter is supported by the filter support section by holding one end of the filter in a predetermined direction in the holding mechanism, and then abutting the held filter from the other side in the predetermined direction with an abutting member, thereby fixing the filter in the predetermined direction. Because the abutting member is provided so as to be able to move back and forth in the predetermined direction, the position of the abutting member can be adjusted to match the size of the filter in the predetermined direction. Therefore, filters of various sizes can be fixed in the predetermined direction.

This filter washer is therefore capable of cleaning filters of various sizes.

The opening of the cleaning container may be formed on a side surface of the cleaning container, or on the other side surface of the cleaning container in the specified direction.

A filter washer according to another aspect of the present invention includes a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter, a filter support section that supports the filter in the cleaning container so that the filter can rotate about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction, a suction section that is connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and sucks air from inside the container through the exhaust port, and an introduction section that introduces outside air into the cleaning container as the suction section sucks air into the cleaning container. The cleaning container includes a semi-cylindrical rear wall section having a centerline in a predetermined direction, flat side wall sections that extend from both ends of the circumferential direction of the rear wall section and extend parallel to each other with a width equal to the diameter of the rear wall section, and a flat opening/closing door that opens and closes an opening that occurs between the side wall sections.

According to this configuration, the filter to be cleaned is housed in the cleaning container and supported by the filter support part so that it can rotate around a straight line extending in a predetermined direction. The cleaning container is formed with an exhaust port, to which a suction part is connected. When the suction part is operated, air in the cleaning container is sucked (discharged) through the exhaust port, and with this suction, outside air is introduced into the cleaning container by the introduction part, generating an airflow in the cleaning container. Therefore, dust adhering to the filter can be blown away and removed by the outside air introduced by the introduction part, and the dust removed from the filter can be carried by the airflow and discharged from the exhaust port.

The rear wall and a pair of side walls of the cleaning container are U-shaped when viewed in a specific direction, and the opening between the side walls is opened and closed by a flat door. This allows the opening to be wide, so even if the filter is large, it can be easily accommodated in the cleaning container through the opening.

This filter washer is therefore capable of cleaning filters of various sizes.

In the filter cleaner according to another aspect of the present invention, as in the filter cleaner according to the first aspect, the filter support part may be configured to include a holding mechanism that holds one end of the filter in a predetermined direction, and a fixing mechanism that has an abutment member that is arranged to be able to move back and forth in the predetermined direction and abuts the abutment member against the filter whose end is held by the holding mechanism from the opposite side of the predetermined direction to the one side in the predetermined direction, thereby fixing the filter in the predetermined direction.

The filter cleaner may be equipped with a motor that generates a driving force, and may further include a drive mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism about a straight line using the driving force of the motor.

In this configuration, the filter can be actively rotated by the driving force of the motor. Therefore, by rotating the filter and applying the centrifugal force of the rotation to the dust adhering to the filter, the dust separation effect from the filter can be improved, and the filter can be washed more thoroughly.

The holding mechanism may be configured to include a support shaft extending in a predetermined direction, a support plate with the support shaft at its center, and a number of expansion members arranged around the support shaft. In this case, the expansion members may have a pressing portion and a guide portion that is arranged on the opposite side of the pressing portion in the predetermined direction and guides the insertion of the expansion members into the filter, and may be biased by an elastic member in a direction away from the support shaft.

According to this configuration, when the expansion member is inserted into the filter, the pressing portion of the expansion member is pressed against the filter by the elastic force (bias) of the elastic member. This suppresses relative movement between the filter and the expansion member, allowing the filter to be held by the holding mechanism so that it can rotate integrally. Furthermore, a guide portion is provided on the expansion member, and this guide portion guides the insertion of the expansion member into the filter. Therefore, the expansion member can be easily inserted into the filter, and the effort required to hold the filter in the holding mechanism can be reduced.

It is preferable that the contact member has a conical shape that opens to one side and contacts the outer peripheral edge of the filter. This makes it possible to prevent the filter from becoming eccentric and causing axial wobble when the filter rotates.

The introduction section may be a nozzle that penetrates the opening and closing door.

In this configuration, outside air can be forcefully ejected from the nozzle into the cleaning container, and the outside air ejected from the nozzle is blown onto the filter, effectively separating dust particles adhering to the filter. Moreover, since the nozzle is installed so as to penetrate the opening and closing door, by opening the opening and closing door, the operator can perform maintenance on the nozzle without having to reach into the cleaning container.

The filter cleaner may further include a forced introduction section that forcibly introduces air into the cleaning container.

For example, after cleaning the filter, the air in the cleaning container can be sucked out through the exhaust port while air is forcibly introduced into the cleaning container, so that the dust in the cleaning container can be carried by the air current and discharged through the exhaust port. As a result, the amount of dust remaining in the cleaning container after cleaning the filter can be reduced.

It is preferable that the forced introduction section is provided by penetrating the lower end of the opening and closing door, and includes a circulation pipe through which the air introduced into the cleaning container flows, and a wind direction adjustment member that is fixed to the inner surface of the opening and closing door and has an opposing part that faces the circulation pipe from the direction of the center line of the circulation pipe.

In this configuration, air introduced into the cleaning container from the flow pipe collides with the opposing part of the airflow adjustment member, changing the airflow direction upward. This causes the air to flow along the inner surface of the opening and closing door, and the air blows away the dust adhering to the inner surface of the opening and closing door. As a result, when the opening and closing door is opened after the filter is cleaned, the dust adhering to the inner surface of the opening and closing door is prevented from scattering or falling outside the device.

The specified direction is the up-down direction, and the bottom of the cleaning container may be provided with a blade that rotates integrally with the holding mechanism.

With this configuration, the dust that has accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning container can be scraped toward the exhaust port by the rotating blades, and the scraped dust can be discharged on the airflow flowing out of the exhaust port. As a result, the amount of dust remaining in the cleaning container after the filter is cleaned can be reduced.

The cleaning container may further include an impact member that contacts the filter and applies an impact to the filter when the filter rotates.

In this case, the vibration caused by the impact on the filter can effectively separate the dust from the filter, allowing the filter to be washed even more thoroughly.

The present invention can accommodate filters of various sizes for cleaning.

1 is a front view of a filter washer according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body of the cleaning container. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning container taken along a horizontal plane. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a forced introduction portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a procedure for cleaning a filter. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view for explaining a modified example in which an impact member is provided.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

<Filter cleaning machine>
Fig. 1 is a front view of a filter washer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a right side view of the filter washer 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the filter washer 1.

For example, airflow is used in processes such as pneumatic transport and drying of powder and granular materials, and the equipment for such processes is provided with a filter F that collects dust contained in the airflow. The filter cleaner 1 is a device that washes (cleans) the filter F in order to remove dust from the filter F. The filter F is a cylindrical pleated filter that is roughly cylindrical in shape and has alternating peaks and valleys (unevenness) on its outer circumferential surface in the circumferential direction.

The filter washer 1 includes a cleaning container 2 that contains and cleans the filter F, a dust collector 3 that recovers and collects the dust removed from the filter F in the cleaning container 2, and a roughly rectangular parallelepiped stand 4 that supports the cleaning container 2 and the dust collector 3. Casters 5 are provided at the four corners of the underside of the stand 4. The casters 5 are equipped with adjusters 6. The filter washer 1 can be easily moved by the rolling of the wheels of the casters 5, and can be fixedly installed on the floor by adjusting the adjusters 6.

<Cleaning container>
Fig. 4 is a front view of the main body 11 of the cleaning container 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning container 2 taken along a horizontal plane.

The cleaning container 2 has a main body 11 and an opening/closing door 12.

The main body 11 is formed in a container shape with an open front and capable of housing the filter F in an upright position (with the center line of the filter F extending vertically). Specifically, the main body 11 integrally comprises a semi-cylindrical rear wall 13, a flat left side wall 14 extending from the left end of the rear wall 13 to the front side, a flat right side wall 15 extending from the right end of the rear wall 13 to the front side, a top wall 16 that closes the space surrounded on three sides by the rear wall 13, the left side wall 14, and the right side wall 15 from above, and a bottom wall 17 that closes the space from below, and the left side wall 14 and the right side wall 15 face each other in parallel with each other across the diameter of the rear wall 13.

A rectangular opening 19 is formed on the front of the main body 11 and is surrounded by the front ends (front ends) of the left side wall 14, right side wall 15, top wall 16, and bottom wall 17. A filter F can be inserted and removed from the main body 11 through the opening 19.

As shown in FIG. 2, a circular exhaust port 21 is formed near the lower end of the rear wall 13 when viewed from the right side. A cylindrical connecting pipe 22 is provided on the rear wall 13, connected to the entire circumference of the exhaust port 21 and extending along a tangent to the outer circumferential surface of the rear wall 13 on the right side.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 11 is provided with a filter support mechanism 23 that supports the filter F so that it can rotate about a straight line (vertical line) that extends in the vertical direction. The filter support mechanism 23 includes a holding mechanism 24 that holds the lower end of the filter F, and a fixing mechanism 25 that fixes the filter F in the vertical direction.

The holding mechanism 24 includes a support shaft 31, a support plate 32, and a number of expansion members 33.

The support shaft 31 extends in the vertical direction and rotatably penetrates the bottom wall 17 of the main body 11 and the top plate of the stand 4. A drive mechanism 34 is provided below the top plate of the stand 4. The drive mechanism 34 has a motor 35 as a drive source. The drive mechanism 34 also includes, for example, a support shaft gear that is non-rotatably attached to the support shaft 31, and a motor gear that is non-rotatably attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 35 and meshes with the support shaft gear. As a result, when the motor 35 is driven and the rotating shaft of the motor 35 rotates, the rotation of the rotating shaft is transmitted from the motor gear to the support shaft gear, and the support shaft 31 rotates integrally with the support shaft gear.

The support plate 32 is formed in a circular shape, with the support shaft 31 inserted through its center. The support plate 32 is fixed to the support shaft 31 in a state in which it is parallel to and spaced apart from the bottom wall portion 17.

The expansion members 33 are provided at equal angular intervals (for example, at 90° or 120° intervals) around the support shaft 31 at positions to the side of the support shaft 31 and above the support plate 32. The expansion members 33 are plate-shaped extending in the vertical direction and integrally include a pressing portion 36 and a guide portion 37 that is curved or bent toward the support shaft 31 side relative to the pressing portion 36 and extends diagonally upward. Two support members 38 are provided between the pressing portion 36 of each expansion member 33 and the support shaft 31, spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. Each support member 38 extends in the radial direction of the support shaft 31 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "radial direction"). The radially outer end of each support member 38 is connected to the pressing portion 36. The support shaft 31 has a cylindrical portion that faces the pressing portion 36 in the radial direction, and the radially inner end of each support member 38 is inserted into the peripheral surface of the support shaft 31 so as to be movable in the radial direction. A brim-shaped stopper (not shown) that protrudes from the support member 38 is provided at the radially inner end of each support member 38, and the support member 38 can advance radially outward until the stopper abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the support shaft 31. A coil spring 39 (elastic member) is provided between the pressing portion 36 of the expanding member 33 and the support shaft 31 in a state where it is wound around each support member 38, and the expanding member 33 is biased by the elastic force of the coil spring 39 in a direction away from the support shaft 31, that is, toward the radially outward direction.

The fixing mechanism 25 includes a through shaft 41 and an abutment member 42.

The through shaft 41 is arranged to share a common axis with the support shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 24, passes through the top wall 16 of the main body 11, and is held in the top wall 16 so as to be rotatable and movable up and down.

The abutment member 42 is attached to the lower end of the through shaft 41. The abutment member 42 has a generally conical shape with an inner diameter that increases toward the bottom, and its bottom surface is open.

When the filter F, which is a cylindrical pleated filter, is set in the main body 11 of the cleaning container 2, the filter F is inserted into the main body 11 through the opening 19 on the front of the main body 11. Then, the expansion member 33 of the holding mechanism 24 is inserted into the axial space of the filter F from its lower end, and the filter F is placed on the support plate 32 of the holding mechanism 24. In the normal state before the filter F is set, the pressing portion 36 of the expansion member 33 is arranged on a circumference having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the filter F. Therefore, when each expansion member 33 is inserted into the axial space of the filter F, the guide portion 37 of the expansion member 33 abuts against the lower end of the inner circumference of the filter F, and as the insertion proceeds, the lower end of the inner circumference of the filter F slides on the guide portion 37 toward the pressing portion 36, and the expansion member 33 moves toward the support shaft 31 against the elastic force of the coil spring 39 due to the force received from the lower end of the inner circumference of the filter F. When the filter F is placed on the support plate 32, the pressing portion 36 of each expanding member 33 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the filter F by the elastic force of the coil spring 39, thereby restricting the relative movement between the filter F and the expanding member 33, and the filter F is held in a rotatable manner by the holding mechanism 24. Note that the means for biasing the pressing portion 36 is not limited to the coil spring 39, and may be other elastic members such as a leaf spring or rubber.

After the filter F is placed on the support plate 32, the abutment member 42 of the fixing mechanism 25 is lowered so that the inner surface of the abutment member 42 abuts against the upper end of the outer periphery of the filter F. As a result, the upper end of the outer periphery of the filter F is held by the abutment member 42 over the entire circumference, the vertical position of the filter F is fixed, and the setting of the filter F is completed. Once the setting of the filter F is completed, the filter F is supported by the filter support mechanism 23 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the support shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 24.

In addition, two blades 43 are provided around the support shaft 31 at 180° intervals between the bottom wall portion 17 of the main body 11 and the support plate 32. The blades 43 are formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape, are fixed to the lower surface of the support plate 32, and extend radially and vertically. The vertical dimension of the blades 43 is smaller than the distance between the bottom wall portion 17 and the support plate 32, and the lower end of the blades 43 does not contact the bottom wall portion 17.

5, the opening/closing door 12 is provided so as to be able to open and close the opening 19 on the front of the main body 11. Specifically, the left side wall 14 of the main body 11 has shaft holding blocks 52 protruding to the left at two locations spaced apart in the vertical direction, which hold the opening/closing shaft 51. The upper and lower opening/closing shafts 51 are arranged on the same opening/closing axis extending in the vertical direction and extend upward from the shaft holding block 52. The opening/closing door 12 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that can abut against the periphery of the opening 19 of the main body 11, that is, the front ends of the left side wall 14, right side wall 15, top wall 16 and bottom wall 17. A bracket 54 is attached to the left side surface 53 of the opening/closing door 12 in correspondence with the upper and lower opening/closing shafts 51. The bracket 54 integrally includes a fixed plate portion 55 fixed to the left side surface 53 of the opening/closing door 12, and a connecting plate portion 56 that is bent at a right angle at the lower end of the fixed plate portion 55 and extends from the side of the fixed plate portion 55 (the left side when the opening/closing door 12 is closed) toward the opening/closing shaft 51. The connecting plate portion 56 has an elongated hole formed as an axis insertion hole 57 in the direction in which the connecting plate portion 56 extends. The opening/closing shaft 51 is inserted from below into the axis insertion hole 57 of the upper and lower brackets 54, so that the opening/closing door 12 can be displaced with the opening/closing shaft 51 as a fulcrum between a closed position in which it abuts against the periphery of the opening 19 of the main body 11 to close the opening 19, and an open position in which it unfolds from the closed position to the front side to open the opening 19.

The opening and closing door 12 is provided with a nozzle 61. The nozzle 61 has a nozzle portion 63 penetrating a nozzle holding plate 62 that is a rectangular plate extending in the vertical direction, and an outside air intake portion 64 that is continuous with the front side of the nozzle portion 63.

The nozzle portion 63 extends vertically and in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle holding plate 62, and the tip of the nozzle portion 63 faces the axis of the support shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 24 (the rotation center line of the filter F). The space within the nozzle portion 63 is a slit-like space of a fixed width, and is open at the tip of the nozzle portion 63.

The outside air intake section 64 has a generally triangular cross section that becomes wider as it moves away from the nozzle section 63. As a result, the space inside the outside air intake section 64 becomes narrower as it moves closer to the nozzle section 63. In addition, the space inside the outside air intake section 64 is open to the side opposite the nozzle section 63.

Meanwhile, a slit is formed in the center of the door 12 in the left-right direction, through which the nozzle portion 63 can be inserted. The nozzle portion 63 is inserted into the slit of the door 12 from the outside of the door 12, and as shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle holding plate 62 is pressed against the outer surface of the door 12 by four clamps 65 on the top, bottom, left and right sides, so that the nozzle 61 is fixedly attached to the door 12.

The opening and closing door 12 is provided with forced introduction sections 66 at two locations, left and right, at the bottom end. As shown in the cross section in FIG. 6, the forced introduction section 66 includes a cylindrical circulation pipe 67 that penetrates the opening and closing door 12, and a cross-sectional crank-shaped wind direction adjustment member 69 that is fixed to the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12 and has an opposing portion 68 that faces the circulation pipe 67 from the direction of the center line of the circulation pipe 67. For example, an air compressor is connected to the circulation pipe 67 from the outside, and air from the air compressor is forcibly introduced. The air introduced into the circulation pipe 67 flows through the circulation pipe 67, flows out of the circulation pipe 67, and collides with the opposing portion 68 of the wind direction adjustment member 69, changing its wind direction upward. As a result, the air flowing out of the circulation pipe 67 flows from the bottom to the top along the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12.

<Dust collection device>
The dust collection device 3 employs a cyclone-type dust collection method, and as shown in Figures 1 and 3, is equipped with a suction separation section 71 and a collection section 72. Dust-containing air is sucked from the cleaning container 2 into the suction separation section 71, and the air is swirled within the suction separation section 71. The resulting centrifugal force is used to separate the dust, which is then collected in the collection section 72.

Specifically, the suction separation unit 71 is supported by a bracket 73 fixed to the stand 4 and is provided to extend in the vertical direction. The upper side wall 74 of the suction separation unit 71 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the lower side wall 75, which is continuous with the lower part of the upper side wall 74, is formed in a substantially conical shape with a diameter decreasing toward the lower side. The upper side wall 74 is formed with a circular suction port 76 when viewed from the right side. The upper side wall 74 is provided with a cylindrical connection pipe 77 that is connected to the entire circumference of the suction port 76 and extends along a tangent to the outer peripheral surface of the upper side wall 74 on the right side. One end of a connection hose 78 is connected to the connection pipe 77. The other end of the connection hose 78 is connected to the connection pipe 22 of the cleaning container 2 as shown in FIG. 4. As a result, the inside of the main body 11 of the cleaning container 2 is communicated with the inside of the suction separation unit 71 via the exhaust port 21 and connection pipe 22 of the cleaning container 2, the connection hose 78, and the connection pipe 77 and suction port 76 of the suction separation unit 71.

An intake pipe 82 is inserted through the center of the top plate 81 of the suction separation section 71. The intake pipe 82 extends in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the intake pipe 82 opens downward inside the suction separation section 71. A cylindrical connecting pipe 83 is connected to the upper side wall of the intake pipe 82. The inside of the connecting pipe 83 is in communication with the inside of the intake pipe 82. One end of an intake hose (not shown) is connected to the connecting pipe 83. The other end of the intake hose is connected to, for example, the suction port of a blower (not shown).

The collection section 72 is a container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is attached to the lower end of the suction separation section 71. The lower end surface of the suction separation section 71 is open, and the interior of the suction separation section 71 and the interior of the collection section 72 are in communication with each other via the opening.

<Filter cleaning procedure>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a procedure for cleaning the filter F.

When cleaning the filter F, the door 12 of the cleaning container 2 is opened, and the filter F to be cleaned is set in the main body 11 of the cleaning container 2 (step S1). The method of setting the filter F has been described above, so a detailed description will be omitted here. The filter cleaning machine 1 can accommodate filters F of various sizes. The filter cleaning machine 1 can clean filters F with an outer diameter in the range of 100 to 200 mm and a length in the range of 400 to 1000 mm, for example, but can also accommodate filters F of other sizes by changing the dimensions of each part.

After the filter F is set, the opening and closing door 12 is closed. When the opening and closing door 12 is closed, the opening 19 on the front of the main body 11 is blocked. As a result, air does not flow between the inside and outside of the cleaning container 2 at any point other than the discharge port 21 and the nozzle 61. A limit switch 84 that outputs a detection signal according to the open/closed state of the opening and closing door 12 is provided on the outer surface of the right side wall portion 15 of the main body 11, and the detection signal of the limit switch 84 is input to the controller that controls the operation of the filter cleaning machine 1. After the opening and closing door 12 is closed, for example, when an operation start button provided on the filter cleaning machine 1 is pressed to instruct the start of operation of the filter cleaning machine 1, the controller confirms the open/closed state of the opening and closing door 12 from the detection signal of the limit switch 84. Then, when the controller confirms that the opening and closing door 12 is closed, the operation of the filter cleaning machine 1 is started, and when the opening and closing door 12 is not closed and it is not confirmed that the opening and closing door 12 is closed, the operation of the filter cleaning machine 1 is not started. In addition, if the door 12 is opened while the filter washer 1 is operating and the detection signal of the limit switch 84 changes, the controller will forcibly stop the operation of the filter washer 1.

When the filter cleaner 1 starts to operate, the dust collector 3 starts to operate and the Roots blower starts to operate (step S2: suction starts). When the Roots blower is driven, the air in the suction separation section 71 is sucked out through the intake pipe 82 and the connection pipe 83, and then the air flows downward in a spiral along the inner surface of the lower side wall 75 of the suction separation section 71, and then an airflow is generated from near the center of the suction separation section 71 toward the intake pipe 82. In addition, the air in the cleaning container 2 is sucked into the suction separation section 71 from the exhaust port 21 through the connection hose 78, etc. In addition, outside air is sucked into the outside air introduction section 64 of the nozzle 61, and the outside air is blown out from the nozzle section 63 toward the inside of the main body 11. As a result, an airflow is generated in the cleaning container 2 in a direction toward the exhaust port 21 along the left side of the exhaust port 21 of the rear wall section 13 of the main body 11.

The wind speed of the air blown out from the nozzle portion 63 is set to, for example, 50 m/s, and in this case, the volume of the air sucked in from the exhaust port 21 is about 4 ^m3 /min, but these wind speeds and volumes are not particularly limited. If the wind speed of the air blown out from the nozzle portion 63 is too low, the cleaning ability decreases, and if it is too high, there is a risk of damaging the filter F, so it may be set appropriately within the range of, for example, 20 to 100 m/s.

The outside air inlet 64 of the nozzle 61 has a generally triangular cross section that becomes wider as it moves away from the nozzle portion 63, so that outside air can easily enter the outside air inlet 64. In addition, because the space inside the outside air inlet 64 narrows toward the nozzle portion 63, the flow rate of the outside air flowing from the outside air inlet 64 to the nozzle portion 63 increases due to the Venturi effect. As a result, an airflow with a high flow rate is blown out from the nozzle portion 63. Since the tip of the nozzle portion 63 faces the axis of the support shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 24, the airflow blown out from the nozzle portion 63 is blown toward the center line of rotation of the filter F. The orientation of the nozzle portion 63 may be inclined with respect to the axis.

After the dust collector 3 starts operating, the motor 35 of the drive mechanism 34 starts to be driven (step S3: filter rotation starts). When the motor 35 starts to be driven, the rotation shaft of the motor 35 starts to rotate, and the rotation is transmitted to the support shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 24, and the entire holding mechanism 24 starts to rotate together with the support shaft 31, and the filter F starts to rotate integrally with the holding mechanism 24. Since the abutment member 42 of the fixing mechanism 25 abuts against the entire circumference of the upper end of the filter F, the center of the upper end of the filter F is prevented from shifting from the rotation axis of the holding mechanism 24, and the axial wobble of the filter F due to the center shift is suppressed.

The dust adhering to the filter F is subjected to centrifugal force due to the rotation of the filter F, and is shaken off from the filter F by the centrifugal force. In addition, as the filter F rotates, the airflow is blown over the entire 360° area of the outer peripheral surface of the filter F. Moreover, since the airflow blown out from the nozzle portion 63 is blown toward the center line of rotation of the filter F, the airflow reaches the back of the valleys of the outer peripheral surface of the filter F. As a result, the dust adhering to the filter F is subjected to the wind pressure of the airflow from the nozzle portion 63 in addition to the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the filter F, and the dust is well separated from the entire surface of the outer peripheral surface of the filter F. In addition, the rotation direction of the filter F is set to the same direction as the airflow generated in the cleaning container 2, for example. Therefore, the dust blown outward in the radial direction by the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the filter F is easily carried by the airflow flowing around the outer periphery of the filter F, and is carried by the airflow toward the exhaust port 21. In addition, as the blades 43 rotate integrally with the support plate 32 of the holding mechanism 24, the rotating blades 43 scrape the dust that has accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning container 2 toward the exhaust port 21. Therefore, air containing the dust that has been removed from the filter F in the cleaning container 2 is discharged from the exhaust port 21.

The rotation speed of the filter F is set to, for example, 300 rpm, but is not particularly limited to this. However, if the rotation speed of the filter F is too low, the dust removal effect by centrifugal force will not be obtained, and if it is too high, there is a risk of damaging the filter F, so it is best to set the rotation speed within an appropriate range taking these factors into consideration.

Dust-laden air discharged from the exhaust port 21 of the cleaning container 2 flows into the suction separation section 71 of the dust collector 3 via a connecting hose 78 or the like. When this dust-laden air spirals along the inner surface of the lower side wall 75 of the suction separation section 71 and changes direction from a descending direction to a direction toward the intake pipe 82, the air and the dust contained in the air are separated. The dust separated from the air falls from the opening at the lower end of the suction separation section 71 into the collection section 72 and is collected, and the air from which the dust has been removed is sucked into the intake pipe 82 and flows from the intake pipe 82 through the connecting pipe 83 toward the Roots blower.

When a predetermined time has elapsed since the filter F started to rotate (the motor 35 started to drive), the motor 35 is stopped and the filter F stops to rotate (step S4: filter rotation stops). Thereafter, if necessary, an air compressor is connected to the forced introduction part 66, and air from the air compressor is introduced into the cleaning container 2 via the forced introduction part 66. The air flowing out of the flow pipe 67 collides with the opposing part 68 of the air direction adjustment member 69, and the air direction is changed upward, and the air flows from the bottom to the top along the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12, so that dust adhering to the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12 is blown off and removed.

Then, the operation of the dust collector 3 is stopped, and the suction of air from inside the cleaning container 2 to the dust collector 3 is stopped (step S5: suction stopped). Then, the abutment member 42 of the fixing mechanism 25 is raised and separated from the filter F, after which the lower end of the filter F is removed from the holding mechanism 24, and the filter F is carried out through the opening 19 on the front of the main body 11 (step S6: filter removal).

<Action and effect>
As described above, the filter F to be cleaned is housed in the cleaning container 2 and is supported by the filter support mechanism 23 so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in the vertical direction. The cleaning container 2 is formed with an outlet 21, to which the dust collector 3 is connected. When the dust collector 3 is operated, air in the cleaning container 2 is sucked into the dust collector 3 through the outlet 21, and with this suction, outside air is introduced into the cleaning container 2 through the nozzle 61, generating an airflow in the cleaning container 2. Therefore, dust adhering to the filter F can be blown away and removed by the outside air introduced by the nozzle 61, and the dust removed from the filter F can be carried by the airflow and discharged from the outlet 21.

The filter F is supported by the filter support mechanism 23 when the lower end of the filter F is held by the holding mechanism 24 and the abutment member 42 of the fixing mechanism 25 abuts against the held filter F from above, fixing the filter F in the vertical direction. Because the abutment member 42 is arranged to be able to move back and forth in the vertical direction, the position of the abutment member 42 can be adjusted to match the vertical size of the filter F. This makes it possible to fix filters F of various sizes in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, when the lower end of the filter F is held by the holding mechanism 24, and the expansion member 33 of the holding mechanism 25 is inserted into the filter F, the pressing portion 36 of the expansion member 33 is pressed against the filter F by the elastic force of the coil spring 39. This suppresses relative movement between the filter F and the expansion member 33, and the filter F is held in the holding mechanism 24 so that it can rotate integrally with the filter F. Moreover, the expansion member 36 is provided with a guide portion 37, which guides the insertion of the expansion member 33 into the filter F, so that the expansion member 36 can be easily inserted into the filter F. This configuration therefore reduces the effort required to hold the filter F in the holding mechanism 24.

The cleaning container 2 is configured such that the rear wall 13, left side wall 14, and right side wall 15 are U-shaped when viewed vertically, and an opening 19 formed between the left side wall 14 and right side wall 15 is opened and closed by a flat opening and closing door 12. When viewed vertically, the rear wall 13 is semicircular and the left side wall 14 and right side wall 15 are straight, so that a space larger than a circular area equal to the inner diameter of the rear wall 13 can be secured inside the main body 11. The width of the opening 19 in the left-right direction is also equal to the inner diameter of the rear wall 13, so that a large width can be secured. Therefore, even if the size of the filter F is large, the large filter F can be accommodated in the cleaning container 2 through the opening 19.

Therefore, the filter cleaner 1 can clean filters F of various sizes.

The filter washer 1 is equipped with a drive mechanism 34 that rotates the holding mechanism 24 with the drive force of the motor 35. When cleaning the filter F, the filter F can be actively rotated by the drive force of the motor 35. Therefore, by rotating the filter F and applying the centrifugal force of the rotation to the dust, the effect of separating the dust from the filter F can be improved, and the filter F can be cleaned more thoroughly.

The abutment member 42 has a conical shape that opens to one side and abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the filter F. This makes it possible to prevent axial wobble (eccentricity) of the filter F when the filter F rotates, allowing the filter F to rotate stably.

The nozzle 61 is provided penetrating the door 12, and external air can be forcefully ejected from the nozzle 61 into the cleaning container 2. The external air ejected from the nozzle 61 is then blown onto the filter F, effectively separating the dust adhering to the filter F. Moreover, since the nozzle 61 is provided penetrating the door 12, by opening the door 12, the operator can perform maintenance on the nozzle 61 without having to reach into the cleaning container 2.

In addition, the nozzle 61 is fixedly attached to the opening and closing door 12 by being pressed against the opening and closing door 12 by the clamp 65, so it can be removed from the opening and closing door 12 by releasing the pressure from the clamp 65. This allows maintenance such as cleaning of the nozzle 61 to be performed while the nozzle 61 is removed from the opening and closing door 12.

The opening and closing door 12 is provided with a forced introduction section 66 that forcibly introduces air into the cleaning container 2. For example, after cleaning the filter F, the air in the cleaning container 2 is sucked out from the exhaust port 21 while air is forcibly introduced into the cleaning container 2 from the forced introduction section 66, so that the dust in the cleaning container 2 is carried by the air current and discharged from the exhaust port 21. As a result, the amount of dust remaining in the cleaning container 2 after cleaning the filter F can be reduced.

The forced introduction section 66 is provided by penetrating the lower end of the opening and closing door 12, and includes a circulation pipe 67 through which the air introduced into the cleaning container 2 flows, and a wind direction adjustment member 69 that is fixed to the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12 and has an opposing part 68 that faces the circulation pipe 67 from the direction of the center line of the circulation pipe 67. Therefore, the air introduced into the cleaning container 2 from the circulation pipe 67 collides with the opposing part of the wind direction adjustment member 69, and the wind direction of the air is changed upward. As a result, the air flows along the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12, and the dust attached to the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12 is blown away by the air. As a result, when the opening and closing door 12 is opened after the filter F is washed, the dust attached to the inner surface of the opening and closing door 12 can be prevented from scattering or falling outside the device.

At the bottom of the cleaning container 2, a blade 43 that rotates integrally with the holding mechanism 24 is provided. This allows the rotating blade 43 to scrape dust that has accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning container 2 toward the exhaust port 21, and the scraped dust can be discharged on the airflow flowing out of the exhaust port 21. As a result, the amount of dust remaining in the cleaning container 2 after the filter F is cleaned can be reduced.

<Modification>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be embodied in other forms.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, an impact member 91 may be provided in the cleaning container 2. The impact member 91 is in the form of a plate extending in the vertical direction, is made of resin such as rubber, and is flexible. The impact member 91 is, for example, fixed to the nozzle portion 63 of the nozzle 61, extends from the nozzle portion 63 toward the rotation center line of the filter F supported by the filter support mechanism 23, and is positioned so as to abut against the outer periphery of the filter F. The impact member 91 may be formed long in the vertical direction and provided as a single member, or may be provided as multiple members spaced apart in the vertical direction.

When the filter F rotates, the impact member 91 hits the tips of the peaks of the filter F in sequence, and the impact is applied to the filter F. This causes the filter F to vibrate, and the vibration can effectively separate dust from the filter F. As a result, the filter F can be washed even more thoroughly.

The suction source for the dust collector 3 can be any type of blower, such as a ring blower or roots blower, or a negative pressure source such as a vacuum pump.

The filter to be cleaned by the filter cleaner 1 is not limited to the filter F that removes dust from the airflow used in processes such as the pneumatic transport and drying of powder and granular materials, but may be other types of filters, such as a dust-collecting filter installed in the flow path through which the airflow passes in an air conditioner.

In addition, various design modifications can be made to the above-mentioned configuration within the scope of the claims.

1: Filter washer 2: Cleaning container 3: Dust collector (suction section)
12: Opening/closing door 13: Rear wall 14: Left side wall (side wall)
15: Right side wall part (side wall part)
19: Opening 21: Discharge port 23: Filter support mechanism (filter support portion)
24: Holding mechanism 25: Fixing mechanism 33: Spreading member 34: Driving mechanism 35: Motor 36: Pressing portion 37: Guide portion 39: Coil spring (elastic member)
42: Contact member 43: Blade 61: Nozzle 66: Forced introduction section 67: Flow pipe 68: Opposing section 69: Airflow direction adjustment member 71: Suction separation section (suction section)
91: Impact member F: Filter

Claims (15)

a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door;
a filter support portion that supports the filter in the cleaning container so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction;
a suction unit connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and configured to suck air from within the cleaning container through the exhaust port;
an introduction section that introduces outside air into the cleaning container in association with suction by the suction section;
The filter support portion is
a holding mechanism for holding one end of the filter in the predetermined direction;
a fixing mechanism having a contact member provided so as to be reciprocally movable in the predetermined direction, and abutting the contact member against the filter, the end of which is held by the holding mechanism, from the opposite side to the one side in the predetermined direction, to fix the filter in the predetermined direction,
The holding mechanism includes:
An expansion member that is inserted into the filter and suppresses movement of the filter ;
A support shaft extending in the predetermined direction;
a support plate having the support shaft located at its center ;
The expansion member is provided in plurality around the support shaft,
a filter washer, each of the expansion members having a pressing portion and a guide portion provided on the opposite side of the pressing portion in the specified direction for guiding the insertion of the expansion member into the filter, and being biased in a direction away from the support shaft by an elastic member . The filter washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism including a motor for generating a drive force, the drive force of the motor causing the holding mechanism to rotate about the straight line. The predetermined direction is an up-down direction,
The filter washer according to claim 2 , further comprising a vane provided at the bottom of the cleaning container and rotating integrally with the holding mechanism. a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door;
a filter support section that supports the filter in the cleaning container so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction, the filter support section including a holding mechanism that holds an end of the filter on one side in the predetermined direction, and a fixing mechanism that has an abutment member that is provided so as to be capable of reciprocating in the predetermined direction and abuts the abutment member against the filter whose end is held by the holding mechanism from the opposite side to the one side in the predetermined direction, thereby fixing the filter in the predetermined direction;
a suction unit connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and configured to suck air from within the cleaning container through the exhaust port;
an introduction part that introduces outside air into the cleaning container in association with suction by the suction part;
a drive mechanism including a motor that generates a drive force and rotates the holding mechanism around the straight line by the drive force of the motor;
The predetermined direction is an up-down direction,
a blade provided at a bottom of the cleaning container and rotating together with the holding mechanism;
The filter cleaning machine, wherein the holding mechanism includes an expansion member that is inserted into the filter and suppresses movement of the filter. a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door;
a filter support portion that supports the filter in the cleaning container so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction;
a suction unit connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and configured to suck air from within the cleaning container through the exhaust port;
an introduction section that introduces outside air into the cleaning container in association with suction by the suction section;
The filter support portion is
a holding mechanism for holding one end of the filter in the predetermined direction;
a fixing mechanism having a contact member provided so as to be reciprocally movable in the predetermined direction, and abutting the contact member against the filter, the end of which is held by the holding mechanism, from the side opposite to the one side in the predetermined direction, to fix the filter in the predetermined direction,
The predetermined direction is an up-down direction,
a drive mechanism including a motor that generates a drive force, the drive force of the motor being used to rotate the holding mechanism around the straight line;
a blade provided at a bottom of the cleaning container and rotating integrally with the holding mechanism. The cleaning vessel comprises:
a semi-cylindrical rear wall portion having a centerline in the predetermined direction;
and flat side wall portions extending from both circumferential ends of the rear wall portion and parallel to each other with a width equal to the diameter of the rear wall portion,
The filter washer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening is formed between the side wall portions. a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door;
a filter support portion that supports the filter in the cleaning container so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction;
a suction unit connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and configured to suck air from within the cleaning container through the exhaust port;
an introduction section that introduces outside air into the cleaning container in association with suction by the suction section;
The filter support portion is
a holding mechanism for holding one end of the filter in the predetermined direction;
a fixing mechanism having a contact member provided so as to be reciprocally movable in the predetermined direction, and abutting the contact member against the filter, the end of which is held by the holding mechanism, from the opposite side to the one side in the predetermined direction, to fix the filter in the predetermined direction,
the retention mechanism includes an expansion member that is inserted into the filter and suppresses movement of the filter;
The cleaning vessel comprises:
a semi-cylindrical rear wall portion having a centerline in the predetermined direction;
and flat side wall portions extending from both circumferential ends of the rear wall portion and parallel to each other with a width equal to the diameter of the rear wall portion,
The opening is formed between the sidewalls. The filter washer according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the introduction portion is a nozzle provided so as to penetrate the opening and closing door. a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door;
a filter support portion that supports the filter in the cleaning container so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction;
a suction unit connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and configured to suck air from within the cleaning container through the exhaust port;
an introduction section that introduces outside air into the cleaning container in association with suction by the suction section;
The filter support portion is
a holding mechanism for holding one end of the filter in the predetermined direction;
a fixing mechanism having a contact member provided so as to be reciprocally movable in the predetermined direction, and abutting the contact member against the filter, the end of which is held by the holding mechanism, from the opposite side to the one side in the predetermined direction, to fix the filter in the predetermined direction,
the retention mechanism includes an expansion member that is inserted into the filter and suppresses movement of the filter;
The filter washer, wherein the introduction portion is a nozzle provided penetrating the opening and closing door. The nozzle is
a nozzle portion having a slit-shaped space extending in the predetermined direction, the tip of which is directed toward the filter held by the holding mechanism, and the slit-shaped space is open at the tip;
10. The filter cleaner according to claim 8 or 9 , further comprising: an outside air intake section that is continuous with the nozzle section from the outside of the cleaning container and has a space that narrows as it approaches the nozzle section, the narrowing space being open to the outside. The filter washer according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , further comprising a forced introduction section that forcibly introduces air into the cleaning container. a cleaning container capable of accommodating a filter through an opening that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door;
a filter support portion that supports the filter in the cleaning container so as to be rotatable about a straight line extending in a predetermined direction;
a suction unit connected to an exhaust port formed in the cleaning container and configured to suck air from within the cleaning container through the exhaust port;
an introduction part that introduces outside air into the cleaning container in association with suction by the suction part;
a forced introduction unit that forcibly introduces air into the cleaning container,
The filter support portion is
a holding mechanism for holding one end of the filter in the predetermined direction;
a fixing mechanism having a contact member provided so as to be reciprocally movable in the predetermined direction, and abutting the contact member against the filter, the end of which is held by the holding mechanism, from the opposite side to the one side in the predetermined direction, to fix the filter in the predetermined direction,
The filter cleaning machine, wherein the holding mechanism includes an expansion member that is inserted into the filter and suppresses movement of the filter. The forced introduction section is
a circulation pipe provided through a lower end of the opening and closing door and through which air introduced into the cleaning container flows;
The filter washer according to claim 11 or 12 , further comprising: an airflow direction adjusting member fixed to an inner surface of the opening and closing door, the airflow direction adjusting member having a facing portion facing the circulation pipe in a direction of a center line of the circulation pipe. The filter washer according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the contact member has a conical shape that is open toward the one side and contacts an outer circumferential edge portion of the filter. The filter washer according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , further comprising an impact member provided within the cleaning container, in contact with the filter, and applying an impact to the filter when the filter is rotated.

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