Arrangement for cleaning mechanical devices, small parts and/or electronic switching units

• US 5,401,328 A
• Filed: 02/02/1994
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: Schmitz, deceased, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US08/190,722
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 134/58 R, 134/95.2, 134/95.3, 134/103.2, 134/111, 134/153, 134/200, 210/494.1, 210/499, 55/525, 55/DIG. 31
• US Class Current: 134/58.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/31 Filter frame

Abstract

A device for cleaning mechanical appliances, small parts and/or electronic switch units using cleaning liquids comprises a cleaning chamber ventilated by means of a fan. A baffle plate is arranged in front of an intake opening of the chamber. A door provides access to the chamber. A discharge chamber below the cleaning chamber collects the cleaning liquid for regeneration. The cleaning chamber is mounted above a square, closed substructure. The delivery connection piece of the fan is connected by a pipeline to the base region of the substructure. A ventilation pipeline leading both into the cleaning chamber and an evacuation pipeline opens into the upper region of the substructure. A rotary table in the cleaning chamber holds the objects to be cleaned. The cleaning chamber has at least one rising pipe which is supplied with cleaning liquid by a pump and which has spray nozzles directed toward the rotary table.

Claims

1. A system for cleaning mechanical and/or electrical equipment or devices with cleaning liquids, comprising:

an enclosed uppermost cleaning compartment having a closeable front loading opening, back, top, bottom, and right and left sides;

at least one riser pipe vertically mounted within said cleaning compartment, said riser pipe including a bottom end for receiving cleaning liquid, a top end, an elongated main stem between said top and bottom ends, and a plurality of spaced holes through said main stem between the top and bottom ends thereof;

a first spray nozzle attached to the top end of said riser pipe;

a plurality of second nozzles inserted in said holes along said main stem, respectively;

a turntable mounted in said cleaning compartment, juxtaposed to said one riser pipe, said turntable being for carrying workpieces to be cleaned;

drive means connected to said turntable, for rotating said turntable at a selected speed;

a source of cleaning fluid;

pump means connected between said source of cleaning fluid and the bottom end of said riser pipe, for pumping cleaning fluid to said riser pipe, for spraying out of said first and second nozzles, for wetting workpieces rotating on said turntable;

recirculating means for collecting, filtering, and returning filtered cleaning fluid from said cleaning chamber to said source of cleaning fluid;

an enclosed collecting chamber located immediately below said cleaning chamber;

an enclosed equalizing compartment located below said collecting chamber;

a frame including five 6 to 12 mm mesh filter mats knitted from 0.3 to 0.6 mm thick metal wire located between said collecting chamber and said equalizing compartment, said filter mats being arranged to lie successively on top of one another;

an extraction hose connected from said cleaning compartment into said equalizing compartment;

fan means connected in an air path provided by said extraction hose, for drawing waste air from said cleaning compartment, through said extraction hose, and into said equalizing compartment, whereby the air is forced via pressure from said fan means, to flow through said five mesh filter mats for filtering, and into said collecting chamber under pressure; and

aeration pipe means connected from said collecting chamber into said cleaning compartment, for supplying air under pressure from said collecting chamber into said cleaning compartment for drying workpieces cleaned therein.

2. The cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turntable is provided with an encircling border.

3. The cleaning system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the turntable is in the form of a wire basket.

4. The cleaning system as claimed in claim 2, further including a switch box including control elements for controlling the energization time of the pump means, the operating time of the fan means, and the operating time and rotational speed of said drive means driving said turntable.

5. The cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turntable is in the form of a wire basket.

6. The cleaning system as claimed in claim 5, further including a switch box including control elements for controlling the energization time of the pump means, the operating time of the fan means, and the operating time and rotational speed of said drive means driving said turntable.

7. The cleaning system as claimed in claim 1, further including control elements for controlling the energization time of the pump means, the operating time of the fan, and the operating time and rotational speed of said drive means driving said turntable.

8. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein said drive means includes:

a thrust bearing mounted between a center bottom portion of said turntable, and the bottom of said cleaning compartment;

a motor driven connecting shaft; and

a miter gear driven by said connecting shaft for rotating said turntable.

9. The cleaning system of claim 1, further including:

another riser pipe substantially identical to said first riser pipe, said another riser pipe being mounted on an opposite side of said turntable from said one riser pipe;

another said first spray nozzle attached to the top end of said another riser pipe; and

another plurality of said second nozzles inserted in holes along a main stem of said another riser pipe, respectively;

said pump means further being connected between said source of cleaning fluid, and a bottom end of said riser pipe, for pumping cleaning fluid thereto.

10. The cleaning system of claim 1, further including:

a vent pipe having one end connected into said collecting chamber, and another open end; and

an active carbon filter connected to said another end of said vent pipe, for filtering air removed from said collecting chamber via said vent pipe before the air is passed into the atmosphere.

11. The cleaning system of claim 1, further including:

a removable baffle filter installed through a side wall of said cleaning chamber, for permitting ventilating air to be drawn into said cleaning chamber.