Cleaning apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US11491515B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Cleaning apparatus",
  "abstract": "A compact cleaning apparatus including a robot with a narrow range of motion is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes: a cleaning chamber; a cleaning station; a drying station; a separation wall; a single axis robot including a column arranged adjacent to a side surface, a linear guide extending vertically, and a vertical moving saddle movable vertically; an arm portion including a first rotation saddle rotatable about a second axis extending vertically, a first arm swingable about a third axis extending horizontally and extending orthogonal to the third axis, a second arm rotatable about a fourth axis orthogonal to the third axis, a second rotation saddle rotatable about a fifth axis orthogonal to the fourth axis, a third rotation saddle rotatable about a sixth axis orthogonal to the fifth axis; and a hand for gripping a workpiece.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a cleaning chamber having a side surface; a cleaning station including a cleaning nozzle configured to inject cleaning liquid; a drying station including a blow nozzle configured to inject dry air; a separation wall partitioning the cleaning chamber into the cleaning station and the drying station; a single axis robot including a column arranged adjacent to the side surface, the column arranged along an extension of the separation wall, a linear guide arranged in the column, the linear guide extending vertically, and a vertical moving saddle configured to move vertically along the linear guide; an arm portion including a first rotation saddle supported by the vertical moving saddle, the first rotation saddle configured to rotate about a second axis extending vertically, a first arm supported by the first rotation saddle, the first arm swingable about a third axis extending horizontally, the first arm extending orthogonal to the third axis, a second arm supported by the first arm, the second arm configured to rotate about a fourth axis orthogonal to the third axis, a second rotation saddle supported by the second arm, the second rotation saddle configured to rotate about a fifth axis orthogonal to the fourth axis, and a third rotation saddle supported by the second rotation saddle, the third rotation saddle configured to rotate about a sixth axis orthogonal to the fifth axis; and a hand supported by the third rotation saddle to grip a workpiece.",
    "2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the single axis robot includes a driving device configured to drive the vertical moving saddle, and a telescopic cover arranged on an outside surface of the column to face the first rotation saddle, the telescopic cover covering a gap between the column and the vertical moving saddle, the linear guide and the driving device are arranged inside the column, and the telescopic cover shields the linear guide and the driving device from the cleaning chamber.",
    "3. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the column is hollow and box-shaped, and has a through hole arranged on the cleaning chamber side along the linear guide, and the vertical moving saddle includes a slider arranged in the column to slide on the linear guide.",
    "4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning chamber has a loading port, and the hand is extendable toward outside of the loading port through the loading port.",
    "5. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning chamber includes a bottom plate and a top plate, and the separation wall extends from the bottom plate to the top plate.",
    "6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side surface is a first side surface, and the separation wall is arranged to be in contact with a second side surface of the cleaning chamber opposite to the first side surface, and away from the column such that the arm portion is configured to rotate.",
    "7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning station includes a U-shaped or O-shaped cleaning pipe arranged horizontally, the cleaning pipe including a cleaning nozzle, the drying station includes a U-shaped or O-shaped blow pipe arranged horizontally, the blow pipe including a blow nozzle, the cleaning pipe includes a plurality of nozzle holes directed toward an inside of the cleaning pipe, and the blow pipe includes a plurality of nozzle holes directed toward an inside of the blow pipe.",
    "8. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the column is hollow and box-shaped, and has a through hole arranged on the cleaning chamber side along the linear guide, and the vertical moving saddle includes a slider arranged in the column to slide on the linear guide.",
    "9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side surface has a loading port, and the hand is extendable toward outside of the loading port through the loading port.",
    "10. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the side surface has a loading port, and the hand is extendable toward outside of the loading port through the loading port.",
    "11. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning chamber includes a bottom plate and a top plate, and the separation wall extends from the bottom plate to the top plate.",
    "12. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning chamber includes a bottom plate and a top plate, and the separation wall extends from the bottom plate to the top plate.",
    "13. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning chamber includes a bottom plate and a top plate, and the separation wall extends from the bottom plate to the top plate.",
    "14. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side surface is a first side surface, and the separation wall is arranged to be in contact with a second side surface of the cleaning chamber opposite to the first side surface, and away from the column such that the arm portion is configured to rotate.",
    "15. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the side surface is a first side surface, and the separation wall is arranged to be in contact with a second side surface of the cleaning chamber opposite to the first side surface, and away from the column such that the arm portion is configured to rotate.",
    "16. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the side surface is a first side surface, and the separation wall is arranged to be in contact with a second side surface of the cleaning chamber opposite to the first side surface, and away from the column such that the arm portion is configured to rotate.",
    "17. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the side surface is a first side surface, and the separation wall is arranged to be in contact with a second side surface of the cleaning chamber opposite to the first side surface, and away from the column such that the arm portion is configured to rotate.",
    "18. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning station includes a U-shaped or O-shaped cleaning pipe arranged horizontally, the cleaning pipe including a cleaning nozzle, the drying station includes a U-shaped or O-shaped blow pipe arranged horizontally, the blow pipe including a blow nozzle, the cleaning pipe includes a plurality of nozzle holes directed toward an inside of the cleaning pipe, and the blow pipe includes a plurality of nozzle holes directed toward an inside of the blow pipe.",
    "19. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a cleaning chamber having a side surface; a cleaning station including a cleaning nozzle configured to inject cleaning liquid; a drying station including a blow nozzle configured to inject dry air; a separation wall partitioning the cleaning chamber into the cleaning station and the drying station; a single axis robot including a column arranged adjacent to the side surface, the column arranged along an extension of the separation wall, a linear guide arranged in the column, the linear guide extending vertically, and a vertical moving saddle configured to move vertically along the linear guide; an arm portion including a first rotation saddle supported by the vertical moving saddle, the first rotation saddle configured to rotate about a second axis extending vertically, a first arm supported by the first rotation saddle, the first arm swingable about a third axis extending horizontally, the first arm extending orthogonal to the third axis, a second arm supported by the first arm, the second arm configured to rotate about a fourth axis orthogonal to the third axis, a second rotation saddle supported by the second arm, the second rotation saddle configured to rotate about a fifth axis orthogonal to the fourth axis, and a third rotation saddle supported by the second rotation saddle, the third rotation saddle configured to rotate about a sixth axis orthogonal to the fifth axis; and a hand supported by the third rotation saddle to grip a workpiece, wherein the separation wall is in contact with a second side surface of the cleaning chamber, the second side surface located opposite to the side surface, the separation wall located away from the column with a gap so that the arm portion is rotatable, the cleaning chamber includes a shelf plate arranged in contact with the second side surface, and a bottom plate, the cleaning station and the drying station are arranged below the shelf plate, the separation wall extends from the bottom plate to the shelf plate, and a loading port is located above the shelf plate.",
    "20. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the cleaning station includes a U-shaped or O-shaped cleaning pipe, the cleaning pipe including a cleaning nozzle arranged at an entrance of the cleaning station on a vertical plane, the drying station includes a U-shaped or O-shaped blow pipe, the blow pipe including a blow nozzle arranged at an entrance of the drying station on a vertical plane, the cleaning nozzle includes a plurality of nozzle holes directed toward an inside of the cleaning pipe, and the blow nozzle includes a plurality of nozzle holes directed toward an inside of the blow pipe."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus.\n\nA conventional cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning tank in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at the bottom, a robot hand for gripping a workpiece, and a multi-axis robot facing the cleaning tank (Japanese Patent No. 4317502 (hereinafter, Patent Literature 1)).\n\nThe cleaning apparatus of Patent Literature 1 includes a robot with a wide range of motion, the installation area of the cleaning apparatus is increased.\n\nAn object of the present invention is to provide a compact cleaning apparatus including a robot with a narrow range of motion.\n\nOne or more aspects of the present invention provides a cleaning apparatus, including: a cleaning chamber having a side surface;\n\na cleaning station including a cleaning nozzle configured to inject cleaning liquid;\n\na drying station including a blow nozzle configured to inject dry air;\n\na separation wall partitioning the cleaning chamber into the cleaning station and the drying station;\n\na single axis robot including\n\nan arm portion including\n\na hand supported by the third rotation saddle to grip a workpiece.\n\nThe cleaning liquid is, for example, an aqueous cleaning liquid. The foreign substances that adhere to the workpiece are, for example, chips or oil.\n\nCleaning includes deburring with a high pressure jet.\n\nThe separation wall is arranged in connection with the opposite side of the surface (second side surface) on which the column of the cleaning chamber is installed, and a sufficient gap is provided between the separation wall and the column.",
  "cpc": [
    "B08B 3/022",
    "B08B 13/00",
    "B08B 3/02",
    "B08B 5/023",
    "B25J 11/0085",
    "B25J 5/02",
    "B25J 9/042",
    "B25J 9/046",
    "F26B 21/001",
    "F26B 21/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B08B 13/00",
    "B08B 3/02",
    "B08B 5/02",
    "B25J 9/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sugino Machine Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Toyoaki MITSUE",
    "Taiki MATSUI",
    "Takuya Aoki",
    "Akihiro Ishitani"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-06-18",
  "publication_date": "2022-11-08",
  "grant_date": "2022-11-08",
  "priority_date": "2019-07-19",
  "application_number": "US-202016904973-A",
  "family_id": "71409090",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "JP4317502B2",
    "DE102007053897A1",
    "DE102015011511A1",
    "US20170273534A1",
    "DE102016005434A1",
    "EP3272476A1",
    "US20180215043A1",
    "EP3636357A1"
  ]
}