Abstract:
Cleaning device employing air under pressure is coupled to an external air source and cleans workpieces being carried. The cleaning device includes a mounting base, an air conduit, and a controller. The air conduit and the controller are mounted on the mounting base. The mounting base defines an air inlet communicating with the air conduit, and a free end of the air conduit is facing the workpiece. The controller is capable of sealing the air inlet and turning on and turning off the air conduit. The free end of the air conduit is designed and made of such material that the conduit swings across the moving workpieces to enable the air flow to blow metal chips and all other contaminants from the surfaces of the workpieces.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to cleaning devices, and particularly to air-powered cleaning devices. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In a machining process, contaminants such as cut chips or coolant can be generated and adhere to a workpiece, a fixture, or a carrier. In order to provide a clean machining environment, the contaminants should be cleared. When removing the contaminants, a high-pressure air flow can be used to blow away and remove the contaminants. Thus, when the workpiece is carried by a conveyer out from a machining environment, an air conduit with an air outlet can be held by hand, and the air outlet placed against the workpiece. Air can be blown through the air conduit to the workpiece. The air conduit and the air outlet can be swung by hand to remove the contaminants adhering on the workpiece. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of an embodiment of a cleaning device employing air under pressure. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a left-side elevational view of the cleaning device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0007]    A definition that is applied throughout this disclosure is: the term “coupled” is defined as being connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. 
         [0008]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an embodiment of a cleaning device  100  employing air under pressure, for removing contaminants such as, but not limited to, machined scraps and coolant adhered on a workpiece  230  away from the workpiece  230 , as the workpiece  230  is conveyed by a conveyer  210 . The cleaning device  100  can include a mounting base  10 , an air conduit  30 , and a controller  50 . The air conduit  30  and the controller  50  can be mounted to the mounting base  10 . 
         [0009]    The mounting base  10  can include a supporting member  12  and a mounting member  14  positioned on the supporting member  12 . The supporting member  12  can define an air inlet  121  for communicating with an external air source (not shown). The mounting member  14  can be substantially a hollow structure, and can define an inner cavity  141 . The inner cavity  141  of the mounting member  14  can communicate with the air inlet  121 . In at least one embodiment, the mounting base  10  can be equipped with two mounting members  14 . The two mounting members  14  can be spaced from each other and mounted on the supporting member  12 . 
         [0010]    An end of the air conduit  30  can be coupled to the mounting member  14 , the other end of the air conduit  30  can be a free end  32  capable of swinging/vibrating/oscillating/waving freely. The air conduit  30  can communicate with the external air source through the inner cavity  141  and the air inlet  121  of the mounting member  14 . The air conduit  30  can be arranged along a vertical axis because of gravity. The air conduit  30  can be made of flexible material, and an outer diameter of the air conduit  30  can be selected from a range of about 6 mm to 8 mm, an inner diameter of the air conduit  30  can be selected from a range of about 2 mm to 4 mm. When high-pressure air flow blows through the air conduit  30 , the free end  32  of the air conduit  30  away from the mounting member  14  swings from side to side under the expulsive force of the high-pressure air flow, such that the air flow blows onto surfaces of the workpiece  230  to remove the contaminants adhering thereon. A pressure of the air flow can be selected from a range of about 0.6 Mpa to 0.8 Mpa, such that the high-pressure air flow causes the air conduit  30  to swing regularly. In at least one embodiment, the air conduit  30  can be a rubber hose, and a number of the air conduits  30  can be two, to correspond with a number of the mounting members  14 . 
         [0011]    In at least one embodiment, a number of the controllers  50  can be two, and each controller  50  can be located to correspond to one air conduit  30 . Each controller  50  can seal the air inlet of the corresponding air conduit  30 , and can turn on the corresponding air conduit  30  to enable the air flow generated by the external air source blow through the air conduit  30 . Each controller  50  can include an sensing member  52  and a receiving member  54  electrically coupled to the sensing member  52 . The sensing member  52  can be positioned on the conveyer  210  and adjacent to the air conduit  30 . The receiving member  54  can be positioned on a surface of the supporting member  12  and away from the mounting member  14 . The sensing member  52  can detect a location of the workpiece  230  transported by the conveyer  210 , and can generate and transmit an information of the location to the receiving member  54 . The receiving member  54  can control the air conduit  30  to make the air flow blow through or cease in the air conduit  30 , according to the information. In at least one embodiment, both of the sensing member  52  and the receiving member  54  can be solenoid valves. In another embodiment, the sensing member  52  can be another sensing element, such as, but not limited to, light sensor, laser sensor, and position sensor, provided only that the location of the workpiece  230  can be detected. Similarly, the receiving member  54  can be other valves, such as, but not limited to, pneumatic valve and hydraulic valve provided only that the receiving member  45  is capable of controlling the air conduit  30  to enable the air flow to blow through or cease from blowing in the air conduit  30  according to the location information of the workpiece sent by the sensing member  52 . 
         [0012]    In assembly, the mounting member  14  can be positioned on a surface of the supporting member  12 , and the air conduit  30  can be mounted on the mounting member  14 . The sensing member  52  can be positioned on the conveyer  210  adjacent to the air conduit  30 . The receiving member  54  can be mounted on the supporting member  12 . 
         [0013]    In operation, the mounting base  10  can be positioned above the conveyer  210 , such that the air conduit  30  can be perpendicular to the conveyer  210 , and the free end  32  of the air conduit  30  can face the conveyer  30 . As a result, a cleaning space (not labeled) is formed between the free end  32  and the conveyer  210 . The air inlet  121  of the supporting member  12  can communicate with the external air source, and the cleaning device  100  can be started. The conveyer  210  can carry the workpiece  230  out from a machining environment (not shown). The sensing members  52  can detect the workpiece  230  when the workpiece  230  is transported into the cleaning space. The sensing members  52  can generate and transmit an information of the location of the workpiece  230  to the receiving member  54 . The receiving member  54  can turn on the air conduit  30  to enable the high-pressure air flow generated by the external air source blow towards the free end  32  of the air conduit  30 . The free end  32  swings regularly under the expulsive force of the high-pressure air flow, and the air flow blows onto surfaces of the workpiece  230  evenly, and the contaminants adhering on the workpiece  230  are cleaned off. The conveyer  210  can keep conveying the workpiece  230 . When the workpiece  230  is carried out from the cleaning space, the sensing member  52  can detect the location of the workpiece  230 , and can generate and transmit an information of the location to the receiving member  54 . The receiving member  54  can control the air conduit  30  to stop the air flow. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment, the air conduit  30  can be made of other flexible material, for example, a metal hose or a corrugated hose. The free end  32  of the air conduit  30  needs to be able to swing freely when the high-pressure air flow blows through. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment, the outer and the inner diameter of the air conduit  30  can be other dimensions, not selected from the ranges mentioned above, according to actual requirements. Similarly, the pressure of the air flow can be other value not selected from the range mentioned above. For example, when a surface of the workpiece for cleaning is a larger size, a smaller air conduit  30  and a higher pressure of the air flow can be used, such that the air conduit  30  can swing over a larger range when the air flow blows therethrough, to ensure all the contaminants can be removed. In another example, when surface of the workpiece  230  is only slightly dirty a lower pressure of the air flow can be used to remove the contaminants, such that energy can be saved. 
         [0016]    It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the embodiments or sacrificing all of its material advantages. The embodiments described herein all illustrative only, and should not be construed to limit the following claims.