Patent Description:
Conventionally, in international trade, fats and oils that are solid at ordinary temperature are transported by ship. During this transportation, a fat or oil in a liquid state is placed into a tank at the point of departure (the country of origin of the fat or oil), and the tank is loaded onto a ship. At the destination (the country of import of the fat or oil), the fat or oil that has solidified into a solid state in the tank during transportation is melted.

Flexible tanks made of vinyl are used to transport such oils and fats. Patent Literature (PTL) <NUM> discloses a technique that uses a heat exchanger to melt a substance solidified in a flexible tank during transportation. (The heat exchanger <NUM> shown in <FIG> is a schematic representation of the heat exchanger disclosed in PTL <NUM>.

The heat exchanger of PTL <NUM> (heat exchanger <NUM> shown in <FIG>) is configured such that a second pipe <NUM> is disposed inside the first pipe <NUM>; a third pipe <NUM> is disposed inside the second pipe <NUM>; a fourth pipe <NUM> is disposed inside the third pipe <NUM>; and a suction port <NUM> for suctioning a substance M in tank T (<FIG> and <FIG>) is formed by a gap between the first pipe <NUM> and the second pipe <NUM>. A plurality of discharge ports <NUM> for discharging heated substance Ma into tank T are formed on the peripheral wall of the second pipe <NUM>. Hot water P is allowed to flow inside the third pipe <NUM> and the fourth pipe <NUM> (specifically, hot water P is allowed to flow from the space outside the fourth pipe <NUM> in the third pipe <NUM> to the inside of the fourth pipe <NUM>).

When a fat or oil is transported, the heat exchanger <NUM> is disposed in the flexible tank T at the point of departure. After this, the flexible tank T is filled with a liquid substance M. When the tank T arrives at its destination, a centrifugal force pump is driven to suction the substance M in the tank T into the heat exchanger <NUM> from the suction port <NUM>; heat-exchange the substance M with hot water P in the heat exchanger <NUM>; and also discharge the substance Ma heated by the heat exchange into the tank T from the discharge port <NUM> in order to melt the substance M in the tank T, which has solidified during transportation (<FIG>). As a result, the heated substance Ma circulates in the tank T and is heat-exchanged with an unmelted substance M, thereby causing the substance M in the tank T to melt.

<CIT> describes a method for forming a multipurpose snow collecting facility. <CIT> describes a hot air circulation fan for a hot air circulation furnace.

A general flexible tank T comprises a valve whose dimensions are specified by a standard (<FIG> and <FIG> described below show a valve <NUM> attached to a general flexible tank T). Any pipe that can be inserted into the hole of this valve can be easily attached to the flexible tank (i.e., the pipe can be attached to the tank by easy operation of inserting the pipe into the hole of the valve to fix the pipe to the valve etc.).

In this regard, in the heat exchanger of Patent Literature (PTL) <NUM> (heat exchanger <NUM> shown in <FIG>), it is necessary to dispose a third pipe <NUM> and a fourth pipe <NUM> in the second pipe <NUM> comprising a discharge port <NUM> formed to exchange heat between the substance M and the hot water P. Accordingly, the diameter of the second pipe <NUM> must be enlarged in order to allow the desired amount of the melt to flow inside the second pipe <NUM>, and be discharged from the discharge port <NUM>. As a result, a situation may arise in which the heat exchanger <NUM> cannot be inserted into the hole of the valve attached to the flexible tank T. In this case, in order to attach the heat exchanger <NUM> to the tank T, it is necessary, for example, to remove the existing valve from the tank T, attach a custom-made valve with a large hole to the tank T, and then insert the heat exchanger <NUM> into the hole of the valve. Such work may require a great deal of effort and cost.

The present invention was made in consideration of these matters. An object of the present invention is to provide a melting device for discharging a melt of a substance into a tank to melt the substance stored in the tank, the melting device being capable of discharging a desired amount of the melt into the tank, while reducing the diameter of a discharge pipe for discharging the melt of the substance; and to provide a method for melting the substance stored in the tank by using the melting device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes the subject matter as defined in the appended claims.

According to the melting device and the melting method of the present invention, the entirety of the inside of the discharge pipe is used as a flow path for the melt, whereby the desired amount of the melt can be discharged from the discharge pipe while the diameter of the discharge pipe is kept small.

Further, according to the double pipe described herein, the entirety of the inside of the inner pipe is used as a flow path for the melt of the substance, whereby the desired amount of the melt can be discharged into the tank while the diameter of the inner pipe for discharging the melt is kept small.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <FIG> is a schematic diagram of the melting device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is a schematic diagram showing the internal state of a tank T to which the melting device <NUM> of this embodiment is applied.

The melting device <NUM> according to this embodiment discharges a melt Ma of substance M into a tank T in order to melt the substance M stored in the tank T. The tank T is a flexible tank made of vinyl, and is filled with a substance M that is solid at ordinary temperature. The substance M is, for example, wax, or fat/oil (an ester of glycerin and fatty acid).

As shown in <FIG>, the melting device <NUM> comprises a suction pipe <NUM> and a discharge pipe <NUM>, which are attached to the wall of the tank T, a circulation flow path <NUM>, which is disposed outside the tank T, and a pump <NUM>, which is disposed at a midway position of the circulation flow path <NUM>. In the melting device <NUM>, the inside of the tank T communicates with the inside of one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM> through the inside of the suction pipe <NUM>, whereas the inside of the tank T communicates with the inside of the other end 4b of the circulation flow path <NUM> through the inside of the inner pipe <NUM>. By driving the pump <NUM>, the melt Ma of substance M that is present in the tank T can be suctioned into the suction pipe <NUM>, circulated through the circulation flow path <NUM>, supplied into the discharge pipe <NUM>, and discharged into the tank T through the opening <NUM> at the tip of the discharge pipe <NUM>. By the heat of the melt Ma that is discharged into the tank T, the unmelted substance M that is present in the tank T is melted, and becomes a melt Ma. Further, the melt Ma is suctioned into the suction pipe <NUM> and discharged into the tank T, whereby the unmelted substance M that is present in the tank T melts into a melt Ma. The configuration of the melting device <NUM> is specifically described below.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram showing a double pipe <NUM> according to the present embodiment. <FIG> is a diagrammatic perspective view, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view. The melting device <NUM> of this embodiment is provided with a double pipe <NUM> comprising an outer pipe that constitutes a suction pipe <NUM> and an inner pipe that constitutes a discharge pipe <NUM> (hereinafter the reference numeral "<NUM>" for the suction pipe is used as a reference numeral for the outer pipe, and the reference numeral "<NUM>" for the discharge pipe is used as a reference numeral for the inner pipe).

The double pipe <NUM> is one in which an inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) passes through the inside of an outer pipe <NUM>. The inside of the tank T communicates with the inside of one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM> through the space K outside the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) in the outer pipe <NUM> (suction pipe). The inside of the tank T communicates with the inside of the other end 4b of the circulation flow path <NUM> through the inside of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) (<FIG>). According to the melting device <NUM> comprising the double pipe <NUM>, a pump <NUM> provided in the circulation flow path <NUM> is driven, whereby the melt Ma of substance M that is present in the tank T can be suctioned into the space K, circulated through the circulation flow path <NUM>, and discharged from the inside of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) to the inside of the pipe T. The space K and the entirety of the inside of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) are used as a flow path for the melt Ma.

<FIG> are images showing an example of the double pipe <NUM> described above. The double pipe <NUM> shown in <FIG> is formed of an outer pipe <NUM>, which is a suction pipe, an inner pipe <NUM>, which is a discharge pipe, and a coupling <NUM>.

The outer pipe <NUM> and inner pipe <NUM> are made of metal such as stainless steel or resin (in the examples shown in the figures, the outer pipe <NUM> and inner pipe <NUM> are made of stainless steel (SUS304 JIS5K)).

As shown in <FIG>, the outer pipe <NUM> (suction pipe) comprises an outer pipe body <NUM> and a base pipe <NUM>. The base pipe <NUM> extends from the base end side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM>, and the direction of extension of the base pipe <NUM> is inclined to the extension direction of the outer pipe body <NUM>. In the Examples shown in <FIG>, the direction of extension of the base pipe <NUM> is perpendicular to the direction of extension of the outer pipe body <NUM>. However, the direction does not have to be perpendicular.

<FIG> and <FIG> are enlarged images of the coupling <NUM>. The coupling <NUM> has a cylindrical coupling body <NUM> and two levers 11A and 11B that are tiltably attached to the coupling body <NUM>. The coupling body <NUM> has a cylindrical shape with openings at both ends, and is formed from resin. The base end side of the coupling body <NUM> is covered with the tip side of the outer pipe <NUM> (tip side 8c of the outer pipe body <NUM>) (<FIG>). More specifically, the tip side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM> is inserted into the inside of the base end side of the coupling body <NUM>, and the screw formed on the inner surface of the coupling body <NUM> is screwed to the screw formed on the outer surface of the outer pipe body <NUM>, thereby fixing the base end side of the coupling body <NUM> to the tip side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM>. The coupling body <NUM> may also be fixed to the outer pipe body <NUM> by any known means other than screws. The coupling body <NUM> may be made of rubber or a metal.

Two pairs of projections <NUM>, <NUM> are provided on the outer surface of the coupling body <NUM> (<FIG>). The two sets of projections <NUM>, <NUM> are provided at relative positions in the radial direction, and a shaft member <NUM> is attached to each set of projections <NUM>, <NUM>. The shaft member <NUM> extends from one projection <NUM> to the other projection <NUM>.

One end side 11a of the lever <NUM> is inserted between each pair of projections <NUM>, <NUM>, and the shaft member <NUM> penetrates one end side 11a of the lever <NUM>. In the coupling body <NUM>, a through-hole 10b (<FIG>) is formed between the projections <NUM>, <NUM>. This through-hole 10b extends radially inwardly from the outer surface of the coupling body <NUM> and opens on the inner surface of the coupling body <NUM>, and one end side 11a of the lever is inserted inside the through-hole 10b. By grasping the other end side of the lever <NUM>, as shown in the lower lever 11A in <FIG>, and tilting the lever <NUM>, the degree to which the one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> projects from the through-hole 10b to the inside of the coupling body <NUM> can be reduced. By tilting the lever <NUM> in the opposite direction, the degree to which the one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> projects from the through-hole 10b to the inside of the coupling body <NUM> can be increased, as in the upper lever 11B shown in <FIG>.

The inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) passes through the inside of the outer pipe body <NUM> and the inside of the coupling body <NUM>. The inside of the base pipe <NUM> communicates with the space outside the inner pipe <NUM> (equivalent to the space K shown in <FIG>) in the outer pipe body <NUM> and the coupling body <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the base end side 3a of the inner pipe <NUM> extends from the base end position of the outer pipe <NUM> (specifically, the position of the base end 8a of the outer pipe body <NUM>). As shown in <FIG>, at the base end position of the outer pipe <NUM> (the position of the base end 8a of the outer pipe body <NUM>), the gap between the outer pipe body <NUM> and the inner pipe <NUM> is closed by an annular member <NUM> (the outer peripheral edge of the annular member <NUM> is welded to the outer pipe body <NUM>, and the inner peripheral edge of the annular member <NUM> is welded to the inner pipe <NUM>). The tip side 3b of the inner pipe <NUM> (<FIG>) extends from the tip of the coupling body <NUM>.

The double pipe <NUM> disclosed above is a combination of two components (first and second components). The first member comprises a base end side of the outer pipe <NUM> (specifically, a base end side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM> and the base end pipe <NUM>), the annular member <NUM> (<FIG>), and the inner pipe <NUM>. The second member comprises a tip side of the outer pipe <NUM> (specifically a tip side 8c of the outer pipe body <NUM>) and a coupling <NUM>. A first flange <NUM> is provided on the base end side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM>, and a second flange <NUM> is provided on the tip side 8c of the outer pipe body <NUM>. These flanges <NUM> and <NUM> project radially outwardly of the outer pipe body <NUM>, and extend in the circumferential direction of the outer pipe body <NUM>. The first flange <NUM> and the second flange <NUM> are butt-jointed and bolted together with bolts <NUM> to combine the first member and the second member, thus forming a double pipe <NUM>. The double pipe <NUM> can be disassembled into the first member and the second member by unfastening the bolts <NUM>.

The circulation flow path <NUM> (<FIG>) is formed by connecting, for example, flexible metal hoses (diameter: 32A) made of SUS304. To connect the above flexible metal hoses to each other, for example, connection fittings specified in JIS <NUM> can be used.

When the double pipe <NUM> shown in <FIG> is used, the pipe that constitutes one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>) is connected to the base end side (more specifically, the base pipe <NUM>) of the outer pipe <NUM> (suction pipe), so that the "inside of the tank T" and the "inside of one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM>" communicate with each other through the "inside of the outer pipe <NUM>" (the "inside of the outer pipe <NUM>" corresponds to the "inside of the base pipe <NUM>" and "the space outside the inner pipe <NUM> in the outer pipe body <NUM> and the coupling body <NUM>"). The pipe that constitutes the other end 4b of the circulation flow path <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) is connected to the base end of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe), and the "inside of the tank T" and the "inside of the other end 4b of the circulation flow path <NUM>" communicate with each other through the "inside of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe). As shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, a first on-off valve <NUM> is provided on the pipe that constitutes one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM>. A second on-off valve <NUM> is provided on the pipe that constitutes the other end 4b of the circulation flow path <NUM>. In the example shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the other end 4b of the circulation flow path <NUM> is composed of an L-shaped joint pipe 4b-<NUM> and a straight pipe 4b-<NUM>. A second on-off valve <NUM> is provided in the straight pipe 4b-<NUM>. The base end of the inner pipe <NUM> is connected to one end of the coupling pipe 4b-<NUM> by a screw, and the other end of the coupling pipe 4b-<NUM> is connected to one end of the straight pipe 4b-<NUM> by a screw. The coupling pipe 4b-<NUM> may be omitted, and the base end of the inner pipe <NUM> may be connected by a screw or the like to the straight pipe 4b-<NUM> to which the second on-off valve <NUM> is attached.

The base pipe <NUM> may be omitted from the outer pipe <NUM>, and the pipe that constitutes one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM> may be connected to the base end side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM>. In this case, the "inside of the tank T" and the "inside of one end 4a of the circulation flow path <NUM>" communicate with each other through the "space outside the inner pipe <NUM> in the outer pipe body <NUM> and the coupling body <NUM>. " The first member described above comprises the base end side 8b of the outer pipe body <NUM> (the base end side of the outer pipe <NUM>), an annular member <NUM> (<FIG>), and the inner pipe <NUM>.

According to the present invention, a pump capable of reversing the fluid pumping direction is provided as a pump <NUM> disposed at a midway position of the circulation flow path <NUM> (<FIG>). This pump can be, for example, a rotary pump.

The circulation flow path <NUM> (<FIG>) is further provided with a thermometer <NUM>, a pressure gauge <NUM>, a sight glass <NUM>, a primary-side hopper 43A, and a secondary-side hopper 43B, in addition to the pump <NUM> described above. The pressure gauge <NUM> measures the pressure of the melt Ma of substance M that is pumped through the circulating flow path <NUM> by the pump <NUM>. The thermometer <NUM> measures the temperature of the melt Ma that flows through the circulation flow path <NUM>. The sight glass <NUM> is a tubular body with a window made of glass, through which the state of the melt Ma flowing in the circulation flow path <NUM> can be checked.

The primary-side hopper 43A and the secondary-side hopper 43B are capable of storing the melt Ma of the substance M. The primary-side hopper 43A is connected to the primary side of the pump <NUM> in the circulation flow path <NUM> via the primary-side third on-off valve 44A. The secondary-side hopper 43B is connected to the secondary side of the pump <NUM> in the circulation flow path <NUM> via the secondary-side third on-off valve 44B.

According to the configuration of the melting device <NUM> explained above, by driving the rotary pump <NUM> forward with the primary-side on-off valve <NUM> being closed and the secondary-side on-off valve <NUM> and the primary-side third on-off valve 44A being open, the melt Ma stored in the primary-side hopper 43A can be circulated through the circulation flow path <NUM> and supplied to the inside of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge opening). Furthermore, if the secondary-side third on-off valve 44B is opened, a part of the melt Ma flowing through the circulation flow path <NUM> can flow into the secondary-side hopper 43B, so that the state of the melt Ma can be observed.

By driving the rotary pump <NUM> forward with the first and second on-off valves <NUM> and <NUM> being open, the melt Ma in the tank T can be suctioned into the outer pipe <NUM> (suction pipe), circulated through the circulation flow path <NUM>, supplied to the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe), and discharged from the opening <NUM> of the inner pipe <NUM> into the tank T. Furthermore, if the third on-off valves 44A, 44B are opened, a part of the melt Ma flowing in the circulation flow path <NUM> can flow into the hoppers 43A, 43B, so that the condition of the melt Ma can be observed.

By driving the rotary pump <NUM> in reverse with the first and second on-off valves <NUM> and <NUM> being open, the melt Ma in the circulation flow path <NUM> can be allowed to flow in the opposite direction. In other words, the melt Ma in the tank T can be suctioned into the inner pipe <NUM>, circulated through the circulation flow path <NUM>, and discharged into the tank T from the space K outside the inner pipe <NUM> in the outer pipe <NUM>.

Next, the method for melting a substance M that has solidified in the tank T by using the melting device <NUM> according to this embodiment is explained.

First, the step of taking out a part of the substance M that has solidified in the tank T is preformed (step S101 in <FIG>).

Here, if the tank T is a general flexible tank and the valve <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG> is attached to the wall of the tank T, a part of the substance M that has solidified in the tank T is taken out from the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM>. The structure of the valve <NUM> is described below.

The valve <NUM> comprises a cylinder <NUM> and an annular member that is not shown in the figure. An annular flange <NUM> is provided at the base end of the cylinder <NUM>. The flange <NUM> projects radially outwardly of the cylinder <NUM> and extends in the circumferential direction of the cylinder <NUM>.

The annular member, which is not shown in the figure, has an outer diameter that is equal to the outer diameter of the flange <NUM>, and an inner diameter that is equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder <NUM>. At the position of the tank T to which the valve <NUM> is attached, a through-hole (not shown) is formed in the wall of the tank T. The diameter of the through-hole is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder <NUM> and the annular member.

When the valve <NUM> is attached to the tank T, the flange <NUM> is fasten to the annular member by bolts <NUM> (the bolts <NUM> penetrate the wall of the tank T) while the space inside the cylinder <NUM>, the through-hole formed in the wall of the tank T, and the space inside the annular member communicate with each other and the wall of the tank T is interposed between the flange <NUM> and the annular member (the bolts <NUM> penetrate the wall of the tank T). The "hole <NUM> of the valve" described above is formed by connection of the "space inside the cylinder <NUM>," the "through-hole formed in the wall of the tank T," and the "space inside the annular member.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the cylinder <NUM> is provided with a ball <NUM> and a lever <NUM> that is fastened to the ball <NUM>. The ball <NUM> is a hollow sphere and is placed inside the cylinder <NUM>. Two through-holes <NUM>, <NUM> are formed in the wall of the ball <NUM> (hollow sphere) (one through-hole <NUM> is shown in <FIG>). The two through-holes <NUM>, <NUM> oppose each other in the radial direction of the ball <NUM>, and the diameters of the through-holes <NUM>, <NUM> are substantially equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder <NUM>. A lever <NUM> extends from the ball <NUM> radially outwardly of the cylinder <NUM> and penetrates the cylinder <NUM>, and a handle <NUM> is provided at the tip of the lever <NUM> extending from the cylinder <NUM>.

According to the valve <NUM> described above, by grasping the handle <NUM> and rotating the lever <NUM>, the ball <NUM> can be rotated in the cylinder <NUM> to dispose the two through-holes <NUM>, <NUM> on the axis of the cylinder <NUM>. By performing this operation, the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM> can be opened as shown in <FIG>. Further, by rotating the lever <NUM> to rotate the ball <NUM>, the position of the through-holes <NUM>, <NUM> can be changed to close the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM> by the wall of the ball <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

When the valve <NUM> is provided in the tank T, the first operation in step S101 is to open the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM> by rotating the lever <NUM> (to make the valve <NUM> in the state shown in <FIG>). Subsequently, a hand drill (not shown) is inserted into the tank T through the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM>. By rotating the hand drill, a part of the material M that has solidified inside the tank T is scraped off. After this, the hand drill is withdrawn from the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM>, whereby the material M scraped by the hand drill is taken out of the tank T. The method of taking out the substance M from the tank T in step S101 is not limited to the method described above. For example, if the tank T is provided with a removable lid, the lid may be removed and the substance M in the tank T may be taken out.

After step S101, the melt Ma obtained by melting the substance M taken out from the tank T is stored in the primary-side hopper 43A (step S102 in <FIG>).

In step S102, for example, the substance M taken out from the tank T is melted with a heater (a stove etc.), and the melt Ma obtained from this melt is fed into the primary-side hopper 43A. Alternatively, a metal pipe may be wound around the outer peripheral surface of the primary-side hopper 43A to melt the substance M in the primary-side hopper 43A. In this case, in step S102, steam or hot water is allowed to flow into the metal pipe with the substance M taken out from the tank T being placed in the primary-side hopper 43A. As a result, the heat of the steam or hot water melts the substance M placed into the primary-side hopper 43A, and the melt Ma is stored in the hopper 43A.

After step S102, the suction pipe <NUM> and the discharge pipe <NUM> are connected to the tank T, and the pump <NUM> is driven in forward rotation with the secondary-side on-off valve <NUM> and the primary-side third on-off valve 44A (<FIG>) being opened and the primary-side on-off valve <NUM> being closed (step S103). This allows the melt Ma stored in the primary-side hopper 43A to circulate through the circulation flow channel <NUM> and be supplied to the inside of the discharge pipe <NUM> and discharged from the opening <NUM> of the discharge pipe <NUM> to the inside of the tank T. As shown in <FIG>, the heat of the discharged melt Ma melts the substance M in the vicinity of the discharge pipe <NUM>, within the substance M that is present in the tank T, whereby the substance becomes the melt Ma.

If the suction pipe <NUM> and the discharge pipe <NUM> are formed of a dual pipe <NUM> shown in <FIG>, and the valve <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG> is attached to the wall of the tank T, the suction pipe <NUM> and the discharge pipe <NUM> are attached to the wall of the tank T in step S103 by attaching the double pipe <NUM> to the valve <NUM>. The step of attaching the double pipe <NUM> to the valve <NUM> is explained below.

First, as shown in the lower lever 11A in <FIG>, the lever <NUM> is tilted to reduce the degree to which one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> projects to the inside of the coupling body <NUM>.

Subsequently, the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM> is made open (state shown in <FIG>) by rotating the lever <NUM>. The inner pipe <NUM> (<FIG>) is inserted into the hole <NUM> of the valve <NUM> to make the tip portion of the inner pipe <NUM> project to the inside of the tank T (<FIG>, <FIG>), and the tip side 10a of the coupling body <NUM> (<FIG>) is covered with the cylinder <NUM> of the valve <NUM> (<FIG>). This allows the inside of the outer pipe <NUM> (suction pipe) and the inside of the inner pipe <NUM> (discharge pipe) to individually communicate with the inside of the tank T. If the material M in the tank T is scraped off in step S101, the tip portion of the inner pipe <NUM> is inserted into the hole of the material M created by this scraping.

Subsequently, the "degree to which one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> projects to the inside of the coupling body <NUM>" is increased by tilting the lever <NUM>, as shown in the upper lever 11B in <FIG>. As a result, the one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> is pressed strongly against the cylinder <NUM>, whereby the double pipe <NUM> is attached to the valve <NUM>.

In order to attach the double pipe <NUM> to the valve <NUM> by the above operation, it is necessary to make the outer diameter of the inner pipe <NUM> smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder <NUM> so that the inner pipe <NUM> can be inserted into the cylinder <NUM>. By making the inner diameter of the coupling body <NUM> substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cylinder <NUM>, it is necessary to achieve both the insertion of the cylinder <NUM> into the coupling body <NUM> and fixing of the double pipe by abutting the lever <NUM> to the cylinder <NUM>. The operation of attaching the double pipe <NUM> to the valve <NUM> (the work of connecting the suction pipe <NUM> and the discharge pipe <NUM> to the tank T) may be performed before the step S102.

If the "the degree to which one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> projects to the inside of the coupling body <NUM>" is reduced by tilting the lever <NUM> as shown by the lower lever 11A in <FIG>, the press force of one end side 11a of the lever <NUM> onto the cylinder <NUM> is weakened. This allows the double pipe <NUM> to be detached from the valve <NUM> (that is, the double pipe <NUM> (suction pipe <NUM> and discharge pipe <NUM>) can be detached from the tank T).

After step S103 in <FIG>, the pump <NUM> is driven forward with the first on-off valve <NUM> and the second on-off valve <NUM> being open, whereby the melt Ma that is present in the tank T can be suctioned into the suction pipe <NUM>, circulated through the circulation flow path <NUM>, supplied to the inside of the discharge pipe <NUM>, and discharged from the opening <NUM> of the discharge pipe <NUM> into the tank T (Step S104). During this step S104, the substance M that is present in an unmelted state in the tank T melts due to heat of the melt Ma discharged into the tank T. More specifically, in step S104, the melt Ma previously discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM> and the melt Ma melted by the heat of the melt Ma are repeatedly suctioned into the suction pipe <NUM> and discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM>. As a result, the amount of the melt Ma discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM> (i.e., the amount of the melt Ma suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM>) increases with the lapse of time, and the range in which the substance M is melted in the tank T gradually expands from the vicinity of the discharge pipe <NUM> (<FIG>).

If the temperature of the melt Ma in the tank T decreases and the substance M does not melt any more, the drive of the pump <NUM> is temporarily stopped to store the hot melt Ma in the primary-side hopper 43A, for example. After this, the pump <NUM> is driven forward with the first on-off valve <NUM> being closed and the second on-off valve <NUM> and the primary-side third on-off valve 44A being open. Since the high-temperature melt Ma can be supplied to the inside of the tank T in this way, melting of the substance M can be resumed (that is, the melt Ma stored in the hopper 43A can be used as the priming oil for resuming the melting.

According to the melting device <NUM> and the double pipe <NUM> of this embodiment explained above, the entirety of the inside of the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) that discharges the melt Ma of the substance M is used as a flow path for the melt Ma. Therefore, it is possible to discharge the desired amount of the melt from the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) while keeping the diameter of the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) small. Since the diameter of the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) can be kept small, the hole of the existing valve in the tank T can be used as a hole for inserting the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe). Unlike in conventional technology, it is unnecessary to remove the existing valve from the tank T, install a custom-made valve with a larger hole in the tank T instead, and insert the discharge pipe into the hole of the valve. In the present invention, the discharge pipe is a pipe inserted into a hole in the wall of the tank T and directly or indirectly attached to the wall of the tank T, while it is connected by screws or welding, etc., to a pipe that constitutes an end of the circulation flow path <NUM> (a coupling pipe, a pipe in which a valve is attached, etc.) and is used to discharge the melt Ma flowing through the circulation flow path <NUM> into the interior of the tank T. In the examples shown in <FIG>, the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) is integrated with the suction pipe <NUM> (outer pipe), and the suction pipe <NUM> (outer pipe) is attached to the valve <NUM> with the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) being inserted into the hole of the valve <NUM> provided in the wall of the tank T, whereby the suction pipe <NUM> (outer pipe) is directly attached to the wall of the tank T and the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe) is indirectly attached to the wall of the tank T through the suction pipe <NUM> (outer pipe).

Furthermore, according to the melting device <NUM> of this embodiment, if the length of the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe <NUM>) extending into the tank T is shortened, the hole in the substance M, into which the tip portion of the discharge pipe <NUM> (inner pipe <NUM>) is inserted, does not need to be lengthened. Therefore, the time and effort required to make holes in step S101 of <FIG> can be reduced. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a melt Ma to be stored in the primary-side hopper 43A is obtained by melting the substance M obtained by making the holes, and the melt Ma is supplied to the tank T and becomes the priming oil that triggers the melting. In this way, the substance M obtained by making holes is effectively utilized and not wasted.

Further, according to the melting device <NUM> of this embodiment, if clogging occurs in the circulation flow path <NUM>, suction pipe <NUM>, or discharge pipe <NUM>, the clogging can be removed by driving the rotary pump <NUM> in reverse, and allowing the melt Ma to flow in the opposite direction by pumping. Further, by connecting hoppers to the primary and secondary sides of the pump <NUM>, one of these hoppers can be used to store the melt Ma as priming oil, whereas the other hopper can be used to sample the melt Ma flowing in the circulation flow path <NUM>.

Further, according to the melting device <NUM> of this embodiment, a rotary pump <NUM> capable of driving in reverse is used, so that the high-temperature melt Ma stored in the secondary-side hopper 43B can be discharged from the inner pipe <NUM> (suction pipe <NUM>), and the substance M in the tank T can be melted by the heat of the discharged melt Ma. Since this is possible, a metal pipe may be wound not only around the outer circumference of the primary-side hopper 43A, but also around the outer circumference of the secondary-side hopper 43B. With this configuration, the substance M fed into the secondary-side hopper 43B can be melted and the melt Ma can be stored in the secondary-side hopper 43B by allowing steam or hot water to flow inside the metal pipe.

If a metal pipe is wound around the hopper 43A or 43B and when the melting device <NUM> is disposed in a low-temperature environment (e.g., a cold region, etc.), the circulation flow path <NUM> can be heated by the heat of the steam or hot water by allowing steam or hot water to flow inside of the metal pipe. This can prevent freezing of the melt Ma that flows through the circulation flow path <NUM>.

According to the double pipe <NUM> of this embodiment, when a valve <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>) is attached the flexible tank T, the outer diameter of the inner pipe <NUM> (<FIG>) is made smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>), and the inner diameter of the coupling body <NUM> (<FIG>) is made substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cylinder <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>) to thereby attach the valve <NUM> to the tank.

The double pipe according to this embodiment can be disassembled into two parts (first and second parts). Therefore, when a problem such as clogging occurs in the double pipe <NUM>, operations to solve the problem can be easily performed.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but the present invention is only limited to the appended claims.

For example, the melting device <NUM> of the present invention may be provided with heating means <NUM> disposed inside the tank T, as shown in <FIG>. In this case, the heating means <NUM> is a tubular body in which hot water or steam flows, and the tubular body is preferably a flexible pipe. For example, the flexible pipe can be a winding flexible pipe for water supply (RFL25) manufactured by Liviluck Co. Alternatively, the heating means <NUM> is a heater pad provided with a conductor that generates heat through electrical resistance. When the heating means <NUM> (tubular body or heater pad) is disposed, the heat emitted by the heating means <NUM> heats the substance M in the tank T to melt the substance M, and the resulting high-temperature melt is suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> and discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM> into the tank T, whereby the material M that has coagulated in the tank T can be melted early.

When the heating means <NUM> is a tubular body with hot water flowing inside, the hot water in the hot water tank T is supplied to the tubular body (heating means <NUM>) through a first flow path by the pressure of the pump <NUM>, and the hot water supplied to the tubular body is returned to the hot water tank through a second flow path. When the heating means <NUM> is a tubular body with steam flowing inside, the steam generated by a steam-water mixer is supplied to the tubular body (heating means <NUM>) through the first flow path, and the steam supplied to the tubular body is discharged through the second flow path.

As shown in <FIG>, the heating means <NUM> (tubular body or heater pad) may be buried in the wall of the tank T. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, the heating means <NUM> may be disposed outside the tank T and abut the wall of the tank T. With such a configuration, it is unnecessary to dispose the heating means <NUM> inside of the tank T; accordingly, the tank T can be prevented from being torn by contact with the heating means <NUM>.

When the heating means <NUM> is provided in the melting device <NUM>, the direction of the discharge pipe <NUM> is adjusted so that the melt Ma discharged from the inside of the discharge pipe <NUM> to the inside of the tank T is directed to the position of the heating means <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. With such arrangement, the melt Ma discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM> can be heated by the heating means <NUM>, so that the high-temperature melt Ma can be circulated in the tank T. This allows the substance M in the tank T to be melted earlier. When the double pipe <NUM> shown in <FIG> is used, the melt Ma discharged from the opening <NUM> of the discharge pipe <NUM> to the inside of the tank T can be directed to the position of the heating means <NUM> by bending the tip portion 3c of the discharge pipe <NUM> as shown in the figures.

Since the purpose of the present invention is to melt the substance M to be stored inside the tank T, the tank T does not comprise any cooling means to cool the substance M stored inside.

In the melting device <NUM> of the present invention, two hoppers 43A and 43B are provided. In an embodiment not in accordance with the claimed invention, only one of the hoppers 43A and 43B may be provided. Alternatively, also in an embodiment not in accordance with the claimed invention, the hoppers <NUM> may be omitted. Even in this case, if the heating means <NUM> is provided in the melting device <NUM>, the heat emitted by the heating means <NUM> can melt the substance M coagulated in the tank T, and the melt Ma can be suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> and discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM> to thereby melt the substance M in the tank T. Alternatively, the substance M taken out from the tank T can be melted using a heater (e.g., a stove), and the melt Ma can be fed into the tank T. In this case, the melt Ma fed into the tank T can be suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> and discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM>, whereby the melt Ma can be used as priming oil that triggers the melting of the substance. When the tank T is used to transport a substance M, a melt of the substance to be prepared at the destination (i.e., a melt of the substance that was not stored in the tank T during transportation) may be fed into the tank T. Even in this case, the melt of the substance fed into the tank T is suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> and discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM>, so that the melt Ma of the substance fed into the tank T can be used as the priming oil that triggers the melting of the substance. The melt of the substance fed into the tank T may be a melt of the same kind of substance as the one stored in the tank T during transportation, or may be a melt of a substance of a kind different from the one stored in the tank T.

The melting device <NUM> may also be provided with a melt heating means for heating the melt Ma flowing through the circulation flow path <NUM>. The melt heating means is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between steam or hot water and the melt Ma. Alternatively, the melt heating means is a heater comprising a conductor that generates heat through electrical resistance. In this case, for example, the melt heating means (heater) is disposed so that the conductor is in contact with the pipe that constitutes the circulating flow path <NUM>, and the heat of the conductor is thereby transferred to the melt Ma flowing in the circulating flow path <NUM>.

In the melting device <NUM> of the present invention, the discharge pipe <NUM> and the suction pipe <NUM> do not necessarily need to be formed of a double pipe <NUM>, and the discharge pipe <NUM> and the suction pipe <NUM> may be separately and independently attached to the wall of the tank T. If a double pipe <NUM> is used, both the discharge pipe <NUM> and the suction pipe <NUM> can be attached by attaching the double pipe <NUM> to the tank T. This reduces the time and effort required for attachment. Also, by using the double pipe <NUM>, the discharge pipe <NUM> and the suction pipe <NUM> can be coaxially arranged, so that the melt Ma discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM> can be reliably suctioned into the suction pipe <NUM>. This allows the melt Ma to continue to be discharged from the discharge pipe <NUM>, so that the melting of the substance M can continue to occur.

In a melting device <NUM> not in accordance with the claimed invention, a pump whose fluid pumping direction is restricted to one direction may be provided in the circulating flow path <NUM> in place of the pump <NUM> capable of pumping a fluid in a reverse direction as described above. Even in this case, by driving the pump, the melt Ma that is present in the tank T can be suctioned into the suction pipe <NUM>, supplied to the inside of the discharge pipe <NUM> through the circulation flow path <NUM>, and discharged into the tank T through the opening <NUM> of the discharge pipe <NUM>, whereby the substance M in the tank T can be melted. A rotary pump or a centrifugal pump can be used as the "pump whose fluid pumping direction is restricted to one direction. " As the centrifugal pump, for example, an LDP-type line pump (50LPD62.2A) manufactured by Ebara Corporation can be used.

The discharge pipe <NUM> may be composed of a mixing ejector comprising a nozzle and a diffuser. The nozzle is configured to inject the melt Ma, which is sent through the circulation flow path <NUM>, into the diffuser. The diffuser is configured to suction the melt Ma that is present in the tank T by a pressure decrease due to ejection of the melt Ma from the nozzle, and injects the suctioned melt Ma into the tank T together with the melt Ma injected from the nozzle. The suctioned melt Ma is injected into the tank T together with the melt Ma ejected from the nozzle. By using the mixing ejector described above as the discharge pipe <NUM>, a large amount of the melt Ma that is present around the discharge pipe <NUM> can be suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> without requiring power (electric power, etc.) to increase the circulation amount of the melt Ma in the circulation flow path <NUM>, thereby increasing the energy efficiency of the melting device <NUM> (that is, the amount of material melted per hour can be increased while keeping the energy required to drive the melting device <NUM> small). As the mixing ejector described above, for example, a Mixing Eductor 3MP manufactured by Yamamoto Sangyo Co. can be used.

A spray nozzle through which the melt Ma is sprayed may be attached to the tip of the discharge pipe <NUM>. The use of the spray nozzles described above can accelerate the stirring of the melt Ma in the tank T, thus speeding up the melting of the substance M. For example, a TURBO DISC manufactured by Nippon Howard Corporation can be used as the spray nozzle.

The melting device <NUM> of the present invention may also comprise a gas supply means capable of supplying gas to the circulation flow path <NUM>. When the gas supply means is used, air bubbles are ejected from the discharge pipe <NUM> into the tank T together with the melt Ma, thereby promoting stirring of the melt Ma in the tank T. As the gas supply means described above, for example, a gas-liquid shear-type microbubble generator (BL12AA-<NUM>-D4, direct operation-type) manufactured by Nitta-Moore Corporation can be used. If the flexible tank T is used as the tank T, the gas discharged into the tank T can be discharged from a safety valve provided in the flexible tank T.

The substance M that can be melted by the melting device <NUM> of the present invention is not limited to waxes and fats. The objects to be melted by the melting device <NUM> of the present invention can be various substances that can be melted by the heat of the melt Ma.

The tank T for storing the substance M to be melted is not limited to a flexible tank made of vinyl; a tank T made of a material other than vinyl may be used. For example, the tank T may be an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) tank made of metal. In this case, the suction pipe <NUM> and discharge pipe <NUM> are attached to the wall of the ISO tank by known means.

In the melting device <NUM> of the present invention, as shown in <FIG>, a discharge channel <NUM> for discharging the melt Ma flowing through the circulating flow path <NUM> may be connected to the circulating flow path <NUM>. In this case, a fourth on-off valve <NUM> is provided in the discharge channel <NUM>. By opening the on-off valve <NUM>, some of the melt Ma flowing through the circulating flow path <NUM> into the discharge channel <NUM> can be allowed to flow into the discharge channel <NUM>. Further, a fifth on-off valve <NUM> may be provided at a position of the circulation flow path <NUM> that is downstream of the connection point of the discharge flow path <NUM>. In this case, by opening the fourth on-off valve <NUM> and closing the fifth on-off valve <NUM>, all of the melt Ma flowing through the circulating flow path <NUM> can flow into the discharge channel <NUM>. In the case where the discharge channel <NUM> is provided as described above, for example, the melt Ma flowing through the discharge channel <NUM> is fed into the tank <NUM> of the truck <NUM>, and the melt Ma is transported by the truck <NUM>.

The present inventors conducted an experiment to compare the performance of the melting device of an Example of the present invention with that of the melting device of a Comparative Example. This experiment is described below.

The following operations were performed to check the performance of the melting devices of the present invention in the Examples.

After a flexible pipe (heating means <NUM>) was inserted into a flexible tank T, the tank T was filled with <NUM> of palm oil mid-melting point fraction (PMF: Palm Mid-Fraction). After this, the tank T was allowed to stand in a room at <NUM> for <NUM> days to solidify the oil in the tank T. A hand drill was then inserted into the tank T through a hole in the tank T. A part of the solidified oil was scraped off by the rotation of the hand drill, and a hole was made in the oil. Subsequently, a double pipe <NUM> was attached to the tank T so that the tip of the discharge pipe <NUM> could be placed in the hole, and a circulation flow path <NUM> was connected to the double pipe <NUM>. Subsequently, the scraped oil was fed into the primary-side hopper 43A to melt the oil. After this, hot water of <NUM> to <NUM> was started to flow through the inside of the flexible pipe (heating means <NUM>) at a flow rate of <NUM><NUM>/h. At the same time, with the first on-off valve <NUM> being closed and the second on-off valve <NUM> and the third on-off valve 44A being open, the pump <NUM> was driven to discharge the melt Ma in the hopper 43A into the tank T. With the second on-off valve <NUM> being closed and the third on-off valve <NUM> and 44A being open, the pump <NUM> was driven to discharge the melt Ma in the hopper 43A into the tank T. After this, the first on-off valve <NUM> was opened in order to suction the melt Ma that was present in the tank T, and discharge the melt Ma into the tank T. The temperature of the melt Ma and the condition in the tank T were checked <NUM> hours and <NUM> hours after the start of allowing the water to flow into the flexible pipe (hereinafter referred to as the "water flow start time").

The melting device of the Comparative Example is one in which the double pipe <NUM> and the circulation flow path <NUM> are omitted from the melting device of the Example. The following operations were performed to check the performance of the melting device of the Comparative Example.

After the flexible pipe was inserted into the flexible tank T, the tank T was filled with <NUM> of palm oil mid-fraction (PMF). After this, the tank T was left in a room of <NUM> for <NUM> days to allow the oil in the tank T to solidify. Hot water of <NUM> to <NUM> was started to flow into the flexible pipe at a flow rate of <NUM><NUM>/h. The temperature of the melt Ma and the condition in the tank T were checked <NUM> hours and <NUM> hours after the start of allowing the water to flow into the flexible pipe (hereinafter referred to as the "water flow start time").

Table <NUM> below shows the results confirmed by the above operations.

Claim 1:
A melting device (<NUM>) for discharging a melt of a substance (Ma) into a tank (T) to melt the substance (M) stored in the tank (T), the device comprising
a suction pipe (<NUM>) attached to the wall of the tank (T);
a discharge pipe (<NUM>) attached to the wall of the tank (T);
a circulation flow path (<NUM>) disposed on the outside of the tank (T); and
a hopper (<NUM>) in which the melt of the substance (Ma) is to be stored and that is connected to the circulation flow path (<NUM>) via an on-off valve (<NUM>);
wherein
the inside of the tank (T) communicates with the inside of one end of the circulation flow path (4a) through the inside of the suction pipe (<NUM>);
the inside of the tank (T) communicates with the inside of the other end of the circulation flow path (4b) through the inside of the discharge pipe (<NUM>);
a pump (<NUM>) is disposed at a midway position of the circulation flow path (<NUM>); by driving the pump (<NUM>), the melt of the substance (Ma) that is present in the tank (T) is suctioned into the suction pipe (<NUM>), circulated through the circulation flow path (<NUM>), and discharged from inside the discharge pipe (<NUM>) into the tank (T); and the entire inside of the discharge pipe (<NUM>) is used as a flow path for the melt (Ma);
the hopper (<NUM>) comprises a primary-side hopper (43A) and a secondary-side hopper (43B);
the primary-side hopper (43A) is connected to the primary side of the pump (<NUM>) in the circulation flow path (<NUM>) via a primary-side on-off valve (44A);
the secondary-side hopper (43B) is connected to the secondary side of the pump (<NUM>) in the circulation flow path (<NUM>) via a secondary-side on-off valve (44B); and
the pump (<NUM>) is capable of pumping a fluid in a reverse direction.