The present invention relates to an X-ray inspection device that irradiates X-rays to an object to be inspected, detects the X-rays having transmitted the same and thereby inspects the same, and relates specifically to an X-ray inspection device that can cool heat sources inside cases by a heat exchange device and is excellent also in cleaning property of the outer surface of the case.
In Japanese Patent No. 5364302, as a prior art of an invention related to the patent application, an X-ray foreign object detection device including an industrial use air conditioner is described in the paragraph of the background art. As shown in
An X-ray inspection device for industrial use has been widely used which irradiates X-rays to an object to be inspected, detects the X-rays having transmitted the same, and thereby inspects the same. With respect to the X-ray inspection device, an electric supply and the like which is a heat source is stored inside a case which is a main body and the X-ray inspection device generates due amount of heat at the time of use, and therefore one with an air-cooled structure is known in which a filter is arranged at an opening formed in the case with the aim of cooling the inside of the case, and the external air is taken in to the inside of the case by air blow means such as a fan.
However, in such X-ray inspection device for industrial use, in the case the food and the like for example is made the object to be inspected, the dust and the moisture such as the water drops generated from the food and the like are present much in the environment of the inspection line where the device is installed, therefore the air including them passes through the filter arranged in the opening of the case, and thereby there is a case the internal board such as the control board and the power supply board is corroded or short-circuited which results in detriment of the function of the X-ray inspection device.
In order to eliminate such defect of the air-cooled structure caused by suction of the external air and to obtain a secure cooling effect, there is a case of using an X-ray foreign object inspection device externally attaching an industrial air conditioner on the outer surface of the case as explained previously referring to Japanese Patent No. 5364302. However, because such air conditioner is not merely a heat exchange device but a device including a compressor and driven by electric power, there is a problem that the cost of itself is high, the cost of the total X-ray foreign object inspection device therefore becomes high, and the running cost increases. Also, because of the structure of being externally attached to the outer surface of the case of the X-ray foreign object inspection device, the outline dimension of the total X-ray foreign object inspection device becomes large, and such case is possible that the complicated outer shape becomes a disturbance of cleaning in cleaning frequently required when a food and the like is made an object to be inspected and a problem occurs in the sanitary property.
The present invention has been achieved in view of the problems in the prior art described above, and aims to provide an X-ray inspection device including cooling means achieving high cooling effect and having sufficient cleaning property without using an air conditioner whose equipment cost and running cost are high.
The X-ray inspection device according to a first aspect of the invention is an X-ray inspection device that inspects an object to be inspected by detecting X-rays irradiated to and transmitted through the object to be inspected, comprising a first case that stores a plurality of heat sources inside and is closed against an environmental atmosphere, a second case that is attached to the first case and is opened to the environmental atmosphere, and a heat exchange device for cooling the heat sources, the heat exchange device including a hermetically closed case and a heat exchange medium, the case having a heat absorption member disposed inside the first case and a heat radiation member disposed inside the second case, the heat exchange medium being sealed inside the case and conducting heat from the heat absorption member to the heat radiation member without being imparted with work from the outside.
The X-ray inspection device according to a second aspect of the invention is the X-ray inspection device according to the first aspect in which a flow passage for cooling the heat sources by making air circulate in a predetermined order is formed inside the first case.
The X-ray inspection device according to a third aspect of the invention is the X-ray inspection device according to the second aspect in which plural cooling partitions which are separated based on use limit temperature of the heat sources and in which the heat sources of the use limit temperature are stored are arranged inside the first case, and the flow passage is set inside the cooling partitions so that the heat sources the use limit temperature of which is low are disposed upstream of the heat sources the use limit temperature of which is high.
The X-ray inspection device according to a fourth aspect of the invention is the X-ray inspection device according to any one of the first to third aspects in which, inside the first case, an X-ray generating device is disposed at the center part of the first case, an LCD and a control unit as the heat source are disposed on the front face side of the first case, electric supply units as the heat source are disposed on the side face side of the first case, and the heat absorption member of the heat exchange device is disposed on the back face side of the first case, inside the second case, the heat radiation member of the heat exchange device is disposed on the back face side of the second case, and the heat radiation member opposes an exhaust port formed on the back face side of the second case.
The X-ray inspection device according to a fifth aspect of the invention is the X-ray inspection device according to the fourth aspect in which an interference prevention plate in which air introduced to the heat absorption member along the flow passage after cooling the control unit collides on one surface and air introduced to the heat absorption member along the flow passage after cooling the electric supply unit collides on the other surface is arranged inside the first case.
According to the X-ray inspection device described in the first aspect, as cooling means inside the case, not an air conditioner requiring energy but a heat exchange device having a simple structure is used. Therefore, the cost is low, and the running cost is also low. Further, at the time of using the X-ray inspection device, the heat generated from the heat sources inside the first case is absorbed by the heat absorption member of the heat exchange device inside the first case, is radiated from the heat radiation member of the heat exchange device arranged inside the second case, and is discharged to the environmental atmosphere through the air inside the second case. Thus, the heat exchange device in the present invention is arranged so as to penetrate the wall body of the first case which stores the heat sources, and has therefore a structure protruding from the outer surface of the first case. However, because the heat radiation member of the heat exchange device protruding from the outer surface of the first case is arranged integrally with the first case and is stored in the second case that is opened to the environmental atmosphere, particular unevenness is not generated in the outer shape as the total of the first and second cases. Therefore, the cases of the X-ray inspection device are easy in cleaning and are excellent in the sanitary property.
According to the X-ray inspection device described in the second aspect, because the flow passage that makes the air circulate in a predetermined order is formed inside the first case, the air for cooling can be securely supplied to the heat sources inside the first case. Also, even when the heat source exists in plural numbers, the air flowing along the flow passage reaches respective heat sources successively, and respective heat sources can be cooled securely.
According to the X-ray inspection device described in the third aspect, with respect to the plural heat sources existing inside the first case, as an index showing the heat resistant performance or the upper limit of the usable environmental temperature, intrinsic use limit temperature is determined respectively. Also, the inside of the first case is separated into plural cooling partitions having different use limit temperature, and, in each cooling partition, the heat source having the use limit temperature corresponding to the cooling partition is stored. Further, the flow passage of the air is set so that the heat source having low use limit temperature is disposed upstream of the heat source having high use limit temperature in order that the air flows to the heat source having high use limit temperature and cools the same after cooling the heat source having low use limit temperature, or in order that the air which has cooled the heat source having high use limit temperature and of which temperature has risen does not flow through the heat source having low use limit temperature. Therefore, because the air flowing through the flow passage passes and circulates from the heat source having low use limit temperature toward the heat source having high use limit temperature while cooling the heat sources having predetermined use limit temperature for respective cooling partitions or passes and circulates through the heat source having low use limit temperature before the heat source having high use limit temperature, each heat source can be securely cooled in each cooling partition.
According to the X-ray inspection device described in the fourth aspect, the heat generated respectively by the control unit and the electric supply unit disposed at respective positions inside the first case can be absorbed by the heat absorption member of the heat exchange device disposed on the back face side inside the first case, can be radiated from the heat radiation member of the heat exchange device disposed on the back face side inside the second case, and can be discharged outside through the exhaust port arranged on the back face side inside the second case.
According to the X-ray inspection device described in the fifth aspect, inside the first case, the air having cooled the control unit is introduced to the heat absorption member along the flow passage, and collides on one surface of the interference prevention plate to change the direction. Also, the air having cooled the electric supply unit is introduced to the heat absorption member along the flow passage, and collides on the other surface of the interference prevention plate to change the direction. Thus, because these two air flows collide on the front face and the back face of the interference prevention plate respectively, there is no possibility of colliding on each other in the partition where the heat absorption member is disposed. Therefore, it is possible to lead these two air flows smoothly to the heat absorption member of the heat exchange device without making them interfere with each other, and to effect efficient heat absorption.
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to
An X-ray inspection device 1 of the present embodiment shown in
As the body frame of the device, the X-ray inspection device 1 of the present embodiment includes a first case 3 and a second case 4 integrally attached onto the first case 3 as shown in
The tank 2a of the X-ray generation device 2 described above is disposed generally in the center part inside the first case 3 as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
First, as shown in
Also, the upper half part of the heat exchange device 15 shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
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As shown in
As means for cooling the heat sources inside the first case 3, the X-lay inspection device 1 described above uses not an air conditioner requiring energy but the heat exchange device 15 having simple structure. Therefore, there is a feature that the cost is inexpensive and the running cost is also low. Here, it is considered in general that, compared to an air conditioner requiring energy, mere heat exchange device 15 is inferior in the cooling capacity, however, according to the X-ray inspection device 1 of the embodiment secures sufficient cooling capacity, no trouble occurs practically. The reason is that the inside of the first case 3 is separated into plural cooling partitions C1 to C4 having different use limit temperature, among them, the cooling partitions C2 to C4 store the heat sources having the use limit temperature corresponding to the cooling partition, the flow passage B making the air circulate through respective cooling partitions C1 to C4 in a predetermined order is arranged, and it is configured that each heat source having different use limit temperature can be efficiently cooled.
In other words, between the third cooling partition C3 where the second electric supply unit 19 having low use limit temperature exists and the first cooling partition C1 where the heat absorption member 15a exists, it is configured that the air directly circulates, whereas with respect to the fourth cooling partition C4 where the LCD 20 having low use limit temperature exists, it is configured that the air from the first cooling partition C1 where the heat absorption member 15a exists is made to directly flow in before cooling other heat sources, the air after cooling is made to flow through the second cooling partition C2 where the first electric supply unit 18 having higher use limit temperature exists, and is used for cooling. Also, with respect to the PC 17 that is positioned inner than the LCD 20 and is disposed so as to be hardly cooled, consideration is given so that a large portion of the air immediately after cooling the PC 17 is sucked to the first cooling partition C1 directly by the duct 21 and the fan F and that cooling by the PC 17 can be effected more efficiently.
Thus, inside the first case 3, a flow passage is formed which is for making the air circulate through the inside of the first case 3 as described below.
1) The air is made to circulate between the cooling partition C3 whose use limit temperature is low and the cooling partition C1 where the heat exchange device 15 exists, and the second electric supply unit 19 is cooled.
2) The air is made to circulate consecutively through the PC 17 and the first electric supply unit 18 existing inside the same cooling partition C2 and having equal use limit temperature to effect cooling, and is made to recirculate thereafter to the first cooling partition C1 where the heat exchange device 15 exists.
3) The air from the first cooling partition C1 where the heat exchange device 15 exists is made to circulate through the cooling partition C4 where the LCD 20 having low use limit temperature exists before the heat sources having high use limit temperature, is made to flow thereafter through the cooling partition C2 where the first electric supply unit 18 having high use limit temperature exists, and effects cooling consecutively.
Therefore, at the time of using the X-ray inspection device 1, plural heat sources inside the first case 3 are cooled efficiently by the air flowing along the flow passage B which is set between the cooling partitions based on the use limit temperature, and the heat thereof is efficiently absorbed by the heat absorption member 15a of the heat exchange device 15, is radiated from the heat radiation member 15b of the heat exchange device 15 disposed on the back face side of the inside of the second case 4, is added also with the heat from the tank cooling unit 2b, and is discharged along with the exhaust air to the environmental atmosphere from the exhaust port 16 for heat radiation arranged on the back face side of the second case 4.
Also, the heat exchange device 15 is arranged so as to penetrate the boundary of the first case 3 and the second case 4, and has a structure that the heat radiation member 15b protrudes from the outer surface of the first case 3. However, because the heat radiation member 15b of the heat exchange device 15 protruded from the outer surface of the first case 3 is arranged integrally with the first case 3 and is stored in the second case 4 which is opened to the environmental atmosphere, particular unevenness is not generated in the outer shape as the total of the first and second cases 3, 4. Therefore, the cases 3, 4 of the X-ray inspection device 1 are easy to clean and are excellent in the sanitary property.
An air conditioner includes a compressor driven by electric power, and utilizes a refrigerant that absorbs heat from the low temperature section and radiates the heat to the high temperature section by imparting work from the outside. According to the present invention, the heat exchange medium described above is different from the refrigerant, receives heat at the section having relatively high temperature, and conducts the heat to the section having relatively low temperature for radiation.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62266974 | Dec 2015 | US |