Cleaning equipment and cleaning methods

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method thereof are disclosed. The cleaning apparatus includes a camera unit, a nozzle unit, and a control unit that signalsly connects the camera unit and the nozzle unit. The nozzle unit includes a nozzle for spraying cleaning fluid onto a circuit carrier. The cleaning method includes the following steps: an image acquisition step, in which the camera unit acquires a stereoscopic image of the circuit carrier; an interpretation step, in which the control unit calculates a planar coordinate and a thickness of a stain based on the stereoscopic image information, and obtains a spray height based on the thickness. The spray height is inversely proportional to the thickness; a positioning step, in which the control unit controls the nozzle unit to move until the nozzle is at the spray height; and a cleaning step, in which the nozzle unit sprays cleaning fluid onto the stain from the nozzle.

Claims

1. A cleaning method applicable to a cleaning apparatus, the cleaning apparatus comprising a camera unit, a nozzle unit, and a control unit signal-connected to the camera unit and the nozzle unit, the nozzle unit comprising a nozzle for spraying cleaning fluid toward a circuit carrier, the cleaning method comprising the following steps: an image acquisition step, wherein the camera unit acquires a stereoscopic image of the circuit carrier; an interpretation step, wherein the control unit calculates a planar coordinate and a thickness along a Z-axis of a stain based on the stereoscopic image information, and obtains a spray height based on the thickness, the spray height being defined as the height of the nozzle along the Z-axis and inversely proportional to the thickness; a positioning step, wherein the control unit controls the nozzle unit to move to a position where the nozzle is at the spray height based on the planar coordinate and the spray height; and a cleaning step, wherein the nozzle unit sprays cleaning fluid toward the stain from the nozzle.

2. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit further controls the nozzle unit to project a cursor toward the plane coordinates during the positioning step.

3. The cleaning method as described in claim 2, wherein, During the positioning step, the control unit controls the nozzle unit to move until the cursor is located at the coordinates of the plane.

4. The cleaning method as described in claim 3, wherein, In the positioning step, the nozzle is separated from an origin by a distance along a Y-axis direction, the distance being equal to a component value of the plane coordinates along the Y-axis direction plus a compensation value.

5. A cleaning apparatus suitable for spraying cleaning fluid onto a circuit carrier located in an XY plane, comprising: a frame; a camera unit mounted on the frame and used to acquire a stereoscopic image of the circuit carrier; a nozzle unit including a nozzle forming an acute angle with the XY plane; a transfer unit mounted on the frame and connected to the nozzle unit for moving the nozzle unit along an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, or a Z-axis direction; and a control unit signal-connected to the camera unit, the nozzle unit, and the transfer unit, and calculating a planar coordinate and a thickness along a Z-axis direction of a stain based on the stereoscopic image information, and obtaining a spray height based on the thickness, the spray height being defined as the height of the nozzle along the Z-axis direction and inversely proportional to the thickness, the control unit further controlling the nozzle unit to move to the nozzle position at the spray height based on the planar coordinate and the spray height, and controlling the nozzle unit to spray cleaning fluid onto the stain from the nozzle.

6. The cleaning equipment as described in claim 5, wherein, The acute angle is between 30 and 75 degrees.

7. The cleaning equipment as described in claim 5, wherein, The nozzle unit also includes a nozzle head connecting the transfer unit and the nozzle, and a light-emitting element mounted on the nozzle head. The light-emitting element is used to project a cursor toward the plane coordinates, and the control unit controls the nozzle unit to move until the cursor is located at the plane coordinates.

8. The cleaning equipment as described in claim 7, wherein, The nozzle unit also includes another nozzle, which are spaced apart along the X-axis and located on both sides of the light-emitting element.

9. The cleaning equipment as described in claim 7, wherein, The light-emitting element can be a laser, a light-emitting diode, or an organic light-emitting diode.

10. The cleaning equipment as described in claim 5, wherein, The transfer unit includes a first rail assembly extending along the X-axis, a first slide mounted on the first rail assembly and movably mounted along the X-axis, a first motor assembly mounted on the first rail assembly and used to drive the first slide, a second rail assembly mounted on the first slide and extending along the Y-axis, a second slide mounted on the second rail assembly and movably mounted along the Y-axis, a second motor assembly mounted on the second rail assembly and used to drive the second slide, a third rail assembly mounted on the second slide and extending along the Z-axis, a third slide mounted on the third rail assembly and connected to the nozzle unit and movably mounted along the Z-axis, and a third motor assembly mounted on the third rail assembly and used to drive the third slide.

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