Static eliminator and static elimination system

Abstract

To provide a static eliminator and a static elimination system capable of strictly managing manufacturing state of a product without increasing a burden of management.SOLUTION: A static eliminator 200 includes an ion generating part, an ion control part, a measured value acquisition part 233, a data generation part 234, and a nonvolatile storage unit. The ion generating part generates ions. The ion control part controls the ion generating part. The measured value acquisition part 233 acquires a measured value related to the control by the ion control part and acquires measurement time at which the measured value is acquired. The data generation part 234 generates history data on the basis of the measured value and the measurement time. The nonvolatile storage unit stores the history data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a static eliminator and a static elimination system for eliminating static electricity from an object to be static eliminated. [Background technology]

[0002] In manufacturing lines for semiconductor devices or liquid crystal display devices, if each part used in the manufacturing process is charged, electrostatic breakdown may occur or foreign matter may adhere to the part, resulting in a decrease in product yield. A static eliminator is used to prevent a decrease in yield caused by each part being charged.

[0003] In the static eliminator (static eliminator) described in Patent Document 1, positive and negative ions generated from an electrode needle are blown onto a target object by a fan. In the static eliminator, the output voltage of a positive and negative high voltage generating circuit connected to the electrode needle is controlled by a signal from a detection resistor connected to a ground wire so that the ion balance is maintained. This removes the charge accumulated on the static eliminator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-289796 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, there has been a demand for strict management of manufacturing conditions, such as the static electricity removal conditions of products, in manufacturing lines. However, strict management of the manufacturing conditions of products increases the burden associated with the management.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a static eliminator and a static elimination system that are capable of strictly managing the manufacturing conditions of products without increasing the management burden. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A static eliminator according to one aspect of the present invention includes an ion generating unit that generates ions, an ion control unit that controls the ion generating unit, a measurement acquisition unit that acquires measurement values ​​related to control by the ion control unit and acquires the measurement times at which the measurement values ​​were acquired, a data generation unit that generates history data based on the measurement values ​​and the measurement times, and a non-volatile memory unit that stores the history data.

[0008] A static elimination system according to another aspect of the present invention includes the above-mentioned static eliminator and a control device connectable to the static eliminator, the static eliminator further including a first communication unit connected to a network, and the control device including a second communication unit connected to the network and a data acquisition unit that acquires the history data stored in the non-volatile memory unit via the network. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the manufacturing status of a product can be strictly controlled without increasing the management burden. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the configuration of a static elimination system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a simple configuration of a charge detection system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the ion balance sensor of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of an ion detection circuit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the static eliminator of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the static eliminator of FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of a display unit, an operation unit, and indicator lights; FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a block diagram of the static eliminator for explaining the configuration of a static eliminator control unit. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a diagram for explaining history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a first hierarchical layer screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an air volume adjustment screen. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of changing the air volume setting on the air volume adjustment screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a first monitor screen. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram for explaining details of an event display area. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second monitor screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a first event history screen. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second event history screen. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a third event history screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for displaying an event details screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second hierarchical layer screen. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of a setting screen. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of a setting screen. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of a setting screen. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a setting screen. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fifth example of a setting screen. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the control device of FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a history image. [Figure 28] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a time setting process performed in the static eliminator. [Figure 29] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a temporary storage unit control process performed in the static eliminator. [Diagram 30] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a static eliminator storage unit control process performed in the static eliminator. [Diagram 31] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a control device management process performed in the control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 1. Overview of the static elimination system configuration and examples of use Hereinafter, a static eliminator and a static eliminator system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the configuration of a static eliminator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a static eliminator system 1 according to this embodiment mainly includes a plurality of static eliminators 200 and a control device 300. The plurality of static eliminators 200 and the control device 300 are connected to a network 309 by wire or wirelessly, and can communicate with each other. The static eliminator system 1 may further include a charge detection system 400. In this case, the charge detection system 400 is connected to the network 309 by wire or wirelessly. The network 309 is a communication line network such as a LAN (local area network), a WAN (wide area network), or the Internet. In this embodiment, the number of the static eliminators 200 connected to the network 309 is 50, 100, or 1000, etc.

[0012] The static eliminator 200 includes a static eliminator housing 11, and various high-voltage circuits for generating positive ions and negative ions are housed in the static eliminator housing 11. An air outlet 12 is formed in the static eliminator housing 11. A cover 13 may be attached to the static eliminator housing 11 so as to cover the front of a fan 201, which will be described later. In this case, the air outlet 12 is formed in the cover 13. The static eliminator housing 11 may also be provided with a cover detection sensor that detects that the cover 13 is attached to the attachment portion of the cover 13. The static eliminator 200 sends out the positive ions and negative ions generated in the static eliminator housing 11 to the outside of the static eliminator 200 through the air outlet 12.

[0013] In the following description, the gas (in this example, air containing positive ions and negative ions) flowing from the air outlet 12 of the static eliminator housing 11 to the outside of the static eliminator 200 is referred to as the static eliminator. The cover 13 may function as a louver for adjusting the diffusion angle of the static eliminator. Also, the space to which the static eliminator sent out from the static eliminator 200 should be supplied, that is, the static elimination target space in which static elimination of the target object should be performed, is referred to as the target space. A plurality of belt conveyors may be prepared, and a plurality of targets may be transported in sequence at a constant speed by each belt conveyor, and static elimination of each target object may be performed in a predetermined space on each belt conveyor. In this case, the space on each belt conveyor is the target space.

[0014] If there is a bias in the ion balance in the target space, the target object cannot be properly neutralized. Therefore, in order to detect the ion balance in the target space, an ion balance sensor 100 is connected to each of the multiple static eliminators 200. The ion balance sensor 100 connected to each static eliminator 200 is provided in the target space corresponding to each static eliminator 200. In this embodiment, the ion balance in the target space refers to the degree of bias in the electrical polarity in the target space.

[0015] The ion balance in the target space approaches 0 when, for example, the amount of positive ions and the amount of negative ions contained in the static eliminator flowing from the static eliminator 200 into the target space are equal or nearly equal. On the other hand, the ion balance in the target space deviates (biases) from 0 when, for example, the amount of positive ions and the amount of negative ions contained in the static eliminator flowing from the static eliminator 200 into the target space differ. The ion balance sensor 100 has a conductive detection plate 110A. The ion balance in the target space is detected based on the potential of the detection plate 110A. The ion balance sensor 100 will be described in detail later.

[0016] The ion balance sensor 100 according to the present embodiment is provided in a target space, and is therefore capable of detecting information about the environment of the target space in addition to the ion balance of the target space. Specifically, the ion balance sensor 100 is capable of detecting the amount of ions flowing through the target space per unit time (hereinafter, referred to as the ion current of the target space) as information about the environment of the target space. Furthermore, the ion balance sensor 100 is capable of detecting the temperature and humidity of the target space as information about the environment of the target space.

[0017] The ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200 via a cable. The above-mentioned various information detected by the ion balance sensor 100 is transmitted to the static eliminator 200 via the cable. In this case, the static eliminator 200 can adjust the generation state of positive ions and negative ions based on the detection result of the ion balance in the target space. As a result, a static eliminator suitable for eliminating static electricity from the target object is supplied to the target space.

[0018] Here, if the air outlet 12 of the static eliminator 200 faces a position offset from the target space, the static eliminator does not flow from the static eliminator 200 to the target space. In this case, the ion current is detected as a value of 0 or close to 0. On the other hand, if the air outlet 12 of the static eliminator 200 faces the target space, the static eliminator flows appropriately from the static eliminator 200 to the target space. In this case, the ion current is detected as a value corresponding to the amount of ions contained in the static eliminator.

[0019] Therefore, in the static eliminator 200, it is possible to determine whether or not the position and posture (installation state) of the static eliminator 200 are appropriate based on the detection result of the ion current. Specifically, when the value of the ion current is equal to or less than a predetermined ion current threshold value, it is possible to determine that the installation state of the static eliminator 200 is abnormal. Also, when the value of the ion current is greater than the ion current threshold value, it is possible to determine that the installation state of the static eliminator 200 is normal. By presenting such a determination result to the user, the user can easily grasp whether or not the installation state of the static eliminator 200 needs to be adjusted.

[0020] Furthermore, in the static eliminator 200, by storing the detection results of the temperature and humidity of the target space in a memory, it is possible to manage changes in the environmental state of the target space.

[0021] The control device 300 is, for example, a personal computer, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). A main body display unit 330 and a main body operation unit 340 are connected to the control device 300. The main body display unit 330 is configured with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) panel. The main body operation unit 340 includes a keyboard and a pointing device, and is configured to be operable by the user.

[0022] The control device 300 is used to set various operating conditions for the multiple static eliminators 200 and to monitor the operating states of the multiple static eliminators 200. The multiple operating conditions of the static eliminator 200 include the flow rate (air volume) of gas sent to the target space by the fan of the static eliminator 200 described below, various threshold values ​​for determining whether the static eliminator 200 is in a normal state or an abnormal state, whether to disable the operation of an operating unit 260 described below in the static eliminator 200, and the like. The control device 300 may be used to monitor the amount of charge detected by the charge detection system 400.

[0023] 2. Configuration of the Charge Detection System Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a simple configuration of the charge detection system 400. As shown in Fig. 2, the charge detection system 400 includes a charge detection device 410, a plurality of charge detection devices 420, and a communication device 430. Each of the charge detection device 410, the plurality of charge detection devices 420, and the communication device 430 includes a CPU and has a communication function.

[0024] A detection head 411 is connected to the charge detection device 410. The detection head 411 is disposed in a space downstream of a target space on any one of the belt conveyors. The detection head 411 detects the amount of charge in the space in which the detection head 411 is disposed, according to the control of the charge detection device 410. The detection head 411 also provides the detected amount of charge to the charge detection device 410. As a result, the charge detection device 410 acquires the amount of charge detected by the detection head 411.

[0025] A plurality of detection heads 421 are connected to the plurality of charge detection devices 420, respectively. The plurality of detection heads 421 are respectively arranged in a space downstream of the target spaces on the other plurality of belt conveyors. Each detection head 421 detects the charge amount in the space in which the detection head 421 is arranged, according to the control of the corresponding charge detection device 420. In addition, each detection head 421 provides the detected charge amount to the corresponding charge detection device 420. As a result, each charge detection device 420 acquires the charge amount detected by the corresponding detection head 421.

[0026] The charge detection device 410 acquires the amount of charge acquired by each charge detection device 420 from each charge detection device 420. The communication device 430 performs communication protocol conversion between the charge detection device 410 and the control device 300, thereby transmitting the amount of charge acquired by the charge detection device 410 to the control device 300.

[0027] According to this configuration, static elimination is performed in the target space on each belt conveyor, and the charge amount of the target transported downstream is detected by either the detection head 411 or the multiple detection heads 421. This allows the control device 300 to monitor whether static elimination of the target has been properly performed.

[0028] 3. Basic configuration of ion balance sensor Fig. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the ion balance sensor 100 of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the ion balance sensor 100 includes a detection plate 110A, an ion detection circuit 110B, a temperature detection element 120, a humidity detection element 130, a sensor indicator light 140, a sensor communication unit 150, a sensor power supply unit 160, and a sensor control unit 190.

[0029] The detection plate 110A is made of a conductive material (e.g., a metal material) and is provided so as to be exposed to the space surrounding the ion balance sensor 100. The ion detection circuit 110B is connected to the detection plate 110A and outputs a signal corresponding to the ion balance and ion current in the target space based on a change in the potential of the detection plate 110A over time. A specific configuration of the ion detection circuit 110B will be described later.

[0030] The temperature detection element 120 is an element that outputs a signal corresponding to the temperature of the space in which the temperature detection element 120 is placed, and is, for example, a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector. The ion balance sensor 100 is configured so that the space in which the temperature detection element 120 is placed communicates with the space surrounding the ion balance sensor 100, so that the temperature detection element 120 outputs a signal corresponding to the temperature of the space surrounding the ion balance sensor 100 (target space). The humidity detection element 130 is, for example, a polymer humidity detection element, and outputs a signal corresponding to the humidity of the space surrounding the ion balance sensor 100 (target space).

[0031] The sensor indicator light 140 includes, for example, a plurality of light-emitting diodes that emit light in different colors. The sensor communication unit 150 transmits various signals output from the sensor control unit 190 to the static eliminator 200 via a cable. The sensor communication unit 150 also receives various information transmitted from the static eliminator 200 via the cable and provides it to the sensor control unit 190.

[0032] The sensor power supply unit 160 receives power supplied from the static eliminator 200 via a cable, appropriately converts the received power, and supplies it to each component of the ion balance sensor 100 .

[0033] The sensor control unit 190 includes a microcomputer, and generates various information and controls each component. The sensor control unit 190 may include a CPU and a memory instead of a microcomputer. The microcomputer or memory of the sensor control unit 190 stores programs for mainly detecting the ion balance, ion current, temperature, and humidity of the target space, and for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the static eliminator 200.

[0034] In the sensor control unit 190, a microcomputer or a CPU executes a program stored in the sensor control unit 190. As a result, the sensor control unit 190 detects the ion balance in the target space based on the signal output from the ion detection circuit 110B, and generates a signal indicating the detection result as an ion balance signal. The generated ion balance signal is output from the sensor control unit 190.

[0035] The sensor control unit 190 detects the ion current in the target space based on the signal output from the ion detection circuit 110B, and generates a signal indicating the detection result as an ion current signal. The generated ion current signal is output from the sensor control unit 190.

[0036] In addition, the sensor control unit 190 detects the temperature of the target space based on the signal output from the temperature detection element 120, and generates a signal indicating the detection result as a temperature signal. The generated temperature signal is output from the sensor control unit 190.

[0037] In addition, the sensor control unit 190 detects the humidity in the target space based on the signal output from the humidity detection element 130, and generates a signal indicating the detection result as a humidity signal. The generated humidity signal is output from the sensor control unit 190.

[0038] Furthermore, the sensor control unit 190 controls the sensor indicator light 140 to emit light in one specific color (e.g., green) when, for example, the ion balance and ion current detected in the ion balance sensor 100 satisfy a predetermined tolerance condition. On the other hand, the sensor control unit 190 controls the sensor indicator light 140 to emit light in another specific color (e.g., red) when, for example, the ion balance and ion current detected in the ion balance sensor 100 do not satisfy the above tolerance condition.

[0039] 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the ion detection circuit 110B. As shown in FIG. 4, the ion detection circuit 110B includes an operational amplifier 111, a fixed resistor 112, and a modulation voltage source 113. The operational amplifier 111 is used as a buffer circuit, and a non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 111 is electrically connected to the detection plate 110A. In addition, an output terminal of the operational amplifier 111 is connected to an inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 111 and is also connected to the sensor control unit 190.

[0040] The modulation voltage source 113 generates an AC voltage as a periodic modulation voltage. The modulation voltage source 113 is electrically connected to a node N between the detection plate 110A and the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 111 via a fixed resistor 112.

[0041] As described above, the detection plate 110A is provided so as to be exposed in the space (target space in this example) surrounding the ion balance sensor 100. In addition, a static eliminator containing positive ions and negative ions flows from the static eliminator 200 into the target space in this example.

[0042] In the above-mentioned ion balance sensor 100, when the modulated voltage source 113 generates an AC voltage, the magnitude of the amplitude of the voltage waveform of the signal (voltage signal) output from the operational amplifier 111 or a value corresponding thereto is detected as the ion current in the target space. Also, the value of the center of fluctuation of the voltage waveform of the signal (voltage signal) output from the operational amplifier 111 or a value corresponding thereto is detected as the ion balance in the target space.

[0043] 4. Basic configuration of static eliminator 5 and 6 are block diagrams for explaining the configuration of the static eliminator 200 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the static eliminator 200 includes a fan 201, a fan drive unit 202, a detection electrode 203, a positive ion generating unit 211, a positive high voltage circuit 212, a negative ion generating unit 221, a negative high voltage circuit 222, a static eliminator control unit 230, and an ion information generating unit 240. These components are housed in the static eliminator housing 11 in FIG. 1. In addition, the static eliminator 200 is provided with a surface electrometer that detects the amount of charge on the target object. It is possible to detect the charged object based on the amount of charge detected by the surface electrometer.

[0044] 5, schematic front views of the positive ion generating unit 211 and the negative ion generating unit 221 are shown in the respective balloons. The positive ion generating unit 211 includes an annular member 211a and a plurality of (four in this example) electrode needles en1. The plurality of electrode needles en1 are provided at equal intervals on the inner periphery of the annular member 211a so as to extend toward the center of the annular member 211a. The negative ion generating unit 221 includes an annular member 221a and a plurality of electrode needles en2, similar to the positive ion generating unit 211. The plurality of electrode needles en2 are provided at equal intervals on the inner periphery of the annular member 221a so as to extend toward the center of the annular member 221a.

[0045] A positive-electrode high-voltage circuit 212 is connected to the positive ion generating unit 211. The positive-electrode high-voltage circuit 212 includes a resistor and a boost circuit, and applies a high voltage to the multiple electrode needles en1 of the positive ion generating unit 211 based on the control of the static eliminator control unit 230. This causes a corona discharge and generates positive ions. A negative-electrode high-voltage circuit 222 is connected to the negative ion generating unit 221. The negative-electrode high-voltage circuit 222 includes a resistor and a boost circuit, and applies a high voltage to the multiple electrode needles en2 of the negative ion generating unit 221 based on the control of the static eliminator control unit 230. This causes a corona discharge and generates negative ions.

[0046] 1 so as to face the air outlet 12 and to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis 201a. The fan drive unit 202 includes, for example, a motor, and rotates the fan 201 around the rotation axis 201a under the control of the static eliminator control unit 230.

[0047] The fan 201, the negative ion generating unit 221, and the positive ion generating unit 211 are arranged in this order in a direction from the air outlet 12 in FIG. 1 to the rotation shaft 201a of the fan 201. The centers of the annular members 211a, 221a of the positive ion generating unit 211 and the negative ion generating unit 221 are positioned on the rotation shaft 201a of the fan 201.

[0048] In the positive ion generating section 211 and the negative ion generating section 221, the positive high voltage circuit 212 and the negative high voltage circuit 222 operate to generate positive ions and negative ions, respectively. In this state, the fan 201 rotates. As a result, the static eliminator containing positive ions and negative ions flows out of the static eliminator 200 through the air outlet 12 of the static eliminator housing 11. In FIG. 5, the flow of the static eliminator flowing out of the static eliminator 200 from the air outlet 12 of the static eliminator housing 11 is indicated by a plurality of thick dashed arrows if. The detection electrode 203 is disposed on the flow path of the static eliminator sent by the fan 201. An ion current caused by the static eliminator flows in the detection electrode 203.

[0049] The ion information generating unit 240 detects the overall ion balance of positive ions and negative ions generated in the static eliminator 200 as ion information. The ion information is information used when the static eliminator control unit 230 controls the positive high-voltage circuit 212 or the negative high-voltage circuit 222. The ion information may include the ion balance of the static eliminator flowing through the air outlet 12 of the static eliminator 200, unlike the ion balance of the target space detected by the ion balance sensor 100. The ion information may also include the ion balance of the target space and the space surrounding the static eliminator 200. Therefore, the ion information is generated based on the detection results by detecting the ion balance of the static eliminator flowing near the fan 201, for example, and detecting the ion balance of the target space and the space surrounding the static eliminator 200.

[0050] In this example, as shown in FIG. 6, the ion information generating unit 240 includes an internal ion current detection circuit 241 and an external ion current detection circuit 242. The internal ion current detection circuit 241 is connected to the detection electrode 203 and to the static eliminator housing 11. The internal ion current detection circuit 241 detects the ion current flowing through the detection electrode 203 and the ion current flowing through the surface of the static eliminator housing 11 as the internal ion current. The external ion current detection circuit 242 is connected to an earth electrode maintained at earth potential. The external ion current detection circuit 242 detects the ion current returning from the target space to the static eliminator 200 via the earth as the external ion current. By detecting these internal ion currents and external ion currents, the amount of ions generated by the positive ion generating unit 211 and the negative ion generating unit 221 is measured.

[0051] The static eliminator control unit 230 includes a CPU and a memory or a microcomputer. The static eliminator control unit 230 controls the fan drive unit 202 so that the static eliminator flows at a preset air volume when the static eliminator 200 eliminates static electricity from the target object. The static eliminator control unit 230 also controls the positive high voltage circuit 212 and the negative high voltage circuit 222 based on the ion information generated by the ion information generating unit 240 so that the ion balance of the static eliminator approaches zero.

[0052] The static eliminator 200 may be configured to be operable in an eco mode. In the eco mode, the static elimination is performed with the power consumption as small as possible. For example, in the eco mode, static elimination may be performed with the air volume of the fan 201 at the smallest (air volume level "1" described later).

[0053] In addition to the above-mentioned components (201, 202, 211, 212, 221, 222, 230, 240), the static eliminator 200 further includes a display unit 250, an operation unit 260, a static eliminator memory unit 270, a temporary memory unit 271, a static eliminator communication unit 280, a static eliminator power supply unit 290, a cleaning device 291, an indicator light 292, and an alarm device 293. The display unit 250, the operation unit 260, and the indicator light 292 are attached to a part of the static eliminator housing 11. The static eliminator memory unit 270, the temporary memory unit 271, the static eliminator communication unit 280, the static eliminator power supply unit 290, the cleaning device 291, and the alarm device 293 are housed within the static eliminator housing 11.

[0054] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the display unit 250, the operation unit 260, and the indicator lamp 292. As shown in Fig. 7, the display unit 250 is arranged in a central region at the bottom of the front surface of the static eliminator housing 11. The display unit 250 is configured with an LCD panel or an organic EL panel. The display unit 250 displays various setting information of the static eliminator 200 under the control of the static eliminator control unit 230.

[0055] The operation unit 260 includes a plurality of operation buttons, and is provided on the static eliminator housing 11 so as to be adjacent to the display unit 250. Specifically, the operation unit 260 includes an up button 261, a down button 262, a left button 263, a right button 264, a decision button 265, a cancel button 266, and a power button 267. The up button 261, the down button 262, the left button 263, the right button 264, the decision button 265, and the cancel button 266 are disposed on one side (the right in this example) of the display unit 250. The power button 267 is disposed on the other side (the left in this example) of the display unit 250. In addition, the static eliminator housing 11 is provided with a main power switch (not shown) for turning the static eliminator 200 on and off.

[0056] As described later, the static eliminator 200 can clean the electrode needles en1 and en2 by the cleaning device 291. The decision button 265 accepts an instruction according to the contents displayed on the display unit 250, and also accepts an instruction to start cleaning. The user can issue an instruction to the static eliminator 200 according to the contents displayed on the display unit 250 by briefly pressing the decision button 265, and can issue an instruction to start cleaning by pressing and holding the decision button 265 for two seconds or more. In the static eliminator 200, static elimination is not executed while cleaning is being executed. Therefore, by allocating a long press of the decision button 265 to an instruction to start cleaning, it is possible to prevent a period during which static elimination is not executed due to an erroneous operation of the operation unit 260 by the user.

[0057] The power button 267 accepts an instruction to start static elimination and an instruction to stop static elimination. That is, the user can instruct the static eliminator 200 to start static elimination and stop static elimination by pressing the power button 267. If the power button 267 is pressed while the static eliminator 200 has stopped static elimination, the static eliminator 200 starts static elimination, and if the power button 267 is pressed while the static eliminator 200 is performing static elimination, the static eliminator 200 stops static elimination.

[0058] Furthermore, by operating the operation unit 260, the user can set the operating conditions of the static eliminator 200 and display the detection results of the ion balance by the ion balance sensor 100 on the display unit 250. Operation examples of other buttons such as the up button 261, the down button 262, the left button 263, the right button 264, the enter button 265, and the cancel button 266 will be described later together with display examples of the display unit 250.

[0059] Moreover, the static eliminator 200 may be configured to be operable in a lock mode. In the lock mode, users who can change the various operating conditions are limited to specific users. Therefore, when changing the various operating conditions set in the static eliminator 200, input of a password is requested. The user can input the password into the static eliminator 200 by operating the operation unit 260. By inputting the password, the lock is temporarily released, and it becomes possible to change the settings of the various operating conditions. In this way, by requesting input of a password, it is possible to allow only specific users who know the password to change the various operating conditions.

[0060] The static eliminator communication unit 280 in Fig. 5 receives various information signals transmitted from the sensor communication unit 150 (Fig. 3) of the ion balance sensor 100 via a cable, and provides the signals to the static eliminator control unit 230. When connected to the network 309 in Fig. 1, the static eliminator communication unit 280 receives various information signals transmitted from the control device 300 via the network 309, and provides the signals to the static eliminator control unit 230. Furthermore, the static eliminator communication unit 280 transmits various information signals output from the static eliminator control unit 230 to the control device 300.

[0061] The temporary storage unit 271 is a volatile storage unit, and is realized by, for example, a RAM. Various information is stored in the temporary storage unit 271 sequentially at regular time intervals. When information is stored in the entirety of a predetermined storage area allocated to the temporary storage unit 271, the information stored earliest is deleted, and the latest information is stored in the resulting storage area. This causes the earliest information to be overwritten by the latest information. Therefore, the temporary storage unit 271 functions as a ring buffer, and information once stored in the ring buffer is held for a certain period of time until it is overwritten by the latest information.

[0062] For example, the static eliminator control unit 230 stores the ion balance of the target space together with time information in the temporary storage unit 271 by the static eliminator communication unit 280 receiving an ion balance signal from the ion balance sensor 100. At this time, in addition to the above-mentioned storage operation, the static eliminator control unit 230 may display an arbitrary message on the display unit 250 when the received ion balance value is greater than a predetermined ion balance threshold value. The message displayed on the display unit 250 may be a message indicating that the received ion balance value exceeds a predetermined ion balance threshold value, or a message indicating that the installation state of the static eliminator 200 is not appropriate when the value and the threshold value are used to determine the installation state of the static eliminator 200. Furthermore, the static eliminator control unit 230 may control the positive electrode side high voltage circuit 212 and the negative electrode side high voltage circuit 222 based on the received ion balance signal so that the ion balance in the target space approaches 0.

[0063] Furthermore, the static eliminator control unit 230 stores the ion current in the target space together with time information in the temporary storage unit 271 by the static eliminator communication unit 280 receiving an ion current signal from the ion balance sensor 100. At this time, in addition to the above-mentioned storage operation, the static eliminator control unit 230 may cause the display unit 250 to display a message indicating that the installation state of the static eliminator 200 is not appropriate when the value of the received ion current is equal to or less than the above-mentioned ion current threshold value.

[0064] Furthermore, the static eliminator control unit 230 stores the temperature and humidity of the target space together with time information in the temporary storage unit 271 by the static eliminator communication unit 280 receiving the temperature signal and humidity signal from the ion balance sensor 100. The static eliminator control unit 230 may also compare the temperature or humidity with a threshold value and cause the display unit 250 to display a message based on the comparison result.

[0065] The static eliminator storage unit 270 is a non-volatile storage unit and is configured with a memory or a hard disk. A static eliminator management program that manages history data, which will be described later, is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. The static eliminator management program includes a time setting program, a temporary storage unit control program, and a static eliminator storage unit control program.

[0066] Furthermore, the static eliminator control unit 230 samples the information stored in the temporary storage unit 271 and stores it in the static eliminator storage unit 270. This makes it possible to manage the static elimination state of the target object based on various information related to the environment of the target space stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, while suppressing an increase in the amount of data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. Details of the information stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 will be described later.

[0067] The temporary storage unit 271 functions as a ring buffer as described above. Therefore, basically, only a part of the information stored in the temporary storage unit 271 is sampled and stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, and most of the information is overwritten and deleted without being stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. However, during the period in which information is stored in the temporary storage unit 271, the information can be displayed in real time on the first hierarchical layer screen of the display unit 250. Display examples of the display unit 250 will be described later.

[0068] The static eliminator power supply unit 290 receives power supplied from a commercial power source through a power cable (not shown), and supplies a portion of the received power to other components provided in the static eliminator 200. The static eliminator power supply unit 290 also supplies the remainder of the received power through the cable to the sensor power supply unit 160 (FIG. 3) of the ion balance sensor 100. In this example, when the power supply of the static eliminator 200 is turned on, the static eliminator 200 starts up, and the supply of power to each component of the static eliminator 200 is started.

[0069] The cleaning device 291 is configured to be capable of cleaning the multiple electrode needles en1, en2 of the positive ion generating unit 211 and the negative ion generating unit 221 by, for example, a brush, and operates based on the control of the static eliminator control unit 230. The indicator light 292 includes one or more light emitting diodes, and emits light, goes out, or blinks based on the control of the static eliminator control unit 230. The alarm device 293 outputs an alarm based on the control of the static eliminator control unit 230. The indicator light 292 is disposed above the power button 267 of the operation unit 260 in the static eliminator housing 11 (see FIG. 7).

[0070] 5. Configuration of the static eliminator control unit Fig. 8 is a block diagram of the static eliminator 200 for explaining the configuration of the static eliminator control unit 230. As shown in Fig. 8, the static eliminator control unit 230 includes, as functional units, a time setting unit 231, a device control unit 232, a measurement value acquisition unit 233, a data generation unit 234, a memory control unit 235, a determination unit 236, and a notification acquisition unit 237. The static eliminator control unit 230 executes a static eliminator management program stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, thereby realizing the functional units of the static eliminator control unit 230.

[0071] The static eliminator management program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium 272 such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM instead of the static eliminator storage unit 270. Alternatively, the static eliminator management program may be provided in a form stored in the storage medium 272 and installed in the static eliminator storage unit 270. Note that some or all of the functional units of the static eliminator control unit 230 may be realized by hardware such as an electronic circuit.

[0072] The time setting unit 231 sets the time in the static eliminator 200. Here, there may be a difference between the times set in the static eliminators 200 due to individual differences. The time difference becomes larger as the time elapsed since the time was set in any one of the static eliminators 200 becomes longer. Therefore, when the static eliminator communication unit 280 is connected to the network 309 in FIG. 1, the time setting unit 231 requests the control device 300 in FIG. 1 to transmit time information indicating the time set in the control device 300. In addition, the time setting unit 231 receives the time information transmitted by the control device 300, and updates the set time to the time indicated by the time information. This prevents a difference from occurring between the times set in the static eliminators 200.

[0073] The device control unit 232 controls the fan drive unit 202, the positive high voltage circuit 212, and the negative high voltage circuit 222 so as to generate and supply an appropriate amount of ions to the target object based on the ion information generated by the ion information generation unit 240. The device control unit 232 also controls the operations of the display unit 250, the cleaning device 291, the indicator light 292, and the alarm device 293.

[0074] The measurement value acquiring unit 233 acquires measurement values ​​related to the control by the device control unit 232. The measurement values ​​include the amount of ions, the amount of charge, the rotation speed of the fan 201, the ion balance, the ion current, the temperature, or the humidity. The ion balance, the ion current, the temperature, or the humidity, etc. are measured by the ion balance sensor 100 in FIG. 3. Therefore, a part of the measurement values ​​is acquired from the ion balance sensor 100 via the static eliminator communication unit 280. In addition, the measurement value acquiring unit 233 acquires the measurement time when the measurement value was acquired. The measurement time is specified based on the time set by the time setting unit 231.

[0075] The charge amount is acquired based on the external current detected by the external ion current detection circuit 242, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The charge amount may be acquired from a surface potential meter (not shown), or, in the case where the ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200, may be acquired from the ion balance sensor 100. Alternatively, the charge amount may be acquired from the charge detection system 400 of FIG. 2.

[0076] The data generating unit 234 generates history data based on the measurement value and the measurement time acquired by the measurement value acquiring unit 233. Details of the history data will be described later. In particular, the data generating unit 234 generates history data based on the amount of ions and the rotation speed of the fan 201, so that the user can confirm whether the static eliminator 200 has been operating at an output capable of realizing a predetermined static elimination speed. Furthermore, the data generating unit 234 generates history data based on the amount of ions, the rotation speed of the fan 201, and the ion balance, so that the user can confirm whether the static eliminator 200 has been operating at a predetermined static elimination performance. Furthermore, the data generating unit 234 generates history data based on the amount of ions, the rotation speed of the fan 201, the ion balance, and the ion current, so that the user can confirm whether a defect in the target object due to insufficient static elimination is caused by the operation of the static eliminator 200 or the external environment of the static eliminator 200 when the user finds such a defect.

[0077] The memory control unit 235 stores the history data generated by the data generation unit 234 in the temporary storage unit 271 at regular time intervals (0.1 seconds in this example). The memory control unit 235 also samples a part of the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at regular time intervals (one hour in this example) and stores the sampled data in the static eliminator storage unit 270. Furthermore, when the determination unit 236 described below determines that an event has occurred, the memory control unit 235 stores the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 for a regular period including the time of occurrence of the event in the static eliminator storage unit 270, and also stores data indicating the date and time when the event occurred in the static eliminator storage unit 270 as history data.

[0078] The determination unit 236 determines whether or not a predetermined event related to the measurement value of the history data has occurred each time history data is stored in the temporary storage unit 271. Specific types of events include, for example, an error occurring in the rotation speed of the fan 201, an installation abnormality occurring in the static eliminator 200, and satisfaction of various alarm output conditions. Other types of events include the power supply of the static eliminator 200 being turned on or off, static elimination being started or ended, detection of a charged object being started or ended, the cleaning device 291 being operated, and the like.

[0079] More specifically, the events may include an error event, an alarm event, and a notification event. Threshold values ​​for various measurement values ​​are set in the static eliminator 200. Some threshold values ​​are preset as fixed values ​​that cannot be changed. On the other hand, other threshold values ​​can be set to any value by the user. When a measurement value is greater than the threshold value for the measurement value, or when the measurement value is equal to or less than the threshold value for the measurement value, the occurrence of the above-mentioned event is detected. In addition, some events may be detected only when the ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200.

[0080] In addition to the above error events, warning events, and notification events, the events may further include predetermined events that are not related to the threshold (hereinafter, referred to as specific events). The user can select whether or not to detect warning events, notification events, and specific events by operating the operation unit 260 and making settings.

[0081] An error event is an event that indicates that a situation has occurred in which the neutralization cannot be continued appropriately. Therefore, when an error event is detected, the neutralization is automatically stopped. Also, the storage of history data in the temporary storage unit 271 is stopped.

[0082] As examples of error events, when the rotation speed of the fan 201 does not increase to or exceed a predetermined speed (the rotation speed at air volume level "1" described below), an error event of abnormal rotation is detected. When a current of a predetermined value or more flows through the positive high voltage circuit 212 or the negative high voltage circuit 222, an error event of abnormal discharge is detected. When the cover 13 is not properly attached to the static eliminator housing 11, an error event of cover abnormality is detected. When reading from or writing to the temporary memory unit 271 fails, an error event of a system memory is detected.

[0083] The warning event is an event for prompting the user to check when the static eliminator 200 behaves differently from the behavior expected in advance, and is detected based on a threshold value that is preset as a fixed value in the static eliminator 200. The behavior of the static eliminator 200 when a warning event is detected may be acceptable to some users. Therefore, when a warning event is detected, a warning is output by the warning device 293, but static elimination is not stopped and continues. Moreover, storage of history data in the temporary storage unit 271 is also not stopped and continues.

[0084] As an example of a warning event, when the rotation speed of the fan 201 is greater than a rotation speed threshold value or is equal to or less than the rotation speed threshold value, an event related to the value of the rotation speed of the fan 201 (fan rotation speed warning event) is detected. The threshold value related to the rotation speed of the fan 201 is set corresponding to an air volume level, which will be described later. Here, it is not necessarily necessary to set both an upper limit and a lower limit for the threshold value related to the rotation speed of the fan 201. The same applies to the other threshold values. For example, when a decrease in the rotation speed of the fan 201 is assumed to be an abnormality occurring in the fan 201, only the lower limit threshold value may be set, and only a determination as to whether or not the rotation speed of the fan 201 is equal to or less than the rotation speed threshold value may be performed.

[0085] When the value of the ion current is equal to or less than the ion current threshold, an event related to the value of the ion current (ion level warning event) is detected. The ion current decreases when the electrode needles en1 and en2 that generate ions are worn or when the electrode needles en1 and en2 are contaminated. Therefore, for example, when it is determined that the ion current is equal to or less than the threshold, an ion level warning event is detected, thereby notifying the user that a predetermined amount of ions cannot be generated.

[0086] When the ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200, the ion balance is measured. When the measured ion balance value is greater than the ion balance threshold value, an event related to the ion balance value (installation abnormality warning event) is detected. When the static eliminator 200 is not installed properly, the ion balance increases in the positive or negative direction because an appropriate amount of ions do not reach the ion balance sensor 100. Therefore, by detecting the installation abnormality warning event, it is possible to notify the user that the static eliminator 200 is not installed properly.

[0087] Furthermore, when the ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200, the temperature and humidity are measured. When the measured temperature or humidity value exceeds a preset threshold value, an event (condition warning event) related to the temperature or humidity value is detected. By detecting a condition warning event, the static eliminator 200 can notify the user of an abnormality in the surrounding environment.

[0088] The notification event is an event for notifying the user when the static eliminator 200 behaves differently from the behavior expected by the user, and is detected based on a threshold value set in the static eliminator 200 by the user. Even when a notification event is detected, static elimination is not stopped but continues. Moreover, storage of history data in the temporary storage unit 271 is also not stopped but continues.

[0089] As an example of a notification event, an ion balance notification event is detected when the ion balance measured by the ion balance sensor 100 is greater than a threshold value specified by the user. A temperature notification event or a humidity notification event is detected when the temperature or humidity measured by the ion balance sensor 100 exceeds the respective threshold value specified by the user.

[0090] In this example, an approximate value of the charge amount of the object is evaluated based on the external current detected by the external ion current detection circuit 242. The approximate value of the charge amount of the object evaluated based on the external current is called the charge level. When the evaluated charge level exceeds a threshold value specified by the user, a charge level notification event is detected. The charge amount may be evaluated based on the ion balance measured by the ion balance sensor 100, and a similar event may be detected based on the evaluated charge amount and the threshold value. Also, a similar event may be detected based on the charge amount measured by a surface potential meter (not shown) or the charge detection system 400 of FIG. 1 and the threshold value.

[0091] The specific event includes, for example, the start of static elimination, the stop of static elimination, the setting of various thresholds, the change of various thresholds, the start of cleaning, the stop of cleaning, or the input of a signal to an input terminal of the static eliminator 200 described below. When static elimination is stopped, storage of history data in the temporary storage unit 271 is stopped. Also, as described above, static elimination is stopped while cleaning is being performed. Therefore, storage of history data in the temporary storage unit 271 is stopped even while cleaning is being performed.

[0092] When the static eliminator communication unit 280 is connected to the network 309, the control device 300 acquires the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. The control device 300 also notifies the static eliminator 200 that the history data has been acquired. The notification acquisition unit 237 acquires the notification from the control device 300. In this case, the storage control unit 235 may delete the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0093] The history data includes first data, second data, and third data. The first data is data in which measurement values ​​acquired at a first time interval (one hour in this example) are associated with the measurement times. The second data is data in which measurement values ​​acquired when various events occur are associated with the measurement times. The third data is data indicating the dates and times when various events occur.

[0094] Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 of Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 9, in this example, the power supply to the static eliminator 200 is turned on at 9:00. This starts the static eliminator 200, and the supply of power to each component of the static eliminator 200 is started. When the static eliminator 200 starts, the elapsed time is calculated from the start time of the static eliminator 200.

[0095] When the static eliminator 200 is connected to the network 309, the static eliminator 200 is started up, thereby establishing communication between the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300. In this case, the time setting unit 231 requests the control device 300 to transmit time information, and receives the time information from the control device 300 to update the time set in the static eliminator 200.

[0096] After the static eliminator 200 is started, static elimination of the target object is started. As a result, history data in which various measurement values ​​acquired by the ion balance sensor 100 and the static eliminator 200 are associated with the measurement times is sequentially stored in the temporary storage unit 271 of Fig. 8 at intervals of a second time (0.1 seconds in this example).

[0097] Here, every time the first time elapses, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at the time the first time elapses is stored as the first data in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In this example, the first time is one hour, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The user can set the first time to any time longer than the second time by operating the operation unit 260.

[0098] In this example, the first time is set based on a relative time starting from the time when the static eliminator 200 is started. Specifically, since the first time is one hour, when the static eliminator 200 is started at 9:00, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at each of these times is stored as the first data in the static eliminator storage unit 270 at each of the times of 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, and so on. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. The user can set the first time based on an absolute time by operating the operation unit 260. In this case, regardless of the time when the static eliminator 200 is started, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at a predetermined time is stored as the first data in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0099] Moreover, every time a first time period elapses, characteristic values ​​of some of the measurement values ​​in the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 during the first time period are stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In this example, every time a first time period elapses, characteristic values ​​of the temperature, humidity, and ion balance during the first time period are stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0100] Furthermore, for the ion balance, the characteristic values ​​between the time point at which the first time has elapsed and the time point one minute before that time point are stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 together with or instead of the above characteristic values. The characteristic value may be, for example, at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value, or may be an average value. Alternatively, the characteristic value may be all of the maximum value, the minimum value, and the average value.

[0101] Here, the acquired measurement value becomes unstable in the period immediately after the start of the static eliminator 200 or immediately after the restart of static elimination. Therefore, in storing the one-minute characteristic value in the above-mentioned ion balance, 30 seconds after the start of the static eliminator 200 and 10 seconds after the restart of static elimination are treated as invalid periods. In this case, the continuous one-minute characteristic value of the valid period immediately before the first time point is stored. For example, if an invalid period is included between the first time point and the time point one minute before the first time point due to the static elimination being temporarily stopped, the characteristic value between the time point when the static elimination was temporarily stopped and the time point one minute before the time point is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0102] 9, an event occurs at 12:30. In this case, history data including 601 measurement values ​​stored in temporary storage unit 271 during a certain period (one minute in this example) including 12:30 is stored as the second data. Specifically, history data stored in temporary storage unit 271 during a period from 30 seconds before the event occurrence time to 30 seconds after the event occurrence time is stored as the second data.

[0103] Further, data indicating the date and time when the above-mentioned event occurred is stored as the third data in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In this example, the date and time when the event occurred is "March 24, 2022, 12:30". Furthermore, a measurement value for one point at the time when the event occurred may be stored as the third data in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0104] If an event of the same type occurs more than once before the end period of the second data (30 seconds in this example) has elapsed since the occurrence of the event, the second data is stored only for the first event, whereas the third data is stored not only for the first event but also for each of the one or more subsequent events of the same type.

[0105] In contrast, if one or more events of a different type occur from the time when a certain event occurs before the end period of the second data has elapsed, the second data is stored not only for the first event that occurred, but also for each of the one or more events of the different type that occurred thereafter. The same applies to the third data.

[0106] The static eliminator storage unit 270 can store the first data having a data amount for a period of one year, the second data having a data amount for 100 events, and the third data having a data amount for 3000 events. By connecting the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300, the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 is stored in a main storage unit (to be described later) of the control device 300. In this case, the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 may be deleted.

[0107] On the other hand, if the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300 are not connected for a long period of time, the amount of history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 may reach the upper limit of the data amount. In this case, the oldest stored history data is deleted from the static eliminator storage unit 270, and the latest history data is stored in the resulting storage area.

[0108] The static eliminator 200 may be provided with an input terminal and an output terminal. In this example, the static eliminator 200 is provided with first to third input terminals and first to third output terminals. A control device such as a programmable controller can be connected to each terminal.

[0109] The first input terminal is a terminal for stopping static elimination, and static elimination is stopped when a signal is input to the first input terminal. The second input terminal is a terminal for cleaning, and in response to a signal being input to the first input terminal, cleaning of the electrode needles en1 and en2 is started by the cleaning device 291. The third input terminal is a terminal for extracting an event, and in response to a signal being input to the third input terminal, information based on the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 in the same manner as when an event occurs. This allows the user to store the first data, second data, and third data related to the user's desired timing in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0110] When a signal is input to either the first input terminal or the second input terminal, the operation of the static eliminator 200 based on the signal is detected as an event, and data based on the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In this example, each input terminal is assigned as described above, but any one of the input terminals may be treated as an input terminal that accepts a data extraction request from an external device, for example. In this case, the information stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 in response to a signal being input to the input terminal is stored in an arbitrary storage medium. This allows the information stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 to be extracted at a timing desired by the user.

[0111] The assignment of the first to third output terminals can be changed by settings. In the initial setting, the first output terminal outputs a signal indicating the operating state of the static eliminator 200 (whether static elimination is being performed or not). The second output terminal outputs a signal for outputting an alarm when at least one event is detected among a plurality of events belonging to an error event or an alarm event. The third output terminal outputs a signal for notifying the user when at least one event is detected among a plurality of events belonging to a notification event.

[0112] 6. Display example The static eliminator 200 is started by turning on a main power switch (not shown) of the static eliminator housing 11. After the static eliminator 200 is started, a predetermined start-up screen is displayed on the display unit 250, and then a first layer screen is displayed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the first layer screen. As shown in FIG. 10, the first layer screen 500 includes a screen for monitoring the state of the static eliminator 200 or a screen for setting setting items that are frequently changed, and includes multiple types of screens (six types in this example). The six types of first layer screens 500 are called an air volume adjustment screen 510, a first monitor screen 520, a second monitor screen 530, a first event history screen 540, a second event history screen 550, and a third event history screen 560, respectively.

[0113] One of the six types of first layer screens 500 described above is displayed on the display unit 250. Every time the left button 263 of the operation unit 260 in Fig. 7 is operated, the first layer screens 500 displayed on the display unit 250 are switched in a predetermined order. Also, every time the right button 264 of the operation unit 260 is operated, the first layer screens 500 displayed on the display unit 250 are switched in the order opposite to that when the left button 263 is operated.

[0114] The second monitor screen 530 can be displayed on the display unit 250 when the ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200. Therefore, when the static eliminator 200 is connected to the ion balance sensor 100, the first monitor screen 520 is switched to the second monitor screen 530 by operating the left button 263 in a state in which the first monitor screen 520 is displayed on the display unit 250. Alternatively, the first event history screen 540 is switched to the second monitor screen 530 by operating the right button 264 in a state in which the first event history screen 540 is displayed on the display unit 250.

[0115] On the other hand, when the static eliminator 200 is not connected to the ion balance sensor 100, if the left button 263 is operated while the first monitor screen 520 is displayed on the display unit 250, the second monitor screen 530 is skipped and the first monitor screen 520 is switched to the first event history screen 540. Similarly, if the right button 264 is operated while the first event history screen 540 is displayed on the display unit 250, the second monitor screen 530 is skipped and the first event history screen 540 is switched to the first monitor screen 520.

[0116] In this way, the number of screens displayed as the first hierarchical screen 500 when the ion balance sensor 100 is not connected to the static eliminator 200 is smaller than the number of screens displayed as the first hierarchical screen 500 when the ion balance sensor 100 is connected to the static eliminator 200. This reduces the number of operation steps required for the user to display a desired screen of the first hierarchical screen 500. In this example, when the ion balance sensor 100 is not connected to the static eliminator 200, the second monitor screen 540 is not displayed and only other screens of the first hierarchical screen 500 are displayed. However, a configuration may be adopted in which an alternative screen to the second monitor screen 540 is displayed as the first hierarchical screen when the ion balance sensor 100 is not connected to the static eliminator 200.

[0117] The first layer screen 500 is a screen that is easy for the user to display, and therefore includes a screen for displaying the state of static elimination by the static eliminator 200. In practice, the frequency of the task of changing the various operating conditions of the static eliminator 200 is low compared to the frequency of the task of checking the static elimination state of the static eliminator 200, so the setting of the various operating conditions is performed on the second layer screen or later, which is deeper than the first layer screen 500. However, in practice, the air volume, among the various operating conditions for the static eliminator 200, is changed more frequently than the other operating conditions. Therefore, in this example, the first layer screen 500 includes an air volume adjustment screen 510 for displaying the air volume set at the time as the static elimination state by the static eliminator 200 and accepting a change in the air volume. That is, the air volume, among the various operating conditions for the static eliminator 200, can be set by the user on the first layer screen 500.

[0118] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an air volume adjustment screen 510. As shown in Fig. 11, an operating status display area 501, an event display area 502, an eco mode display area 503, and a lock mode display area 504 are displayed on the air volume adjustment screen 510. In addition, an air volume value display area 511, an air volume gauge display area 512, and an explanation display area 513 are further displayed on the air volume adjustment screen 510. The operating status display area 501, the event display area 502, the eco mode display area 503, and the lock mode display area 504 are also displayed on other first hierarchical layer screens 500.

[0119] The operating status display area 501 displays the operating status of the static eliminator 200. The character string "RUN" is displayed while static elimination is in progress, and the character string "STOP" is displayed while static elimination is stopped. These displays are switched each time the power button 267 of the operation unit 260 in FIG. 7 is pressed briefly. The event display area 502 displays an icon and character string indicating the type of event when any of the events belonging to an error event, a warning event, and a notification event is detected. Details of the event display area 502 will be described with reference to the first monitor screen 520.

[0120] The eco mode display area 503 displays whether or not the static eliminator 200 is operating in the eco mode. If the static eliminator 200 is operating in the eco mode, the character string "ECO" is displayed, and if the static eliminator 200 is not operating in the eco mode, nothing is displayed. The lock mode display area 504 displays whether or not the static eliminator 200 is operating in the lock mode. If the static eliminator 200 is operating in the lock mode, a key mark is displayed, and if the static eliminator 200 is not operating in the lock mode, nothing is displayed. Furthermore, if a password is entered in the lock mode, that is, if the lock is temporarily released, the key mark is displayed lightly (grayed out).

[0121] The air volume value display area 511 displays the character string "Air Vol. Level." In this example, the air volume of the fan 201 is divided into seven levels, air volume levels "1" to "7," based on the rotation speed of the fan 201. The air volume value display area 511 displays the current air volume level numerically. In the example of FIG. 11, the static eliminator 200 is operating in eco mode. Therefore, the air volume level is the smallest, "1." When the air volume level is changed in this state, a confirmation message for canceling the eco mode may be displayed on the air volume adjustment screen 510.

[0122] In the airflow gauge display area 512, the current airflow level is displayed by a gauge. In this example, the gauge includes seven bars extending horizontally. The seven bars have lengths corresponding to airflow levels "1" to "7", respectively. The bars corresponding to the current airflow level and lower airflow levels are displayed in color, and the other bars are displayed in gray. The color may be different for each range of airflow levels. For example, the bars for airflow levels "1" and "2" may be displayed in green, the bars for airflow levels "3" to "5" may be displayed in yellow, and the bars for airflow levels "6" and "7" may be displayed in red.

[0123] In the explanation display area 513, simple explanations for some of the buttons of the operation unit 260 are displayed. In the example of Fig. 11, it is shown that the air volume adjustment screen 510 is switched to another first hierarchical level screen 500 by operating the left button 263 or the right button 264. It is also shown that the first hierarchical level screen 500 is transitioned to a menu screen (second hierarchical level screen) for performing various settings by operating the enter button 265. It is also shown that the cleaning of the electrode needles en1, en2 by the cleaning device 291 is started by pressing and holding the power button 267.

[0124] On the airflow adjustment screen 510, by operating the up button 261, the airflow level increases by the number of times the up button 261 is operated until the airflow level becomes "7". Also, by operating the down button 262, the airflow level decreases by the number of times the down button 262 is operated until the airflow level becomes "1". FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of changing the airflow setting on the airflow adjustment screen 510. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 12, before the change, the airflow level is set to "6". Therefore, the numerical value displayed in the airflow value display area 511 is "6". Also, the number of bars displayed in color in the airflow gauge display area 512 is six.

[0125] In the state shown in the upper part of FIG. 12, the up button 261 is operated once. In this case, the air volume level increases by one, and the air volume level setting is changed to "7". As a result, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 12, the numerical value in the air volume value display area 511 becomes "7". Also, the number of bars displayed in color in the air volume gauge display area 512 becomes seven. Meanwhile, in the state shown in the upper part of FIG. 12, the down button 262 is operated once. In this case, the air volume level decreases by one, and the air volume level setting is changed to "5". As a result, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 12, the numerical value in the air volume value display area 511 becomes "5". Also, the number of bars displayed in color in the air volume gauge display area 512 becomes five.

[0126] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a first monitor screen 520. As shown in Fig. 13, an operating state display area 501, an event display area 502, an eco mode display area 503, and a lock mode display area 504 are displayed on the first monitor screen 520. In addition, a charge level display area 521, an input / output display area 522, a static elimination performance display area 523, and an explanation display area 524 are displayed on the first monitor screen 520.

[0127] The character string "Charge Level" is displayed in the charge level display area 521. The charge level of the object is also displayed by a gauge in the charge level display area 521. Furthermore, a line indicating the threshold value of the charge level is displayed in the charge level display area 521. In this example, the charge level is displayed by a bar extending in the vertical direction moving in the horizontal direction.

[0128] Specifically, when the charge level is close to 0, the bar is located in the center. When the charge level is negatively large, the bar moves to the left. When the charge level is positively large, the bar moves to the right. The color of the displayed bar may differ depending on whether the charge level is within the threshold range or not. In the example of FIG. 13, the charge level is within the threshold range. Therefore, the bar is displayed in green, for example. On the other hand, when the charge level is outside the threshold range, the bar is displayed in red.

[0129] The input / output display area 522 displays the usage status of the input terminals and output terminals. In this example, of the first to third input terminals and the first to third output terminals, the terminals that are being used are displayed identifiable by icons. If an input terminal is not being used, the icon of the input terminal is not displayed. Similarly, if an output terminal is not being used, the icon of the output terminal is not displayed. In the example of FIG. 13, the second input terminal and the second output terminal are being used.

[0130] The static elimination performance display area 523 displays measured values ​​related to static elimination performance and a predetermined sentence corresponding to the measured values. In this example, the static elimination performance display area 523 displays the air volume level of the fan 201 and the amount of ions generated by the positive ion generating unit 211 and the positive electrode side high voltage circuit 212 as measured values ​​related to static elimination time among the static elimination performance. The static elimination performance display area 523 also displays the character strings "FAN" and "ION." The static elimination time refers to the time required to neutralize the charge of a metal plate that holds a charge amount specified by the standard.

[0131] In this example, the amount of ions is not displayed as an absolute value, but as a relative value compared with the amount of ions generated in a reference state (e.g., a state at the time of shipment) of the static eliminator 200. Therefore, the unit of the amount of ions is %. The user can evaluate the static elimination time based on the airflow level and the amount of ions displayed in the static elimination performance display area 523. Specifically, the higher the airflow level and the larger the amount of ions, the more ions can be supplied, and therefore the shorter the static elimination time.

[0132] In the explanation display area 524, similar to the explanation display area 513 of the airflow adjustment screen 510, a simple explanation of some of the buttons of the operation unit 260 is displayed. Note that, in the example of Fig. 13, an explanation about long pressing of the power button 267 is not displayed in the explanation display area 524, but the embodiment is not limited to this. If the explanation display area 524 has a sufficiently large display space, similar to the explanation display area 513, an explanation about long pressing of the power button 267 may be displayed in the explanation display area 524.

[0133] As described above, when any of the events belonging to the error event, warning event, and notification event is detected, an icon and character string indicating the type of event are displayed in the event display area 502. Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the details of the event display area 502. In the example in the upper part of Fig. 14, the charge level is lower than the threshold value. Therefore, the bar indicating the charge level in the charge level display area 521 is displayed in red, for example.

[0134] Furthermore, when the charge level falls below the threshold, a notification event (charge level notification event in this example) is detected. In this case, a diamond-shaped icon indicating the notification event and the word "NOTICE" are displayed in the event display area 502 decorated with a predetermined color (for example, orange).

[0135] Here, among the character strings displayed in the other display areas, the character string related to the detected event may be displayed decorated with the same color as the decorative color of the event display area 502. In the example in the upper part of Fig. 14, the character string "Charge Level" in the charge level display area 521 and the character string "ION" in the static electricity removal performance display area 523 are displayed decorated with orange color, which is the same as the decorative color of the event display area 502.

[0136] Similarly, when an error event such as an abnormal rotation of the fan 201 or a fan rotation speed warning event is detected, the character string "Air Vol. Level" in the air volume value display area 511 in Fig. 11 is displayed decorated with a predetermined color. This allows the user to easily recognize the measurement value related to the detected event.

[0137] An example of the display in the event display area 502 when an alarm event is detected is shown in the middle section of Fig. 14. In the example in the middle section of Fig. 14, when an alarm event is detected, a triangular icon indicating an alarm event and the character string "ALARM" are displayed in the event display area 502 decorated with another color (e.g., yellow).

[0138] The lower part of Fig. 14 shows an example of the display in event display area 502 when an error event is detected. In the example in the lower part of Fig. 14, when an error event is detected, a circular icon indicating the error event and the character string "ERROR" are displayed in event display area 502, further decorated with another color (for example, red).

[0139] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a second monitor screen 530. As shown in Fig. 15, the second monitor screen 530 displays an operating state display area 501, an event display area 502, an eco mode display area 503, and a lock mode display area 504. The second monitor screen 530 also displays an ion balance display area 531, an input / output display area 532, a temperature / humidity display area 533, and an explanation display area 534.

[0140] The ion balance display area 531 displays the character string "Ion Balance." The ion balance display area 531 also displays the numerical value of the ion balance measured by the ion balance sensor 100. The unit of ion balance is V (volts). The ion balance display area 531 also displays the upper and lower limits of the ion balance threshold. The input / output display area 532 displays the usage status of the input terminals and output terminals, similar to the input / output display area 522 of the first monitor screen 520.

[0141] The temperature and humidity display area 533 displays the temperature measured by the ion balance sensor 100 and the character string "TMP." The temperature and humidity display area 533 also displays the humidity measured by the ion balance sensor 100 and the character string "HUM." The explanation display area 534 displays simple explanations for some of the buttons on the operation unit 260, similar to the explanation display area 524 on the first monitor screen 520.

[0142] Also on the second monitor screen 530, when an event related to ion balance, temperature, or humidity is detected, an icon and character string indicating the type of event are displayed in the event display area 502. In addition, character strings such as "Ion Balance," "TMP," or "HUM" are displayed decorated in the same color as the decoration color of the event display area 502.

[0143] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a first event history screen 540. As shown in Fig. 16, the first event history screen 540 displays an operating state display area 501, an event display area 502, an eco mode display area 503, and a lock mode display area 504. The first event history screen 540 also displays a total event display area 541 and an explanation display area 542.

[0144] The character string "All Event" is displayed in all event display area 541. Also, in all event display area 541, the occurrence dates and times of all detected events are displayed lined up vertically. If the detected event is an error event, warning event, or notification event, an icon indicating the type of event is displayed next to the occurrence date and time. This icon is the same as the icon displayed in event display area 502 when an event is detected.

[0145] In this example, no icon is displayed next to the date and time of occurrence of a specific event, but a unique icon indicating a specific event may be displayed next to the date and time of occurrence of a specific event. A user can easily recognize the type of each event that has occurred by visually checking the presence or absence of an icon and the type of icon in all event display area 541. In the example of FIG. 16, the dates and times of occurrence of four events are displayed in all event display area 541. The types of these four events are, from the top, an error event, a warning event, an error event, and a specific event, respectively.

[0146] The explanation display area 542 displays simple explanations for some of the buttons on the operation unit 260. In the example of Fig. 16, it is indicated that operation of the left button 263 or the right button 264 will switch the air volume adjustment screen 510 to another first hierarchical layer screen 500. It is also indicated that operation of the enter button 265 will transition to an event details screen showing details of each event.

[0147] 17 is a diagram showing an example of a second event history screen 550. As shown in FIG. 17, the second event history screen 550 displays an operating state display area 501, an event display area 502, an eco mode display area 503, and a lock mode display area 504. The second event history screen 550 also displays an error / warning event display area 551 and an explanation display area 552. The explanation display area 552 is the same as the explanation display area 542 of the first event history screen 540.

[0148] The character string "Error / Alarm" is displayed in the error / alarm event display area 551. Furthermore, the error / alarm event display area 551 displays the occurrence dates and times of error events and alarm events, out of all detected events, lined up vertically. A circular or triangular icon indicating the type of event is displayed next to the occurrence date and time of the event. In the example of FIG. 17, the occurrence dates and times of four events are displayed in the error / alarm event display area 551. From the top, the types of these four events are an error event, an alarm event, an error event, and an alarm event, respectively.

[0149] 18 is a diagram showing an example of a third event history screen 560. As shown in FIG. 18, the third event history screen 560 displays an operating state display area 501, an event display area 502, an eco mode display area 503, and a lock mode display area 504. The third event history screen 560 also displays a notification event display area 561 and an explanation display area 562. The explanation display area 562 is the same as the explanation display area 542 of the first event history screen 540.

[0150] The character string "Notice" is displayed in the notifiable event display area 561. The notifiable event display area 561 also displays the occurrence dates and times of notifiable events among all detected events, lined up vertically. A diamond-shaped icon indicating the type of notifiable event is displayed next to the occurrence date and time of the event. In the example of FIG. 18, the notifiable event display area 561 displays the occurrence dates and times of four notifiable events.

[0151] In this example, the first event history screen 540, the second event history screen 550, and the third event history screen 560 are switchably displayed as the first hierarchical screen 500, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Of the first event history screen 540, the second event history screen 550, and the third event history screen 560, only the event history screen selected by settings may be displayed as the first hierarchical screen 500.

[0152] When an event is selected on the first event history screen 540, the second event history screen 550, or the third event history screen 560, an event details screen showing details of the event is displayed on the display unit 250. Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for displaying the event details screen. Fig. 19 shows a procedure using the second event history screen 550, but the procedure using the first event history screen 540 or the third event history screen 560 is similar to the procedure using the second event history screen 550.

[0153] 19, with the second event history screen 550 displayed on the display unit 250, any one of the events can be selected by operating the up button 261 or the down button 262 of the operation unit 260. In the error / warning event display area 551, the occurrence date and time of the selected event is identifiably displayed.

[0154] 19, when any event is selected, operating the decision button 265 of the operation unit 260 switches the display on the display unit 250 from the second event history screen 550 to the event details screen 570. On the other hand, operating the decision button 265 again returns the display on the display unit 250 from the event details screen 570 to the second event history screen 550.

[0155] 19, it is displayed that the selected event is an alarm event. It is also displayed that the selected event occurred at 9:09:10 on May 12, 2022. It is also displayed that the selected event is an event related to the value of the ion current (ion level alarm event).

[0156] When the decision button 265 of the operation unit 260 is operated with the air volume adjustment screen 510, the first monitor screen 520, or the second monitor screen 530 displayed on the display unit 250, a second hierarchical level screen is displayed on the display unit 250. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the second hierarchical level screen. The second hierarchical level screen 600 in FIG. 20 is a menu screen for performing various settings. Note that when the cancel button 266 of the operation unit 260 is operated with the second hierarchical level screen 600 displayed on the display unit 250, the display on the display unit 250 returns to the immediately preceding first hierarchical level screen 500.

[0157] 20, the second hierarchical level screen 600 displays a plurality of setting target items arranged vertically. The plurality of setting target items include basic settings of the static eliminator 200, advanced settings of the static eliminator 200, settings of the ion balance sensor 100, and the like. Any of the setting target items can be selected by operating the up button 261 or the down button 262 of the operation unit 260. In addition, by operating the enter button 265, setting screens from the third hierarchical level screen onwards for setting details of the selected setting target item are displayed on the display unit 250.

[0158] The setting screen mainly includes a setting screen for a list selection method and a setting screen for a numeric selection method. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a first example of the setting screen. As shown in FIG. 21, the setting screen 610 is a setting screen for a list selection method for selecting ON or OFF of the eco mode. On the setting screen 610, the eco mode is selected to be ON or OFF by operating the up button 261 or the down button 262 of the operation unit 260. Also, the selected ON or OFF is set by operating the decision button 265.

[0159] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a second example of the setting screen. As shown in Fig. 22, setting screen 620 is a list selection type setting screen for selecting the airflow level of fan 201. The airflow level of fan 201 is selected by operating up button 261 or down button 262 of operation unit 260. The selected airflow level is set by operating enter button 265.

[0160] Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a third example of the setting screen. As shown in Fig. 23, the setting screen 630 is a setting screen of a numeric selection type for selecting a date and time. By operating the left button 263 or the right button 264 of the operation unit 260, a field corresponding to the year, month, day, hour, or minute is selected. Furthermore, by operating the up button 261 or the down button 262, the numeric value in the selected field is increased or decreased. Furthermore, by operating the enter button 265, the numeric value indicating the selected date and time is set.

[0161] Fig. 24 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the setting screen. As shown in Fig. 24, the setting screen 640 is a setting screen of a numerical selection type for selecting a temperature threshold value. By operating the left button 263 or the right button 264 of the operation unit 260, the field corresponding to the upper and lower limits of the threshold value is selected. Furthermore, by operating the up button 261 or the down button 262, the numerical value in the selected field is increased or decreased. Furthermore, by operating the decision button 265, the numerical values ​​indicating the upper and lower limits of the selected threshold value are set.

[0162] Fig. 25 is a diagram showing a fifth example of the setting screen. As shown in Fig. 25, the setting screen 650 is a setting screen of a numerical selection type for selecting an IP address of the static eliminator 200. By operating the left button 263 or the right button 264 of the operation unit 260, a field corresponding to a digit of the IP address is selected. Furthermore, by operating the up button 261 or the down button 262, the numerical value of the selected digit is increased or decreased. Furthermore, by operating the decision button 265, the numerical value indicating the selected IP address is set.

[0163] 7. Basic configuration of the control device Fig. 26 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the control device 300 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 26, the control device 300 includes a main control unit 310, a main memory unit 320, a main communication unit 380, and a main power supply unit 390. The control device 300 is set with a time provided by, for example, a time server.

[0164] The main communication unit 380 is connected to the network 309 in Fig. 1. The main communication unit 380 receives various information signals transmitted from the static eliminator communication units 280 (Fig. 8) of the multiple static eliminators 200 via the network 309, and provides the signals to the main control unit 310. The main communication unit 380 also transmits various information signals output from the main control unit 310 to the multiple static eliminators 200. The main power supply unit 390 receives power supplied from a commercial power source via a power cable (not shown), and supplies the received power to other components provided in the control device 300.

[0165] The main control unit 310 includes, for example, a CPU. The main storage unit 320 includes, for example, a hard disk, a ROM, and a RAM. The main control unit 310 and the main storage unit 320 may be realized by a microcomputer. The main storage unit 320 stores a control device management program for managing the multiple static eliminators 200 and history data.

[0166] The main control unit 310 includes, as functional units, a time information transmission unit 311, a data acquisition unit 312, a main memory control unit 313, a notification unit 314, and an image generation unit 315. The functional units of the main control unit 310 are realized by the main control unit 310 executing a control device management program.

[0167] The control device management program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium 321 such as a CD-ROM instead of the main storage unit 320. Alternatively, the control device management program may be provided in a form stored in the storage medium 321 and installed in the main storage unit 320. Note that some or all of the functional units of the main control unit 310 may be realized by hardware such as an electronic circuit.

[0168] The time information transmitting unit 311 receives a request to transmit time information from the time setting unit 231 (FIG. 8) of the static eliminator control unit 230 through the network 309. When the time information transmitting unit 311 receives a request to transmit time information, it transmits time information indicating the time set in the control device 300 to the time setting unit 231 through the network 309.

[0169] The data acquisition unit 312 acquires the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 (FIG. 8) of the static eliminator 200 via the network 309. Here, the user can set the cycle for acquiring the history data when communication is established between the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300 by operating the main body operation unit 340. The history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 is acquired at the set cycle. In addition, the user can specify the timing for acquiring the history data by operating the main body operation unit 340. In this case, the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 is acquired at the timing specified by the user.

[0170] In this example, all the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 is acquired, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The user can select the measurement values ​​(items) included in the history data to be acquired by operating the main body operation unit 340. In this case, only the history data including the selected items is acquired from the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0171] The main memory control unit 313 stores the history data acquired by the data acquisition unit 312 in the main memory unit 320. In this case, it is not necessary to leave the history data in the static eliminator storage unit 270. Therefore, when the history data is acquired by the data acquisition unit 312, the notification unit 314 notifies the static eliminator 200 of that fact. This makes it possible to delete the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 even if the amount of data of the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 has not reached the upper limit.

[0172] The image generating unit 315 generates historical image data showing a historical image related to the historical data. The generated historical image data may be stored in the main memory unit 320 by the main memory control unit 313. Alternatively, the historical image may be displayed on the main body display unit 330 based on the generated historical image data.

[0173] Fig. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a history image. The history image data showing the history image of Fig. 27 is generated mainly based on the second data and the third data in the history data. As shown in Fig. 27, in the history image, the event occurrence date and time, the event name, each measurement value at the time of the event occurrence, and each threshold value are displayed in a corresponding manner. By visually checking the history image, the user can easily check the detailed situation when the event occurred.

[0174] 8. Static eliminator management process In the static eliminator 200, the static eliminator control unit 230 executes a static eliminator management program to perform static eliminator management processing. The static eliminator management processing includes a time setting process, a temporary storage unit control process, and a static eliminator storage unit control process. The static eliminator management processing is started in response to the static eliminator 200 starting its operation. When the static eliminator 200 starts its operation, the operation of the fan drive unit 202, the positive high voltage circuit 212, the negative high voltage circuit 222, the display unit 250, the cleaning device 291, the indicator light 292, and the alarm device 293 are appropriately controlled by the device control unit 232.

[0175] Fig. 28 is a flowchart showing an example of a time setting process performed in the static eliminator 200. The time setting process is performed by the static eliminator control unit 230 executing a time setting program of the static eliminator management program. The time setting process will be described below with reference to the static eliminator control unit 230 in Fig. 8 and the flowchart in Fig. 28.

[0176] First, the time setting unit 231 judges whether or not communication with the control device 300 has been established (step S1). When the static eliminator communication unit 280 of the static eliminator 200 is connected to the network 309 in Fig. 1, the time setting unit 231 judges that communication with the control device 300 has been established. When communication with the control device 300 has not been established, the time setting unit 231 waits until communication with the control device 300 is established.

[0177] If communication with the control device 300 has been established, the time setting unit 231 requests the control device 300 to transmit time information (step S2). Next, the time setting unit 231 receives the time information transmitted by the control device 300 (step S3). Step S3 is executed in response to step S32 in Fig. 31, which will be described later. Next, the time setting unit 231 updates the set time to the time indicated by the time information received in step S3 (step S4).

[0178] Thereafter, the time setting unit 231 determines whether or not a certain time has elapsed (step S5). The certain time in step S5 may be 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, or the like. If the certain time has not elapsed, the time setting unit 231 waits until the certain time has elapsed. If the certain time has elapsed, the time setting unit 231 returns to step S1. This causes the processes from step S1 onwards to be repeated.

[0179] Fig. 29 is a flowchart showing an example of the temporary storage control process performed in the static eliminator 200. The temporary storage control process is performed by the static eliminator control unit 230 executing a temporary storage control program of the static eliminator management program. The temporary storage control process will be described below with reference to the static eliminator control unit 230 in Fig. 8 and the flowchart in Fig. 29.

[0180] First, the measurement value acquiring unit 233 acquires a measurement value related to the control by the device control unit 232 (step S11). The measurement value acquiring unit 233 also acquires the measurement time of the measurement value acquired in step S11 based on the time set by the time setting unit 231 (step S12). The data generating unit 234 generates history data based on the measurement value acquired in step S11 and the measurement time acquired in step S12 (step S13).

[0181] The storage control unit 235 stores the history data generated in step S13 in the temporary storage unit 271 (step S14). Here, the determination unit 236 determines whether or not an event has occurred with respect to the measurement value of the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 in step S14 (step S15). Whether or not an event has occurred is determined based on the measurement value and a threshold value related to the measurement value. If an event has occurred, the determination unit 236 assigns a flag to the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 in step S14 (step S16).

[0182] If no event has occurred in step S15, or if step S16 has been executed, the process returns to step S11. This causes the processes from step S11 onward to be repeated. The time interval at which step S11 is repeated is the second time (0.1 seconds in this example) as described above.

[0183] Fig. 30 is a flowchart showing an example of a static eliminator storage control process performed in the static eliminator 200. The static eliminator storage control process is performed by the static eliminator control unit 230 executing a static eliminator storage control program of the static eliminator management program. Hereinafter, the static eliminator storage control process will be described with reference to the static eliminator control unit 230 in Fig. 8 and the flowchart in Fig. 30.

[0184] First, the memory control unit 235 judges whether or not a first time (one hour in this example) has elapsed (step S21). If the first time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S24. If the first time has elapsed, the memory control unit 235 stores the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 as the first data in the static eliminator storage unit 270 at the timing when the first time has elapsed (step S22).

[0185] Furthermore, the memory control unit 235 stores in the static eliminator memory unit 270 the characteristic values ​​of the measurement values ​​in the history data stored in the temporary memory unit 271 during the first time period (step S23). In this example, in step S23, the maximum and minimum values ​​of temperature and humidity during the first time period are stored in the static eliminator memory unit 270 as the characteristic values ​​of the measurement values. Also, in step S23, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the ion balance between the time point at which the first time period has elapsed and the time point one minute before that time period are stored in the static eliminator memory unit 270 as the characteristic values ​​of the measurement values.

[0186] Thereafter, the memory control unit 235 determines whether or not a flag has been added to the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 in step S16 of FIG. 29 (step S24). If a flag has not been added to the history data, the process returns to step S21. If a flag has been added to the history data, the memory control unit 235 identifies the date and time when the data was acquired, that is, the date and time when the event occurred (step S25). The memory control unit 235 also stores data indicating the date and time identified in step S25 in the static eliminator memory unit 270 as third data (step S26).

[0187] Furthermore, the memory control unit 235 stores the history data stored in the temporary memory unit 271 during a certain period including the occurrence time of the event specified in step S25 as second data in the static eliminator memory unit 270 (step S27). In this example, in step S27, the history data stored in the temporary memory unit 271 during the period from 30 seconds before the occurrence time of the event to 30 seconds after the occurrence time of the event is stored as the second data.

[0188] Next, the notification acquisition unit 237 judges whether or not a notification indicating that the control device 300 has acquired the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 has been acquired (step S28). When step S36 in FIG. 31 described later is executed, it is judged that the notification has been acquired. When the notification has been acquired, the storage control unit 235 deletes the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 (step S29). When the notification has not been acquired in step S28 or when step S29 has been executed, the process returns to step S21. This causes the processes from step S21 onwards to be repeated.

[0189] 9. Control device management processing In the control device 300, the main control unit 310 executes a control device management program to perform control device management processing. Fig. 31 is a flowchart showing an example of control device management processing performed in the control device 300. The control device management processing will be described below with reference to the main control unit 310 in Fig. 26 and the flowchart in Fig. 31.

[0190] First, the time information transmitting unit 311 determines whether or not the static eliminator 200 has requested transmission of time information (step S31). If step S2 in FIG. 28 has been executed, it is determined that the time information has been requested. If the time information has not been requested, the process proceeds to step S3. If the time information has been requested, the time information transmitting unit 311 transmits the time information to the static eliminator 200 (step S32).

[0191] Next, the data acquisition unit 312 determines whether or not history data is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 of the static eliminator 200 (step S33). When step S22 or steps S26 and S27 in Fig. 30 are executed, the history data is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 until step S29 is executed.

[0192] If the history data is not stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, the process returns to step S31. If the history data is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, the data acquisition unit 312 acquires the history data from the static eliminator storage unit 270 (step S34). Furthermore, the main memory control unit 313 stores the history data acquired in step S34 in the main memory unit 320 (step S35). The notification unit 314 notifies the static eliminator 200 that the history data has been acquired (step S36).

[0193] Thereafter, the image generating unit 315 determines whether or not the second data and the third data have been stored in the main memory unit 320 as history data in step S35 (step S37). If the second data and the third data have been stored in the main memory unit 320, the image generating unit 315 generates history image data showing the history image of FIG. 27 based on the second data and the third data (step S38). If the second data and the third data have not been stored in the main memory unit 320 in step S37, or if step S38 has been executed, the process returns to step S31. This causes the processes from step S31 onwards to be repeated.

[0194] The historical image data generated in step S38 may be stored in the main storage unit 320. Here, if previously generated historical image data is stored in the main storage unit 320, the historical image data may be updated to the newly generated historical image data. In addition, a historical image based on the historical image data generated in step S38 may be displayed on the main body display unit 330.

[0195] 10. Effects The static eliminator system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a static eliminator 200 and a control device 300. A static eliminator communication unit 280 of the static eliminator 200 and a main communication unit 380 of the control device 300 are connected to a network 309, thereby enabling the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300 to be connected to each other.

[0196] In this static eliminator 200, ions are generated by the positive ion generating unit 211 and the negative ion generating unit 221 based on the control by the device control unit 232. Furthermore, measurement values ​​related to the control by the device control unit 232 and the measurement times at which the measurement values ​​were acquired are acquired by the measurement acquisition unit 233. History data is generated by the data generation unit 234 based on the measurement values ​​and the measurement times, and the generated history data is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0197] According to this configuration, even when the control device 300 is not connected to the static eliminator 200, the history data is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 provided in the static eliminator 200. This makes it easy to store the history data without losing any data. Therefore, the user does not need to frequently connect the control device 300 to the static eliminator 200 to manage the history data. This allows the manufacturing status of the product to be strictly managed without increasing the management burden.

[0198] Furthermore, when the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300 are connected, the history data stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270 of the static eliminator 200 is acquired by the data acquisition unit 312 of the control device 300 via the network 309. As a result, even when the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300 are not constantly connected, the history data can be managed in the control device 300 without any loss of history data.

[0199] The history data includes first data, second data, and third data. The first data is data in which measurement values ​​acquired at a first time interval are associated with the measurement times. The first data makes it possible to manage the behavior of the static eliminator 200 in normal times. The second data is data in which measurement values ​​acquired when various events occur are associated with the measurement times. The second data makes it possible to manage the behavior of the static eliminator 200 when an event occurs. The third data is data indicating the dates and times when various events occur. The third data makes it possible to manage the dates and times when an event occurs.

[0200] The temporary storage unit 271 of the static eliminator 200 stores history data at intervals of a second time shorter than the first time. Every time the first time elapses, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at the time the first time elapses is stored as the first data. In this case, the first data can be easily stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In addition, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 for a certain period including the time when the event occurred is stored as the second data in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In this case, the second data can be easily stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0201] Furthermore, every time the first time period elapses, a characteristic value of the measurement value in the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 during the first time period is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270. In this case, the behavior of the static eliminator 200 in normal times can be managed in more detail. In particular, the characteristic value includes at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value. In this case, the user can intuitively grasp the behavior of the static eliminator 200 in normal times.

[0202] In temporary storage unit 271, when the history data is stored in the entirety of the allocated predetermined storage area, the oldest stored history data is overwritten and the latest history data is stored. With this configuration, even if the capacity of temporary storage unit 271 is relatively small, it is possible to store history data for a sufficiently long period at sufficiently short time intervals.

[0203] In the control device 300, in response to a request from the static eliminator 200, time information indicating the time set in the control device 300 is transmitted by the time information transmitting unit 311. In the static eliminator 200, the time information is received by the time setting unit 231, and the time indicated by the received time information is set in the static eliminator 200. In this case, the times of the control device 300 and the static eliminator 200 can be easily synchronized. Furthermore, even if multiple static eliminators 200 are connected to the control device 300, the times of the multiple static eliminators 200 can be easily synchronized.

[0204] 11. Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the static elimination system 1 includes a plurality of static eliminators 200, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The static elimination system 1 may include only one static eliminator 200.

[0205] (2) In the above embodiment, the control device 300 and the static eliminator 200 are connected via the network 309, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The control device 300 and the static eliminator 200 may be connected by a cross cable or the like without the network 309. Alternatively, the history data may be transferred from the static eliminator memory unit 270 of the static eliminator 200 to the main memory unit 320 of the control device 300 via an external storage medium such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory or an SD card. In other words, the static eliminator 200 and the control device 300 may be connectable via an external storage medium.

[0206] (3) In the above embodiment, each time a first time period elapses, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at the time the first time period elapses is stored as the first data in the static eliminator storage unit 270, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Each time a first time period elapses, the history data stored in the temporary storage unit 271 at a predetermined time within the first time period may be stored as the first data in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0207] (4) In the above embodiment, the history data includes the first data, the second data, and the third data, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The history data may include any one or two of the first data, the second data, and the third data.

[0208] (5) In the above embodiment, the static eliminator 200 includes the temporary storage unit 271, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As long as the history data can be stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, the static eliminator 200 does not need to include the temporary storage unit 271.

[0209] (6) In the above embodiment, the characteristic value of the measurement value is at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The characteristic value of the measurement value may be another characteristic value such as an average value. Also, in the above embodiment, the characteristic value of the measurement value is stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270, but the characteristic value of the measurement value does not have to be stored in the static eliminator storage unit 270.

[0210] 12. Correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment Below, examples of the correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claims can be used as each component of the claims.

[0211] In the above-described embodiment, the positive ion generating unit 211 and the negative ion generating unit 221 are examples of an ion generating unit, the device control unit 232 is an example of an ion control unit, and the measurement value acquiring unit 233 is an example of a measurement value acquiring unit. The data generating unit 234 is an example of a data generating unit, the static eliminator storage unit 270 is an example of a non-volatile storage unit, the static eliminator 200 is an example of a static eliminator, and the temporary storage unit 271 is an example of a volatile storage unit.

[0212] The control device 300 is an example of a control device, the network 309 is an example of a network, the static eliminator communication unit 280 is an example of a first communication unit, and the main communication unit 380 is an example of a second communication unit. The data acquisition unit 312 is an example of a data acquisition unit, the static elimination system 1 is an example of a static elimination system, the time setting unit 231 is an example of a time setting unit, and the time information transmission unit 311 is an example of a time information transmission unit.

[0213] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is also possible to implement the present invention by combining some of the configurations of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0214] 1...Static charge removal system, 11...Static charge removal device housing, 12...Air outlet, 13...Cover, 100...Ion balance sensor, 110A...Detection plate, 110B...Ion detection circuit, 111...Operational amplifier, 112...Fixed resistor, 113...Modulation voltage source, 120...Temperature detection element, 130...Humidity detection element, 140...Sensor indicator light, 150...Sensor communication unit, 160...Sensor power supply unit, 190...Sensor control unit, 200...Static charge removal device, 201...Fan, 201a...Rotating shaft, 202...Fan drive unit, 203...Detection electrode, 211...Positive ion generation unit, 211a, 221a...Annular member, 212...Positive electrode side high voltage circuit, 221...negative ion generating section, 222...negative side high voltage circuit, 230...static eliminator control section, 231...time setting section, 232...device control section, 233...measurement value acquiring section, 234...data generating section, 235...memory control section, 236...judgment section, 237...notification acquiring section, 240...ion information generating section, 241...internal ion current detecting circuit, 242...external ion current detecting circuit, 250...display section, 260...operation section, 261...up button, 262...down button, 263...left button, 264...right button, 265...decision button, 266...cancel button, 267...power button, 270...static eliminator memory section, 27 1...temporary memory unit, 272, 321...storage medium, 280...static eliminator communication unit, 290...static eliminator power supply unit, 291...cleaning device, 292...indicator light, 293...alarm device, 300...control device, 309...network, 310...main control unit, 311...time information transmission unit, 312...data acquisition unit, 313...main memory control unit, 314...notification unit, 315...image generation unit, 320...main memory unit, 330...main body display unit, 340...main body operation unit, 380...main communication unit, 390...main power supply unit, 400...charge detection system, 410, 420...charge detection device, 411, 421...detection head, 430...communication device ,500...first hierarchical screen,501...operation status display area,502...event display area,503...eco mode display area,504...lock mode display area,510...airflow adjustment screen,511...airflow value display area,512...airflow gauge display area,513,524,542,552,562...explanation display area,520...first monitor screen,521...charged charge level display area,522...input / output display area,523...static charge removal performance display area,530...second monitor screen,531...ion balance display area,532...input / output display area,533...temperature / humidity display area,540...first event history screen,541...all event display area, 550...second event history screen, 551...error / warning event display area, 560...third event history screen, 561...notification event display area, 570...event details screen, 600...second hierarchical screen, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650...setting screen, en1, en2...electrode needle, N...node,

Claims

1. A static eliminator that releases ions onto an object to neutralize the object, an ion generating unit that generates ions; an ion control unit that controls the ion generation unit; a measurement value acquiring unit that acquires a measurement value related to the control by the ion control unit and acquires the measurement time when the measurement value is acquired; a data generating unit that generates history data based on the measurement values ​​and the measurement times; a non-volatile memory unit that stores the history data.

2. The static eliminator according to claim 1 , wherein the history data includes first data in which the measurement values ​​obtained at first time intervals are associated with the measurement times.

3. a volatile storage unit that stores the history data at a second time interval that is shorter than the first time interval; 3. The static eliminator according to claim 2, wherein the non-volatile memory unit stores the history data stored in the volatile memory unit at a predetermined time within the first time period as the first data each time the first time period elapses.

4. The static eliminator according to claim 3 , wherein the non-volatile storage unit further stores, each time the first time period elapses, a characteristic value of the measurement value in the history data stored in the volatile storage unit within the first time period.

5. The static eliminator according to claim 4 , wherein the characteristic value includes at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value.

6. The static eliminator according to claim 1 , wherein the history data includes second data in which the measurement values ​​obtained when a predetermined event occurs are associated with the measurement times.

7. a volatile storage unit that stores the history data at predetermined time intervals; The nonvolatile storage unit stores the event information in the volatile storage unit for a certain period including the time when the event occurred.

7. The static eliminator according to claim 6, wherein the stored history data is stored as the second data.

8. The static eliminator according to any one of claims 3 to 5 and 7, wherein when the history data is stored in the entirety of the predetermined memory area allocated to the volatile memory unit, the volatile memory unit overwrites the history data that was stored earliest and stores the latest history data.

9. The static eliminator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the history data includes third data indicating a date and time when a predetermined event related to the measurement value occurred.

10. The air conditioner further includes a fan that sends the ions generated by the ion generating unit in a predetermined direction. The static eliminator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the measured values ​​include an amount of ions and a rotation speed of the fan.

11. The static eliminator according to claim 10 , wherein the measured values ​​further include an ion balance.

12. The static eliminator of claim 11 , wherein the measurements further include ion current.

13. The static eliminator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a control device connectable to the static eliminator, the static eliminator further includes a first communication unit connected to a network, The control device a second communication unit connected to the network; a data acquisition unit that acquires the history data stored in the nonvolatile storage unit via the network.

14. The static eliminator is a time setting unit that receives time information indicating a time set in the control device from the control device and sets the static eliminator to the time indicated by the received time information, the measurement value acquisition unit identifies the measurement time at which the measurement value was acquired based on the time set by the time setting unit; The static elimination system according to claim 13 , wherein the control device further comprises a time information transmitting unit that transmits the time information to the static eliminator.

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