Cleaning device and cleaning method

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device and a cleaning method that can prevent a cleaning object from being detached from a sheet member by suction.SOLUTION: A cleaning device EA comprises: holding means 10 which holds a sheet member AS attached to cleaning objects WK1, WK2 on a holding surface 11A; suction means 20 which sucks the cleaning objects WK1, WK2 with the sheet member AS held on the holding surface 11A, and cleans the cleaning objects WK1, WK2; acquisition means 30 which acquires a thickness of the cleaning objects WK1, WK2; and distance adjustment means 40 which adjusts a distance from the holding means 11A to the suction means 20 on the basis of the thickness of the cleaning objects WK1, WK2 acquired by the acquisition means 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a cleaning method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a cleaning device that sucks an object to be cleaned held on a holding surface and cleans the object to be cleaned (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-68858 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the cleaning device EA (cleaning device) described in Patent Document 1, the distance from the support surface 22A (holding surface) to the suction mechanism 10 (suction means) is not adjusted according to the thickness of the object to be cleaned, which affects the bending rigidity of the object to be cleaned WK (object to be cleaned).Therefore, when an attempt is made to clean the object to be cleaned by holding a sheet member attached to the object to be cleaned with the holding surface, the thinner the object to be cleaned, the more likely it is that the object to be cleaned will bend due to suction and try to lift up from the sheet member, and the object to be cleaned may peel off from the sheet member.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device and a cleaning method that can prevent an object to be cleaned from being detached from a sheet member due to suction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the configurations described in the claims. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the distance from the holding surface to the suction means is adjusted based on the thickness of the object to be cleaned, so that the object to be cleaned can be prevented from peeling off from the sheet member due to suction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other, and the X-axis and Y-axis are axes within a predetermined plane, and the Z-axis is an axis orthogonal to the predetermined plane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed from the front direction of Fig. 1 parallel to the Y-axis, "up" is the direction of the arrow on the Z-axis, "down" is the opposite direction, "left" is the direction of the arrow on the X-axis, "right" is the opposite direction, "front" is the direction toward the front in Fig. 1 parallel to the Y-axis, and "rear" is the opposite direction.

[0010] The cleaning device EA is equipped with a holding means 10 that performs a holding step of holding a sheet material AS attached to cleaning objects WK1 and WK2 on a holding surface 11A, a suction means 20 that performs a suction step of sucking the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2 on which the sheet material AS is held on the holding surface 11A and cleaning the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2, an operation means 30 such as an operation panel or a personal computer that serves as an acquisition means that performs an acquisition step of acquiring the thickness of the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2, a distance adjustment means 40 that performs a distance adjustment step of adjusting the distance from the holding surface 11A to the suction means 20 based on the thickness of the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2 acquired by the operation means 30, and a moving means 50 that performs a moving step of moving the holding means 10 and the suction means 20 relatively in the left-right direction that is parallel to the holding surface 11A.

[0011] The holding means 10 is provided with a table 11 having a holding surface 11A that can be sucked and held by a pressure reducing means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump or a vacuum ejector.

[0012] The suction means 20 includes a pressure reducing means 21 such as a vacuum pump or a vacuum ejector, and a nozzle 22 provided with a suction hole 22A that communicates with the pressure reducing means 21 via a pipe 22B.

[0013] The distance adjusting means 40 includes a linear motor 41 as a driving device that supports the table 11 with an output shaft 41A, and a control means 42 such as a personal computer or sequencer electrically connected to the linear motor 41.

[0014] The moving means 50 includes a linear motor 51 as a driving device that supports the linear motor 41 with a slider 51A.

[0015] The operation of the cleaning device EA will now be described. First, when a user of cleaning device EA (hereinafter simply referred to as "user") inputs the thickness of the object to be cleaned WK1 via operation means 30, with each component of cleaning device EA placed in the initial position shown by the solid line in Fig. 1, distance adjustment means 40 drives linear motor 41 via control means 42, raises and lowers table 11 based on the thickness of the object to be cleaned WK1, and adjusts the distance from holding surface 11A to suction means 20 to desired distance D1. Next, the user inputs a signal to start automatic operation via operation means 30.

[0016] Subsequently, when a user or a conveying means (not shown), such as an articulated robot or a belt conveyor, places the integrated object UP, consisting of the object to be cleaned WK1 and the sheet member AS attached thereto, on the holding surface 11A, the holding means 10 activates a pressure reducing means (not shown) to begin suction and holding the sheet member AS on the holding surface 11A. Next, the suction means 20 activates the pressure reducing means 21 to begin suction using the nozzle 22, and then the moving means 50 activates the linear motor 51 to move the table 11 to the left. This causes the object to be cleaned WK1 to be sucked in without contact, and foreign matter such as dust and dirt on the object to be cleaned WK1 is sucked into the nozzle 22. At this time, the distance from the holding surface 11A to the suction means 20 is adjusted based on the thickness of the object to be cleaned WK1, so the suction force acting on the object to be cleaned WK1 is set to a value that prevents the object to be cleaned WK1 from bending and lifting off the sheet member AS, allowing the object to be cleaned without peeling off the sheet member AS. 1, when the cleaning target WK1 reaches a predetermined position to the left of the nozzle 22, the moving means 50 stops driving the linear motor 51, and the suction means 20 stops driving the pressure reducing means 21. Next, the holding means 10 stops driving the pressure reducing means (not shown), and the sheet material AS is released from suction and retention on the holding surface 11A. Thereafter, when the user or the transport means (not shown) transports the integrated object UP to the next process, the moving means 50 drives the linear motor 51 to return the table 11 to its initial position, and the same operations as those described above are repeated.

[0017] When cleaning a cleaning target WK2 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 ) that is different in thickness from the cleaning target WK1, the user inputs the thickness of the cleaning target WK2 via the operating means 30. The distance adjustment means 40 then drives the linear motor 41 via the control means 42 to raise and lower the table 11 based on the thickness of the cleaning target WK2, adjusting the distance from the holding surface 11A to the suction means 20 to the desired distance D2. In this embodiment, the cleaning target WK2 is thinner than the cleaning target WK1 and has lower bending rigidity than the cleaning target WK1. Therefore, the desired distance D2 is set to a value greater than the distance D1 so that the cleaning target WK2 does not bend due to suction and lift off the sheet member AS. Next, the user again inputs a signal to start automatic operation via the operating means 30, and the same operations as those described above are repeated.

[0018] According to the above embodiment, the distance from the holding surface 11A to the suction means 20 is adjusted based on the thickness of the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2, thereby preventing the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2 from peeling off from the sheet member AS due to suction.

[0019] As described above, the best configurations, methods, and the like for implementing the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, although the present invention has been particularly illustrated and described mainly with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-disclosed descriptions limiting the shape, material, and the like are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, descriptions using names of components that are free from some or all of the limitations on shape, material, and the like are included in the present invention. Furthermore, the means and steps of the present invention are not limited in any way as long as they can perform the operations, functions, or steps described for those means and steps, and are in no way limited to the components and steps of a single embodiment shown in the above embodiment. For example, the holding means may be anything that holds a sheet member attached to an object to be cleaned with a holding surface, and is not limited in any way as long as it is within the technical scope in light of the common general technical knowledge at the time of filing (the same applies to other means and steps).

[0020] The holding means 10 may also serve as the distance adjustment means 40, and may, for example, be provided with multiple tables 11 of different heights so that the distance from the holding surface 11A to the suction means 20 can be changed, and based on the thickness of the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2 obtained by the operating means 30, the user or a conveying means (not shown) may exchange the tables 11 to adjust the distance from the holding surface 11A to the desired distances D1 and D2 from the suction means 20.

[0021] The suction means 20 may adjust the suction force based on the thickness of the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2 obtained by the operating means 30, and may use a stronger suction force when cleaning the thick cleaning object WK1 and a weaker suction force when cleaning the thin cleaning object WK2.

[0022] The acquisition means may be a detection means such as a camera or sensor that detects the thickness of the cleaning targets WK1 and WK2, or a reading means such as a code reader or RFID reader that reads a code such as a barcode or QR code (registered trademark) that encodes information such as the identification number and thickness of the cleaning targets WK1 and WK2, or reads the information from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) that stores the information. When reading the identification numbers of the cleaning targets WK1 and WK2, the reading means can acquire the thickness corresponding to the identification number from the correspondence between the identification numbers and thickness of the cleaning targets WK1 and WK2.

[0023] The distance adjustment means 40 may be provided with a linear motor 43 as a driving device that supports the nozzle 22 on an output shaft 43A, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 1, instead of or in combination with the linear motor 41, and the linear motor 43 may raise and lower the nozzle 22 based on the thickness of the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2, thereby adjusting the distance from the holding surface 11A to the suction means 20 to the desired distances D1 and D2. When the object to be cleaned WK2 is thicker than the object to be cleaned WK1, the distance adjustment means 40 may set the desired distance D2 to a value smaller than the distance D1.

[0024] The moving means 50 may be equipped with a speed adjustment means that performs a speed adjustment process to adjust the relative movement speed between the holding means 10 and the suction means 20 based on the thickness of the cleaning objects WK1 and WK2 obtained by the operating means 30, and the speed adjustment means is composed of the control means 42 of the distance adjustment means 40, and may slow down the relative movement speed when cleaning the thick cleaning object WK1 and speed up the relative movement speed when cleaning the thin cleaning object WK2. The moving means 50 may move the suction means 20 left and right using a driving device not shown, without moving the table 11 or while moving it, and if the suction means 20 is configured to be able to suck the cleaning surfaces (top surfaces) of the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2 all at once, it may or may not be included in the cleaning device EA of the present invention, and the table 11 may be moved back and forth left and right while the suction means 20 is driving the pressure reduction means 21, and in this case, the suction means 20 may stop driving the pressure reduction means 21 when the left ends of the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2 pass the right end of the nozzle 22.

[0025] The material, type, and shape of the sheet member AS and the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2 are not particularly limited. For example, the sheet member AS and the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2 may be circular, oval, polygonal (e.g., triangular, rectangular), or other shapes. The sheet member AS may be pressure-sensitive, heat-sensitive, or other adhesive. If a heat-sensitive sheet member AS is used, it may be adhered by an appropriate method, such as providing a heating means such as a coil heater or the heated side of a heat pipe. Furthermore, such sheet members AS may be, for example, a single-layer sheet consisting of only an adhesive layer, a two-layer sheet consisting of a substrate and an adhesive layer, a three-layer sheet consisting of a substrate and an adhesive layer with one or more intermediate layers between them, a three-layer sheet consisting of a substrate with one or more cover layers laminated on top, a sheet with a peelable substrate, an intermediate layer, or a cover layer, a single-layer double-sided adhesive sheet consisting of only an adhesive layer, or a double-sided adhesive sheet with adhesive layers laminated on both outermost surfaces of one or more intermediate layers. Furthermore, the objects to be cleaned WK1 and WK2 may be, for example, a single object such as food, a resin container, a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon semiconductor wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer, a circuit board, an information recording substrate such as an optical disk, a glass plate, a steel plate, ceramics, a wooden board, or resin, or a composite formed from two or more of these, and may also be members or articles of any shape.The sheet member AS may be, for example, any sheet, film, tape, etc., such as an information label, a decorative label, a protective sheet, a dicing tape, a die attach film, a die bonding tape, or a recording layer-forming resin sheet.

[0026] The driving equipment in the above embodiments may be electric equipment such as rotary motors, linear motors, single-axis robots, so-called articulated robots with joints on two or three or more axes, actuators such as air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, rodless cylinders and rotary cylinders, which may be used alone, or may be a direct or indirect combination of such electric equipment and actuators, or may be electric equipment, actuators, etc. that are capable of torque control, speed control, etc. for the output parts of such electric equipment, actuators, etc., or may not be capable of torque control, speed control, etc.

[0027] In the above-described embodiments, there is a certain object (hereinafter referred to as "object A") and an object (hereinafter referred to as "object B") that moves relative to object A. In other words, object A and object B that move relatively may be such that object B moves relative to object A, which is stationary, or object A may move relative to object B, which is stationary, or both object A and object B may move. As long as the result achieved by the movement is the same, either object A or object B may move. When a supporting (holding) means or a supporting (holding) member that supports (holds) a supported member (held member) is used, a configuration may be adopted in which the supported member is supported (held) by a gripping means such as a mechanical chuck or a chuck cylinder, Coulomb force, an adhesive (adhesive sheet, adhesive tape), a pressure sensitive adhesive (adhesive sheet, adhesive tape), a magnetic force, Bernoulli suction, suction, a driving device, or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] EA…Cleaning device 10...Holding means 11A…Holding surface 20...Suction means 30...Operating means (obtaining means) 40...Distance adjustment means 50...Transportation 51...Linear motor (speed adjusting means) D1, D2…distance WK1, WK2...Cleaning target items

Claims

1. a holding means for holding the sheet member attached to the object to be cleaned on a holding surface; a suction means for sucking the object to be cleaned with the sheet member held on the holding surface and cleaning the object to be cleaned, An acquisition means for acquiring the thickness of the object to be cleaned; A cleaning device characterized by comprising a distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance from the holding surface to the suction means based on the thickness of the object to be cleaned acquired by the acquisition means.

2. a moving means for relatively moving the holding means and the suction means in a direction parallel to the holding surface, The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the moving means includes a speed adjusting means for adjusting the relative moving speed between the holding means and the suction means based on the thickness of the object to be cleaned acquired by the acquiring means.

3. a holding step of holding the sheet member attached to the object to be cleaned on a holding surface of the holding means; a suction step of sucking the object to be cleaned with the sheet member held on the holding surface by a suction means to clean the object to be cleaned; an acquisition step of acquiring the thickness of the object to be cleaned; a distance adjustment step of adjusting the distance from the holding surface to the suction means based on the thickness of the object to be cleaned acquired in the acquisition step.

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