Cleaning unit and cleaning device

Abstract

This disclosure aims to provide a cleaning unit that can efficiently remove foreign matter that has been removed from the surface of an object and is adhering to a brush. [Solution] A cleaning unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a cleaning unit that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object S formed in the shape of a plate or film and conveyed in one direction, comprising: a brush roller 110 having a plurality of brushes 111 on its outer circumference that rotate and contact the surface at a first contact point; a brush cleaning roller 120 that rotates while its outer circumference contacts the brushes 111 that have contacted the surface at the first contact point at a second contact point; and a rod-shaped flicker bar 130 whose outer circumference contacts the brushes 111, wherein the flicker bar 130 is positioned between the first contact point and the second contact point in the rotational direction of the brush roller 110.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning unit and a cleaning apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] The surfaces of members such as glass substrates for displays, printed boards on which electronic components are mounted, and transfer materials in image forming apparatuses are required to be clean. An apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of such members is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-244522).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the cleaning apparatus described in the above publication, a cleaning blade for removing toner remaining on the surface of an image carrier that has transferred a toner image to a transfer material, a product removing member for removing discharge products attached to the surface with a sheet-like fiber wound around the outer peripheral surface, and fiber removing means for peeling off from this product removing member and removing the fiber attached to the surface are provided. The fiber removing means has a brush portion on a roller that scrapes the fiber on the surface and a flicker that knocks down the fiber attached to the brush of the brush portion. The fiber attached to the brush cannot be sufficiently removed only by the collision between the brush and the flicker, and there is a risk that the remaining fiber may adhere to the surface again.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning unit that can efficiently remove foreign matter removed from the surface of an object and attached to a brush.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A cleaning unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a cleaning unit for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object formed in the shape of a plate or film and conveyed in one direction, comprising: a brush roller whose axial direction is perpendicular to the one direction in a virtual plane parallel to the surface and which has a plurality of brushes on its outer circumference that rotate and contact the surface at a first contact point; a brush cleaning roller whose axial direction is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller and which rotates while its outer circumference contacts the brush that has contacted the surface at the first contact point at a second contact point; and a rod-shaped flicker bar whose axial direction is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller and which has its outer circumference in contact with the brush, wherein the flicker bar is arranged between the first contact point and the second contact point in the rotation direction of the brush roller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The cleaning unit of this disclosure can efficiently remove foreign matter that has been removed from the surface of an object and is adhering to the brush. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing a cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic enlarged view showing the state in which an object has been loaded into the cleaning unit in cross-section AA of the cleaning apparatus in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) A cleaning unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a cleaning unit that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object formed in the shape of a plate or film and conveyed in one direction, comprising: a brush roller whose axial direction is perpendicular to the one direction in a virtual plane parallel to the surface and which has a plurality of brushes on its outer circumference that rotate and contact the surface at a first contact point; a brush cleaning roller whose axial direction is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller and which rotates while its outer circumference contacts the brush that has contacted the surface at the first contact point at a second contact point; and a rod-shaped flicker bar whose axial direction is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller and which has its outer circumference in contact with the brush, wherein the flicker bar is arranged between the first contact point and the second contact point in the rotation direction of the brush roller.

[0011] The cleaning unit includes a brush cleaning roller that contacts the brush of the brush roller, in addition to a flicker bar, so that foreign matter adhering to the brush can be efficiently removed. The flicker bar is positioned between the first contact point and the second contact point in the rotational direction of the brush roller, so that foreign matter adhering to the brush can be efficiently brushed off, and the brush cleaning roller can remove the foreign matter more efficiently.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, the rotation direction of the brush roller at the first contact point and the rotation direction of the brush cleaning roller at the second contact point may be in the opposite direction to the above one direction. By rotating the brush roller at the first contact point in the opposite direction to the direction in which the object is transported, the effect of removing foreign matter from the surface by the brush roller can be improved. By rotating the brush cleaning roller at the second contact point in the opposite direction to the direction in which the object is transported, the effect of removing foreign matter adhering to the brush roller by the brush cleaning roller can be improved.

[0013] (3) In the case of (1) or (2) above, the cleaning unit may further include a first power supply for charging the brush roller. By charging the brush roller with the first power supply, the foreign matter removal effect of the brush roller can be further improved.

[0014] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the cleaning unit may further include a second power supply for charging the brush cleaning roller. By charging the brush cleaning roller with the second power supply, the foreign matter removal effect of the brush cleaning roller can be further improved.

[0015] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the cleaning unit may further include a third power supply for charging the flicker bar. By charging the flicker bar with the third power supply, the flicker bar can attract foreign matter brushed off the brush roller, and the diffusion of the foreign matter within the cleaning unit can be suppressed.

[0016] (6) A cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has any of the cleaning units described in (1) to (5) above.

[0017] Because the cleaning device has the cleaning unit, it can efficiently remove foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object.

[0018] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] A cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] <Cleaning device> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleaning device includes a conveying means 30 for conveying an object S formed in a plate shape or a film shape in one direction D, and a cleaning means for removing foreign matters such as dust adhering to the surface of the conveyed object S. The cleaning means of the present embodiment includes a first cleaning unit 10 including a brush roller 110 for removing the foreign matters with a plurality of brushes provided on the outer peripheral surface, and a cleaning roller 210 for removing the foreign matters remaining on the surface of the object S after passing through the first cleaning unit 10 with the outer peripheral surface contacting the surface of the object S. The second cleaning unit 20 has a.

[0020] The arrangement order of the first cleaning unit 10 and the second cleaning unit 20 with respect to the conveying direction D is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to arrange the first cleaning unit 10 on the upstream side and the second cleaning unit 20 on the downstream side. Since the brush roller 110 can efficiently remove relatively large foreign matters, the first cleaning unit 10 including the brush roller 110 is arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction D, and the relatively small foreign matters that could not be sufficiently removed by the brush roller 110 are removed by the cleaning roller 210 of the second cleaning unit 20, so that the foreign matters adhering to the surface of the object S can be effectively removed.

[0021] The first cleaning unit 10 and the second cleaning unit 20 are preferably configured to be detachable from the cleaning device 1. By making the cleaning units 10 and 20 detachable, the efficiency of the foreign matter removal operation and the maintainability of the cleaning units 10 and 20 can be improved.

[0022] 〔Object〕 In the present embodiment, a flat member is exemplified as the object S, but the object is not particularly limited as long as it is a plate-shaped or film-shaped member.

[0023] Examples of flat objects S include glass substrates for displays, printed circuit boards for mounting electronic components, resin substrates, and ceramic green sheets for forming multilayer ceramic capacitors. Examples of film-shaped objects include resin films.

[0024] The above-mentioned object may be a laminate. The cleaning device 1 can remove foreign matter from the surface of a laminate that is easily peeled off, such as a polyethylene terephthalate substrate (PET substrate) with a ceramic layer (green sheet) laminated on it.

[0025] The surface (the surface from which foreign matter is removed) and the back surface (the surface placed on the conveying means 30) of the object S may or may not be flat. In other words, there may be depressions or protrusions on the surface of the object, forming steps. The object may also have bottomed holes, through holes, etc. Furthermore, patterns such as electrical wiring may be formed on one or both of the surface and the back surface.

[0026] The average thickness of the above-mentioned object is not particularly limited, but its lower limit may be, for example, 30 μm or 50 μm. By setting the average thickness to be equal to or greater than the lower limit, the handling of the above-mentioned object can be improved. The upper limit of the above-mentioned average thickness is not particularly limited, but for example, 5 mm. Note that the average thickness refers to the average value of the thickness measured at any 10 points.

[0027] The foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S is not particularly limited and may include, for example, dust, which may be electrically charged. The foreign matter may be classified into relatively large foreign matter (e.g., particle size 50 μm or larger) and relatively small foreign matter (e.g., particle size less than 50 μm), and cleaning units suitable for the size of the foreign matter may be arranged. In this embodiment, the case in which the foreign matter is positively charged will be explained as an example, but the foreign matter may also be negatively charged. In this case, it is preferable to reverse the positive and negative charges as explained below. The cleaning device 1 can remove even uncharged foreign matter from the surface of the object S.

[0028] [Conveying means] The conveying means 30 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a known belt conveyor that carries a plate-shaped object S, or a conveying mechanism on which a stage on which the object S is placed moves in one direction by a driving means. If the object is a long film, the film may be conveyed in a roll-to-roll manner. The conveying means 30 of this embodiment has a first belt conveyor 31 that conveys the object S to the cleaning units 10 and 20, and a second belt conveyor 32 that conveys the object S from which foreign matter has been removed by the cleaning units 10 and 20.

[0029] The lower limit of the conveying speed of the object S by the conveying means 30 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 5 m / min or 10 m / min. The upper limit of the conveying speed is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 30 m / min or 20 m / min. By setting the conveying speed within the above range, the efficiency of the work of removing foreign matter from the object S can be improved. The conveying speed of the first belt conveyor 31 and the conveying speed of the second belt conveyor 32 may be the same or different.

[0030] [First Cleaning Unit] The first cleaning unit 10 includes a brush roller 110 whose axial direction is perpendicular to the above-mentioned one direction (conveying direction) D within a virtual plane parallel to the surface of the object S, and in which a plurality of brushes 111 on its outer circumference rotate and contact the surface at a first contact point P1; a brush cleaning roller 120 whose axial direction is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller 110, and which rotates while its outer circumference contacts the brushes 111 that contact the surface at the first contact point P1 at a second contact point P2; and a rod-shaped flicker bar 130 whose axial direction is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller 110, and which is positioned so that its outer circumference contacts the brushes 111. The flicker bar 130 is positioned between the first contact point P1 and the second contact point P2 in the rotation direction of the brush roller 110.

[0031] The first cleaning unit 10 of this embodiment includes a blade 140 that scrapes off and removes foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the brush cleaning roller 120, a foreign matter collection unit 150 that collects and stores the foreign matter scraped off from the brush cleaning roller 120 by the blade 140, and a conveying roller 160 that guides the transport of the object S that the first belt conveyor 31 brings into the first cleaning unit 10.

[0032] The cleaning device 1 includes a first opposing roller 40 that contacts the back surface of the object S. In this embodiment, the first opposing roller 40 is rotatably positioned parallel to and opposite the axis of the brush roller 110, and rotates along with the transport of the object S. That is, the first opposing roller 40 rotates in the forward direction with respect to the transport direction D at the point of contact with the back surface of the object S.

[0033] (Brush roller) The brush roller 110 has a cylindrical core metal 112 and a plurality of brushes 111 planted in the direction normal to the circumferential surface of the core metal 112. The axial length of the brush roller 110 is preferably greater than or equal to the width of the object S (length in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction D in a plan view). That is, the brush roller 110 is preferably formed so that the brushes 111 contact the entire width of the surface of the object S in the axial direction. The brush roller 110 may also contact only a part of the surface of the object S in the axial direction.

[0034] The rotation direction of the brush roller 110 at the first contact point P1 where the brush 111 contacts the surface of the object S is preferably in the opposite direction to the conveying direction D. In other words, it is preferable that the brush roller 110 is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the conveying direction D by a drive device (not shown). By rotating the brush roller 110 in the opposite direction to the conveying direction D at the first contact point P1, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S can be scraped off, so that the foreign matter on the surface of the object S can be easily removed and attached to the brush 111.

[0035] The material of the brush 111 is preferably one that easily attracts foreign matter, such as synthetic resin fibers. The brush 111 is preferably one that can be charged to attract foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S by the force of an electric field, such as synthetic resin fibers containing conductive materials such as carbon black, carbon fibers, metal powder, or metal whiskers.

[0036] The cross-sectional shape of the brush 111 is not particularly limited and may be circular, elliptical, star-shaped, etc. A star-shaped cross-section is preferable because a larger surface area of ​​the brush 111 makes it easier to attract foreign matter. The external shape (appearance) of the brush 111 is also not particularly limited and may be straight, wavy, or a combination of curves and straight lines, etc.

[0037] The cleaning device 1 may be equipped with a first power supply (not shown) for charging the brush roller 110. That is, the brush roller 110 should be charged and brought into contact with the surface of the object S. By bringing the charged brush roller 110 into contact with the surface of the object S, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S can be attracted to the surface of the brush 111 on the brush roller 110 by electrostatic force, thereby removing foreign matter from the surface of the object S more efficiently.

[0038] The voltage applied to the brush roller 110 by the first power supply is less than 0V, preferably -50V or less, and more preferably -100V. The lower limit of the voltage is preferably -400V, and more preferably -300V. By setting the voltage within the above range, positively charged foreign matter can be efficiently removed, and current leakage between the brush roller 110 and the object S can be suppressed. The reference potential (0V potential) of the above voltage is the first opposing roller 40, which is positioned opposite the brush roller 11, or the conveying means 30, etc.

[0039] The first opposing roller 40 may be formed in part or entirely of a conductive material. The conductive material is not particularly limited, and examples include metal materials such as stainless steel, copper, and aluminum. The first opposing roller 40 may be formed solely of the conductive material, or it may be configured such that the outer circumferential surface of the core metal 41 formed of the conductive material is covered with an insulating layer 42 such as a synthetic resin.

[0040] The first opposing roller 40 may be subjected to a voltage of the same polarity and lower value as the voltage applied to the brush roller 110 relative to the rotation axis of the first opposing roller 40, or a voltage with the opposite polarity. Alternatively, the first opposing roller 40 may be grounded. This promotes the attraction effect due to the electric field force of the brush roller 110, thereby improving the foreign matter attraction effect of the brush roller 110.

[0041] The lower limit of the average pressure contact amount of the brush 111 with the object S is not particularly limited and may be 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm. The upper limit of the average pressure contact amount is not particularly limited and may be 1.5 mm or 1.0 mm. By setting the average pressure contact amount within the above range, foreign matter on the surface of the object S can be sufficiently scraped up while suppressing the resistance between the brush roller 110 and the object S. Note that "pressure contact amount" means the difference between the distance between the surface of the core metal 21 and the surface of the object S at the first contact point P1 and the length of the brush 111, and "average pressure contact amount" means the average of the pressure contact amounts of all brushes 111 that come into contact with the surface of the object S when the brush 111 rotates once.

[0042] The lower limit of the peripheral speed of the brush roller 110 (peripheral speed of the tip of the brush 111) is not particularly limited and may be 1 m / min or 3 m / min. The upper limit of the peripheral speed is not particularly limited and may be 30 m / min or 15 m / min. By setting the peripheral speed within the above range, friction between the brush 111 and the surface of the object S can be reduced while sufficiently scraping up the foreign matter on the surface of the object S.

[0043] (Brush cleaning roller) The brush cleaning roller 120 is positioned approximately parallel to the brush roller 110. The outer surface of the brush cleaning roller 120 contacts the brush 111 and removes foreign matter adhering to the brush 111. The brush cleaning roller 120 is preferably positioned above the brush roller 110 (in a direction that separates it from the normal to the surface of the object S). For example, in a side view, the axis of the brush roller 110, the second contact point P2, and the first contact point P1 may be positioned approximately in a straight line. By positioning the brush cleaning roller 120 above the brush roller 110, the flicker bar 130 and the foreign matter collection unit 150 can be easily positioned.

[0044] The brush cleaning roller 120 preferably has a roller body 121 made of a conductive material and a corrosion-resistant layer 122 laminated on its outer surface. The material of the roller body 112 is not particularly limited and can be a metal material such as stainless steel, copper, or aluminum, or a conductive resin material obtained by compounding a conductive material such as a conductive filler into a synthetic resin. The corrosion-resistant layer 122 may be a metal plating layer formed by a plating treatment such as nickel plating or gold plating. Alternatively, the entire brush cleaning roller may be made of a conductive material that is resistant to oxidation, such as stainless steel, and may not have the above-mentioned corrosion-resistant layer.

[0045] The cleaning device 1 may be equipped with a second power supply (not shown) for charging the brush cleaning roller 120. That is, the brush cleaning roller 120 should be charged and brought into contact with the brush 111. By bringing the charged brush cleaning roller 120 into contact with the brush 111, foreign matter adhering to the brush 111 can be attracted to the surface of the brush cleaning roller 120 by electrostatic force, and the foreign matter can be efficiently removed.

[0046] The voltage applied to the brush cleaning roller 120 should be of opposite polarity to the voltage applied to the brush roller 110. By applying a voltage to the brush cleaning roller 120 that is of opposite polarity to the voltage applied to the brush roller 110, foreign matter adhering to the brush 111 can be removed more efficiently.

[0047] The voltage applied to the brush cleaning roller 120 may have the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 110. When applying a voltage to the brush cleaning roller 120 that has the same polarity as the voltage applied to the brush roller 110, it is preferable to apply a voltage that has a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 110.

[0048] The lower limit of the difference in absolute values ​​mentioned above is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 200V or 300V. The upper limit of the difference in absolute values ​​mentioned above is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 600V or 500V.

[0049] The lower limit of the voltage applied to the brush cleaning roller 120 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, -1,500V or -1,200V. The upper limit of the applied voltage is not particularly limited and may be, for example, -400V or -600V.

[0050] By applying a voltage of the same polarity to the brush cleaning roller 120 such that its absolute value is higher than the voltage applied to the brush roller 110, the potential of the outer surface of the brush cleaning roller 120 becomes higher in absolute value and of the same polarity as the potential of the brush 111 of the brush roller 110. This allows foreign matter adhering to the brush 111 to be easily attracted to the outer surface of the brush cleaning roller 120. In particular, by setting the difference in applied voltage between the brush cleaning roller 120 and the brush roller 110 within the above range, and further setting the applied voltage to the brush cleaning roller 120 within the above range, the attraction effect can be improved.

[0051] The upper limit of the electrical resistance of the brush cleaning roller 120 is not particularly limited; for example, 10 14 It may be Ω. The electrical resistance of the brush cleaning roller 120 is 10 14 By setting the resistance to Ω or less, the electrostatic charge effect due to voltage application can be improved even when the brush cleaning roller 120 is surface-treated or has a coating formed on it.

[0052] The rotation direction 120 of the brush cleaning roller at the second contact point P2 is preferably opposite to the above-mentioned one direction (conveying direction) D. In other words, it is preferable that the brush cleaning roller 120 is driven by a drive device (not shown) to rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation of the brush roller 110 at the contact point with the brush roller 110. By rotating the brush cleaning roller 120 in the opposite direction to the brush roller 110 at the second contact point P2, foreign matter adhering to the brush 111 can be easily removed and attached to the outer surface.

[0053] The rotation direction of the brush cleaning roller 120 at the second contact point P2 may be forward of the above-mentioned one direction (conveying direction) D. In other words, the brush cleaning roller 120 may rotate in the same direction as the rotation of the brush roller 110 at the contact point with the brush roller 110. The peripheral speed of the brush cleaning roller 120 in the above-mentioned forward direction may be within the same range as the peripheral speed range of the brush roller 110. It is preferable that the peripheral speed of the brush cleaning roller 120 be greater than or equal to the peripheral speed of the brush roller 110.

[0054] The lower limit of the average pressure contact amount between the brush 111 and the brush cleaning roller 120 is not particularly limited and may be 0.1 mm or 0.3 mm. The upper limit of the average pressure contact amount is not particularly limited and may be 1.0 mm or 0.8 mm. By setting the average pressure contact amount within the above range, it is possible to suppress the increase in rotational resistance due to friction caused by contact between the two, and the brush cleaning roller 120 can sufficiently remove foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 110. Note that the average pressure contact amount is not dependent on the rotation direction of the brush cleaning roller 120.

[0055] (Flicker bar) The flicker bar 130 is positioned parallel to the brush roller 110, with its outer surface in contact with the brush 111. The flicker bar 130 is positioned between the first contact point P1 with the object S in the rotational direction of the brush roller 110 and the second contact point P2 with the brush cleaning roller 120. That is, the flicker bar 130 is positioned downstream of the first contact point P1 and upstream of the second contact point P2.

[0056] By positioning the flicker bar 130, which contacts the brush 111, between the first contact point P1 and the second contact point P2 in the rotational direction of the brush roller 110, relatively large foreign objects attached to the brush 111 can be brushed off before the brush roller 110 contacts the brush cleaning roller 120. The brush cleaning roller 120 removes any remaining foreign objects from the brush 111, thereby improving its durability (the persistence of removing foreign objects from the brush 111). The first cleaning unit 10 removes foreign objects attached to the brush 111 using the flicker bar 130 and the brush cleaning roller 120, thus efficiently removing foreign objects from the brush 111.

[0057] The cleaning device 1 may be equipped with a third power source (not shown) for charging the flicker bar 130. In other words, the flicker bar 130 should be charged. By forming the flicker bar 130 from a conductive material and charging it, the brushed-off foreign matter can be electrically attracted without scattering, and the foreign matter can be prevented from reattaching to the brush 111 or to other components. The conductive material is not particularly limited, and examples include metallic materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, and brass.

[0058] The axial length of the flicker bar 130 should be greater than or equal to the width of the brush roller 110. That is, the flicker bar 130 should be formed to contact all of the brushes 111 on the brush roller 110 in the axial direction. The flicker bar 130 may also contact only a portion of the brushes 111 in the axial direction.

[0059] The cross-sectional shape of the flicker bar 130 is not particularly limited and may be polygonal, elliptical, etc., but it is preferable that it be approximately circular. The diameter of the cross-section of the flicker bar 130 (or average diameter if it is not circular) is not particularly limited and may be determined according to the material of the flicker bar 130, the material of the brush 111, etc. For example, the lower limit of the above diameter may be 0.5 mm or 0.8 mm. The upper limit of the above diameter may be 8.0 mm or 5.0 mm.

[0060] The lower limit of the average pressure contact amount of the brush 111 with the flicker bar 130 is not particularly limited and may be 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm. The upper limit of the average pressure contact amount is not particularly limited and may be 2.0 mm or 1.5 mm. By setting the average pressure contact amount within the above range, it is possible to suppress the increase in rotational resistance of the brush roller 110 due to friction caused by contact with the flicker bar 130, and the flicker bar 130 can sufficiently brush off foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 110.

[0061] It is preferable to apply a voltage of the same polarity to the flicker bar 130 such that its absolute value is higher than the voltage applied to the brush roller 110. The lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the flicker bar 130 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 110 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 200V or 300V. The upper limit of the absolute value of the above difference is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 600V or 500V.

[0062] The lower limit of the voltage applied to the flicker bar 130 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, -1000V or -800V. The upper limit of the applied voltage is not particularly limited and may be, for example, -200V or -400V.

[0063] By applying a voltage of the same polarity to the flicker bar 130 such that its absolute value is higher than the voltage applied to the brush roller 110, the potential of the outer surface of the flicker bar 130 becomes higher in absolute value and of the same polarity as the potential of the brush 111 of the brush roller 110. This allows foreign matter adhering to the brush 111 to be easily attracted to the outer surface of the flicker bar 130. In particular, by setting the difference in applied voltage between the flicker bar 130 and the brush roller 110 within the above range, and further setting the applied voltage to the flicker bar 130 within the above range, foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 110 can be easily attracted to the outer surface of the flicker bar 130.

[0064] The flicker bar 130 may be vibrated or rotated circumferentially, for example. By vibrating or rotating the flicker bar 130 circumferentially, the ease of removing foreign matter adhering to the brush 111 can be improved.

[0065] (blade) The blade 140 contacts the surface of the brush cleaning roller 120 and scrapes off and removes any foreign matter that is attached to it. This blade 140 is formed, for example, from a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member that has elasticity.

[0066] The tip of the blade 140 is a free end, and the base end is fixed to the blade support 141. The tip of the blade 140 should contact the outer surface of the brush cleaning roller 120 along its entire axial direction.

[0067] The material of the blade 140 is not particularly limited, but is preferably elastic, and may be made of synthetic resin, for example. Specifically, to provide appropriate elasticity, it is preferable to make it out of a synthetic resin such as thermosetting polyurethane. In addition, at least the tip of the blade 140 may be fluorine-coated with a fluorine-containing compound such as fluororesin to reduce friction with the brush cleaning roller 120 that it contacts. The shape of the blade 140 is not limited to a substantially rectangular plate shape, and may be bent or curved from the base to the tip.

[0068] (Foreign object recovery department) The foreign matter collection unit 150 collects and stores foreign matter scraped off the brush cleaning roller 120 by the blade 140. The foreign matter collection unit 150 is preferably formed as a bottomed box and positioned below the tip of the blade 140 (in the direction of proximity to the normal to the surface of the object S). The foreign matter collection unit 150 is preferably configured to be detachable from the first cleaning unit 10.

[0069] (Conveyor roller) The transport roller 160 guides the movement of the object S being transported into the cleaning unit 10. In other words, the transport roller 160 is rotationally driven to rotate in the forward direction relative to the transport direction D. The transport roller 160 also provides a propulsive force to the object S in order to guide it with appropriate force into the first contact point P1 of the brush roller 110, which rotates in the opposite direction relative to the transport direction D.

[0070] The conveyor roller 160 has a core shaft 161 and a resin part 162 laminated on the outer circumference of the core shaft 161. The resin part 162 may have irregularities on its outer surface. Having irregularities on the outer surface reduces the contact area between the conveyor roller 160 and the front surface S1 of the object S, and also prevents the object S from getting stuck when it is brought into the first cleaning unit 10.

[0071] [Second Cleaning Unit] The second cleaning unit is not particularly limited and may, for example, have the same configuration as the first cleaning unit 10. The second cleaning unit 20 in this embodiment mainly comprises a cleaning roller 210 that removes foreign matter from the surface of the object S remaining after cleaning by the first cleaning unit 10, and a roller cleaning brush 220 that removes foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the cleaning roller 210.

[0072] (Cleaning roller) The cleaning roller 210 is positioned so that its axial direction is perpendicular to the aforementioned one direction (conveying direction D) within a virtual plane parallel to the surface of the object S, and its outer circumferential surface contacts the surface of the object S. The cleaning roller 210 is rotatable, and the direction of rotation at the point of contact with the surface of the object S may be forward or reverse with respect to the conveying direction D. When rotating in the forward direction, the cleaning roller 210 may be driven to rotate in the forward direction by a drive device, or it may be configured to rotate along with the conveying object S. By allowing it to rotate along with the object, a drive device is unnecessary, and the second cleaning unit 20 can be made simpler in configuration. In this embodiment, the cleaning roller 210 rotates in the forward direction by contacting the conveyed object S with its outer circumferential surface.

[0073] The cleaning roller 210 is preferably in contact with the surface of the object S while charged. It is preferable that the cleaning roller 210 be charged to the same polarity as the brush roller 110, but they may also be at the same potential. By charging the cleaning roller 210 and bringing it into contact with the surface of the object S, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S is attracted to the surface of the cleaning roller 210 by electrostatic force, thereby effectively removing the foreign matter.

[0074] The cleaning roller 210 of this embodiment has a cylindrical core metal 211, a cylindrical inner layer portion 212 covering the circumferential surface of the core metal 211, and a thin-film cylindrical outer layer portion 213 covering the circumferential surface of the inner layer portion 212. The material of the inner layer portion 212 is not particularly limited, and for example, an elastic member having conductivity can be used. Examples of such elastic members include polyester urethane containing carbon. The material of the outer layer portion 213 is not particularly limited as long as it can be charged to attract foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object S by the force of an electric field, and examples of polyurethanes such as acrylic mixed polyurethane and fluorine mixed polyurethane can be used. By forming the outer layer portion 213 with polyurethane, wear resistance is superior compared to when it is formed with silicone resin or butyl rubber, and contamination by plasticizers and low molecular weight substances can be reduced.

[0075] The lower limit of the average thickness of the outer layer 213 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 2 μm or 5 μm. The upper limit of the average thickness is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 500 μm or 50 μm. By having the average thickness within the above range, sufficient charging can be achieved and the adsorption effect of foreign matter can be improved.

[0076] (Roller cleaning brush) The roller cleaning brush 220 is formed in a roller shape and is positioned so that its axial direction is parallel to the axial direction of the cleaning roller 210. The roller cleaning brush 220 rotates and removes foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the cleaning roller 210. The second cleaning unit 20 has a wall portion 230 that surrounds the outer surface of the roller cleaning brush 220, except for the portion that contacts the cleaning roller 210, and a pair of flickers 240 that are fixed to the wall portion 230 and whose ends contact the tip of the brush 211 of the roller cleaning brush 210. The roller cleaning brush 220 and the flickers 240 are preferably charged with the same polarity. A part of the wall portion 230 has a bent portion that is bent toward the roller cleaning brush 220 below the center of the roller cleaning brush 220, and this bent portion collects foreign matter that has been brushed off the brush 211 by the flickers 240.

[0077] The brushes 211 of the roller cleaning brush 220 contact the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller 210. Preferably, the rotation direction of the roller cleaning brush 220 at the point of contact with the outer circumferential surface is opposite to the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 210. By setting the rotation direction of the roller cleaning brush 220 at the above contact point to the opposite direction of rotation of the cleaning roller 210, foreign matter adhering to the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning roller 210 can be efficiently brushed off.

[0078] The potential of the roller cleaning brush 220 is preferably the same polarity and has a larger absolute value as the potential of the cleaning roller 210. By making the potential of the roller cleaning brush 220 the same polarity and has a larger absolute value as the potential of the cleaning roller 210, foreign matter brushed off the cleaning roller 210 can be efficiently attracted by electrostatic force.

[0079] Other configurations of the roller cleaning brush 220 can be the same as those of the brush roller 110 described above, so a description of these other configurations will be omitted.

[0080] The cleaning device 1 includes a second opposing roller 50 that contacts the back surface of the object S. The second opposing roller 50 is rotatably positioned parallel to and opposite the cleaning roller 210, and preferably contacts the back surface of the object S while charged. This second opposing roller 50 rotates along with the transport of the object S. That is, the second opposing roller 50 at the point of contact with the back surface of the object S rotates in the forward direction relative to the transport direction D.

[0081] The second opposing roller 50 may be formed of a conductive material in part or in whole. The conductive material and other components used in the second opposing roller 50 can be the same as those used in the first opposing roller 40.

[0082] It is preferable that a voltage of the same polarity but lower, or a voltage with the opposite polarity, be applied to the surface of the second opposing roller 50 than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 210. Alternatively, the second opposing roller 50 may be grounded. This promotes the attraction effect due to the electric field force of the cleaning roller 210, thereby improving the foreign matter attraction effect of the cleaning roller 210.

[0083] The first opposing roller 40 and the second opposing roller 50 are preferably unitized as an opposing roller unit. This opposing roller unit has a biasing device (not shown) that biases the first opposing roller 40 and the second opposing roller 50 against the object S, and is preferably configured so that the distance between the rotation axes of the first opposing roller 40 and the second opposing roller 50 and the surfaces in contact with the object S is variable. With this configuration, impact can be suppressed when the brush roller 110 and the cleaning roller 210 come into contact with the edge of the object S or the irregularities on the surface of the object S, and an appropriate pressure can be applied to the object S, thereby improving the foreign matter removal effect.

[0084] The biasing device is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a known spring. The biasing device may be provided individually on the first opposing roller 40 and the second opposing roller 50, or it may be provided to bias both the first opposing roller 40 and the second opposing roller 50, or it may be provided to bias the opposing roller unit upward.

[0085] The cleaning device 1 includes a brush cleaning roller 120 and a flicker bar 130 positioned between the first contact point P1 with the object S in the rotational direction of the brush roller 110 and the second contact point P2 with the brush cleaning roller 120. Therefore, it can efficiently remove foreign matter that has been removed from the surface of the object S and is adhering to the brush 111. In addition, the inclusion of the flicker bar 130 improves the durability of the brush cleaning roller 120. As a result, the work efficiency and maintainability of the cleaning device 1 can be improved.

[0086] [Other embodiments] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments described above, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0087] The rotation direction of the brush roller at the first contact point and the rotation direction of the brush cleaning roller at the second contact point may be forward relative to the transport direction of the object.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning device was explained as removing foreign matter adhering to one side of an object, but it may also remove foreign matter adhering to both sides of an object. In this case, the cleaning device may be provided with a pair of first cleaning units to remove foreign matter from both sides, and a pair of second cleaning units further provided on both sides.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit are arranged in that order from the upstream side in the transport direction. However, the arrangement order is not limited to this, and the second cleaning unit and the first cleaning unit may be arranged in that order from the upstream side.

[0090] The cleaning device may include a plurality of first cleaning units, and may further include a plurality of second cleaning units.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning device may be configured without a second cleaning unit, that is, with only the first cleaning unit. [Industrial applicability]

[0092] The cleaning apparatus of this disclosure can efficiently remove foreign matter that has been removed from the surface of a plate-shaped or film-shaped object and is adhering to the brush, and is therefore suitable for use in the manufacture of the above-mentioned object. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 1. Cleaning device 10 First Cleaning Unit 110 Brush Roller 111 Brushes 112 Mandrel 120 Brush Cleaning Roller 121 Roller body 122 Corrosion-resistant layer 130 Flicker Bar 140 blades 141 Support part 150 Foreign Object Recovery Section 160 Conveyor Rollers 161 Core axis 162 Resin part 20 Second Cleaning Unit 210 Cleaning Roller 211 Mandrel 212 Inner layer 213 Outer layer 220 Roller Cleaning Brush 221 Brush 230 Wall section 240 Flicker 30 Conveying means 31 First Belt Conveyor 32 Second Belt Conveyor 40 First Opposing Laura 41 Mandrel 42 Insulating layer 50 Second Opposing Laura S Object D Conveying direction P1 First contact point P2 Second contact point

Claims

1. A cleaning unit that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object formed in the shape of a plate or film and conveyed in one direction, A brush roller in which multiple brushes on the outer surface rotate and contact the surface at a first contact point, within a virtual plane whose axial direction is parallel to the surface, and which are perpendicular to the one direction, A brush cleaning roller is positioned with its axial direction parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller, and rotates while making contact with the brush at a second contact point, with the brush at a second contact point, which has contacted the surface at the first contact point. A rod-shaped flicker bar is positioned so that its axial direction is parallel to the axial direction of the brush roller and its outer surface is in contact with the brush, Equipped with, A cleaning unit in which the flicker bar is positioned between the first contact point and the second contact point in the rotational direction of the brush roller.

2. The cleaning unit according to claim 1, wherein the rotation direction of the brush roller at the first contact point and the rotation direction of the brush cleaning roller at the second contact point are opposite to the above-mentioned direction.

3. The cleaning unit according to claim 1, further comprising a first power supply for charging the brush roller.

4. The cleaning unit according to claim 1, further comprising a second power supply for charging the brush cleaning roller.

5. The cleaning unit according to claim 1, further comprising a third power supply for charging the above-mentioned flicker bar.

6. A cleaning apparatus having the cleaning unit described in claims 1 to 5.

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