Cleaning device

Abstract

The cleaning device according to the present invention is provided with: a pair of cleaning brushes that are brought into contact with one surface of a transported sheet-like object to be cleaned, and are driven to rotate; and a pair of rollers that are brought into contact with the other surface of the object to be cleaned, and that face the pair of cleaning brushes. The pair of cleaning brushes each have a cylindrical metal core, and a brush part formed of a plurality of filaments and provided on the circumferential surface of the metal core. The brush part is rotationally driven so as to be brought into contact with at least edge portions on both side of the one surface. The direction of rotation of one of the cleaning brushes at a contact portion thereof with the one surface is the forward direction relative to the direction in which the object to be cleaned is transported, and the direction of rotation of the other cleaning brush at a contact portion thereof with the one surface is the backward direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, cleaning devices have been developed for removing foreign substances such as dust adhering to the surfaces of objects such as glass substrates of flat panel displays (FPDs), printed circuit boards on which electronic components are mounted, resin thin plates, film materials, and metal thin plates.

[0003] As such a cleaning device, there is known a cleaning device including a cleaning roller whose surface is charged and a roller-shaped cleaning brush, wherein the rotation direction at the contact portion between the cleaning roller and the object surface is in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, and the rotation direction at the contact portion between the cleaning brush and the object surface is in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-215155).

[0004] In this conventional cleaning device, relatively large foreign substances in the millimeter size can be effectively removed by the cleaning brush, and fine foreign substances can be effectively removed by adsorption onto the surface of the cleaning roller whose surface is charged. Therefore, the above conventional cleaning device can remove both relatively large foreign substances in the millimeter size and fine foreign substances.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the case of objects such as resin thin plates and film materials, burrs may occur on both side edges of the surface during their own manufacturing process. Since a part of this burr is connected to the object, it is difficult to sufficiently remove it with the conventional cleaning device described above.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such inconveniences, and an object thereof is to provide a cleaning device capable of effectively removing burrs generated on the surface of an object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] As a result of intensive studies on deburring by the present inventors, it has been found that a cleaning brush having a columnar mandrel and a brush portion provided with a plurality of hairs on the peripheral surface of the mandrel is effective, and the present invention has been completed. Generally, a part of the burr is connected to the object, and the other part is floating away from the object. The present inventors speculate that the tip of the brush enters between the floating part of the burr and the object, and by scraping up the burr, the burr can be effectively removed because the burr is peeled off from the object.

[0009] That is, the cleaning device of the present invention is a cleaning device for cleaning at least one surface of a sheet-like object to be conveyed, and includes a pair of cleaning brushes that are rotationally driven in contact with the above-mentioned one surface, and a pair of rollers that are in contact with the other surface of the object facing the pair of cleaning brushes. The pair of cleaning brushes has a columnar mandrel and a brush portion formed by a plurality of hairs and provided on the peripheral surface of the mandrel, and the brush portion is rotationally driven so as to contact at least both side edges of the above-mentioned one surface. Among the pair of cleaning brushes, the rotational direction at the contact point portion between one cleaning brush and the above-mentioned one surface is in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, and the rotational direction at the contact point portion between the other cleaning brush and the above-mentioned one surface is in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object.

[0010] When the cleaning device rotates the cleaning brush in the forward direction to remove burrs on the upstream side in the conveyance direction that are floating away from the object, and rotates the cleaning brush in the reverse direction to remove burrs on the downstream side in the conveyance direction that are floating away from the object. Therefore, since the cleaning device can remove burrs floating away in either direction, it can effectively remove burrs generated on the surface of the object.

[0011] The peripheral speed of one of the cleaning brushes is preferably greater than the conveyance speed of the object, and the speed difference is preferably 1 m / min or more and 30 m / min or less. By setting the peripheral speed of one of the cleaning brushes as described above, it becomes easier to scrape up burrs on the upstream side in the conveyance direction that are floating away from the object, so that the burrs can be removed more effectively.

[0012] The amount of depression of one of the pair of cleaning brushes with respect to the surface is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 3 mm or less. By setting the amount of depression within the above range, the tip of the brush can easily enter between the floating part of the burr and the surface of the object, so that it is easy to scrape up the burr. Therefore, the burrs can be removed more effectively.

[0013] It is preferable that the pair of cleaning brushes are rotationally driven and the contact part vibrates in the direction of the rotation axis. By vibrating the cleaning brush in the direction of the rotation axis in this way, it becomes easier to scrape up burrs that are floating away from the object along a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, so that the burrs can be removed more effectively.

[0014] A cleaning roller that contacts the above-mentioned one surface in a charged state is provided. The rotation direction at the contact point between the above-mentioned one surface of the cleaning roller and the object is in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object. The above-mentioned one cleaning brush, the above-mentioned other cleaning brush, and the above-mentioned cleaning roller are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction. It is preferable that the above-mentioned other cleaning brush contacts across the width direction of the above-mentioned one surface. By configuring the cleaning device as described above, burrs can be effectively removed, and foreign substances adhering to one surface of the object, including the removed burrs, can be effectively removed regardless of their size. Moreover, since the cleaning device can be composed of a total of three cleaning brushes and cleaning rollers, it is easy to miniaturize.

[0015] Here, the "pushing-in amount" is a value obtained by subtracting the distance between the rotation axis of the cleaning brush and the surface of the object from the radius of the cleaning brush. When this numerical value is positive, the tip of the cleaning brush contacts the surface of the object.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] As described above, the cleaning device of the present invention can effectively remove burrs generated on the surface of the object.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

[0018] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings.

[0019] The cleaning device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a cleaning device that cleans both sides of a sheet-like object S to be conveyed. The cleaning device 1 includes a first cleaning unit 10 and a second cleaning unit 20.

[0020] (Object) The object S to be cleaned by the cleaning device 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is sheet-like. For example, as the object S, a glass substrate of an FPD, a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, a resin thin plate, a metal thin plate, a film material, or a laminate thereof can be mentioned. As the object S, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferably one having a burr S1, and examples include a resin thin plate, a metal thin plate, or a laminate thereof. The cleaning device 1 is particularly effective when the burr S1 is a whisker burr.

[0021] The above-mentioned whisker burrs have a filamentous or long plate-like shape, and their length direction is likely to coincide with the length direction (conveying direction) of the object S, and they are mainly likely to occur at both side edges of the surface of the object S. Also, one end of the whisker burr is connected to the surface of the object S, and the other end floats from the surface of the object S. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the burr S1 mainly consists of whisker burrs S1a (hereinafter also referred to as "reverse whisker burrs S1a") at both side edges of the object S, where the upstream side is connected to the object S and the downstream side floats from the surface of the object S along the conveying direction (the arrow direction in FIGS. 1 and 2), and whisker burrs S1b (hereinafter also referred to as "forward whisker burrs S1b") where the downstream side is connected to the object S and the upstream side floats from the surface of the object S along the conveying direction. Hereinafter, the case where the object S has burrs S1 (reverse whisker burrs S1a and forward whisker burrs S1b) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be taken as an example for explanation, but it does not mean that the object S of the cleaning device 1 is limited to those having the above-mentioned whisker burrs.

[0022] Also, the object S may be a flexible film-like object or a plate-like object with low flexibility. In this regard, the average thickness of the object S is not particularly limited, but as the lower limit of the average thickness of the object S, for example, 20 μm is preferable, and 50 μm is more preferable. If the average thickness of the object S is less than the above lower limit, it may be difficult to convey the object S.

[0023] The object S is conveyed at a constant speed in the conveying direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by a driving device (not shown) installed outside the cleaning device 1. The conveying speed of the object S is not particularly limited, but as the lower limit of the conveying speed of the object S, 5 m / min is preferable, and 10 m / min is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the conveying speed of the object S, 30 m / min is preferable, and 20 m / min is more preferable. If the conveying speed of the object S is less than the above lower limit, there is a risk that the cleaning efficiency and thus the productivity of the object S will decrease. Conversely, if the conveying speed of the object S exceeds the above upper limit, there is a risk that the power consumption will become too large.

[0024] The object S may have tabs (not shown) protruding in the width direction at both side edges. When the object S passes through the first cleaning unit 10 and the second cleaning unit 20, these tabs are sandwiched by guides described later and move. Thereby, the object S is fixed, and both surfaces of the object S can be effectively cleaned. Note that the configuration of the tabs of the object S is not particularly limited as long as it can be guided by the guides. For example, it can be configured such that a plurality of rectangular protrusions are discretely arranged in a plan view.

[0025] 〔First cleaning unit〕 As shown in FIG. 3, the first cleaning unit 10 includes a pair of cleaning brushes (the first cleaning brush 11 and the second cleaning brush 12), and a pair of rollers (the first roller 13 and the second roller 14). The first cleaning unit 10 also includes a dust collecting roller 15 (the first dust collecting roller 15a and the second dust collecting roller 15b), a scraper 16 (the first scraper 16a and the second scraper 16b), a foreign matter guiding plate 17 (the first foreign matter guiding plate 17a and the second foreign matter guiding plate 17b), a foreign matter discharging portion 18, and a frame 19 for storing these components.

[0026] <Cleaning brush> The pair of cleaning brushes (the first cleaning brush 11 and the second cleaning brush 12) are, for example, roller-shaped and are rotationally driven. The rotational direction at the contact portion between the first cleaning brush 11 and one surface of the object S is opposite to the conveyance direction of the object S, and the rotational direction at the contact portion between the second cleaning brush 12 and the above-mentioned one surface is in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the object S. That is, in the cleaning device 1, among the pair of cleaning brushes, the rotational direction at the contact portion between one cleaning brush (the second cleaning brush 12) and the above-mentioned one surface is in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the object S, and the rotational direction at the contact portion between the other cleaning brush (the first cleaning brush 11) and the above-mentioned one surface is opposite to the conveyance direction of the object S.

[0027] (The first cleaning brush) As shown in FIG. 3, the first cleaning brush 11 has a columnar core metal 11a and a brush part 11b formed by a plurality of hairs and provided on the peripheral surface of the core metal 11a. Note that the brush part 11b may be formed by directly implanting a plurality of hairs on the peripheral surface of the core metal 11a, or may be configured by winding a raised fabric around the surface of the core metal 11a.

[0028] Since the rotation direction of the first cleaning brush 11 at the contact portion with the one surface is opposite to the conveyance direction of the object S, the reverse-direction burr S1a can be mainly removed. That is, since the rotation direction of the first cleaning brush 11 is the reverse direction, the tips of the hairs of the brush part 11b contact the burr S1 from the downstream side in the conveyance direction. Since the downstream side of the reverse-direction burr S1a floats from the surface of the object S along the conveyance direction, the tips of the hairs of the brush part 11b can easily enter this gap and push up the reverse-direction burr S1a upward, so that the reverse-direction burr S1a can be peeled off from the object S.

[0029] Hereinafter, the configuration of the first cleaning brush 11 will be described.

[0030] The core metal 11a is made of a conductive material. Examples of the conductive material include metal materials such as stainless steel and aluminum.

[0031] The central axis of the core metal 11a serves as the rotation axis of the first cleaning brush 11. In the cleaning device 1, the rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction and substantially parallel to one surface of the object S. Note that "substantially parallel to the surface" means that the angle formed with the surface is within ±10°, and "substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction" means that the angle formed with the conveyance direction is within 90°±10°.

[0032] The diameter (average diameter) of the core metal 11a is appropriately determined from the strength of the hairs of the brush part 11b and the like, and is, for example, 6 mm or more and 16 mm or less. Note that "average" refers to the average value of the amounts measured at any 10 locations. The same applies throughout this specification hereinafter.

[0033] The length of the core metal 11a is set to be a length capable of covering the distribution in the width direction of the object S of the burr S1 to be removed.

[0034] The brush part 11b is provided at at least both side edges of the one surface. Thereby, the first cleaning brush 11 can contact at least both side edges of one surface of the object S. As the region where the brush part 11b contacts one surface of the object S, it is preferably a range covering 1 / 5 in the width direction from at least both side edges of the one surface in a plan view, and more preferably a range covering 1 / 3. By covering the above range, while reducing the contact resistance between the brush part 11b and one surface of the object S, it is possible to suppress the removal leakage of the burr S1.

[0035] On the other hand, the brush part 11b may be provided over the entire length of the core metal 11a. In this case, since the first cleaning brush 11 contacts across the width direction of one surface of the object S, a dust removal effect on the surface of the object S can be obtained.

[0036] As the hair forming the brush part 11b, those to which foreign substances are likely to adhere physically are preferable, and examples include fibers made of synthetic resin. Examples of the synthetic resin include polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, and fluorine-containing resins such as tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polychlorotrifluoroethylene. Among them, polyester is preferable because it is easy to ensure appropriate rigidity and has a high burr S1 removal efficiency.

[0037] In addition, as the bristles forming the brush part 11b, those capable of being charged with an electric charge capable of adsorbing foreign matters by the force of an electric field are preferable. For example, fibers made of a synthetic resin containing a conductive material such as carbon black, carbon fiber, metal powder, and metal whiskers can be preferably used. By using bristles that are likely to adhere to foreign matters as the bristles forming the brush part 11b in this way, the burrs S1 removed from one surface of the object S can be recovered as they are, so that it is possible to prevent the burrs S1 from adhering to the object S again as foreign matters. Although it is preferable to use the first cleaning brush 11 while charging it, since foreign matters adhere to the brush part 11b even when the force of the electric field does not act, the first cleaning brush 11 does not necessarily have to be charged.

[0038] The cross-sectional shape of the bristles of the brush part 11b is not particularly limited, and as the brush part 11b, for example, those having a circular cross-sectional shape, an elliptical cross-sectional shape, a star-shaped cross-sectional shape, etc. can be used. Also, the outer shape of the brush part 11b is not particularly limited, and as the brush part 11b, for example, those having a linear outer shape, a wavy curve shape, a shape formed by combining a curve and a straight line, etc. can be used. From the viewpoint of enhancing the effect of removing the burrs S1 of the brush part 11b, for example, those having a star-shaped cross-sectional shape can be preferably used as the bristles forming the brush part 11b.

[0039] As the lower limit of the average length of the bristles of the brush part 11b, 3 mm is preferable, and 4 mm is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the average length of the bristles of the brush part 11b, 15 mm is preferable, and 10 mm is more preferable. If the average length of the bristles of the brush part 11b is less than the above lower limit, the tips of the bristles may not sufficiently enter the gap between the burrs S1 and the surface of the object S, and there is a risk that burrs S1 that cannot be removed will occur. Conversely, if the average length of the bristles of the brush part 11b exceeds the above upper limit, the flexibility of the bristles becomes too large, and there is a risk that the burrs S1 cannot be scraped off.

[0040] The lower limit of the stiffness index of the bristles of the brush part 11b is preferably 20, more preferably 30. On the other hand, the upper limit of the stiffness index of the bristles of the brush part 11b is preferably 100, more preferably 75. If the stiffness index of the bristles of the brush part 11b is less than the above lower limit, the removal efficiency of the burr S1 may decrease. Conversely, if the stiffness index of the bristles of the brush part 11b exceeds the above upper limit, the surface of the object S may be damaged.

[0041] The lower limit of the fineness of the bristles of the brush part 11b is preferably 4D, more preferably 5D. On the other hand, the upper limit of the fineness of the bristles of the brush part 11b is preferably 13D, more preferably 10D. If the fineness of the bristles of the brush part 11b is less than the above lower limit, the stiffness is insufficient, and the removal efficiency of the burr S1 and the removal efficiency of foreign matter may decrease. Conversely, if the fineness of the bristles of the brush part 11b exceeds the above upper limit, the surface of the object S may be damaged.

[0042] The lower limit of the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11 (the sum of the diameter of the shank 11a and the average length of the bristles of the brush part 11b) is preferably 15 mm, more preferably 20 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11 is preferably 50 mm, more preferably 45 mm. If the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11 is less than the above lower limit, it may not be possible to ensure a sufficient length of the bristles of the brush part 11b, and burrs S1 that cannot be removed may occur. Conversely, if the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11 exceeds the above upper limit, the cleaning device 1 may become unnecessarily large.

[0043] As the lower limit of the pushing-in amount of the first cleaning brush 11, 0.3 mm is preferable, and 0.4 mm is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the pushing-in amount of the first cleaning brush 11, 3 mm is preferable, and 2 mm is more preferable. If the pushing-in amount of the first cleaning brush 11 is less than the above lower limit, there is a possibility that the burr S1 cannot be sufficiently scraped off. Conversely, if the pushing-in amount of the first cleaning brush 11 exceeds the above upper limit, since the bristles strongly hit one surface of the object S, the bristles will bend backward (downstream side in the conveying direction) before the bristle tips contact the burr S1. For this reason, there is a possibility that the bristle tips cannot sufficiently enter the gap between the burr S1 and the surface of the object S, and burrs S1 that cannot be removed are generated. Note that the pushing-in amount can be controlled by adjusting the distance between the rotation axis of the first cleaning brush 11 and the rotation axis of the first roller 13 described later according to the thickness of the object S.

[0044] As the lower limit of the peripheral speed of the first cleaning brush 11, 1 m / min is preferable, and 3 m / min is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the peripheral speed of the first cleaning brush 11, 30 m / min is preferable, and 15 m / min is more preferable. If the peripheral speed of the first cleaning brush 11 is less than the above lower limit, there is a possibility that the burr S1 on one surface of the object S cannot be sufficiently scraped off. Conversely, if the peripheral speed of the first cleaning brush 11 exceeds the above upper limit, since the frictional force between the brush part 11b and one surface of the object S increases, there is a possibility that the conveying speed of the object S cannot be maintained.

[0045] The first cleaning brush 11 is preferably rotationally driven and the contact point portion vibrates in the rotation axis direction. By vibrating the first cleaning brush 11 in the rotation axis direction in this way, it becomes easier to scrape up the burr S1 that floats and separates from the object S along the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, so that the burr S1 can be removed more effectively.

[0046] When vibrating the first cleaning brush 11, the lower limit of the amplitude is preferably 1 mm, more preferably 2 mm. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the amplitude, 10 mm is preferable, and 5 mm is more preferable. If the amplitude is less than the lower limit, there is a possibility that the effect of improving the removal of the burr S1 by vibration cannot be sufficiently obtained. Conversely, if the amplitude exceeds the upper limit, in order to obtain a desired vibration period, it is necessary to move the first cleaning brush 11 rapidly in the width direction of the object S, which may unnecessarily increase the manufacturing cost of the cleaning device 1 or may unnecessarily increase the power consumption.

[0047] Also, although the vibration period depends on the conveyance speed of the object S, when the time required for the object S to move 1 m is t (seconds), the upper limit of the vibration period is preferably 1 / 3t, more preferably 1 / 5t. If the vibration period is less than the lower limit, the angle of contact with the burr S1 from an oblique direction becomes shallow, so there is a possibility that the effect of improving the removal of the burr S1 by vibration cannot be sufficiently obtained. The lower limit of the vibration period is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 1 / 20t. If the vibration period is less than the lower limit, it is necessary to move the first cleaning brush 11 rapidly in the width direction of the object S, which may unnecessarily increase the manufacturing cost of the cleaning device 1 or may unnecessarily increase the power consumption.

[0048] (Second cleaning brush) As shown in FIG. 3, the second cleaning brush 12 has a columnar mandrel 12a and a brush portion 12b formed by a plurality of hairs and provided on the circumferential surface of the mandrel 12a. The second cleaning brush 12 can be arranged so as to contact the first cleaning brush 11, but it is preferable that the second cleaning brush 12 is arranged apart from the first cleaning brush 11, that is, the pair of cleaning brushes are arranged apart from each other.

[0049] Since the rotation direction of the second cleaning brush 12 at the contact portion with the one surface is the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S, it can mainly remove the forward burrs S1b. That is, since the rotation direction of the second cleaning brush 12 is the forward direction, the tips of the bristles of the brush portion 12b contact the burr S1 from the upstream side in the conveyance direction. Since the upstream side of the forward burr S1b floats from the surface of the object S along the conveyance direction, the tips of the bristles of the brush portion 12b can easily enter this gap and push up the forward burr S1b upward, so that the forward burr S1b can be peeled off from the object S.

[0050] Hereinafter, the configuration of the second cleaning brush 12 will be described. Since the rotation direction of the second cleaning brush 12 is different from that of the first cleaning brush 11, it can be configured in the same manner as the first cleaning brush 11 except for the point that the peripheral speed is different and the configuration resulting from this difference is different. Hereinafter, the above differences will be described, and the detailed description of the same configuration as that of the first cleaning brush 11 will be omitted.

[0051] The peripheral speed of the second cleaning brush 12 is preferably greater than the conveyance speed of the object S. By making the peripheral speed of the second cleaning brush 12 greater than the conveyance speed of the object S in this way, the tips of the bristles of the brush portion 12b can be more surely inserted into the gap between the burr S1 and the surface of the object S.

[0052] The lower limit of the speed difference between the peripheral speed of the second cleaning brush 12 and the conveyance speed of the object S is preferably 1 m / min, and more preferably 3 m / min. On the other hand, the upper limit of the above speed difference is preferably 30 m / min, and more preferably 15 m / min. If the speed difference is less than the lower limit, there is a possibility that the burr S1 on one surface of the object S cannot be sufficiently scraped off. Conversely, if the speed difference exceeds the upper limit, the frictional force between the brush portion 12b and one surface of the object S becomes large, so there is a possibility that the conveyance speed of the object S cannot be maintained.

[0053] As described above, the first cleaning brush 11 and the second cleaning brush 12 have different absolute values of peripheral speed, and generally the peripheral speed of the second cleaning brush 12 is set to be larger. As a method of increasing the peripheral speed of the second cleaning brush 12, there is a method of making the first cleaning brush 11 and the second cleaning brush 12 have the same diameter and increasing the rotational speed of the second cleaning brush 12. In this method, since the same type of cleaning brush can be used as the first cleaning brush 11 and the second cleaning brush 12, the manufacturing cost reduction and facilitation of the cleaning device 1 are promoted. Further, as another method, as shown in FIG. 3, there is a method of making the diameter of the second cleaning brush 12 larger than the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11. At this time, the ratio of the diameters may be determined so as to be the ratio of the peripheral speeds so that a desired peripheral speed can be obtained at the same rotational speed. In this method, since the cleaning device 1 can be operated at the same rotational speed, the operation control can be facilitated.

[0054] <Roller> The pair of rollers contacts the other surface of the object S in opposition to the pair of cleaning brushes. Specifically, the first roller 13 contacts the other surface of the object S in opposition to the first cleaning brush 11, and the second roller 14 contacts the other surface of the object S in opposition to the second cleaning brush 12.

[0055] (First Roller) The first roller 13 is rotatably disposed at a position substantially parallel to and opposed to the first cleaning brush 11.

[0056] The first roller 13 is rotated along with the conveyance of the object S. That is, the first roller 13 rotates by the frictional force with the object S as the object S moves, and the rotation axis of the first roller 13 itself is not rotationally driven.

[0057] The first roller 13 is partially or entirely formed of a conductive material. Examples of such a conductive material include metal materials such as stainless steel and aluminum, and conductive resins. In order to accurately control the amount of insertion of the brush portion 11b of the first cleaning brush 11 into the object S, it is advantageous for the hardness of the first roller 13 that holds the object S on its lower surface to be high. From this perspective, as the above conductive material, a metal material that is easy to ensure hardness is preferable. Note that the first roller 13 may be formed only of such a conductive material, or may be configured such that the outer peripheral surface of a core made of such a conductive material is covered with an insulating layer such as synthetic resin.

[0058] When the first cleaning brush 11 is used while being charged, the first roller 13 is grounded. Thereby, the adsorption effect due to the electric field force of the first cleaning brush 11 is promoted, and the burr S1 removed from one surface of the object S is likely to be adsorbed by the first cleaning brush 11. Alternatively, the first roller 13 may be configured not to have a voltage applied thereto.

[0059] The length of the first roller 13 is preferably the same as the length of the core 11a of the first cleaning brush 11. Also, the diameter of the first roller 13 is not particularly limited, but is preferably the same as the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11.

[0060] (Second roller) The second roller 14 is rotatably disposed in a position substantially parallel to and facing the second cleaning brush 12.

[0061] The second roller 14 can be configured in the same manner as the first roller 13, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that when the diameter of the second cleaning brush 12 is larger than the diameter of the first cleaning brush 11, the diameter of the second roller 14 is preferably the same as the diameter of the first roller 13. By making the diameters of the first roller 13 and the second roller 14 the same size, it is possible to easily convey the object S horizontally.

[0062] <Dust collecting roller, scraper, foreign object guide plate, and foreign object discharge part> The dust collecting roller 15 is arranged substantially parallel to the pair of cleaning brushes so that its surface contacts the outer peripheral side of the pair of cleaning brushes while being charged and rotationally driven. Further, the scraper 16 scrapes off foreign objects adhering to the surface of the dust collecting roller 15, and the foreign object guide plate 17 guides the scraped foreign objects to the foreign object discharge part 18 via the foreign object collection part 19a described later. The foreign object discharge part 18 discharges the foreign objects to the outside of the first cleaning unit 10.

[0063] The dust collecting roller 15, the scraper 16, the foreign object guide plate 17, and the foreign object discharge part 18 are accommodated inside the frame 19 together with the pair of cleaning brushes and the pair of rollers. The frame 19 is substantially orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the object S, and includes a front plate and a rear plate arranged before and after in the conveyance direction, a pair of side plates arranged substantially parallel to the conveyance direction and substantially perpendicular to the surface of the object S, and a top plate arranged substantially parallel to the surface of the object S. The top plate is connected to the upper ends of the pair of side plates, the front plate, and the rear plate.

[0064] In the first cleaning unit 10 shown in FIG. 3, a first dust collecting roller 15a that contacts the outer peripheral side of the first cleaning brush 11 and a second dust collecting roller 15b that contacts the outer peripheral side of the second cleaning brush 12 are provided independently, and a pair of scrapers 16 (a pair of first scrapers 16a and a pair of second scrapers 16b) are provided on each dust collecting roller 15. Further, foreign object guide plates 17 (a pair of first foreign object guide plates 17a and a pair of second foreign object guide plates 17b) are provided on each scraper 16. Hereinafter, the first dust collecting roller 15a, the first scraper 16a, and the first foreign object guide plate 17a will be described, but the second dust collecting roller 15b, the second scraper 16b, and the second foreign object guide plate 17b can have the same configuration.

[0065] (First dust collecting roller) As the material of the first dust collecting roller 15a, a conductive material is used. Examples of such a conductive material include metal materials such as stainless steel and aluminum. When a conductive material that is easily oxidized, such as aluminum, is used as the first dust collecting roller 15a, it is preferable to perform a corrosion-resistant plating treatment such as nickel plating or gold plating on the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a.

[0066] When the first cleaning brush 11 is charged, a voltage higher than the voltage applied to the first cleaning brush 11 is applied to the first dust collecting roller 15a. As a result, the potential of the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a becomes higher than that of the outer peripheral side of the first cleaning brush 11, so that foreign matter attached to the first cleaning brush 11 is adsorbed onto the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a, and the foreign matter attached to the first cleaning brush 11 moves to the first dust collecting roller 15a. Thereby, the operation of removing foreign matter accumulated on the first cleaning brush 11 can be omitted or reduced.

[0067] Note that the rotation direction of the first dust collecting roller 15a may be in any direction.

[0068] (First Scraper) The first scraper 16a is, for example, a rectangular plate and has a portion that can contact the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a in the axial direction. In the first cleaning unit 10 of FIG. 3, a pair of first scrapers 16a are provided on both sides of the first dust collecting roller 15a in a side view, but the number of the first scrapers 16a disposed may be 1. Here, the long side of the first scraper 16a that contacts the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a is referred to as the tip portion.

[0069] The first scraper 16a is formed of an elastic body made of a synthetic resin such as thermosetting polyurethane. As the first dust collecting roller 15a rotates, foreign matter attached to the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a is scraped off by the tip portion of the first scraper 16a that contacts the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a. Thereby, the surface of the first dust collecting roller 15a becomes a clean state from which foreign matter has been removed.

[0070] (First foreign object guide plate) The first foreign object guide plate 17a is, for example, a rectangular plate, and is disposed such that one surface faces upward from directly below the first scraper 16a to directly above the foreign object collection portion 19a provided in the frame 19 described later. Further, the first foreign object guide plate 17a is provided inclined so that the side closer to the foreign object collection portion 19a is lowered. With this arrangement, the foreign objects scraped by the first scraper 16a fall onto the surface of the first foreign object guide plate 17a, and are guided directly above the foreign object collection portion 19a by the inclination of the first foreign object guide plate 17a, and fall into the foreign object collection portion 19a and are collected.

[0071] In the first cleaning unit 10 shown in FIG. 3, the dust collecting roller 15, the scraper 16, and the foreign object guide plate 17 are provided independently of the pair of cleaning brushes. However, by arranging one dust collecting roller 15 to contact the outer peripheral sides of the pair of cleaning brushes, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the dust collecting roller 15, the scraper 16, and the foreign object guide plate 17 are shared.

[0072] (Foreign object collection portion) The foreign object collection portion 19a is provided at the lower part of the front plate and the rear plate of the frame 19 and at the lower center of the frame 19. In the first cleaning unit 10 shown in FIG. 3, the foreign object collection portion 19a is configured as a part of the frame 19, but it can also be configured independently of the frame 19.

[0073] The foreign object collection portion 19a is provided directly below the lower end of the inclined foreign object guide plate 17, and collects the foreign objects falling from the foreign object guide plate 17. One foreign object collection portion 19a may be provided for one foreign object guide plate 17, but it may also be provided so that one foreign object collection portion 19a collects foreign objects from two or more foreign object guide plates 17, such as the foreign object collection portion 19a at the lower center of the frame 19 in FIG. 3.

[0074] The shape of the foreign object collection portion 19a is not particularly limited, but it is preferably dish-shaped, that is, a flat plate with its ends bent upward. By making the shape of the foreign object collection portion 19a dish-shaped, it is possible to prevent the collected foreign objects from dissipating outside the foreign object collection portion 19a.

[0075] (Foreign object discharge part) The foreign object discharge part 18 discharges the foreign objects collected in the foreign object collection part 19a to the outside of the first cleaning unit 10. The foreign object discharge part 18 is provided in each foreign object collection part 19a. In the first cleaning unit 10 shown in Fig. 3, the foreign object discharge part 18 is configured as a suction duct, and a suction device (not shown) sucks the foreign objects accumulated in the foreign object collection part 19a through the suction duct and discharges them to the outside of the first cleaning unit 10.

[0076] Note that the configuration of the foreign object discharge part 18 is not limited to a suction duct, and other configurations such as a configuration that sweeps out with a brush or the like can also be adopted.

[0077] 〔Second cleaning unit〕 The second cleaning unit 20 includes a pair of cleaning brushes (the third cleaning brush 21 and the fourth cleaning brush 22), a pair of rollers (the third roller 23 and the fourth roller 24), a dust collecting roller and a scraper, and a frame.

[0078] A pair of cleaning brushes (the third cleaning brush 21 and the fourth cleaning brush 22) has a cylindrical core metal and a brush part formed by a plurality of hairs and provided on the peripheral surface of the core metal, similar to the pair of cleaning brushes of the first cleaning unit 10. The brush part is rotationally driven so as to contact at least both side edge parts of the other surface of the object S. Also, the rotational direction at the contact part with the other surface of the third cleaning brush 21 is opposite to the conveyance direction of the object S, and the rotational direction at the contact part with the other surface of the fourth cleaning brush 22 is the same as the conveyance direction of the object S. That is, in the cleaning device 1, among the pair of cleaning brushes, the rotational direction at the contact part with the other surface of one cleaning brush (the fourth cleaning brush 22) is the same as the conveyance direction of the object S, and the rotational direction at the contact part with the other surface of the other cleaning brush (the third cleaning brush 21) is opposite to the conveyance direction of the object S.

[0079] A pair of rollers contacts the one surface of the object S facing the pair of cleaning brushes. Specifically, the third roller 23 contacts the one surface of the object S facing the third cleaning brush 21, and the fourth roller 24 contacts the one surface of the object S facing the fourth cleaning brush 22.

[0080] Except that the surfaces of the object S contacted by the pair of cleaning brushes and the pair of rollers are different as described above, the second cleaning unit 20 can be configured in the same manner as the first cleaning unit 10, so other detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0081] 〔Guide〕 When the cleaning device 1 is used for an object S having tabs, it is preferably provided with a guide (not shown). In this case, the guide can be configured to include a first guide attached to the first cleaning unit 10 and a second guide attached to the second cleaning unit 20. By providing a guide for each cleaning unit in this way, it is easier to unitize the cleaning device 1 and improve the manufacturing efficiency of the cleaning device 1. Hereinafter, since the first guide and the second guide can have the same configuration, the first guide will be described as an example.

[0082] The first guide is composed of, for example, a pair of strip-shaped bodies arranged on both sides of the object S along the conveyance direction. Each strip-shaped body has two opposing plates, and the tabs of the object S are configured to be able to pass between the two plates. As the plates, metal plates such as stainless steel can be used.

[0083] The upstream ends of the two plates in the conveyance direction are preferably widened in the vertical direction toward the upstream side. With this configuration, the tabs moving from the upstream side in the conveyance direction can be surely sandwiched between the two plates.

[0084] Also, the vertical widths of the two plates are adjusted so that they contact the tabs together at least at the downstream ends in the conveyance direction. With this configuration, the object S can be prevented from swinging in the vertical direction, so that the pair of cleaning brushes and the pair of rollers can surely contact the object S.

[0085] Note that the pair of strip-shaped bodies may be continuous in the width direction of the object S, but they are not arranged at least at the positions where the pair of cleaning brushes and the pair of rollers contact the object S.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the case where the first cleaning unit 10 has the first guide and the second cleaning unit 20 has the second guide has been described. However, it is also possible to integrate the first guide and the second guide and provide them as one guide.

[0087] 〔Advantages〕 The cleaning device 1 removes burrs S1 whose upstream side in the transport direction floats away from the object S by the second cleaning brush 12 and the fourth cleaning brush 22 that are rotationally driven in the forward direction, and the first cleaning brush 11 and the third cleaning brush 21 that are rotationally driven in the reverse direction can remove burrs S1 whose downstream side in the transport direction floats away from the object S. Therefore, since the cleaning device 1 can remove burrs S1 floating away in any direction, the burrs S1 generated on both sides of the object S can be effectively removed.

[0088] [Second Embodiment] Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings.

[0089] The cleaning device 2 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a cleaning device that cleans one surface of a conveyed sheet-like object S.

[0090] The cleaning device 2 includes a pair of cleaning brushes (a first cleaning brush 41 and a second cleaning brush 42) that are rotationally driven in contact with the one surface, a pair of rollers (a first roller 43 and a second roller 44) that are in contact with the other surface of the object S facing the pair of cleaning brushes, a cleaning roller 45 that is in contact with the one surface in a charged state, and a third roller 46 that is in contact with the other surface of the object S facing the cleaning roller 45.

[0091] In the cleaning device 2, among the pair of cleaning brushes, the rotation direction at the contact point portion of one cleaning brush (the first cleaning brush 41) with the one surface is in the forward direction with respect to the transport direction of the object S, and the rotation direction at the contact point portion of the other cleaning brush (the second cleaning brush 42) with the one surface is in the reverse direction with respect to the transport direction of the object S. Also, the rotation direction at the contact point portion of the cleaning roller 45 with the one surface is in the forward direction with respect to the transport direction of the object S.

[0092] In the cleaning device 2, the one cleaning brush (first cleaning brush 41), the other cleaning brush (second cleaning brush 42), and the cleaning roller 45 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction. Further, the other cleaning brush (second cleaning brush 42) is in contact across the width direction of the one surface.

[0093] <First cleaning brush> Since the first cleaning brush 41 can be configured in the same manner as the second cleaning brush 12 in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Since the rotation direction of the first cleaning brush 41 at the contact portion with the one surface is in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S, the forward beard burr S1b can be mainly removed.

[0094] <Second cleaning brush> The second cleaning brush 42 is in contact across the width direction of one surface of the object S as described above. Except for this point, since the second cleaning brush 42 can be configured in the same manner as the first cleaning brush 11 in the first embodiment, a detailed description of other configurations will be omitted.

[0095] The second cleaning brush 42 is rotationally driven so that the rotation direction at the contact portion with one surface of the object S is opposite to the conveyance direction of the object S. Therefore, the second cleaning brush 42 can mainly remove the reverse beard burr S1a. Further, since the second cleaning brush 42 is in contact across the width direction of one surface of the object S, when contacting one surface of the object S, foreign matter adhering to one surface of the object S is scraped up. Since relatively large millimeter-sized foreign matter is scraped up by the scraping, the second cleaning brush 42 effectively removes relatively large millimeter-sized foreign matter from one surface of the object S.

[0096] <Cleaning roller> As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning roller 45 has a cylindrical core metal 45a, a cylindrical inner layer portion 45b covering the circumferential surface of the core metal 45a, and a thin film cylindrical outer layer portion 45c covering the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer portion 45b.

[0097] The core metal 45a is made of a conductive material. Examples of the conductive material include metal materials such as stainless steel and aluminum.

[0098] The central axis of the core metal 45a serves as the rotation axis of the cleaning roller 45 and is rotatably arranged. In the cleaning device 2, the rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction and substantially parallel to one surface of the object S. The cleaning roller 45 rotates along with the conveyance of the object S. That is, the cleaning roller 45 rotates due to the frictional force with the object S as the object S moves, and the rotation axis of the cleaning roller 45 is not rotationally driven.

[0099] An elastic member having conductivity is used as the material of the inner layer portion 45b. Examples of such an elastic member include polyester-based urethane containing carbon.

[0100] The material of the outer layer portion 45c may be any material that can be charged with an electric charge to adsorb foreign substances adhering to one surface of the object S by the force of an electric field. Examples include polyurethanes such as acrylic mixed polyurethane and fluorine mixed polyurethane. By forming the outer layer portion 45c with polyurethane, the wear resistance is superior compared to the case of forming it with silicone resin or butyl rubber, and contamination by plasticizers and low molecular weight substances can be reduced.

[0101] The above acrylic mixed polyurethane means a mixture mainly composed of polyester polyurethane or polyether polyurethane, and further containing (1) thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone-acrylic copolymer resin, (2) acrylic resin (for example, a graft compound in which an aminoethyl group is grafted onto the main chain composed of a methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer) and thermoplastic polyurethane, or (3) acrylic resin, polyurethane and a fluorine-based surface coating agent. By using acrylic mixed polyurethane as the material of the outer layer portion 45c, foreign substances that are easily negatively charged can be easily removed from one surface of the object S. Here, the "main component" means the component with the highest content, for example, a component contained in an amount of 50% by mass or more.

[0102] In addition, the above fluorine mixed polyurethane means a mixture mainly composed of polyurethane and containing thermoplastic polyurethane and urethane-fluorine copolymer. By using fluorine mixed polyurethane as the material of the outer layer portion 45c, foreign substances that are easily positively charged can be easily removed from the object S.

[0103] The lower limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 45c is preferably 2 μm, more preferably 5 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the outer layer portion 45c is preferably 500 μm, more preferably 50 μm. If the average thickness of the outer layer portion 45c is less than the above lower limit, the surface of the cleaning roller 45 cannot be sufficiently charged, and there is a risk that the adsorption effect of foreign substances cannot be sufficiently obtained. Conversely, if the average thickness of the outer layer portion 45c exceeds the above upper limit, there is a risk that good charging characteristics for adsorbing foreign substances cannot be obtained.

[0104] As described above, the cleaning roller 45 rotates by coming into contact with the object S whose surface is being conveyed. That is, the cleaning roller 45 rotates in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S at the contact portion with one surface of the object S. Since the cleaning roller 45 is charged, when one surface of the conveyed object S approaches the surface of the cleaning roller 45, foreign matter on one surface of the object S is adsorbed onto the cleaning roller 45 by the force of the electric field. In the cleaning device 2, fine foreign matter can be effectively removed by adsorption onto the surface of the cleaning roller 45 due to the force of this electric field.

[0105] As the lower limit of the applied voltage to the charged cleaning roller 45, for example, -400 V is preferable, and -200 V is more preferable. On the other hand, the above-mentioned applied voltage is, for example, less than 0 V, and preferably -50 V or less. By setting the applied voltage to the cleaning roller 45 within the above range, relatively fine foreign matter can be efficiently removed. Note that the reference potential (0 V potential) of the applied voltage is the rotation axis of the third roller 46. The same applies to the reference potential of the applied voltage described hereinafter.

[0106] <Roller> The first roller 43 is rotatably disposed in a position substantially parallel to and facing the first cleaning brush 41. The second roller 44 is rotatably disposed in a position substantially parallel to and facing the second cleaning brush 42. Also, the third roller 46 is rotatably disposed in a position substantially parallel to and facing the cleaning roller 45.

[0107] These rollers are grounded and rotate as the object S is conveyed. Since these rollers can be configured in the same manner as the first roller 13 of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0108] <Other configurations> The cleaning device 2 may include a first dust collecting roller disposed substantially parallel to the first cleaning brush 41 and contacting the outer peripheral side of the first cleaning brush 41 in a state where the surface is charged, and a first scraper for scraping off foreign matter adhering to the surface of the first dust collecting roller. Since the first dust collecting roller and the first scraper can be configured in the same manner as the first dust collecting roller 15a and the first scraper 16a of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning device 2 includes a brush roller 47 that contacts the surface of the cleaning roller 45 while being charged and rotationally driven, and a second dust collecting roller 48 that is disposed substantially parallel to the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 and contacts the outer peripheral sides of the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 in a state where the surface is charged, and a second scraper 49 for scraping off foreign matter adhering to the surface of the second dust collecting roller 48.

[0110] (Brush roller) The brush roller 47 is disposed substantially parallel to the cleaning roller 45.

[0111] The brush roller 47 has a columnar mandrel 47a and a brush portion 47b formed by a plurality of hairs and provided on the peripheral surface of the mandrel 47a.

[0112] As the mandrel 47a and the brush portion 47b, for example, those made of the same materials as the mandrel 11a and the brush portion 11b of the first cleaning brush 11 described in the first embodiment can be used.

[0113] Note that the rotational direction of the rotationally driven brush roller 47 may be in any direction, but it is preferably such that the moving directions on the peripheral surfaces of the cleaning roller 45 and the brush roller 47 are opposite to each other at the contact portion between the cleaning roller 45 and the brush roller 47. By rotating the brush roller 47 in this way, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller 45 is easily scraped up, so that the foreign matter easily moves to the brush roller 47. In this case, the brush roller 47 will be rotationally driven in the same rotational direction as the cleaning roller 45.

[0114] A voltage with the same polarity and a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the cleaning roller 45 is applied to the brush roller 47. As a result, the potential on the outer peripheral side of the brush roller 47 becomes higher than the surface of the cleaning roller 45, so that foreign matter adhering to the surface of the cleaning roller 45 is adsorbed by the brush roller 47, and the foreign matter on the surface of the cleaning roller 45 moves to the brush roller 47.

[0115] As the lower limit of the specific voltage applied to the brush roller 47 (the voltage applied to the mandrel 47a), -800 V is preferable, and -600 V is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the applied voltage, -200 V is preferable, and -300 V is more preferable.

[0116] (Second dust collecting roller) The second dust collecting roller 48 is disposed substantially parallel to the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 so that the surface thereof contacts the outer peripheral sides of the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 while being charged and rotationally driven.

[0117] The material of the second dust collecting roller 48 can be the same as that of the first dust collecting roller 15a described in the first embodiment.

[0118] The rotation direction of the second dust collecting roller 48 may be in any direction. The second dust collecting roller 48 is preferably driven in a rotation direction in which foreign matter scraped from the surface of the second dust collecting roller 48 by a second scraper 49 described later is easily collected.

[0119] A voltage having the same polarity and a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the brush roller 47 is applied to the second dust collecting roller 48. As a result, the surface potential of the second dust collecting roller 48 becomes higher than the outer peripheral sides of the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47. Therefore, foreign matter adhering to the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 is adsorbed onto the surface of the second dust collecting roller 48, and the foreign matter adhering to the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 moves to the second dust collecting roller 48. Thereby, the operation of removing foreign matter accumulated on the second cleaning brush 42 and the brush roller 47 can be omitted or reduced.

[0120] As the lower limit of the voltage applied to the specific second dust collecting roller 48, -1500V is preferable, and -1200V is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the applied voltage, -400V is preferable, and -600V is more preferable. By setting the applied voltage within the above range, foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 47 can be adsorbed onto the outer peripheral surface of the second dust collecting roller 48.

[0121] Also, as the lower limit of the absolute value of the difference between the voltage applied to the second dust collecting roller 48 and the voltage applied to the brush roller 47, 200V is preferable, and 300V is more preferable. On the other hand, as the upper limit of the absolute value of the difference, 600V is preferable, and 500V is more preferable. By setting the difference within the above range, foreign matter adhering to the brush roller 47 can be effectively adsorbed onto the outer peripheral surface of the second dust collecting roller 48.

[0122] (Second Scraper) The second scraper 49 is, for example, a rectangular plate and has a portion that can contact the surface of the second dust collecting roller 48 in the axial direction. Since the second scraper 49 can be the same as the first scraper 16a of the first embodiment, for example, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0123] (Stop Mechanism) The cleaning device 2 may be provided with a stop mechanism that operates when the conveyance of the object S stops. As the stop mechanism, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a mechanism that moves the cleaning roller 45 to a position where it does not contact the surface of the object S can be cited. Hereinafter, the stop mechanism shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

[0124] In this stop mechanism, when the conveyance of the object S stops, the cleaning roller 45 is quickly moved upward to bring it into a non-contact state with the surface of the object S. Specifically, for example, a method of detecting that the conveyance speed of the object S has become 0 and moving the cleaning roller 45 upward according to this detection signal can be used, but it is not limited to this method.

[0125] The moving distance for moving the cleaning roller 45 upward is not particularly limited as long as it is non-contact with the surface of the object S, but it can be, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. If the moving distance is less than the above lower limit, there is a risk that the cleaning roller 45 may contact the surface of the object S. Conversely, if the moving distance exceeds the above upper limit, there is a risk of interference with other components of the cleaning device 2. For example, when the cleaning roller 45 is moved upward, it will strongly abut against the brush roller 47, but if the moving distance is below the above upper limit, it will be absorbed by the bending of the bristles of the brush roller 47, and interference with the operation of the brush roller 47 can be suppressed.

[0126] The operation of this stop mechanism will be described below. Fig. 6 shows the rotation directions of the respective rollers when the object S is being conveyed. The cleaning roller 45 is configured to rotate along with the conveyance, and the conveyance of the object S attempts to rotate the cleaning roller 45 in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S, while the brush roller 47 that is rotationally driven attempts to rotate the cleaning roller 45 in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S. Although the directions in which both attempt to rotate are opposite to each other, since the brush roller 47 contacts the cleaning roller 45 at the hair portion and thus the force to rotate the brush roller 47 along is weak, and the amount of pushing of the brush roller 47 against the cleaning roller 45 is appropriately adjusted, etc., the cleaning roller 45 rotates along with the object S.

[0127] Here, when the conveyance of the object S stops, if the cleaning roller 45 remains in contact with the object S, the force that attempts to rotate the cleaning roller 45 in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S due to the conveyance of the object S does not act, so the brush roller 47 will rotate the cleaning roller 45 in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object S. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, the cleaning roller 45 rotates so as to push the object S back to the upstream side in the conveyance direction. Therefore, if the cleaning roller 45 remains in contact with the object S, there is a possibility of causing wrinkles in the object S between the cleaning roller 45 and the second cleaning brush 42. The above stop mechanism can suppress the generation of wrinkles in the object S by the cleaning roller 45 by moving the cleaning roller 45 to a position where it does not contact the surface of the object S.

[0128] Note that the configuration of the above stop mechanism is not limited to the method of moving the cleaning roller 45 upward. For example, it may be configured to move the third roller 46 downward.

[0129] 〔Guide〕 Also in the cleaning device 2, when the object S has tabs, it is preferable to provide a guide. Since the guide can be configured in the same manner as the first guide of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0130] 〔Advantages〕 The cleaning device 2 can effectively remove the burrs S1, and can effectively remove foreign matters adhering to one surface of the object S, including the removed burrs S1, regardless of their size. In addition, since the cleaning device 2 can be composed of a total of three cleaning brushes 41, 42 and a cleaning roller 45, it is easy to miniaturize.

[0131] [Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various modified and improved forms in addition to the above aspects.

[0132] In the above first embodiment, the case where the cleaning device cleans both surfaces of the object has been described. However, the cleaning device of the present invention may clean only one surface of the object. In this case, for example, the second cleaning unit can be omitted and only the first cleaning unit can be used.

[0133] Conversely, in the above second embodiment, the case where the cleaning device cleans one surface of the object has been described. However, the cleaning device of the present invention may clean both surfaces of the object. In this case, in a cleaning device that cleans both surfaces of the object, a pair of cleaning brushes that contact the other surface of the object and a cleaning roller that contacts the other surface in a charged state of the surface will be further provided.

[0134] In the above first embodiment, the cleaning brush with the reverse rotation direction is arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the object, and the cleaning brush with the forward rotation direction is arranged on the downstream side. However, this order can be reversed, that is, the cleaning brush with the forward rotation direction can be arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the object, and the cleaning brush with the reverse rotation direction can be arranged on the downstream side. Further, it is not necessary to match the arrangement order between the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit, and the orders of the two may be different. Furthermore, the pair of cleaning brushes of the first cleaning unit and the pair of cleaning brushes of the second cleaning unit may be arranged concentrically. Specifically, for example, it is also possible to arrange the first cleaning brush that contacts one surface of the object and rotates in the forward direction, the second cleaning brush that contacts the other surface and rotates in the forward direction, the third cleaning brush that contacts one surface and rotates in the reverse direction, and the fourth cleaning brush that contacts the other surface and rotates in the reverse direction in this order.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the case where the rotation axes of the pair of cleaning brushes are substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the object and substantially parallel to one surface of the object has been described. However, the above rotation axes do not have to be substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the object. That is, the above rotation axes may have an inclination with respect to the width direction of the object. By arranging the rotation axes to have an inclination with respect to the width direction of the object in this way, that is, to be non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the width direction, the same effect as when the pair of cleaning brushes is vibrated can be obtained.

[0136] In the above second embodiment, the case where the first dust collecting roller performs the foreign matter removing operation of the first cleaning brush and the second dust collecting roller performs the foreign matter removing operation of the second cleaning brush and the cleaning roller has been described. However, the configuration of the dust collecting roller that performs the foreign matter removing operation is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which dust collecting rollers are provided for the first cleaning brush, the second cleaning brush, and the cleaning roller respectively, or a configuration in which a first dust collecting roller common to the foreign matter removing operations of the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush is provided, and a second dust collecting roller is provided for the foreign matter removing operation of the cleaning roller can also be adopted.

[0137] Also, the means for removing foreign matters is not limited to the configuration using the dust collecting roller or the like in the above embodiment, and other configurations can also be adopted.

Example

[0138] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0139] <Optimization of Brush Hair> For the purpose of selecting the necessary characteristics of the hair of the brush part of the cleaning brush suitable for burr removal (hereinafter also referred to as "brush hair"), the burr removal property and the foreign matter recovery property were evaluated.

[0140] As the material of the brush hair, a conductive polyester located at a relatively distant position in the charging series from the triboelectric charging series with the assumed foreign matters was selected, and three types of cleaning brushes having brush hairs with different finenesses and rigidity indices were prepared. The characteristics of the brush hairs of the prepared cleaning brushes are shown in Table 1.

[0141]

Table 1

[0142] As objects for removing burrs and foreign matters, six types of PET films, metal foils (copper and aluminum), acrylic plates, and glass plates were prepared. In addition, four sheets each of polyester fibers, copper powder, glass powder, and acrylic scraps were prepared by attaching them to the respective objects as foreign matters other than burrs.

[0143] Using the three types of cleaning brushes, cleaning treatment was performed on the above-mentioned objects, and the presence or absence of scratches on the surfaces of the objects was visually confirmed. The results are shown in Table 1. In the column of "Damage to Object" in Table 1, A: No scratches are observed B: Scratches can be confirmed This means.

[0144] From the results in Table 1, it can be seen that when using the cleaning brush with the brush hairs shown in Material 3, rubbing scratches are observed on the surface of the object. From this, it can be understood that when the fineness of the brush hairs is high and the rigidity index is high, it is easy to damage the surface of the object.

[0145] Next, for Material 1 and Material 2 where no rubbing scratches were observed, the foreign matter recovery rate and burr removal performance were confirmed. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0146] The foreign matter recovery rate was calculated by dividing the total number of foreign matters removed after the cleaning process by the total number of foreign matters adhered. Also, the burr removal performance was visually confirmed, A: The removed burrs are 50% or more B: The removed burrs are less than 50% and judged based on this.

[0147] From the results in Table 1, it can be seen that Material 1 has excellent foreign matter recovery rate and burr removal performance. On the other hand, since Material 2 has a low rigidity index, its burr removal performance is low. From this, it can be said that by setting the rigidity index of the brush hairs to be 20 or more and 100 or less, while suppressing damage to the surface of the object, burrs can be effectively removed.

Industrial Applicability

[0148] As described above, the cleaning device of the present invention can effectively remove burrs generated on the surface of the object.

Explanation of Signs

[0149] 1, 2 Cleaning device 10 First cleaning unit 11 First cleaning brush 11a Shaft core 11b Brush part 12 Second cleaning brush 12a Shaft core 12b Brush part 13 First roller 14 Second roller 15 Dust roller 15a First dust roller 15b Second dust roller 16 Scraper 16a First scraper 16b Second scraper 17 Foreign object guide plate 17a First foreign object guide plate 17b Second foreign object guide plate 18 Foreign object discharge part 19 Frame 19a Foreign object collection part 20 Second cleaning unit 21 Third cleaning brush 22 Fourth cleaning brush 23 Third roller 24 Fourth roller 41 First cleaning brush 42 Second cleaning brush 43 First roller 44 Second roller 45 Cleaning roller 45a Mandrel 45b Inner layer part 45c Outer layer part 46 Third roller 47 Brush roller 47a Mandrel 47b Brush part 48 Second dust roller 49 Second scraper S Object S1 Burr S1a Reverse-direction whisker burr S1b Forward-direction whisker burr

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning at least one surface of a sheet-like object to be conveyed, comprising: a pair of cleaning brushes that are rotationally driven in contact with the one surface; a pair of rollers that are in contact with the other surface of the object facing the pair of cleaning brushes; and comprising: the pair of cleaning brushes each have a columnar core metal and a brush portion formed by a plurality of hairs provided on the peripheral surface of the core metal, and the brush portion is rotationally driven so as to contact at least both side edge portions of the one surface; among the pair of cleaning brushes, the rotational direction at the contact point portion with the one surface of one cleaning brush is in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, and the rotational direction at the contact point portion with the one surface of the other cleaning brush is in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object; A cleaning device in which a cleaning brush with a reverse rotational direction is arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the object, and a cleaning brush with a forward rotational direction is arranged on the downstream side.

2. The circumferential speed of the one cleaning brush is greater than the conveyance speed of the object, and the speed difference is 1 m / min or more and 30 m / min or less. The cleaning device according to Claim 1.

3. The amount of indentation of the pair of cleaning brushes with respect to the one surface is 0.5 mm or more and 3 mm or less. The cleaning device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

4. The pair of cleaning brushes are rotationally driven, and the contact point portion vibrates in the rotational axis direction. The cleaning device according to Claim 1, Claim 2, or Claim 3.

5. Comprising a cleaning roller that contacts the one surface in a charged state on the surface, the rotational direction at the contact point portion of the cleaning roller with the one surface is in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction of the object, the one cleaning brush, the other cleaning brush, and the cleaning roller are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction, and the other cleaning brush contacts across the width direction of the one surface. The cleaning device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

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