Filter unit-compatible device

Abstract

To make it possible to easily exchange a cylindrical filter in a device comprising a filter unit and to downsize the device.SOLUTION: A cylindrical filter unit 3 extending in a vertical direction comprises: a bottomed cylindrical filter storge part 30 having an opening 300 in a top face; a lid 32 for closing the opening 300; a cylindrical filter 34 accommodated in the filter storage part 30; and a connection mechanism 36 connecting the filter storage part 30 and the lid 32, and comprises a hinge 37 causing a frame 512 of a device 1 to support the lid 32 so as to be rotatable in a horizontal direction as an axis. The filter unit 3 extends in the vertical direction in such a manner that the connection mechanism 36 connects the lid 32 and the filter storage part 30 with the lid on the top and the filter storage part on the bottom, changes inclination of the filter unit 3 in the state extending in the vertical direction by rotating the filter unit 3 with a shaft 371 of the hinge 37, and removes only the filter storage part 30 while supporting the lid 32 on the frame 512 by the hinge 37, thereby enabling replacement of the cylindrical filter 34 accommodated in the filter storage part 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0006] , , ,

[0005] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus provided with a filter unit.

Background Art

[0002] A processing apparatus that processes a workpiece using water uses a filter to remove dust such as processing chips. For example, a cutting apparatus that cuts a workpiece with a cutting blade is connected to a waste liquid treatment apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1) that recycles cutting water by performing a process of removing cutting chips from cutting waste liquid containing cutting chips discharged from the cutting apparatus. The waste liquid treatment apparatus includes a cylindrical cylindrical filter (precision filter), and supplies pure water obtained by filtering the cutting waste liquid through the cylindrical filter to the cutting apparatus.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] The apparatus equipped with the filter unit according to the present invention allows for the replacement of the cylindrical filter without the need for a pull-out mechanism by tilting the filter unit from the vertical direction, thus eliminating the need for long piping required to pull out the filter unit as in conventional devices. Furthermore, tilting the filter unit makes it easier to access the area around other components and does not interfere with the maintenance of other components, making it possible to place other components such as valves adjacent to the filter unit. In addition, other units can be placed below the filter unit, such as a tank for draining water from a cutting device, thereby enabling miniaturization of the apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example of a device (waste liquid treatment device) equipped with a filter unit. [Figure 2] This is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the filter housing, cylindrical filter, and lid. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing details of the filter unit and its surroundings. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the connection relationship between the filter support frame, hinge, and lid. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the filter unit extended vertically and supported by a filter support frame via a hinge. [Figure 6] This is a side view showing the filter unit supported by a hinge on the filter support frame, in a state where it is tilted from the vertical. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the apparatus 1 according to the present invention, which includes a cylindrical filter unit 3 extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The apparatus 1 comprises at least a waste liquid tank 20 for receiving waste liquid from the processing apparatus 19, a pump 21 for supplying the waste liquid contained in the waste liquid tank 20, a first waste liquid filter 231 and a second waste liquid filter 236 for filtering the waste liquid supplied by the pump 21, a clean water tank 25 for storing the clean water filtered through the first waste liquid filter 231 or the second waste liquid filter 236, and a first ion exchange unit 271 and a second ion exchange unit 272 equipped with ion exchange resin.

[0010] The waste liquid tank 20, the filter unit 3, the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 and the second waste liquid filtration filter 236, the fresh water tank 25, the first ion exchange unit 271 and the second ion exchange unit 272 are housed in a rack-shaped device housing 5, which is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape by connecting multiple rod-shaped frames 51, such as aluminum frames.

[0011] The processing apparatus 19 is, for example, a grinding apparatus that thins a workpiece (e.g., a silicon wafer, etc.) held on a chuck table by grinding it with a rotating grinding wheel while supplying processing water (e.g., pure water), or a cutting apparatus that cuts a workpiece such as a silicon wafer held on a chuck table by inserting a rotating cutting blade into the workpiece while supplying processing water.

[0012] The processing apparatus 19 is connected to the waste liquid tank 20 via metal piping or flexible tubing. For example, above the waste liquid tank 20, which is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, a pump 21 is provided to raise the processing waste liquid mixed with processing scraps from the waste liquid tank 20 and send it to the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 or the second waste liquid filtration filter 236. The first waste liquid filtration filter 231 and the second waste liquid filtration filter 236, which are positioned above the waste liquid tank 20, are units composed of, for example, CC filters manufactured by Disco Corporation. The first waste liquid filtration filter 231 (second waste liquid filtration filter 236) comprises, for example, a cylindrical body 232 (cylindrical body 237) having a plurality of openings (not shown) on its side, an inlet 233 (inlet 238) positioned on the upper surface of the cylindrical body 232 (cylindrical body 237) for introducing clean water, and a cylindrical filter paper (not shown) positioned inside the cylindrical body 232 (cylindrical body 237). In the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 (second waste liquid filtration filter 236), clean water entering the cylindrical filter paper from the inlet 233 (inlet 238) is filtered by the cylindrical filter paper and then flows out through the plurality of openings on the side of the cylindrical body 232 (cylindrical body 237).

[0013] The first wastewater filtration filter 231 and the second wastewater filtration filter 236, configured in this way, are arranged side by side on a bucket-shaped filter rack 239. Processing wastewater (clean water) that has been filtered of processing scraps by the first wastewater filtration filter 231 or the second wastewater filtration filter 236 is discharged onto the filter rack 239. The upstream side of the piping is connected to the bucket on the filter rack 239, and the downstream side of the piping is connected to the clean water tank 25.

[0014] Device 1 consists of a CPU that performs calculations according to a control program, a storage medium such as memory, and a control unit 109 that controls each component of Device 1. In addition, a display screen 108 capable of displaying the status of each part of Device 1 and an input panel 107 for the operator to input operating conditions to Device 1 are arranged side by side on the upper side of the device housing 5 on the +X direction.

[0015] The clear water that flows down from the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 or the second waste liquid filtration filter 236 through a pipe (not shown) and is stored in the clear water tank 25 is sucked by a pump 251 attached to the clear water tank 25 and flows into the first ion exchange unit 271 or the second ion exchange unit 272 through a pipe (not shown).

[0016] The first ion exchange unit 271 and the second ion exchange unit 272 disposed on the support base 273 on the bottom plate 50 in the lower space inside the device housing 5 ion-exchange the introduced clear water to purify pure water.

[0017] For example, if the treatment of the processing waste liquid by the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 continues as described above, fine processing chips will accumulate inside the filter paper (not shown) of the first waste liquid filtration filter 231, making it difficult for the processing waste liquid to pass through the filter paper (not shown), and the function as a filter will be lost. In this case, since the pressure inside the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 increases, the control unit 109 detects this increase in pressure and reports and displays that the function of the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 has been lost and replacement is necessary to notify the operator.

[0018] Also, the control unit 109 switches the delivery destination of the processing waste liquid sent out from the waste liquid tank 20 by the pump 21 from the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 to the second waste liquid filtration filter 236. Then, the processing waste liquid is treated by the second waste liquid filtration filter 236 in the same manner as the first waste liquid filtration filter 231. Further, since the first waste liquid filtration filter 231 is in a state where the filter paper or the like can be replaced, the operator replaces the filter paper of the first waste liquid filtration filter 231.

[0019] Before the clear water is introduced into the first ion exchange unit 271 or the second ion exchange unit 272, for example, the clear water may be introduced into an ultraviolet irradiation unit (not shown), and sterilized by irradiating ultraviolet rays here.

[0020] After the clear water is ion-exchanged and purified, fine substances such as resin debris of the ion-exchange resin constituting the first ion-exchange unit 271 and the second ion-exchange unit 272 may be mixed into the clear water. Therefore, the clear water is further introduced into a filter unit 3, which is a precision filter, through a pipe not shown, and the filter unit 3 captures fine substances such as resin debris of the ion-exchange resin mixed in the clear water. In the present embodiment, the filter unit 3 is disposed above the waste liquid tank 20 and the pump 21 in the apparatus housing 5.

[0021] A rectangular arrangement plate 54 is disposed behind the filter unit 3 (on the +Y side) in a form attached to the frame 51. And, the first valve 61, the second valve 62, and the third valve 63 are horizontally arranged and attached to the lower part of the front surface of the arrangement plate 54.

[0022] Above the first valve 61, a flow meter 64 for measuring the flow rate of the processing waste liquid supplied to the filter unit 3 is disposed. Also, above the third valve 63, an air regulator 65 for adjusting the pressure in the filter unit 3 to a predetermined appropriate value is disposed.

[0023] The filter unit 3 is disposed on the front surface (-Y direction side) of the apparatus 1, is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2, it includes a bottomed cylindrical filter housing portion 30 having an opening 300 on the upper surface, a lid 32 for closing the opening 300, a cylindrical filter 34 housed in the filter housing portion 30, and a connecting mechanism 36 for connecting the filter housing portion 30 and the lid 32.

[0024] The lid 32 is formed such that, for example, the upper part is in a disc shape and the lower part is in a cylindrical shape, and the outer diameter of the lower part formed in a cylindrical shape is configured to be larger than that of the filter housing portion 30. In the example of FIG. 2, an inlet 320 through which the processing waste liquid flows in is formed by opening on the -X direction side surface of the lid 32, and an outlet 321 through which the filtered processing waste liquid flows out is formed by opening on the +X direction side surface. The outlet 321 is connected to a pure water temperature adjustment part not shown.

[0025] The inlet 320 extends inward almost horizontally from the side of the lid 32, then curves vertically inside the lid 32, with its lower end opening toward a recessed space 323 formed inside the lid 32. A female screw 361 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 32 toward the roughly cylindrical recessed space 323.

[0026] The filter housing 30 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a male screw 362 is formed on its upper outer surface. On the bottom side of the filter housing 30, there is an outlet 305 as shown in Figure 3, which is used to drain the processing waste liquid accumulated in the filter housing 30 downwards and empty the filter housing 30 when cleaning or inspecting the inside of the filter housing 30. The outlet 305 can be opened and closed by a second valve 62, and a waste liquid receiving tray 306 is provided below the outlet 305. The processing waste liquid that flows down into the waste liquid receiving tray 306 is returned to the waste liquid tank 20, for example.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the upper end of the cylindrical internal space 307 of the filter housing 30 becomes an opening 300 that is closed by the lid 32, and the lower end of the inlet 320 and the lower end of the outlet 321 of the lid 32 attached to the filter housing 30 are positioned directly above the opening 300.

[0028] In this embodiment, a connecting mechanism 36 is formed between the filter housing 30 and the lid 32 by a female thread 361 formed on the lid 32 and a male thread 362 formed on the filter housing 30 that screws into the female thread 361. However, the connecting mechanism 36 is not limited to a configuration of a female thread 361 and a male thread 362.

[0029] The outer diameter of the cylindrical filter 34 is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the internal space 307 of the filter housing 30, and a predetermined annular gap is provided between the outer surface of the cylindrical filter 34 housed in the filter housing 30 and the inner surface of the filter housing 30. When the lid 32 is connected to the filter housing 30 by the connecting mechanism 36, the lower end of the inlet 320 of the lid 32 faces the upper end of the gap, and processing waste liquid flows from the inlet 320 into the gap 340.

[0030] The processing waste liquid that flows into the gap enters the inside of the cylinder 343 from the outer surface of the cylindrical filter 34, and at this time the processing waste liquid is filtered and processing debris is removed by the cylindrical filter 34. The filtered clean water rises up inside the cylinder 343 and is discharged to the outside of the filter unit 3 from the outlet 321 of the lid 32 which communicates with the upper end of the inside of the cylinder 343. The cylindrical filter 34 may also be formed into a cylindrical shape by folding it in a bellows-like manner to increase the filtration area on the sides, thereby creating an annular shape overall.

[0031] Of the multiple frames 51 that form the device housing 5 shown in Figure 1, the filter support frame 512 shown in Figure 4, which constitutes the upper edge on the rear side of the filter unit 3, has four sides, and a C-shaped groove 514 extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) is formed on the inside of each side.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the heads 520 of two fixing bolts 52 are inserted into the C-shaped groove 514 on the -Y direction side (the side closer to the filter unit 3) of the filter support frame 512, with the threaded portions 521 of the fixing bolts 52 protruding from the C-shaped groove 514 toward the -Y direction. These threaded portions 521 pass through the C-shaped groove 514 and also through the hole in one of the upright vane plates 371 of the hinge 37, and one of the vane plates 371 of the hinge 37 is fixed to the C-shaped groove 514 by a nut 525. On the other hand, the vane plate 372 on the other side of the hinge 37, which is aligned with the upper surface of the lid 32, is fixed by a bolt 53 with a stopper 38 sandwiched between it and the upper surface of the lid 32.

[0033] In a side view, the stopper 38 has a first flat plate 381 extending in the +Y direction along the upper surface of the lid 32, from which a rising plate 382 rises in the +Z direction behind the hinge 37, and further, a second flat plate 383 extends along the lower side surface of the filter support frame 512, with the upper surface of the second flat plate 383 in contact with the lower side surface of the filter support frame 512. The hinge 372 is bendable in the direction indicated by the arrow 384, with the axis 370 as the axis of rotation.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, when the filter unit 3 is extending vertically (Z-axis direction) and is not tilted, the upper surface of the second flat plate 383 on the rear end side (+Y direction side) of the stopper 38 abuts against the lower side surface of the filter support frame 512, thereby fixing the hinge 37 so that it does not open too far. When the filter unit 3 rotates clockwise when viewed from the +X direction side from the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and tilts, the upper surface of the second flat plate 383 on the rear end side (+Y direction side) of the stopper 38 separates from the lower side surface of the filter support frame 512.

[0035] As filtration by the filter unit 3 continues, the filtering performance of the cylindrical filter 34 decreases. Therefore, at appropriate intervals, the used cylindrical filter 34 is replaced with a new cylindrical filter 34 from within the filter housing 30. The cylindrical filter 34 is replaced as follows.

[0036] The worker grasps the filter housing 30, which is extending vertically, and rotates the filter unit 3 in the direction of arrow R around the axis 370 of the hinge 37, as shown in Figure 6, tilting the filter unit 3 so that the filter housing 30 moves away from the placement plate 54 shown in Figure 1. As a result, the stopper 38 moves away from the lower side of the filter support frame 512.

[0037] Next, the worker rotates the filter housing 30 by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow R and lifts it up, then rotates the filter housing 30 relative to the lid 32, which is supported on the filter support frame 512 by the hinge 37, to release the connection between the female screw 361 and the male screw 362. In this way, the filter housing 30 can be detached from the lid 32 and removed from the device 1.

[0038] Next, the cylindrical filter 34 is removed from the filter housing 30, and the unused cylindrical filter 34 is placed back into the filter housing 30.

[0039] Next, the filter housing 30, which houses the new cylindrical filter 34, is connected to the lid 32 by screwing the male thread 362 of the filter housing 30 into the female thread 361 of the lid 32, which is tilted from the vertical by the hinge 37.

[0040] Subsequently, the filter unit 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow L shown in Figure 6 to return it to its vertically extended position. As a result, the upper surface of the flat plate portion on the rear end side (+Y direction side) of the stopper 38, which rotates together with the lid 32 by the hinge 37, comes into contact with the lower side surface of the filter support frame 512, and the filter unit 3 is fixed in a vertically extended position as shown in Figure 5.

[0041] In this way, by simply tilting the filter unit 3, the filter housing 30 can be detached while the lid 32 remains supported by the filter support frame 512, thereby allowing the cylindrical filter 34 to be replaced from the filter housing 30. Therefore, there is no need to provide a drawer mechanism, and it does not interfere with the maintenance of other parts, making it possible to place other parts adjacent to the filter unit 3. In addition, other units can be placed below the filter unit 3, which makes it possible to miniaturize the device.

[0042] The apparatus 1 according to the present invention, which includes the filter unit 3, is not limited to the above embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Equipment 107: Input panel 108: Display screen 109: Control unit 19: Processing equipment 20: Waste liquid tank 21: Pump 25: Fresh water tank 231: First waste liquid filtration filter 232: Cylinder 233: Inlet 236: Second waste liquid filtration filter 237: Cylinder 238: Inlet 239: Filter rack 251: Pump 271: First ion exchange unit 272: Second ion exchange unit 273: Support stand 3: Filter Unit 30: Filter housing 300: Opening 305: Outlet 306: Waste liquid receiving tray 307: Interior space 32: Lid 320: Entrance 321: Exit 323: Recessed space 34: Tube filter 340: Gap 343: Inside the tube 36: Coupling mechanism 361: Female thread 362: Male thread 37: Hinge 370: Shaft 371: Wing plate 372: Wing plate 38: Stopper 381: First flat plate 382: Rising plate 383: Second flat plate 5: Device enclosure 50: Base plate 51: Frame 52: Fixing bolts 53: Bolts 54: Placement plate 512 Filter support frame 514 C-groove 520 Head 521 Screw part 525: Nut 61: First valve 62: Second valve 63: Third valve 64: Flow meter 65: Air Regulator

Claims

[Claim 1] An apparatus comprising a cylindrical filter unit extending in the vertical direction, The filter unit comprises a bottomed cylindrical filter housing having an opening on its top surface, a lid that closes the opening, a cylindrical filter housed in the filter housing, and a connecting mechanism that connects the filter housing and the lid. The device is equipped with a hinge that allows the lid to be supported on the frame of the device so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, The filter unit extends vertically, with the lid facing upwards and the filter housing facing downwards, connected by the connecting mechanism. The filter unit, which extends vertically, is rotated on the axis of the hinge to change its tilt, allowing only the filter housing to be detached while the lid remains supported on the frame by the hinge, thereby enabling the replacement of the cylindrical filter housed within the filter housing. A device equipped with a filter unit.

Images